Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow.While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up, they all consist of a parenting couple and children, one or more of whom is of a previous union.Such combinations of his kids, her kids, and then, possibly, kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties, more challenging than those of traditional families. Since stepfamilies involve more people and, consequently, more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage, it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to (=before) marriage.Not only do the prospective marital partners need agreement about their own carriers, life goals, finance and special interests, they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings.Furthermore, there are often the rights of other relatives to consider. As for any family, the basic ingredient of a successful stepfamily are affection, kindness and mutual respect.However, love alone is not enough.Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built, but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily. Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success.Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit.Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others, this skill can be learned and improved.Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully. By their very nature, stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent loyalties, lingering hurts, fears,feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams.The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable.However, there are ways to confront and resolve them.For example, support groups and professional counselors ... According to the passage, there are_in the United States. A) no stepfamilies B) more stepfamilies than ever before C) fewer stepfamilies than ever before D) fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones
B
(Question)
Dear Bridge of Hope supporters, July 2010 was a productive month for the teachers at BOH. Marilyn traveled to Liberia and helped Kathleen Ngenda with her teacher training program on Basic Adult Literacy. During the eight-day training, she helped the teachers learn to pronounce, spell and write correctly. They are currently working on personal sets of cards and lists so that they can teach this concept to students in the fall. Kathleen plans on two trips back to the school to monitor teachers in their teaching. Marilyn found a very dedicated and enthusiastic group of elementary teachers who are focused on bettering themselves as educators. BOHUSA will offer financial support for their further educational studies this fall. Our goal is to have all staff be certified by the end of 2013. The Liberian government recommends a C-certificate for teachers of elementary students, which can be obtained in one year of education classes (taken on Saturdays). There is a great need to add seventh and eighth grade classrooms and a library. There is actually no room, however, and so we need to add a second floor. Currently the ground floor houses the church and the school uses this space for daily services. The first floor would give space for three more classrooms, in addition to a large reading room and computer labs. About $40,000 to 50,000 is required to meet the educational needs. If you would like to contribute to this building project, please make out your check to: Bridge of Hope 12002 Arnold Rd. Orrville, Ohio 44667 Bridge of Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization. You do not have to pay tax on your contributions. The purpose of the letter is to _ . A) show the achievements of BOH B) thank BOH supporters for their concern C) raise money for an educational project D) call people's attention to education in Liberia
(Answer)
C
Ques: (ALAUDDIN VALLEY) -- Russia's relationship with Tajikistan has _ following an incident involving a Russian pilot who was arrested -- after making an emergency landing in the Central Asian nation. Russia responded by beginning to drive out Tajik guest workers, a move that threatens Tajikistan's entire economy. In total, some 700,000 Tajik citizens work in Russia. In the past quarter, they sent home some $742 million in remittances . Overall, the money guest workers send back makes up half of the republic's government budget. The Alauddin Valley is in the Fann Mountains in eastern Tajikistan. The place long held an attraction for Russian writers and adventurers. Later, during the Soviet era, it was a popular tourist destination. Yet establishing a strong relationship with the people of the mountainous region is not easy. Men are seldom seen in the area. Nearly every family has at least one breadwinner working in Russia, if not more. The farm work falls to the women, who divide it up among themselves. Each summer, the village chooses the most experienced and skilled women to take all of the cows (up to 300 of them) to the summer pastures high up on in the mountains. The women spend four months there with their children since there is no one to leave the children with. They milk the cows and prepare products for the winter: cheese, butter and so on. These fermented goods get them through the winter when snow and avalanches cut off all contact with civilization. Residents here generally have two questions for visiting Russians. The first one is obvious: Is President Dmitri Medvedev going to limit the entry of Tajik guest workers? The second question is less obvious: Are there cows in Moscow? The Alauddin Valley's women truly can't imagine life without either. Why was the Russian pilot arrested? A) Because he stole a plane in Tajikistan. B) Because he didn't land in Tajikistan safely. C) Because he landed in Tajikistan without permission. D) Because he refused to return to Russian.
Ans: C
An absolute description of the threat hanging over the world's mammals, reptiles, amphibians(, , ) and other life forms has been published by the well-known scientific journal, Nature. A special analysis carried out by the journal indicates that an astonishing 41% of all amphibians on the planet now face extinction while 26% of mammal species and 13% of birds are similarly threatened. Many species are already critically endangered and lose to extinction, including the Sumatran elephant, Amur leopard and mountain gorilla. But also in danger of vanishing for the wild, it now appears, are animals that are currently rated as merely being endangered. In each case, the finger of blame points directly at human activites The continuing spread of agriculture is destroying million of hectares of wild habitats every year, leaving animals without homes, while the introduction of newly-come species, often helped by humans, is also damaging native populations. At the same time, pollution and overfishing are destroying ocean ecosystems. "Habitat destruction, pollution or overfishing either skill off wild creatures and plants or leaves them badly weakened," said Derek Tittensor, an ocean ecologist at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge. "The trouble is that in coming decades, the additional threat of worsening climate change will become more and more common and could then kill off these survivors." The problem, according to Nature, is worsened because of the huge gaps in scientists knowledge about the planet's biodiversity. Evaluations of the total number of species of animals and plants alive vary from 2 million to 50 million. In addition, evaluations of current rates of species' disappearances vary from 500 to 36, 000 a year. "That is the real problem we face," added Tittensor. "The scale of uncertainty is huge." In the end, however, the data indicate that the world is heading cruelty towards a mass extinction-which is defined as one involving a loss of 75% of species or more. This could arrive in less... What does "This" in the last sentence refer to _ ? A) mass extinction B) extinction rates C) extinction time D) 75% of species or more
A