单选题 Working at nonstandard times—evenings, nights, or weekends—is taking its toll on American families. One-fifth of all employed Americans work variable or rotating shifts, and one-third work weekends, according to Harriet B. Presser, sociology professor at the University of Maryland. The result is stress on familial relationships, which is likely to continue in coming decades.
The consequences of working irregular hours vary according to gender, economic level, and whether or not children are involved. Single mothers are more likely to work nights and weekends than married mothers. Women in clerical, sales, or other low-paying jobs participate disproportionately in working late and graveyard shifts.
Married-couple households with children are increasingly becoming dual-earner households, generating more split-shift couples. School-aged children, however, may benefit from parents" nonstandard work schedules because of the greater likelihood that a parent will be home before or after school. On the other hand, a correlation exists between nonstandard work schedules and both marital instability and a decline in the quality of marriages.
Nonstandard working hours mean families spend less time together for dinner but more time together for breakfast. One-on-one interaction between parents and children varies, however, based on parent, shift, and age of children. There is also a greater reliance on child care by relatives and by professional providers.
Working nonstandard hours is less a choice of employees and more a mandate of employer. Presser believes that the need for swing shifts and weekend work will continue to rise in the coming decades. She reports that in some European countries there are substantial salary premiums for employees working irregular hours-sometimes as much as 50% higher. The convenience of having services available 24 hours a day continues to drive this trend.
Unfortunately, says Presser, the issue is virtually absent from public discourse. She emphasizes the need for focused studies on costs and benefits of working odd hours, the physical and emotional health of people working nights and weekends, and the reasons behind the necessity for working these hours. "Nonstandard work schedules not only are highly prevalent among American families but also generate a level of complexity in family functioning that needs greater attention," she says.

单选题 Working at nonstandard times is taking its toll on American families mainly due to ______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 原因分析题。
根据题干信号词Working at nonstandard times is taking its toll on American families可回文定位至Para.1①，再根据原因往往出现在定位信息的下文这一思路，考生可继续比对阅读②③，而③明确讲到非常规时间工作带来的消极结果(The result)——导致家庭关系紧张(stress on familial relationships)，这无疑是对“非常规时间工作正危害美国家庭”的原因解释，把③作为本题目的题眼比对四个选项，会发现：A选项Negative effects on marital stability与原文stress on familial relationships恰是同义转述，故A是本题答案。

单选题 Which of the following is affected most by working irregular hours?

单选题 Who would be in favor of the practice of working nonstandard hours?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 判断题。
根据顺序出题原则和判断题的选项比对原文思路，考生可将四个选项一一代入原文做细致比对，会发现它们基本出自第三、第四和第五段。
A(孩子)：对应Para.3②，此句提到School-aged children能从非常规时间工作中获益，其中的benefit from parents" nonstandard work schedules很容易被考生等同为题干表达in favor of the practice of working nonstandard hours，但A中的children显然扩大了原文的语义范围，与School-aged children属于偷换概念。
B(父母)：对应原文Para.3①...generating more split-shift couples(导致分时间段上班的夫妇增多)、Para.3③...both marital instability and a decline in the quality of marriages(导致婚姻不稳定和品质下降)、Para.4③...a greater reliance on child care by relatives and by professional providers(更多地依赖亲属和职业看护人照顾孩子)，由此可推知，非常规时间工作对父母来讲并非好事。
C(雇员)：对应原文Para.5①，本句讲非常规时间工作并非出于员工自愿(less a choice of employees)，由此可知，员工并不赞同这样的做法。
D(职业儿童看护者)：对应Para.4③...a greater reliance on child care by relatives and by professional providers(更多地依赖亲属和职业儿童看护者照顾孩子)，由此可以推知非常规时间
工作会增加职业儿童看护者的业务需求，对这一行业的从业者是有利的，所以他们应赞同这一做法，故D正确。