Marriages improve after children grow up and move out，according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”．
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff，who carried out the investigation，said: “The takehome message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’．” Her coauthor Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe，from the British Psychological Society，said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life，then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents，their world falls apart when their children leave.”
1.It is commonly believed that___________.
A．marriages improve after children leave home
B．an “empty nest” is always a happy thing
C．parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out
D．parents will be pleased after their children leave home
2.When did many couples feel happier according to the study?
A．At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
B．Shortly after marrying.
C．Once their children reached their teenage years.
D．When they were bringing up babies.
3.Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.
A．many couples are able to spend time together
B．many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company
C．things are a little more relaxed
D．many couples needn’t work at all
4.The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.
A．parents should build their life around their kids
B．parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home
C．parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all
D．parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home
1.C
2.A
3.D
4.B
【解析】
試題分析：本文講述了一些孩子離家以后的空巢老人可能更為開心，文章分析了原因，也提出了不同的觀點。
1.C 細節題。根據第二段1,2行Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.原來很多人認為孩子離開家以后，父母會感覺很孤單寂寞。故C正確。
2.A 推理題。根據第二段2,3行Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.可知當孩子離開家的時候，也就是變成空巢家庭的時候，他們會感覺很開心。故A正確。
3.D 細節題。根據4,5段Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.和One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”可知ABC三項都是文章中提及的原因，只有D項不是。
4.B 細節題。根據文章倒數第二段最后2行Her coauthor Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”可知B項內容正確。
考點：考查調查報告類短文閱讀
點評：本文講述了一些孩子離家以后的空巢老人可能更為開心，文章分析了原因，也提出了不同的觀點。
文章基本上是考查細節題，對此類題型考生可以首先從問題中找到關鍵詞，然后以此為線索，運用略讀及查閱的技巧在文中迅速尋找這一細節，找到后再把這一部分內容仔細閱讀一遍，仔細比較所給選項與文中細節的細微區別，在準確理解細節的前提下，最后確定最佳答案。
閱讀快車系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
(10·全國Ⅰ)
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for appointment （約會）at 9:30.
The nurse had him take a 36 in the waiting area, 37 him it would be at least 40 minutes 38 someone would be able to see him .I saw him 39 his watch and decided, since I was 40 buy-my patient didn’t 41 at the appointed hour ,I would examine his wound, While taking care of his wound ,I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment.
The gentleman said no and told me that he 42 to go to the nursing home on eat breakfast with his 43 .He told me that she had been 44 for a while and that she had a special disease, I asked if she would be 45 if he was a bit late. He replied that she 46 knew who he was ,that she had not been able to 47 him for five years now. I was 48 and asked him,” And you 49 go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”
He smiled and said .”She doesn’t know me, but I know who she is” I had to hold back 50 as he left.
Now I 51 that in marriages, true love is 52 of all that, The happiest people don’t 53 have the best of everything; they just 54 the best of everything they have .55 isn’t about how to live through the storm, but how to dance in the rain.
36.A.breath B. test C. seat D. break
37.A.persuading B. promising C. understanding D. telling
38. A. if B. before C. since D. after
39. A. taking off B. fixing C. looking at D. winding
40. A. very B. also C. seldom D. not
41. A. turn up B. show off C. come on D. go away
42. A. needed B. forgot C . agreed D. happened
43. A. daughter B. wife C. mother D. sister
44. A late B. well C. around D. there
45. A. lonely B. worried C. doubtful D. hungry
46. A. so far B. neither C. no longer D. already
47. A. recognize B. answer C. believe D. expect
48.A. moved B. disappointed C. surprised D .satisfied
49.A. only B. then C. thus D. still
50.A. curiosity B. tears C. words D. judgment
51. A. realize B. suggest C. hope D. prove
52. A. agreement B. expression C. acceptance D. exhibition
53. A. necessarily B. completely C. naturally D. frequently
54. A. learn B. make C. favor D. try
55. A. Adventure B. Beauty C. Trust D .Life
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學年山西康杰中學高三第三次模擬英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I’d procrastinated（拖延，耽擱）long enough.
I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland(花環)was the first to come down. The tree looked naked(光禿禿的)already. I took the large ornament（裝飾物）off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.
I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. “Hey, little Santa!” I held the Santa from my childhood. “Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years.” He was a little ragged but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. “Until next year, my dear friend.”
There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in the their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree－memories of young giggles(咯咯地笑)on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. “Look what we made, Daddy!”
“Oh! It is beautiful. Let’s find a special spot on the tree for it.” Every year since, they are displayed.
A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed(用吸塵器清掃)and I sat staring at a barren(空蕩蕩的)corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble(收集)and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.
My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.
Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren’t as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow.
1.In the author’s eyes, the Christmas tree .
