[单选,材料题] The information in the first paragraph is presented mainly through
根据以下材料，回答下面的题目。
The FamiIv
The structure of a family takes different forms around the world and even in the same society.The family’S form changes as it adapts to changing social and economic influences.Until recently.the most common form in North America was the nuclear family，consisting of a married couple with their minor children.The nuclear family is an independent unit.It must be prepared to fend for itself.Individual family members strongly depend on one another.There is little help from outside the family in emergencies.Elderly relatives of a nuclear family are cared for only if it is possible for the family to do so.In North America，the elderly often do not live with the family;thev live in retirement communities and nursing homes.
There are many parallels between the nuclear family in industrial societies.such as North America，and of families in societies such as that of the Inuits，who live in harsh environments.The nuclear family structure is well adapted to a life of mobility.In harsh conditions，mobility allows the family to hunt for food.For North Americans，the hunt for jobs and improved social status also requires mobility.
The nuclear family was not always the North American standard. In a more agrarian time，the mall nuclear family was usually part of a larger extenged family.This might have included grandparents，mother and father，brothers and sisters，uncles，aunts，and cousins. In North America today，there is a dramatic rise in the number of single.parent households.Twice as many households in the United States are headed by divorced，separated，or never。married individuals as are comprised of nuclear families.The structure of the family，not just in North America，but throughout the world，continues to change as it adapts to changing conditions.
Another good title for this passage would be
A . listing statistics
B . telling a story
C . pointing out similarities
D . pointing out differences

参考解析
C题干意为“第一段主要以何种方式陈述的?”根据第一段的陈述方式，并没有列出数据或者讲故事，而是通过描述共性而阐述出核心家庭的概念。因此C“指出相似性”是正确的答案。

[单选] She can speak French and German，let alone English.
A . to say nothing of
B . to speak nothing of
C . to talk nothing of
D . to tell nothing of

参考解析
A 句意：她会说法语和德语，更不用说英语了。本题考察的是固定词组用法，to say nothing of，更不用说，没有B、C、D这三种说法。

[单选] The moon was obscured by thick clouds.
A . held
B . prevented
C . darkened
D . blackened

参考解析
句意为：厚厚的云朵遮住了月亮。prevent意为“预防、阻止”，hold意为“持有、保留”，darken意为“使模糊、变黑”，blacken意为“使变黑、诽谤”。obscure意为“遮掩，使变暗”。和B项同义，故选B项。

[单选] She was one of the leading writers in her age.
A . successful
B . maior
C . outstanding
D . musical

参考解析
句意：她是她那个时代最重要的作家之一。leading意为“领导的，第一位的，最主要的”。B．major意为“主要的”，与leading意思相近。其他三个选项中，Asuecessful意为“成功的，有成就的”；C．outstanding意为“突出的，显著的”；D．musical意为“音乐的”。

[单选] The legislative provision has a great impact on the operations of the department.
A . law
B . passage
C . revision
D . clause

参考解析
【答案】D
【解析】provision“规定”。law“法律”；passage“通过”；revision“修正”；clause“条款”。

[单选] I tried very hard to persuade him to join our groups but I met with flat refusal.
A . disapproval
B . rejection
C . refusal
D . decline

参考解析
【答案】C
【解析】本题意为“我竭力劝他加入我们的团体，但遭到断然拒绝”refusal“拒绝”：disapproval“不同意，不赞成”；rejection“拒绝，抵制”；decline“婉言谢绝”。flat refusal系固定搭配．意为“断然拒绝”。