Likemostfathers,RickConklinworriesabouthisthreechildren...

问题详情：

Like most fathers, Rick Conklin worries about his three children and fears failing them.

    The 47-year-old West Scranton, Pennsylvania resident juggles (兼顾) the doctors appointments, dance recitals, track meets and concerts. He wants to find the right balance between giving the children structure and space. He worries about them dating and making the same mistakes he made in his youth.

    Unlike most fathers, Mr Conklin has to do it alone and joins the growing ranks of single dads who are celebrating Father’s Day today.

    According to the US Census, 6,292 single fathers lived in the seven-county region of Northeast Pennsylvania in 2000. By 2011, the number of men classified as “male household, no wife present” with children grew to 7,840 ---- 24.6 percent increase.

    That rate slightly outpaces the increase in single mothers, although there are still significantly more single moms than single dads. The most recent US Census data shows Northeast Pennsylvania has 22,948 single mothers, a 22.8 percent increase from 17,705 in 2000.

    Mr Conklin spoke of the struggles and rewards of being a single parent to 15-year-old Breonna, 13-year-old Mercadeze and 11-year-old Rickey Jr.

   “It’s what makes it 10 times harder doing this, that I’m the only adult in the house,” Mr. Conklin said. “There isn’t that partner to take half of that frustration load or half of the arguments that the kids go through and the wars that go on.... There’s just me.”

    Mr Conklin knows he is not perfect and strives to improve. He said he tries to research ways to be a good single parent through books and the Internet, and has taken family-strengthening classes with his children.

   Although Mr Conklin sometimes finds being a father a thankless job, Breonna said she thinks he’s “doing a really good job on his own”.

   He may be a little “strict”, Breonna said, but he is also “energetic”. She said her father cooks and cleans every day and is always trying to get his daughters involved with activities, through which Breonna said she has learned quite a bit about herself.

32. We can learn from the passage that Mr Conklin ______.

   A. has clear plans for each of his children

   B. puts in a lot of effort to become a good parent

   C. has great expectations for his children

   D. receives little gratitude and understanding from his children

33. In Northeast Pennsylvania, people are likely to find that ______.

   A. single fathers have outnumbered single mothers

   B. the increase rate of single parent has recently dropped

   C. most single fathers are struggling to meet basic needs of life

   D. various sources are available for single fathers to improve family relations

34. The underlined word “this” in paragraph 7 refers to ______.

   A. teaching the kids to get along well

   B. finding someone to listen to your worries

   C. taking care of three children altogether

   D. hiring someone to do the housework

 35. Which would be the best title for the passage?

    A. How to become a qualified single parent

    B. Dads in Pennsylvania celebrating Father’s Day

    C. Struggles and rewards of being a single parent

    D. More dads raising children on their own

【回答】

BDCD

知识点：*经济文化类阅读

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