【小阅读^大脑袋】0327 NO.345

The small number of newborn babies, which has been caused by high prices and the changing social situation of women, is one of the most serious problems in Asia. When people talk about it, you can hear a word invented in Japan "DINKS”, which means Double Income No Kids.

In many major Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, the cost of a house is extremely high. A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about $3000, 000 (though prices have fallen). For a flat with one bedroom, one dining-room, a kitchen, and a bathroom, the couple will pay about $900 a month. What's more, if they want to have a child, the child's education is very expensive. For example, most kindergarten charges are at least $5.000 a year. In such a situation, it's difficult to afford children.

The number of married women who want to continue working increases rapidly because they enjoy their jobs. However, if they want to have children, they immediately have serious problems. Though most companies allow women to leave their jobs for a short time to have a baby, they expect women with babies to give up their jobs. In short, if they want to bring up children properly, both parents have to work, but it is hard for mothers to work. Indeed, women who want to continue working have to choose between having children and keeping their jobs.

In a word, Asian governments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon as possible.
A D D
答案详解：
1. What is the main problem being discussed in the passage?
A. The small number of newborn babies.
B. The changing social situation of women.
C. The high prices of houses and education.
D. The necessary steps of Asian government.
选A。本文讨论的主要问题是什么？很显然，本文第一句话就点明了中心：The small number of newborn babies

2. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. It is easy for a couple to afford a child in Asia.
B. The prices of house in Asia are quite low now.
C. Fewer and fewer married women wan to have a job.
D. The word “DINKS” appeared in an Asian country.
选D。根据原文，以下哪一项是正确的？
A：在亚洲，一对夫妇养育一个孩子很容易。明显错误。
B：亚洲现在的房价很低。错误，文章说虽然房价降了，但是还是很高。
C：越来越少的已婚女性想要工作了。错误，见第三段第一句话。
D：“DINKS”这个词出现在一个亚洲国家。正确，第一段最后一句说起源日本。

3. To buy a flat and send a child to kindergarten, how much will a couple pay each year?
A. 85,000
B. 85,900
C. $10.800
D. $15.800
选D。买一套公寓并送一个孩子上幼儿园，一对夫妇每年要花多少钱？
从文中第二段可以看到，一套公寓每月要付900美金，那么一年就是10800美金。而幼儿园是每年5000美金，加起来就是15800美金。所以答案选D。

全文翻译：
物价飞涨和妇女社会地位改变导致的新生儿数量极少现象，是现在亚洲面临的最严重问题之一。人们在讨论这类问题的时候，会用到一个起源于日本的词“DINKS”，意思是“双收入，无孩子”。

在亚洲的许多主要城市，例如首尔，新加坡，东京，买一套房子的花费极大。一对年轻夫妇要是想买一套属于自己的房子，可能要花三百万美金（虽然房价已经跌了。）一套一房一厅一厨一卫的公寓，每月要付900美元。更严重的是，如果他们想有个孩子，教育费用也很高。比方说大部分幼儿园的收费是每年五千美元。这样看来，养育孩子很困难。

结了婚仍想继续工作的女性人数剧增，因为她们喜欢自己的工作。可是，如果她们想生孩子，就会立马遇到严重的问题。虽然大多数公司允许女性请假一段时间去生孩子，但是它们还是希望这些女性索性放弃工作。简单来说，如果一对夫妇想要好好地养育孩子，那么双方都得有收入，但是，母亲很难维持工作。这对那些想要继续工作的女性来说确实是一个艰难的抉择——生孩子还继续工作。

总的来说，亚洲政府应该采取措施尽快改善现状了。

词汇短语：
Kindergarten 幼儿园，托儿所
bring up 教育、养育孩子