PassageOne
Questions 46 to 50 arebasedonthefollowingpassage.
Intheclassicmarriagevow (誓约), couplespromisetostaytogetherinsicknessandinhealth. Butanewstudyfindsthattheriskofdivorceamongoldercouplesriseswhenthewife—notthehusband— becomesseriouslyill.
"Marriedwomendiagnosedwithaserioushealthconditionmayfindthemselvesstrugglingwiththeimpactoftheirdiseasewhilealsoexperiencingthestressofdivorce," saidresearcherAmeliaKarraker.
Karrakerandco-authorKenzieLathamanalyzed 20 yearsofdataon 2,717 marriagesfromastudyconductedbyIndianaUniversitysince 1992. Atthetimeofthefirstinterview, atleastoneofthepartnerswasovertheageof 50.
Theresearchersexaminedhowtheonset (发生) offourseriousphysicalillnessesaffectedmarriages. Theyfoundthat, overall, 31% ofmarriagesendedindivorceovertheperiodstudied. Theincidenceofnewchronic (慢性的) illnessonsetincreasedovertimeaswell, withmorehusbandsthanwivesdevelopingserioushealthproblems.
"Wefoundthatwomenaredoublyvulnerabletomaritalbreak-upinthefaceofillness," Karrakersaid. "They'remorelikelytobewidowed, andifthey'retheoneswhobecomeill, they'remorelikelytogetdivorced."
Whilethestudydidn'tassesswhydivorceismorelikelywhenwivesbutnothusbandsbecomeseriouslyill, Karrakeroffersafewpossiblereasons. "Gendernormsandsocialexpectationsaboutcaregivingmaymakeitmoredifficultformentoprovidecaretosickspouses," Karrakersaid. "Andbecauseoftheimbalanceinmarriagemarkets, especiallyinolderages, divorcedmenhavemorechoicesamongprospectivepartnersthandivorcedwomen."
Giventheincreasingconcernabouthealthcarecostsfortheagingpopulation, Karrakerbelievespolicymakersshouldbeawareoftherelationshipbetweendiseaseandriskofdivorce.
"Offeringsupportservicestospousescaringfortheirotherhalvesmayreducemaritalstressandpreventdivorceatolderages," shesaid. "Butit'salsoimportanttorecognizethatthepressuretodivorcemaybehealth-relatedandthatsickex-wivesmayneedadditionalcareandservicestopreventworseninghealthandincreasedhealthcosts."
46. Whatcanwelearnaboutmarriagevowsfromthepassage?
A) Theymaynotguaranteealastingmarriage.
B) Theyareasbindingastheyusedtobe.
C) Theyarenottakenseriouslyanymore.
D) Theymayhelpcouplestideoverhardtimes.
47. WhatdidKarrakerandco-authorKenzieLathamfindaboutelderlyhusbands?
A) Theyaregenerallynotgoodattakingcareofthemselves.
B) Theycanbecomeincreasinglyvulnerabletoseriousillnesses.
C) Theycandevelopdifferentkindsofillnessesjustliketheirwives.
D) Theyaremorelikelytocontractseriousillnessesthantheirwives.
48. WhatdoesKarrakersayaboutwomenwhofallill?
A) Theyaremorelikelytobewidowed.
B) Theyaremorelikelytogetdivorced.
C) Theyarelesslikelytoreceivegoodcare.
D) Theyarelesslikelytobothertheirspouses.
49. WhyisitmoredifficultformentotakecareoftheirsickspousesaccordingtoKarraker?
A) Theyaremoreaccustomedtoreceivingcare.
B) Theyfinditmoreimportanttomakemoneyforthefamily.
C) Theythinkitmoreurgenttofulfilltheirsocialobligations.
D) Theyexpectsocietytodomoreofthejob.
50. WhatdoesKarrakerthinkisalsoimportant?
A) Reducingmaritalstressonwives.
C) Providingextracarefordivorcedwomen.
B) Stabilizingoldcouples'relations.
D) Makingmenpayfortheirwives, healthcosts.