Question

The birthrate in Europe has been onお a steady decrease since the 1960s.  European countries, realizing crisis is at hand, are providing great encouragement for parents to create more babies in the 21st century. Affairs Ministry concluded last year that, ___1___ cash encouragement, some women just don't want to be ___2___ holding the baby. “What we know is that it's good for the___3___ if men and women share the burden of having children,” says Soren Kindlund, family policy adviser at the Swedish ministry. ___4___ Swedish parents can take their paid leave as they wish, men use a mere 12% of it; 60% of fathers do not take even a(n) ___5___ day off work.

Experts fear that the tendency for women to use most of the parental leave could make employers ___6___ to give young women the permanent jobs they need to qualify for paid maternity leave (產假). In January, Sweden decided to allow new fathers two months' paid leave, with a warning: use it or ___7___ it.

Kindlund admits that men are under ___8___ to stay at work, even though parental pay comes out of the public purse. “It's not popular among bosses and perhaps with other men in the workplace,” he says. “But it's good for the father and for the child if they can ___9___ a relationship.”

In Norway, a(n) ___10___ policy has worked wonders.70% of dads in Norway now take parental leave, and the birthrate of 1.85 children per woman is one of the highest in Europe.

1. A. in spite of　　　　　　　　    B. at the cost of　　　　　　　　   C. in addition to　　　　　　 D. due to

2. A. sent　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. left　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. caught　　　　　　　　　　 　　   D. seen

3. A. birthrate　　　　　　　　　　   B. income　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. health　　　　　　　　　　   D. spirit

4. A. Just as　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Only if　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. Even though　　　　　　 D. Now that

5. A. one　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. mere　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   C. only　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. single

6. A. willing　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. reluctant　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. likely 　　　　　　　　　　  D. unable

7. A. reserve　　　　　　　　　　    B. misuse　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　  C. ignore　　　　　　　　　　  D. lose

8. A. discussion　　　　　　　　    B. attack　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. control　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. pressure

9. A. make out　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. add up　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. build up　　　　　　　　    D. set aside

10. A. impersonal　　　　　　　　 B. similar　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. severe　　　　　　　　　　  D. global

 

Answer 1

答案：A;B;A;C;D;B;D;D;C;B
解析：

1  in spite of“盡管”，表示讓步。 2 有些婦女不想自己被留下照看孩子。 3 結合上文，知道這對出生率來說是個好消息。 4 even though“即使”，表示遞進。 5 哪怕是一天。 6 雇主肯定不愿有帶薪的產假。 7 先對于前面的use it這使用lose it比較合適。 8 under pressure“在壓力下”。 9 建立一種關系。 10 聯系下文出現的結果，應該是相似的政策。

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