单选题
An enormous variety of relationships between men and women, singly and in groups, meet the definition of marriage. Often the forms of marriage sanctioned by a society are related to the needs of that society. Marriage between two individuals, one male and one female, is known as monogamy. Marriage of three or more individuals is known as polygamy. Polygyny is a form of polygamy in which one male is married to more than one female. Polyandry is a form of polygamy in which one female is married to more than one male. Still another form of polygamy is group marriage, in which two or more males are married to two or more females. In some societies a polyandrous marriage of two men with one woman may become a group marriage through the addition of a second woman. Not uncommonly in these marriages, the co-husbands are brothers and the added woman is the first wife's sister. In general, polygyny presupposes a considerable accumulation of wealth and is therefore rarely practice. A polygynous marriage requires more economic resources than a monogamous marriage because in most societies each wife and her children, unless they are sisters, have their own sleeping quarters and sometimes also have their own cooking facilities. Where polygyny exists, it is practiced largely by the wealthy and the ruling classes, because only these can afford the luxury of having more than one wife. Generally it is the older men, who have lived long enough to acquire capital, who have more than one wife. Younger men have either one wife or none. In some societies where there is an extension of the marriageable ages for women, such as from 13 to 45 years, and a compression of marriageable ages for men, a larger pool of female partners is available, without an overall unbalanced sex ratio. This, too, leads to older men having several wives.
单选题
Polygyny is ______. A. a form marriage in which at least three individuals are involved B. a form of marriage in which two individuals are involved C. a form of marriage in which one female is married to raore than one male D. Both A and C
单选题
Compared with monogamy, polygamy is practiced ______. A. by less people B. mostly by young people C. more commonly D. by people who have many sisters or brothers
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】见第三段第一句：“polygyny is rarely practical”也就是答案中的“practiced by less people”，选A。
单选题
What conclusion can we draw from this passage? A. Since women between 13 to 45 are eager to find husbands, sometimes they have to marry married men because of the shortage of unmarried men. B. Sex ratio and money greatly influenced the probability of conducting polygamy. C. Polygamy can only be practiced by the older and wealthier men. D. Wealthy men are old men.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】采用逐一排除法。A选项显然与原文相反。原文第四段中提到：there is an extension of the marriageable ages for women。并不是她们急着要嫁才导致不得不与已婚男性结婚。C、D选项都太绝对，由一般认识就可排除。
单选题
What is the author's attitude towards polygamy? A. The author shows no idea about polygamy. B. The author thinks that it benefits the society. C. The author thinks that it is unfair to women. D. The author thinks it acceptable.