A．is a collection of childhood memories
B．is a symbol of long-lasting relations
C．takes too much time to decorate
D．is full of out-of-date ornaments
2.To the author, a Christmas tree is similar to a good marriage in that .
A．both take time to build but fall apart easily
B．both remind him of bittersweet memories
C．both need to be admired for some time
D．both get less attractive over the years
3.What is the main theme of the article?
A．We’d better put away Christmas decorations and recycle them each year.
B．Friendships and marriages should be valued and managed carefully.
C．Memories with friends and family should be cherished and relived.
D．We should decorate Christmas trees with personal stuff and recycle.
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It was a busy morning，about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital. I heard him saying to the 11 that he was in a hurry for an appointment(約會) at 9:30.
The nurse had him take a 12 in the waiting area, telling him it would be at least 40 minutes before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his 13 and decided, since I was not busy—my patient didn’t 14 at the appointed hour, I would examine his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment. He said no and told me that he 15 to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his 16 , who had been there for a while for a special disease. I asked if she would be 17 if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not been able to 18 him for five years. I was 19 , and asked him，“And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”
He smiled and said. “She doesn’t know me but I know who she is.” I had to hold back 20 as he left.
Now I 21 that in marriages，true love is 22 of all that is. The happiest people don’t 23 have the best of everything; they just 24 the best of everything they have. 25 isn’t about how to live through the storm, but how to dance in the rain.
1. A．friend B．patient C．nurse D．doctor
2. A．test B．chance C．shower D．seat
3. A．nurse B．blackboard C．watch D．doctor
4. A．turn up B．show off C．come on D．go away
5. A．needed B．forgot C．agreed D．happened
6. A．daughter B．wife C．mother D．sister
7. A．lonely B．worried C．doubtful D．hungry
8. A．recognize B．answer C．believe D．expect
9. A．moved B．disappointed C．surprised D．satisfied
10. A．curiosity B．tears C．words D．judgment
11. A．realize B．suggest C．hope D．prove
12. A．agreement B．expression C．acceptance D．exhibition
13. A．necessarily B．completely C．naturally D．frequently
14. A．learn B．make C．favor D．try
15. A．Adventure B．Beauty C．Trust D．Life
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學年黑龍江省高三上學期期中考試英語卷 題型：閱讀理解
Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants (被告). But in the executive (行政的；管理的) circle, beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine and an attractive man more manly than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly" qualities required.
This is true even in politics. "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently," says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.
1. In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness ______________.
A. makes women look more honest and capable
B. strengthens the qualifies required
C. is of no importance to women
D. often enables women to succeed quickly
2. Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness ____________.
A. turns out to be a disadvantage to men
B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women
C. affects men and women alike
D. has as little effect on men as on women
3.It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often ______________.
A. practical B. supportive C. old-fashioned D. one-sided
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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年高考英語試題分類匯編--廣告應用文、新聞報道閱讀理解 題型：完形填空
第二節完形填空(共20小題；每小題l．5分，滿分30分)
閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出可以填入
空白處的最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
It was a busy morning，about 8:30,when an elderly gentleman in his 80s came to the hospital。I heard him saying to the nurse that he was in a hurry for an appointment(約會)at 9:30
The nurse had him take a 36 in the waiting area, 37 him it would be at least 40
minutes 38 someone would be able to see him。 I saw him 39 his watch and decided，since I was 40 busy—my patient didn’t 41 at the appointed hour, I would examine his wound .While taking care of his wound．I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment
The gentleman said no and told me that he 42 to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his 43 .。He told me that she had been 44 for a while and that she had a special disease。I asked if she would be 45 if he was a bit late. He replied that she 46 knew who he was，that she had not been able to 47 him for five years now. I was 48 ,and asked him，“And you 49 go every morning，even though she doesn’t know who you are?”
He smiled and said．“She doesn’t know me but I know who she is” I had to hold back 50 as he left.
Now I 51 that in marriages，true love is 52 of all that is。The happiest people don’t 53 have the best of everything；they just 54 the best of everything they have。 55 isn’t about how to live through the storm，but how to dance in the rain.
36 A breath B.test C seat D break
37 A persuading B promising C understanding D telling
38 A if B before C since D after
39 A taking off B．fixing C looking at D winding
40．A very B also C seldom D not
41 A turn up B show off C come on D go away
42 A needed B forgot C agreed D happened
43 A daughter B wife C mother D sister
44 A. late B well C around D.there
45 A lonely B worried C doubtful D hungry
46 A so far B neither C no longer D already
47 A recognize B answer C believe D expect
48 A moved B disappointed C surprised D satisfied
49 A only B.then C.thus D still
50A curiosity B tears C words D judgment
51 A realize B suggest C hope D prove
52 A agreement B expression C acceptance D exhibition
53 A necessarily B completely C．naturally D frequently
54 A. learn B make C.favor D.try
55 A Adventure B Beauty C Trust D Life
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