12．Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women，according to a new study．For men，getting married saves an hour of housework a week．"It's a well-known patternis the main breadwinner，"said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research．"Men usually work more outside the home，while women take on more of the housework．"
He points out that differences among households（家庭）exist．But in general，marriage means more housework for women and less for men．"And the situation gets worse for women when they have children，"Stafford said．
Overall，times are changing in the American home．In 1976，women busied themselves with 26weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work，compared with 17hours in 2005．Men are taking on more housework，more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976to 13in 2005．
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework，about 12weekly hours，while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21hours a week．
Men showed a somewhat different pattern，with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men．Single men worked the hardest around the house，more than that of all other age groups of married men．
Having children increases housework even further．With more than three children，for example，wives took on more of the extra work，clocking about 28hours a week compared with husbands'10hours．
45．According to the"well-known pattern"in Paragraph 1，a married manC．
A．takes on heavier work
B．does more housework
C．is the main breadwinner
D．is the master of the house
46．How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s？D．
A．About 23．
B．About 26．
C．About 13．
D．About y．
47．What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text？A
A．An unmarried man．
B．An older married man．
C．A younger married man．
D．A married man with children．
48．What can we conclude from Stafford's research？C
A．Marriage gives men more freedom．
B．Marriage has effects on job choices．
C．Housework sharing changes over time．
D．Having children means doubled housework．
分析 本文描述了一個很普遍的社會問題：男女角色在家庭責任承擔上隨著時期的不同而發生變化．這是一篇展示社會問題類型的文章．作者通過描繪不同時期的男女---單身---婚后---孩子出生等階段他們角色和責任承擔的改變．
解答 45．C．詞義猜測題．根據文章第一段：Men usually workmore outside the home可知已婚男子是養家糊口的人，故選C．
46．D．細節理解題．根據文章第三段：their houseworkhours from six in 1976可知20世紀70年代男人每周做6小時家務；故選D．
47．A．推理判斷題．根據For men，gettingmarried saves an hour of housework a week可知年長的已婚男人會做家務；故選A．
48．C．推理判斷題．根據t第三段：imes are changingin the American home．more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976to 13 in 2005可知我們可以從Stafford的研究中得出家務分擔隨著時間的推移變化．故選C．
點評 本文是社會文化類閱讀理解．做這類題材閱讀理解時要求考生對文章通讀一遍，做題時結合原文和題目有針對性的找出相關語句進行仔細分析，結合選項選出正確答案．推理判斷題也是要在抓住關鍵句子的基礎上合理的分析才能得出正確答案，切忌胡亂猜測，一定要做到有理有據
