阅读理解
Twenty years ago a debate erupted about whether there were specific "Asian values" . But a more intriguing, if less noticed, argument was that traditional family values were stronger in Asia than in America and Europe, and this partly accounted for Asia's economic success. In the words of Lee Kuan Yew, former prime minister of Singapore, the Asian family encouraged "scholarship and hard work and thrift" .
His claim appears persuasive. In most of Asia, marriage is widespread and illegitimacy almost unknown. In contrast, half of marriages in some Western countries end in divorce, and half of all children are born outside wedlock. Yet marriage is changing fast in Asia. The changes are different from those that took place in the West in the second half of the 20th century. What's happening in Asia is a flight from marriage.
Marriage rates are falling partly because people are postponing getting married. Marriage ages have risen all over the world, but the increase is particularly marked in Asia. People there now marry even later than they do in the West. The mean age of marriage in the richest places of Asia has risen sharply in the past few decades.
A lot of Asians are not marrying later. They are not marrying at all. Almost a third of Japanese women in their early 30s are unmarried; probably half of those will always be.
Women are retreating from marriage as they go into the workplace. That's partly because, for a woman, being both employed and married is tough in Asia. Women there are the primary caregivers for husbands, children and, often, for ageing parents; and even when in full-time employment, they are expected to continue to play this role. Not surprisingly, Asian women have an unusually pessimistic view of marriage.
At the same time as employment makes marriage tougher for women, it offers them an alternative. More women are financially independent, so more of them can pursue a single life that may appeal more than the drudgery of a traditional marriage.
The flight from marriage is also creating social problems. Compared with the West, Asian countries have invested less in pensions and other forms of social protection, on the assumption that the family will look after ageing or ill relatives. That can no longer be taken for granted. The decline of marriage is also contributing to the collapse in the birth rate. That is beginning to cause huge demographic problems, as populations age with startling speed. Also, marriage socializes men: it is associated with less criminal behavior. Less marriage might mean more crime.
His claim appears persuasive. In most of Asia, marriage is widespread and illegitimacy almost unknown. In contrast, half of marriages in some Western countries end in divorce, and half of all children are born outside wedlock. Yet marriage is changing fast in Asia. The changes are different from those that took place in the West in the second half of the 20th century. What's happening in Asia is a flight from marriage.
Marriage rates are falling partly because people are postponing getting married. Marriage ages have risen all over the world, but the increase is particularly marked in Asia. People there now marry even later than they do in the West. The mean age of marriage in the richest places of Asia has risen sharply in the past few decades.
A lot of Asians are not marrying later. They are not marrying at all. Almost a third of Japanese women in their early 30s are unmarried; probably half of those will always be.
Women are retreating from marriage as they go into the workplace. That's partly because, for a woman, being both employed and married is tough in Asia. Women there are the primary caregivers for husbands, children and, often, for ageing parents; and even when in full-time employment, they are expected to continue to play this role. Not surprisingly, Asian women have an unusually pessimistic view of marriage.
At the same time as employment makes marriage tougher for women, it offers them an alternative. More women are financially independent, so more of them can pursue a single life that may appeal more than the drudgery of a traditional marriage.
The flight from marriage is also creating social problems. Compared with the West, Asian countries have invested less in pensions and other forms of social protection, on the assumption that the family will look after ageing or ill relatives. That can no longer be taken for granted. The decline of marriage is also contributing to the collapse in the birth rate. That is beginning to cause huge demographic problems, as populations age with startling speed. Also, marriage socializes men: it is associated with less criminal behavior. Less marriage might mean more crime.
单选题
11.We learn from Paragraphs 1 and 2 that____.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】细节题。根据关键词定位至文章的第一段和第二段。第一段第二句指出，一个有趣的观点认为，传统的家庭观念在亚洲比在美国和欧洲更牢同(traditional family values were stronger in Asia than in America and Europe)。第二段则举例证明这一观点：在亚洲，结婚的现象普遍，未婚生子现象很少见，而在西方却恰恰相反，西方人的婚姻有半数以离婚告终，一半的新生儿为私生子。亚洲人的婚姻虽然正在发生变化，但这种变化同西方在20世纪后半叶所经历的变化却有所不同(The changes are different from those that took place in the West…)。故C项正确。
单选题
12.Which of the following is true according to Paragraphs 3 and 4?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】细节题。根据题目要求定位至文章的第三段和第四段。第三段第二、三句指出，世界范围内都存在婚龄推后的现象(Marriage ages have risen all over the world)，但在亚洲，结婚年龄的增长尤为显著(but the increase is particularly marked in Asia)，如今，亚洲人甚至要比西方人还晚结婚。由此可知，亚洲人结婚年龄的增长比西方人结婚年龄的增长更为显著，故A项符合文意，为正确答案。
单选题
13.Asian women tend to retreat from marriage partly because____.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】细节题。本题就亚洲女性逃避婚姻的原因进行提问，根据题干中的关键词Asian women tend to retreat from marriage定位至文章第五、六段。第五段第一句指出，女性进入职场的同时也从婚姻中撤出(retreating from marriage)，接着第二句指出，部分原因在于既要工作又要维持婚姻对于亚洲女性而言会非常艰辛(being both employed and married is tough in Asia)。第三句对此加以解释在亚洲，丈夫、孩子甚至年迈的父母主要都由女人来照顾，即便女性拥有全职工作，人们也会期待她们继续充当这一角色。这种艰难的处境使得亚洲女性对于婚姻的看法格外悲观，因此不愿结婚。所以，是家庭与工作的双重压力使女性对步人婚姻殿堂形成了心理上的障碍，故B项正确。
单选题
14.The social problems brought by the flight from marriage in Asia include____.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】细节题。本题主要考查人们逃避婚姻所带来的社会问题，故定位至第七段。第七段第四至六句指出，逃避婚姻会导致人口出生率的大幅下滑，而人口老龄化也在飞快加速，这将带来巨大的人口结构问题，故C项正确。
单选题
15.Which of the following would be the subject of the text?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】主旨题。本题考查考生对文章主旨大意的把握，故需要通读全文，梳理各段段落大意。文章前两段首先指出，有观点认为传统的家庭观念在亚洲要比在美国和欧洲更牢固，但是这种情况正在发生变化，目前很多亚洲人正在逃避婚姻。第三、四段作者则描述了亚洲人逃避婚姻的具体表现：结婚年龄的显著增长以及不婚人数的增加，尤其是不婚女性的增加。第五、六段则具体分析了亚洲女性逃避婚姻的原因：家庭和工作的双重压力，另外工作使她们经济独立，也为她们逃避婚姻提供了条件。第七段作者指出了逃避婚姻所带来的社会问题。显然，本文主要论述了亚洲结婚率下降的现象、原因及其影响，四个选项中只有D项抓住了文章的核心，最能准确、全面地概括文章的主要内容，故为正确答案。