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The divorce rate in Britain has
levelled off—to roughly one marriage in three—and shows no sign of reaching the
much higher American rate, according to the demographers(人口统计学者) assembled in
Bath last week for a conference on the family. There has been no increase in the
rate in the last three years and although many expected it to rise a few more
percentage points in the next decade, none believed it would reach the 50
percent that exists in America.
One reason for the
stabilizations of divorce is the reduction in the risk factors—fewer teenagers
marrying, fewer early births in marriage, fewer
pre-marital(婚前的)conceptions.
Another reason which was aired at
the annual conference of the British Society for Population Studies, was the
increase in cohabitation. Some speakers argued that the increase in cohabitation
has meant that marital couples are now much more familiar with each other before
marriage and therefore less likely to separate.
One out of four
couples who marry today have lived together and in the older age groups the
proportion is much higher. Some 34 percent of women aged over 25 who marry have
cohabited, and over 50 percent of women who are marrying a divorced man or who
have been divorced themselves, cohabit before marriage.
Cohabitation in Britain, however, is still considerably lower than in many
European states and was described by the demographers as "essentially a part of
contemporary courtship". Only a small proportion of people who cohabited had
children whereas in Sweden some 40 percent of births were now outside formal
marriage. The British rate was 13 percent.
Kath Kiernan of the
Centre for Population Studies noted that the present statistics suggested that
there was a marginally higher risk of separation for couples who had cohabited,
but this could possibly be explained by the fact that the statistics covered a
period when cohabiting had not become as socially acceptable as it was
today.
A third reason why the demographers thought the divorce
rate could stabilize was the economic squeeze(利润等的缩减) and the recession(暴跌),
which would mean there was less opportunity to separate because of the lack of
housing and employment. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage
A:Reasons for the Stabilization B:Cohabitation in Britain C:Divorce Rate Levels off in Britain D:Divorce Rate in Britain
With the price of oil (goes up), the economy of (oil-producing) countries is (expanding) (at a high rate).
A:goes up B:oil-producing C:expanding D:at a high rate
You can infer that an unstated reason Winick does not want a flat rate tax is that ______.
A:she might have to pay more taxes B:she is rich C:the flat rate tax is hard to figure out D:the flat rate tax is unfair to the rich
第三篇Why So Many Children
In many of the developing countries in Africa and Asia, the population is growing fast. The reason for this is simple: Women in these countries have a high birth rate — from 3.0 to 7.0 children per woman. The majority of these women are poor, without the food or resources to care for their families. Why do they have many so children? Why don’t they limit the size of their families? The answer may be that they often have no choice. There are several reasons for this.
One reason is economic. In a traditional agricultural economy, large families are helpful. Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age. In an industrial economy, the situation is different. Many children do not help a family; instead, they are an expense. Thus, industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate. This was the case in Italy, which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly. In the early part of the twentieth century, Italy was a poor, largely agricultural country with a high birth rate. After World War II, Italy’s economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized. By the end of the century, the birth rate had dropped to 1.3 children per woman, the world’s lowest.
However, the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate. Saudi Arabia, for example, does not have an agriculture-based economy, and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Nevertheless, it also has a very high birth rate (7.0). Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand, are poor countries, with largely agricultural economies, but they have recently reduced their population growth.
Clearly, other factors are involved. The most important of these is the condition of women. A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women. This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia. There, the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home. On the other hand, the improved condition of women in Mexico, Thailand, and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries. Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.
Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control. Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive, birth rates have gone down. This is the case in Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India, as well as in Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, and Brazil. In these countries, women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.
These trends show that an effective program to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet their needs. Only then, in fact, does it have any real chance of success.Italy today is an example of an
A:industrialized country with a low birth rate. B:agricultural country with a high birth rate. C:agricultural country with a low birth rate. D:industrialized country with a high birth rate.
When determining the freight rate, the age-old principle of "what the traffic can bear" is increasingly substituted by the( )principle nowadays．
A:open market rate B:surcharges C:selwice cost D:stowage factor
The rate of FAK refers to( )．
A:freight for class B:freight of all kinds C:weight/measure rate D:near ocean cruise rate
When determining the freight rate, the age-old principles of “what the traffic can bear” is increasingly substituted by the ( )principle nowadays.
A:open market rate B:surcharges C:service cost D:stowage factor
The rate of FAK refers to ( ).
A:freight for class B:freight of all kinds C:weight/measure rate D:all inclusive rate
简单单选
