“Family” is of course an elastic word. But when British people say that their society is based on family life, they are thinking of “family” in its narrow, peculiarly European sense of mother, father and children living together alone in their own house as an economic and social unit. Thus, every British marriage indicates the beginning of a new and independent family—hence the tremendous importance of marriage in British life.
For both the man and the woman, marriage means leaving one’s parents and starting one’s own life. The man’s first duty will then be to his wife, and the wife’s to her husband. He will be entirely responsible for her financial support, and she for the running of the new home. Their children will be their common responsibility and theirs alone. Neither the wife’s parents nor the husband’s, nor their brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles, have any right to interfere with them—they are their own masters.
Readers of novels like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will know that in former times marriage among wealthy families was arranged by the girl’s parents, that is, it was the parents, duty to find a suitable husband for their daughter, preferably a rich one, and by skillful encouragement to lead him eventually to ask their permission to marry her. Until that time, the girl was protected and maintained in the parents’ home, and the financial relief of getting rid of her could be seen in their giving the newly married pair a sum of money called a dowry (嫁妆). It is very different today. Most girls of today get a job when they leave school and become financially independent before their marriage. This has had two results: a girl chooses her own husband, and she gets no dowry.
1.What does the author mean by “Family is of course an elastic word”?
2.For an English family, the husband’s duty is( ).
3.Everything is decided in a family( ).
4.What is true concerning the book Pride and Prejudice?
5.With regard to marriage in Britain, present-day girls differ from former time girls in( ).
问题1选项
A.Different families have different ways of life.
B.Different definitions could be given to the word.
C.Different nations have different families.
D.Different times produce different families.
问题2选项
A.supporting the family while the wife is financial
B.defending the family while the wife is running the home
C.financial while the wife is running the home
D.independent while the wife is dependent
问题3选项
A.by the couple
B.with the help of their parents
C.by brothers and sisters
D.with the help of aunts and uncles
问题4选项
A.It is the best book on marriage.
B.It is a handbook of marriage.
C.It gives quite some idea of English social life in the past.
D.It provides a lot of information of former time wealthy families.
问题5选项
A.the right to marry
B.more parental support
C.choosing husbands
D.social position
第1题:B
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:C
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
What does the author mean by “Family is of course an elastic word”? 作者说“家庭当然是一个释义很灵活的词”是什么意思?
A. Different families have different ways of life. A. 不同的家庭有不同的生活方式。
B. Different definitions could be given to the word. B. 这个词可以有不同的定义。
C. Different nations have different families. C. 不同的国家有不同的家庭。
D. Different times produce different families. D. 不同的时代产生不同的家庭。
【答案】B
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】由第一段“‘家庭’当然是一个释义很灵活的词。但是,当英国人说他们的社会是建立在家庭生活的基础上时,他们所想到的‘家庭’是一种狭隘的(they are thinking of “family” in its narrow)、具有欧洲特色的意识(European sense),即母亲、父亲和孩子作为一个经济和社会单位独自生活在自己的房子里。”可知,英国人对于家庭的定义比较狭隘,因此第一句提到的“‘家庭’是一个释义很灵活的词”说的是家庭可以有许多不同的定义。故B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“不同的家庭有不同的生活方式”、C选项“不同的国家有不同的家庭”和D选项“不同的时代产生不同的家庭”原文均没有提及,属于无中生有。
第2题:
【选项释义】
For an English family, the husband’s duty is ________. 对于英国家庭来说,丈夫的责任是________。
A. supporting the family while the wife is financial A. 养家糊口,而妻子是经济支柱
B. defending the family while the wife is running the home B. 保卫家庭,而妻子则是操持家务
C. financial while the wife is running the home C. 经济支柱,而妻子则是操持家务
D. independent while the wife is dependent D. 独立的,而妻子是依赖的
【答案】C
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】由Para.2第三句“他将完全负责她的经济支持(responsible for her financial support),而她将负责组建新家(the running of the new home)。”可知,在英国家庭,丈夫的职责是挣钱养家,而妻子则是操持家务。故C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“养家糊口,而妻子是经济支柱”与原文表达意思相反,属于反向干扰;
B选项“保卫家庭,而妻子则是操持家务”的defending the family与原文的financial support不符,属于曲解原文;
D选项“独立的,而妻子是依赖的”原文没有提及,属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Everything is decided in a family ________. 家里的一切________决定。
A. by the couple A. 由夫妻
B. with the help of their parents B. 在父母的帮助下
C. by brothers and sisters C. 由兄弟姐妹
D. with the help of aunts and uncles D. 在叔叔阿姨的帮助下
【答案】A
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】由Para.2最后一句“妻子的父母、丈夫的父母、兄弟姐妹、叔叔阿姨都没有权利干涉他们——他们是自己的主人。”可知,家庭的一切都是由夫妻做主。故A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“在父母的帮助下”、C选项“由兄弟姐妹”和D选项“在叔叔阿姨的帮助下”原文表达的意思相反,属于反向干扰。
第4题:
【选项释义】
What is true concerning the book Pride and Prejudice? 关于《傲慢与偏见》这本书,哪个是正确的?
