Question

3．One in three American children now live with only one parent．（33）Even though/Even ifthe traditional family of Japan is strong，divorce still went up quickly between 1980 and 1995．（34）Whatis more important is that the nature of the family is changing．In Sweden and Denmark，around half of all babies are now born to unmarried parents，and in the United Kingdom and France more than a third．
Families are getting smaller．The average Turkish family had seven members in 1970； today it has only five．And in Spain and Italy，（35）wherefamilies were always traditionally large，the birthrate was the lowest in the developed world in 1995．This fall in the birthrate is due to the fact that，as more women have careers，they are waiting longer and longer （36）to start（start） a family．The age （37）at whichthe average woman has her first baby is now 28 in Western Europe，and it is getting later．
So the nuclear family is clearly changing，but is it in danger of （38）disappearing（disappear） completely？
The truth is （39）thatit is still too early to tell．In some countries these patterns are actually reversing．In the United States，Scandinavia and the United Kingdom，the birthrate is rising once more； and in Denmark，for example，marriage is becoming more popular again．In the United States，the divorce rate in fact fell （40）by10 per cent between 1980 and 1990，and it is continuing to fall．

Answer 1

分析 本文作者通過分析目前世界上一些國家家庭成員的構(gòu)成狀況以及有些國家家庭成員減少的原因，得出了以下結(jié)論：核心家庭顯然正在發(fā)生改變，但是它并不會完全消失；最后，作者陳述了得出以上結(jié)論的原因：首先，在美國，斯堪的納維亞和英國，出生率曾一度在上升；在丹麥，婚姻正變得越來越受歡迎；另外，事實上，美國在1980和1990之間，離婚率下降了百分之十，并且還在持續(xù)下降著．

解答 答案：
33．Even though/Even if   考查讓步狀語從句中的從屬連詞     本句的意思是：盡管日本的傳統(tǒng)家庭很穩(wěn)固，但在1995到1980年間，離婚率仍在快速上升；故填Even though/Even if  
34．What   考查連接代詞   本句的意思是：更重要的問題是，家庭的本質(zhì)正在改變；此處用來引導主語從句，由于該從句中缺少主語，意為：…的（問題）；故填what   
35．where     考查關(guān)系副詞     根據(jù)句意以及空缺處之前的逗號可知，本句是非限定性的定語從句；由于先行詞Spain and Italy在該從句中作地點狀語；故用where
36．to start      考查固定短語     固定短語wait to do sth．意為：等著去做某事；故填to start     
37．a(chǎn)t which     考查關(guān)系代詞    本句是定語從句；先行詞the age在 該從句中作介詞at 的賓語；故填at which    
38．disappearing    考查動名詞    此處在句中作介詞of的賓語；故用動名詞disappearing
39．that    考查表語從句中的連接詞     此處用在系動詞is之后，引導的是表語從句；由于該從句中不缺少任何成分，故填連接詞that
40．by    考查固定短語     固定短語fall by意為：下降了…；故填by

點評 本題主要考查了各種語法在短文中的具體運用．做本題時，需要在正確理解短文的前提下，逐句分析句意以及所考查到的語法現(xiàn)象；因此在平時的學習中，應熟練掌握各種語法知識，其中包括詞法，句法，各種時態(tài)語態(tài)以及虛擬語氣等．