1.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 ones parents and starting ones own life. The mans first duty will then be to his wife, and the wifes 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 wifes parents nor the husbands, 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 Austins Pride and Prejudice will know that in former times marriage among wealthy families was arranged by the girls 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. 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?B BA.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.2.For an English family, the husbands duty is _.C CA.supporting the family while the wifes is financialB.defending the family while the wifes is running the homeC.financial while the wifes is running the homeD.independent while the wifes is dependent3.Everything is decided in a family _.A AA.by the coupleB.with the help of their parentsC.by brothers and sistersD.with the help of aunts and uncles4.What is true concerning the book Pride and Prejudice?C CA.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.5.With regard to marriage in Britain, present-day girls differ from former-time girls in _.C CA.the right to get marriedB.more parental supportC.choosing husbandsD.social position2. American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. Cities contain the very best aspects of a society: opportunities for education, employment, and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime, racial conflict, and poverty. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War II, city residents became wealthier, more prosperous. They had more children. They needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs, areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American dream was to have a house in the suburbs. Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. They, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. Many young professionals, doctors, lawyers, and executives, are moving back into the city. Many are single; others are married, but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just enjoy the excitement and opportunities which the city offers. A new class is moving into the city a wealthier, more mobile class. Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: Many dying cities are alive again.1.Paragraph 1 _.B BA.explains why American cities are changingB.is a description of citiesC.shows that American cities have many problemsD.says: American cities contain the very best aspects of a society2.In the 1950s the American dream was _.D DA.to have a color TV setB.to have a big carC.to buy an apartment in the city