1、北京四中期中)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 bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011.I wasnt surprised when this didnt make the news here in the Unit
2、ed Stateswere 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 m
3、odesty of the benefit,the Chamber of merce and other business groups fought it bitterly,describing it as “governmentrun personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent(先例)”.In fact,every step of the way,as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce workfamily balance measures into the law
4、,business groups have been strongly opposed.As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues,justifying parental support depends on defining(定义) the family as a social good that,in some sense,society must pay for.Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives:there is “no exit” when it es to children.Soc
5、iety expectsand needsparents to provide their children with continuity of care.And society expectsand needsparents to persist in their roles for 18 years,or longer if needed.While most parents do this out of love,there are public punishments for not providing care.What parents do,in other words,is o
6、f deep concern to the state,for the obvious reason that caring for children is not only morally urgent but important to the future of society.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; real
7、ly,it is to steal those benefits because they accrue(累积) to the whole of society as todays children bee tomorrows citizens.In fact,by some estimates,the value of parental investments in children,investments of time and money,is equal to 2030% of GDP.If these investments bring huge social benefitsas
8、they clearly dothe benefits of providing more social support for the family should be that much clearer.1.What do we learn about paid family leave according to Paragraph 1?A.It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy.B.Setting up this policy made Australia less influential.C.It has now
9、bee a hot topic in the United States.D.No such policy is applied in the United States.2.What makes it hard to take workfamily balance measures in the States?A.The inpetence of the Democrats.B.The opposition from business circles.C.The lack of a precedent in American history.D.The existing Family and
10、 Medical Leave Act.3.What is Professor Anne Alstotts argument for parental support?A.Children need continuous care.B.Good parenting benefits society.C.The cost of raising children has been growing.D.The U.S.should keep up with other developed countries.4.Why is the author against classifying parenti
11、ng as a personal choice?A.Parenting is regarded as a moral duty.B.Parenting relies largely on social support.C.Parenting produces huge moral benefits.D.Parenting is basically a social undertaking.完形填空广西桂林九校联合)A 17yearold girl found living in a Georgia home after being missing for more than a year is
12、 now safe at her North Carolina home with her family.But her mother told local TV station WOSC that her daughter is not the same.“There are 5 in my daughter,” Shaunna Burns said.“She is not the same person that 6 and that is the hardest part of this.”Hailey was 7 missing on May 23,xx,who was 14 year
13、s old,after she walked out of her home 8 telling anyone where she was going,WOSC reports.After Hailey went 9 ,her family said she had run away with a man she met online.“He 10 her to listen to him and not to follow our 11 and then my daughter wasnt municating with me,” her father told WBTV.On June 2
14、4,Haileys parents were 12 that their daughter was in Duluth,Georgia.Hours later,she was 13 by federal agents and taken to a local 14 before being returned to her 15 ,according to FBI officials.Michael Ren Wysolovski,31,was arrested at the 16 .He supposedly shared the 17 with Hailey,who appeared to b
15、e physically 18 except for weight loss,according to the FBI.Wysolovski has been 19 with false imprisonment and 20 to children.On Monday,Haileys father shared the familys 21 on social media.“I woke up today crying and being 22 for the miracle that has happened in our lives,” Anthony Burns wrote on Facebook.“We never 23 .She is happy to be home.We can now 24 again.”5.A.stories B.changesC.difficulties D.wonders6.A.left B.workedC.rose D.remembered7.A.witnessed B.foundC.doubted D.denied8.A.after B.sinceC.besides D.without9.A.wrong B.impatien