57. In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to _______.

A. tear many troubled families apart

B. bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C. cause a lot of conflicts in the family

D. contribute to enduring family ties

 

58. In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because _______

A. starting a new family would be hard

B. they wanted to better protect their kids

C. living separately would be too costly

D. they expected things would turn better

 

59. In addition to job losses, what stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A. A sense of insecurity.

B. Mounting family debts.

C. Difficulty in getting a loan.

D. Falling housing prices.

 

60. What will the current economic crisis eventually do to married couples?

A. It will force them to pull their efforts together.

B. It will undermine their mutual understanding.

C. It will irreparably damage their relationship.

D. It will help strengthen their emotional bonds.

 

61. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

B. Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage.

C. Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships.

D. The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate.

 

【点评】：这篇文章来源于2009年5月的《纽约时报》（原文地址：

），题目为Married With Bankruptcy。这里有删减。文章分析了经济危机给夫妇带来的影响，指出经济危机不会提高离婚率并分析了几个原因，如夫妇无法承担离婚的成本，房价下降等等。文章最后三段指出虽然不会离婚，但夫妻的这种关系也不会维持太久，经济危机的考验要到经济复苏时期才能显现出来。

答案：

57. B. bring about a drop in the divorce rate

58. C. living separately would be too costly

59. D. Falling housing prices.

60. C. It will irreparably damage their relationship.

61. D. The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate.