READING COMPREHENSION
(unit 1)
The family in the Britain is changing. The once typical British family headed by two parents has undergone (1) …….. changes during the twentieth century. In particular there has been a rise the (2) …….. of single-person households, which increased from 18 to 29 percent of all households between 1971 and 2002. By the year 2020, it is estimated that there will be (3)……..single people than married people. Fifty years ago this would have been socially (4) …….. in Britain.
In the past, people got married and (5) …….. married. Divorce was very difficult, expensive and took a long time .Today, people’s (6)…….. on marriage are changing. Many couples, mostly in their twenties or thirties, live together (cohabit) (7) …….. getting married. Only about 60% of these couples will eventually get married.
In the past, people married before they had children, but now about 40% of children in Britain are born to(8) …….. (cohabiting) parents. In 2000, around a quarter of unmarried people between the ages of 16 and 59 were cohabiting in Great Britain. Cohabiting (9) …….. are also starting families without first being married. Before 1960 this was very (10)…….. , but in 2001 around 23 percent of births in the UK were to cohabiting couples.
1. A/ slight B/ rapid C/ slow D/ substantial
2. A/ amount B/ number C/ size D/ form
3. A/ many B/ much C/ more D/ less
4. A/ popular B/ mysterious C/ terrible D/ unacceptable
5. A/ stayed B/ respected C/ ignored D/ cared
6. A/ attitudes B/ views C/ prejudices D/ criticisms
7. A/ by B/ after C/ before D/ without
8. A/ loved B/ married C/ unmarried D/ divorced
9. A/ youngsters B/ couples C/ mothers D/ irregular
(unit 2)
Most Americans eat three meals (1) ……the day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast begins between 7:00 and 8:00am, lunch between 11:00 am and noon, and dinner between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. On Sundays "brunch" is a (2)…….of breakfast and lunch, typically beginning at 11:00 am. Students often enjoy a "study break" or evening snack around 10:00 or 11:00 pm. Breakfast and lunch tend to be light meals, with only one (3)….. Dinner is the main meal.
(5) ……. breakfast Americans will eat cereal with milk which are often mixed (4) …. in a bowl, a glass of orange juice, and toasted bread or muffin with jam, butter, or margarine. Another common breakfast meal is scrambled eggs or (6) …..omelet with potatoes and breakfast meat (bacon or sausage). People who are on (7) ……eat just a cup of yogurt. Lunch and dinner are more (8) …….When eating at a formal dinner, you may be overwhelmed by the number of utensils. How do you (9) ……. the difference between a salad fork, a butter fork, and a dessert fork? Most Americans do not know the answer (10) …….But knowing which fork or spoon to use first is simple: use the outermost utensils first and the utensils closest to the plate last.
1.A/ in B/. for C/. on D/. during
2.A/ addition B/ connection C/ combination D/ attachment
3.A/ course B/ food C/ menu D/ goods
4.A/ For B/ In C/ At D/ With
5.A/ each other B/ together C/ one another D/ others
6A/ a B/ an C/ the D/ no article
7A/holiday B/ engagement C/ diet D/ duty
8A/ vary B/ variety C/ varied D/ variously
9A/ say B/ talk C/ speak D/ tell
10A/ too B/ either C/ so D/ neither
(unit 3)
A gesture is an action