学位英语

The structure of a family takes different forms (家庭结构有着不同的形式)around the world and even in the same society. The family’s form changes as it adapts to (适应)changing social and economic influences. (家庭的构成形式也在不断变化：随着不断变化的社会和经济影响而变化) Until recently, the most common form in North America was (第二题)the nuclear family(核心家庭), consisting of a married couple with their minor children. The nuclear family is an independent unit. It must be prepared to fend for itself. Individual family members strongly depend on one another. There is little help from outside the family in emergencies. Elderly relatives of a nuclear family are cared for only if it is possible for the family to do so. In North Africa, the elderly often do not live with the family. They live in retirement communities and nursing homes. (第四题：通过描述“核心家庭”的共性：这里讲的是所有“核心家庭”的共同特点，即独立单位，自己照顾自己，家庭成员之间紧密依赖彼此，外界的帮助微乎其微等。)

There are many parallels (相似点)between the nuclear family in industrial societies，such as North America，and of families in societies such as that of the Inuits，who live in harsh environments. (北美的“核心家庭”同因特人的家庭有很多相似之处)The nuclear family structure is well adapted to a life of mobility(良好地适应流动性的特点). In harsh conditions，mobility allows the family to hunt for food(狩猎扑食). For North Americans，the hunt for jobs and improved social status (找工作，提高社会地位)also requires mobility.

The nuclear family was not always the North American standard. In a more agrarian (农耕时代)time，the small nuclear family was usually part of a larger extended family(大家庭). This might have included grandparents，mother and father，brothers and sisters，uncles，aunts，and cousins. In North America today，there is a dramatic rise in the number of single-parent households(单亲家庭的数目大幅增加). Twice as many households in the United States are headed by divorced，separated，or never-married individuals as are comprised of nuclear families. (由核心家庭构成的单亲家庭的数目是由于离婚、分居或者未婚导致的单亲家庭的两倍。)The structure of the family，not just in North America, but throughout the world，continues to change as it adapts to changing conditions.(适应新的变化的环境)

词汇:

nuclear adj. 原子核的，中心的 harsh adj. 严酷的

emergency n. 紧急状况 agrarian adj. 土地的，耕地的

注释:

1. It must be prepared to fend for itself. 它必须能够照料自己。

2. In North America，the elderly often do not live with the family; they live in retirement communities and nursing homes. 在北美洲，老人很少和家人一起生活;他们一般住在退休社

区和养老机构。

3. In harsh conditions，mobility allows the family to hunt for food. :在恶劣的条件下，流动性能让一个家庭吃饱饭。

（责任编辑：wrr）

共3页,当前第1页  第一页  前一页  下一页