英语六级考试阅读理解练习及答案（29）

　　The typical pre-industrial family not only had a good many children, but numerous other dependents as well---grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousions. Such extended families were suited for survival in slow paced __1__ societies. But such families are hard to __2__. They are immobile.

　　Industrialism demanded masses of workers ready and able to move off the land in pursuit of jobs, and to move again whenever necessary. Thus the extended family __3__ shed its excess weight and the so-called nuclear family emerged---a stripped-down, portable family unit __4__ only of parents and a small set of children. This new style family, far more __5__ than the traditional extended family, became the standard model in all the industrial counties. Super-industrialism, however, the next stage of eco-technological development, __6__ even higher mobility. Thus we may expect many among the people of the future to carry the streamlinling process, a step further by remaining children, cutting the family down to its more __7__ components, aman and a woman. Two people, perhaps with matched careers, will prove more efficient at navigating through education and social status, through job changes and geographic relocations, than teh ordinarily child-cluttered family.

　　A __8__ may be the postponement of children, rather than childlessness. Men and women today are often torn in __9__ between a commitment to career and a commitment to children. In the future, many __10__ will sidestep this problem by deferring the entire task of raising children until after retirement.

　　A)transplant B)solution C)gadually D)transport

　　E)elemental F)conflict G)continually H)mobile

　　I)couples J)agricultural K)including L)compromise

　　M)requires N)primary O)consisting