Question

   Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. “It’s a well-known pattern,” said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. “Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework.”

   He points out that differences among households (家庭) exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. “And the situation gets worse for women when they have children.” Stafford said.

   Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.

   Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most about 21 hours a week.

   Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.

   Having children increases housework even further. With more than three, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands’ 10 hours.

45. According to the “well-known pattern” in Paragraph 1, a married man ________.

   A. takes on heavier work            B. does more housework

   C. is the main breadwinner           D. is the master of the house

46. How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s?

   A. About 28                   B. About 26

   C. About 13                    D. About 6

47. What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text?

   A. An unmarried man.            B. An older married man.

   C. A younger married man.        D. A married man with children.

48. What can we conclude from Stafford’s research?

   A. Marriage gives men more freedom.

   B. Marriage has effects on job choices.

   C. Housework sharing changes over time.

   D. Having children means doubled housework.

Answer 1

45. C；46. D；47. A；48. C。

解析：   這篇閱讀理解的文字風格詼諧但又實際的描述了一個很普遍的社會問題：男女角色在家庭責任承擔上隨著時期的不同而發生變化。這是一篇展示社會問題類型的文章。作者通過描繪不同時期的男女---單身---婚后---孩子出生等階段他們角色和責任承擔的改變。

從文字設計上看，影響考生理解完整意思的因素并不多，整篇文章文字比較通順流暢。難度并不大。

45. 細節理解：a well known pattern 即Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework.”

結了婚的男人一般情況下通常工作在外，而女人在家做家務。這道題目的答案C breadwinner 意思是養家糊口的人.,負擔家計的人。所以選擇C。建議學生們用排除法，可以得到答案。

46. 細節理解―數字題：通過第三段：Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.

47. 細節理解：Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men. Single men= unmarried men 未婚男士

48.主旨大意：通過全文可以得知：Housework sharing changes over time.家務勞動的承擔發生著變化。