A. It is the best book on marriage. A. 这是关于婚姻的最好的书。
B. It is a handbook of marriage. B. 这是一本婚姻手册。
C. It gives quite some idea of English social life in the past. C. 它使我们对过去英国的社会生活有了一些了解。
D. It provides a lot of information of former time wealthy families. D. 它提供了很多以前富裕家庭的信息。
【答案】C
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】第二段提到小说《傲慢与偏见》中有对旧时代婚姻状况的描写,这是当时英国社会生活的一个方面。故选项C正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“这是关于婚姻的最好的书”和B选项“这是一本婚姻手册”原文无法体现,属于无中生有;
D选项原文只讲了富裕家庭的婚姻都是由女孩的父母包办的,并不能推知“提供了很多以前富裕家庭的信息”,属于推理过度。
第5题:
【选项释义】
With regard to marriage in Britain, present-day girls differ from former time girls in ________. 关于英国的婚姻,现在的女孩与以前的女孩在________有所不同。
A. the right to marry A. 结婚的权利
B. more parental support B. 更多的父母的支持
C. choosing husbands C. 选择丈夫
D. social position D. 社会地位
【答案】C
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】由最后一段“今天的大多数女孩在离开学校后就找到了工作,在结婚前就在经济上独立了。这导致了两个结果:女孩选择自己的丈夫(a girl chooses her own husband),而她得不到嫁妆。”可知,当今的女性经济独立了,能够自己选择丈夫,故C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“结婚的权利”和D选项“社会地位”原文没有提及,属于无中生有;
B选项“更多的父母的支持”与原文“她得不到嫁妆(she gets no dowry)”相矛盾,属于反向干扰。
【文章来源】《英国社会与文化》北京大学出版社2010
【参考译文】
“家庭”当然是一个有弹性的词。但是,当英国人说他们的社会是以家庭生活为基础的时候,他们想到的“家庭”指的是那种狭义的、欧洲人特有的观念,即母亲、父亲和孩子单独住在自己的房子里,作为一种经济和社会单位。因此,每一桩英国婚姻都预示着一个新的独立家庭的开始——因此,婚姻在英国人的生活中具有极其重要的意义。
对男人和女人来说,婚姻意味着离开父母,开始自己的生活。这样,男人的首要责任就是对待妻子,而妻子的首要责任就是对待丈夫。他将全权负责她的经济支持,而她则负责管理新家。他们的孩子将是他们共同的责任,也是他们自己的责任。妻子的父母、丈夫的父母、兄弟姐妹、叔叔阿姨都无权干涉,他们是自己的主人。
读过简•奥斯汀的《傲慢与偏见》等小说的人都知道,在过去,富裕家庭的婚姻是由女孩的父母包办的,也就是说,父母的责任是为女儿找一个合适的丈夫,最好是一个富有的丈夫,并通过巧妙的鼓励,最终引导他向父母提出娶女儿的请求。在那之前,女孩被保护和抚养在父母的家里,摆脱她的经济救济可以从他们给新婚夫妇的一笔称为嫁妆的钱中看出。今天的情况大不相同了。今天的大多数女孩在离开学校后都找了一份工作,在婚前就经济独立了。这产生了两个结果:一个是女孩自己选择丈夫,另一个是她得不到嫁妆。