Question

In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.
　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.
　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.
　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.
　　The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士氣). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.
　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.
　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.
小題1:In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A．tear many troubled families apart

B．bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C．contribute to enduring family ties

D．cause a lot of conflicts in the family

小題2:In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.

A．starting a new family would be hard

B．they expected things would turn better

C．they wanted to better protect their kids

D．living separately would be too costly

小題3:In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A．Mounting family debts

B．A sense of insecurity

C．Falling housing prices

D．Difficulty in getting a loan

小題4:What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A．It will irreparably damage their relationship

B．It will undermine their mutual understanding

C．It will help strengthen their emotional bonds

D．It will force them to pull their efforts together

小題5:What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

B．Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships

C．A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

D．Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage

Answer 1

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:C
小題4:A
小題5:A

試題分析：講述在經濟大蕭條時期離婚率下降的真正原因。
小題1:B細節理解 根據第一段中提到If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky high divorce rate. 如果有經濟大蕭條的跡象的話，我們會看到（原來）極高的離婚率會下降。所以選B項。
小題2:D推理判斷題。根據第二段中提到的Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone. 隨著收入減少和不穩定的工作，不快樂的夫妻常常離不起婚。他們害怕配偶雙方都無法獨立生活。故選D項。
小題3:C細節理解題。根據第三段中提到的Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their home.此外，房產市場的暴跌會使得他們在賣掉住房之后，更難負擔起各自生活的費用。所以選C項。
小題4:A推理判斷題。根據第五段提到 For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.對于一些家庭來說，沒有穩定工作的生活的艱辛最終會壓倒他們團結家庭的努力。隨著經濟復蘇，在這十年剩余時間里，離婚率會再次上升,所以選A項。
小題5:A主旨大意題。根據最后一段提到 的Today's economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(無法彌補地)ruined. So it's only when the economy is healthy again that we'll begin to see just how many broken families have been created. 現在的經濟危機可能會產生同等數量的夫婦，他們的關系已經被完全毀壞，無法彌補。因此，只有在經濟再次向好，我們才回看到（在經濟危機時期）有多少家庭破裂了。言外之意，經濟復蘇，離婚率會上升。所以選A項。