2013年下半年英语六级考试模拟试题第二套2

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　　Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child. Last spring one of the two, Australia, gave up the dubious distinction by establishing paid family leave starting in 2011. I wasn't surprised when this didn't make the news here in the United States—we're now the only wealthy country without such a policy.

　　The United States does have one explicit family policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993. It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks' unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem. Despite the modesty of the benefit, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly, describing it as "government-run personnel management" and a "dangerous precedent". In fact, every step of the way, as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law, business groups have been strongly opposed.

　　As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues, justifying parental support depends on defining the family as a social good that, in some sense, society must pay for. In her book No Exit: What Parents Owe Their Children and What Society Owes Parents, she argues that parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is "no exit" when it comes to children. "Society expects—and needs—parents to provide their children with continuity of care, meaning the intensive, intimate care that human beings need to develop their intellectual, emotional and moral capabilities. And society expects—and needs—parents to persist in their roles for 18 years, or longer if needed."

　　While most parents do this out of love, there are public penalties for not providing care. What parents do, in other words, is of deep concern to the state, for the obvious reason that caring for children is not only morally urgent but essential for the future of society. The state recognizes this in the large body of family laws that govern children' welfare, yet parents receive little help in meeting the life-changing obligations society imposes. To classify parenting as a personal choice for which there is no collective responsibility is not merely to ignore the social benefits of good parenting; really, it is to steal those benefits because they accrue (不断积累) to the whole of society as today's children become tomorrow's productive citizenry (公民). In fact, by some estimates, the value of parental investments in children, investments of time and money (including lost wages), is equal to 20-30% of gross domestic product. If these investments generate huge social benefits—as they clearly do—the benefits of providing more social support for the family should be that much clearer.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。

　　52. What do we learn about paid family leave from the first paragraph?

　　A) America is now the only developed country without the policy.

　　B) It has now become a hot topic in the United States.

　　C) It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy.

　　D) Its meaning was clarified when it was established in Australia.

　　53. What has prevented the passing of work-family balance laws in the United States?

　　A) The incompetence of the Democrats.

　　B) The existing Family and Medical Leave Act.

　　C) The lack of a precedent in American history.

　　D) The opposition from business circles.

　　54. What is Professor Anne Alstott's argument for parental support?

　　A) The cost of raising children in the U. S. has been growing.

　　B) Good parenting benefits society.

　　C) The U. S. should keep up with other developed countries.

　　D) Children need continuous care.

　　55. What does the author think of America's large body of family laws governing children's welfare?

　　A) They fail to ensure children's healthy growth

　　B) The fail to provide enough support for parents

　　C) They emphasize parents' legal responsibilities.

　　D) They impose the care of children on parents.

　　56. Why does the author object to classifying parenting as a personal choice?

　　A) It is regarded as a legal obligation.

　　B) It relies largely on social support.

　　C) It generates huge social benefits.

　　D) It is basically a social undertaking.

　　参考答案：

　　52. A) America is now the only developed country without the policy.由第一自然段最后一句"We're now the only wealthy country without such a policy"可得出答案，答案A中developed其实就与wealthy的同义。

　　53. D) The opposition from business circles.由文章第二自然段可看出，美国商会和其他商业团体常常对于美国关于平衡工作与家庭生活两者关系的法律均是百般阻挠，相反民主党领导人常常是支持这项法律的。

　　54. B) Good parenting benefits society. Anne Alstott教授在其书中表达的主要观点就是"justifying parental support depends on defining the family as a social good that， in some sense， society must pay for."也就是说应该将家庭视作一个为社会带来好处的事情，同时该段中后面也阐述了社会期望也需要家长们对他们的孩子付出关爱。因此，教授的主要观点可以概括为良好的教养能造福于社会。

　　55. B) They fail to provide enough support for parents.由最后一段中"The state recognizes this in the large body of family laws that govern children's welfare， yet parents receive little help in meeting the life-changing obligations society imposes."尽管州政府意识到了养育孩子的重要性，但是仍然家长们接受的帮助少之又少，因此答案为B.

　　56. D) It is basically a social undertaking.由文中最后一段"To classify parenting as a personal choice for which there is no collective responsibility is not merely to ignore the social benefits of good parenting…"可得出，将养育孩子作为一种个人选择，而不加之以社会责任的话，便是忽视良好教养所产生的社会效应……这里的collective responsibility指的就是一种社会责任，意指良好教养是一个需要全社会共同努力的事业，因为其带来的社会效应是巨大的。因此作者反对将养育孩子仅仅作为个人选择来看待。作者需要的是collective responsibility，因此答案选D，因为教养孩子是一种社会事业。该题是带概括性质的题。