The birthrate is Europe has been in a steady decrease since the 1960s. European countries, realizing crisis is at hand, are providing great encouragement for parents to create more babies in the 21st century.
Affairs Ministry concluded last year that, 65 cash encouragement, some women just don’t want to be 66 holding the baby. “What we know is that it’s good for the 67
if men and women share the burden of having children,” says Soren Kindlund, family policy adviser at the Swedish ministry. 68 Swedish parents can take their paid leave as they wish, men use a mere 12% of it; 60% of fathers do not take even a(n) 69 day off work.
Experts fear that the tendency for women to use most of the parental leave could make employers 70 go give young women the permanent jobs they need to qualify for paid maternity leave (产假)。In January. Sweden decided to allow new fathers two months’ paid leave, with a warning: use it or 71 it.
Kindlund admits that men are under 72 to stay at work, even though parental pay comes out of the public purse. “It’s not popular among bosses and perhaps with other men in the workplace,” he says. “But it’s good for the father and for the child if they can 73 a relationship.”
In Norway, a(n) 74 policy has worked wonders. 70% of dads in Norway now take parental leave, and the birthrate of 1.85 children per woman is one of the highest in Europe.
65. A. is spite of B. at the cost of C. in addition to D. due to
66. A. sent B. left C. caught D. seen
67. A. birthrate B. income C. health D. spirit
68. A. Just as B. Only if C. Even though D. Now that
69. A. one B. mere C. only D. single
70. A. willing B. reluctant C. likely D. unable
71. A. reserve B. misuse C. ignore D. lose
72. A. discussion B. attack C. control D. pressure
73. A. make out B. add up C. build up D. set aside
74. A. impersonal B. similar C. severe D. global
【答案】65—69 ABACD
70—74 BDDCB
Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
(A)
Adults are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practised in the meantime. A man who has not had an opportunity to go swimming for years can 55 swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after several decades and still 56 away. A mother who has not 57 the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins “ Twinkle, twinkle, little star” or recite the story of Cinderella or Snow White.
One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: 58 we have learned something, additional learning increases the 59 of time we will remember it.
In childhood, we usually continue to practise such skills as swimming, bicycle riding long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and 60 ourselves of poems such as “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” and childhood tales such as Cinderella or Snow White. We not only learn but 61 .
The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突击学习) for an examination, 62 it may result in a passing grade, is not a 63 way to learn a school course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning; 64 , is usually a good investment toward the future.
55. A. only B. hardly C. still D. even
56. A. more B. drive C. travel D. ride
57. A. thought about B. cared for C. showed up D. brought up
58. A. Before B. Once C. Until D. Unless
59. A. accuracy B. unit C. limit D. length
60. A. remind B. inform C. warm D. recall
61. A. recite B. overlearn C. research D. improve
62. A. though B. so C. if D. after
63. A. convenient B. demanding C. satisfactory D. swift
64. A. at most B. by the way C. on the other hand D. in the end
【答案】55—59 CDABD 60—64 ABACC
