1、练习二The past 20 years have been enormous changes in the lives and structure of families in Britain.The biggest change has been coused by divorce. As many as 1 out of 3 marriages now end in it, leading to a situation where many children live with one parent.There has also been a huge rise in the numbe
2、r of women with children who work. The large rise in divorces has meant many women need to work to support themselves and their children. Even where there is no divorce, many families need both parents to work in order to survive. This has caused an increase in childcare facilities, though it is ver
3、y expensive and can be difficult to find in many areas.In addition, women are no longer happy to stay at home raising children, and many have careers earning as much or even more than men, the traditional breadwinner.There has also been a sharp increase in the number of single mothers, particularly
4、among teenagers. Some people have blamed this increase for the rise in crime. They feel the lack of a male role model has damaged these children in society.However, these changes have not had a totally negative effect. For women, it is now much easier to have a career and good salary. As for childre
5、n themselves, some argue that modern children grow up more independent and mature than in the past.练习三Thanksgiving Day is the most turly American of the national Holidays in the United States. In 1620, Some settlers sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom o
6、f worship. After a two-mouth voyage they landed at in icy November.During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring.All summer they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the fu
7、ture existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich as expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving
8、Day every year. The celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, grapes and other species of food. The roast turkey and pum
9、pkin pie have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years.Thanksgiving Day is a national annual holiday on which Americans of all faiths and backgrounds join in to express their thanks for the years bounty and ask for continued blessings.练习四The British govern
10、ment expects the total number of overseas students to be around 900,000 by 2020. Now, universities in Britain are a magnet for overseas students.But why is the UK such a popular destination for university students? Well, the quality of your course is guaranteed. All courses are assessed by an indepe
11、ndent system, so you can be assured that your course is officially approved and has wide international recognition.The British education system is very flexible in order to provide for the needs of a modern, complex society. It is also cost-effective. Degree courses are usually 3 years long, which i
12、s shorter and more intensive than in other countries. There are lots of scholarships available. British universities offer a personalized and independent approach. The emphasis is on creative and independent thought, which helps develop the skills you will need to compete in the global job market.It
13、 is very simple to become am international student in the UK. The British Council offers a free and impartial service to anyone who is interested in studying in the UK, and an organization called UCAS assists you in finding a course and making an effective application.练习五There are three kinds of goa
14、ls: short-term, medium-range and long-term goals. Short-range goals are those that usually deal with current activities, which we can apply on a daily basis. Such goals can be achieved in a week or less, or two weeks, or possibly months. It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger
15、 than its foundation, our long-term goals cannot amount to very much without the achievement of solid short-term goals. Upon completing our short-term goals, we should date the occasion and then add new short-range goals that will build on those that have been completed.The intermediate goals build
16、on the foundation of the short-range goals. They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school years, or they could even extend for several yaers. Any time you move a step at a time, you should never allow yourself to become discourage or overwhelmed. As you complete each step, you wi
17、ll enforce the belief in your ability to grow and succeed. And as your list of completion dates grow, your motivation and desire will increase.Long-range goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing. We should never allow a long-te
18、rm goal to limit us or our course of action.练习六A growing world population and the discoveries of science may alter this pattern of distribution in the future. As men slowly learn to master diseases, control floods, prevent famines, and stop wars, fewer people die every year; and in consequence the p
19、opulation of the world is steadily increasing.When numbers rise the extra mouths must be fed. New lands must be brought under cultivation, or land already farmed made to yield larger crops. In some areas the accessible land is largely so intensively cultivated that it will be difficult to make it pr
20、ovide more food. In some areas the population is so dense that the land is parceceled out in units too tiny to allow for much improvement in farming methods. Were a larger part of this farming population drown off into industrial occupations, the land might be farmed much more productively by modern
21、 methods.There is now a race for science, technology, and industry to keep the output of food rising quicker than the number of people to be fed. New strains of crops are being developed which will thrive in unfavorable climates: there are now farms beyond the Arctic Circle in Siberia and North Amer
22、ica; dams hold back the waters of great rivers to ensure water fot the fields in all seasons; industrial chemistry provides fertilizers to suit particular soils. Every year some new means is devised to increase or to protect the food of the world.练习七Online Shopping is becoming more and more popular
23、for a number of reasons; prices are often lower online, you dont have to queue up in busy shops and you can buy almost any product imaginable with just a few clicks of your mouse.Computer trends are often dominated by males but this year women are expected to do more shopping on the Internet. It see
24、ms women are now more attracted to the convenience of online shopping than they used to be.Average spending online this Christmas by women will rise to 240 compared to the slightly lower average of 233 for men, while the average spend per person on the high street is only 197.In the past a lot of pe
25、ople were reluctant to shop online. Many were worried about the security of entering their card details on the Internet and the reliability of the Internet but as shopping online has become more widespread, these worries have begun to disappear.One victim of the online shopping boom is the UK high s
26、treet. Many companies are concerned that not enough shoppers are coming through their doors in the run-up to Christmas. As a result there are lots of special offers in the shops. Most shops traditionally have sales after Christmas but this year the promotions have come early in an attempt to lure co
27、nsumers to spend.练习八Friends play an important part in our lives, but we often dont clearly understand how we make friends. While we get on well with a number of people, we are usually friends with only a very few. In all the cases of friendly relationships, two people like one another and enjoy being together, but beyond that, the degree of intimacy between them and the reasons for their shared interests vary enormously. As we get to know people we take into account things like age, race, economic condition, social position, and intelligence. Although these factors are not of prime import
