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第九单元 Unit9
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Text A Today's society presents a woman with the choice of whether to marry or remain single. Such a choice was not a practical option for women even a generation ago. It is worth examining the pros and cons of married versus single life for modern young women.
As an independent, self-reliant person, you are in charge of your own life. You can be an assured, confident individual to whom others relate as such, rather than as “ his other half.” You can be secure in your ability to stand on your own two feet, rather than constantly worrying whether or not you could ever really manage without him. As a single woman, there is less pressure on you to adhere to the role models ascribed by society. For instance, you don't have to cook, clean, have babies, and generally evolve your lifestyle to cater to the needs and desires of another. If you choose to live on pizza and TV dinners for a week, you can do it without affecting anyone else.
It certainly does seem that marriage would be rather a drag. Apart from all the hassle of making a commitment, there is the inevitably dull routine of it all. Also, for every one thing you adore about him, there are ten things that drive you nuts. How much better to enjoy the fun side of a relationship, and see a man on his best behavior, trying desperately to impress you on a date. But wait! Is this a satisfactory way to live the rest of our life? Surely the flip side of the coin merits at least some examination. It may require the magical appearance in you life of the elusive Mr. Right, but somewhere down the line you are going to be confronted with at least the idea of marriage. It may be a friend who is taking the plunge, or perhaps you current partner is popping the question. Suddenly, life as a single girl is put into a whole new perspective. In the middle of celebrating your treasured freedom, you realize that you are often lonely. You are tired of friends and colleagues taking advantage of you because you have freedom from family responsibilities. Why would it matter if you worked later or over the weekend? Such experiences in the past have made you become quite selfish about your own time. Do others consider you promiscuous for having more than one boyfriend, or for dating lots of men over the course of the past years? Far from being regarded as self-reliant and independent, you seem to be coming across as a threat to potential partners who can't see what they could possibly offer you. As time goes on and you remain single into your late thirties, men may regard you as unable or unwilling to commit to a serious relationship, or may even believe that you are gay. All this undermines your confidence and sparks feelings of paranoia : what is wrong with me? Why are men avoiding me like the plague? Not having to cater for anyone else is all very well, but with only yourself to cook and clean for, it is easy to let everything slide until you are suddenly and painfully aware that you look like a slob and like a pig. Far from seeming attractive to the husbands and partners of your friends, you may come to be regarded as a “third wheel,” a real nuisance who is always tagging along. Women suspect you of flirting, while men resent you for cramping their style with their own partners. Avoidance of intimacy can lead to a string of superficial nonprogressive relationships which evaporate after the first flush of lust is over. Unwillingness to commit to anyone signals fear of taking risks to many potential marriage partners. Even after divorce, a once-married person often holds a lot appeal. At least he or she tried, even if it didn't work out. Surveys reveal that the majority of divorced people do remarry at some stage. Surely these people are not “lemmings,” repeatedly hurling themselves over the cliff to certain death. Marriage really must have a lot going for it. There is on doubt that getting close enough to someone to recognize him”—“warts and all”—leads to a deeper, truer, more meaningful love relationship. Such a union holds satisfaction, many rewards, and the real promise of enduring happiness. Wouldn't it be cozier to share your pizza of TV dinner with some less-than-perfect, but eminently familiar person? Dates are fun, but the continuity, security, true intimacy, and closeness resulting from a marriage partnership deserve serious consideration as cause to rethink your attitude toward that widely debated status. While the single life may be infinitely more appealing to some, the benefits and long-term rewards of marriage provide, on balance, the greatest satisfaction for the majority of people.
Text BThe Future of The TV The next great advance in television will be the adoption of a high-definition television (HDTV) system. Non-experimental analog HDTV broadcasting began in Japan in 1991. In 1994 the FCC approved a U.S. standard for an all-digital system, to be used by all commercial broadcast stations by mid-2002. Although it was hoped that the transition to digital broadcasting would be largely completed by 2006, less than a third of all stations had begun transmitting digital signals by the mid-2002 deadline. 语法 |
First impressions do much to recommend the single life. Freedom is, for many, the most attractive feature of singlehood. Your time is your own. You need answer to no one but yourself, in the form of your conscience. You are at liberty to take full advantage of opportunities in both career and romance when they arise. 
The single lady often holds mystery and allure for the attached make.
Listening