单选题
Couples are restricting the size of their families in the
UK because of cash worries brought on by the financial crisis and the subsequent
decline. We're now up to nearly 3.7 million families where there is an only
child, a rise from about 3.3 million in 2005. That means nearly half of all
parents have only one child. Financial worries aren't the only
driver. The trend towards later motherhood has been mentioned as a cause, as
have soaring costs of raising a child, which have been calculated as ￡222,500
from birth to 21 years of age. This is an increase of nearly 40% in 10
years. The increasing availability of IVF (试管婴儿) is also a
factor and an interesting one. Couples who might have remained childless in the
past now invest in IVF and get pregnant. And because of the cost they stop after
one child. It may not be a bad thing; there are outstanding
examples of talented only children. Some argue that being an only child promoted
their success. These include actors Natalie Portman and Al Pacino, golfer Tiger
Woods and even Queen Victoria. A study from the Institute for Social and
Economic Research at the University of Essex also showed that the fewer brothers
and sisters a child has, the happier they are. It seems fighting for parental
attention and affection—which sometimes descends into physical fights—is more
stressful than any adult had previously thought. And it's not compensated (弥补)
by having a playmate.
单选题
The smaller size of UK families is mainly related to ______.