Passage 4 为何多数夫妻头胎想要男孩？ How the Majority1 of Couples Want a BOY as Their First Child?

Step 1 阅读行不行

Almost half of Americans want their first child to be a boy, according to a new study.

Out of the 2,129 recently married couples surveyed2 by money-saving website CouponCodes4You, 47 percent said they would prefer to have a son first, and most said it was because boys are “less hard work”.

Only 21 percent of the respondents3 said they would like to have a daughter as their first child, and 32 percent said they had no preference4 either way.

The study also found that the majority of those who wanted a son first—63 percent—were men themselves, while males made up just 11 percent of those who preferred a daughter as their first child.

While the majority of couples wanted a son first, the reasons behind their gender preferences were varied.

Most of the couples who wanted a boy—45 percent—said they felt that having a son would be “less hard work” than a daughter.

On the other hand, a third said they wanted a boy because older sons are better at looking after their younger siblings.

And 19 percent admitted they prioritize5 having a son because they want him to carry the family name.

But even though boys are preferred as the oldest child, couples did not rule out having a girl altogether—37 percent said they would like to have a daughter second.

The study found that while raising a boy is perceived6 as easier, couples who wanted to have a daughter first see older girls as “better role models” to their younger siblings.

keywords and phrases

1 majority /mə'dʒɒrətɪ/ n. 多数，大多数

2 survey /'sɜ:veɪ/ vt. 调查

3 respondent /rɪ'spɒndənt/ n. 回答问题的人，（尤指）调查对象

4 preference /'prefrəns/ n. 偏爱；优先权；偏爱的事物

5 prioritize /praɪˈɒrətaɪz/ vt. 优先考虑；给……优先权

6 perceive /pə'si:v/ v. 看作，视为

phrase to know

prefer to do 表示“更喜欢做某事”，还可以用作prefer sb to do，如：Would you prefer me to stay？表示“你愿意我留下来吗？”prefer表示“更喜欢，认为……胜过”，后面还可以接动名词和从句，但prefer不可用于进行时。

rule out 表示“排除，不考虑”，如：rule out that possibility（排除那种可能性）。还可以表示“用直线划掉”，如：rule out a misspell word（划掉一个拼错的词）。

carry the family name 是“传宗接代”的意思，也可以说carry on the family name / line。看来，不仅中国人有传宗接代的思想，美国人也不例外。

Step 2 手写行不行

★ 杰克逊相信大多数人会支持他的。(in the majority)

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★ 我们将对高校教授进行调查。(survey)

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★ 80%的调查对象同意这个提议。(respondant)

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★ 那是个人的偏好。(preference)

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★ 政府将优先考虑旅游业。(prioritize)

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★ 他们把踢足球视为一种乐趣。(perceive as)

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Step 3 口语行不行

Q1 Which do you prefer? Son or daughter？你更喜欢儿子还是女儿？

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Q2 How do you feel about the low birth rates in China？你怎么看待中国的低生育率？

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Q3 How many children do you want to have？你想要几个孩子？

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试题解答篇

Step 2 手写行不行答案

1．Jackson believes that his supporters are in the majority.

2．We will survey the professors in the universities.

3．80% of respondents agree with the proposal.

4．It's a matter of personal preference.

5．The government is prioritizing the tourist industry.

6．They perceive playing football as entertainment.

Step 3 口语行不行答案

1．I prefer son or more precisely, my mother-in-law maintains her traditional preference for grandsons over granddaughters.

2．The low birth rates in China due to the one-child policy make China's young adult population fall rapidly. In addition, with China's development toward an increasingly modern economy, most families will not want more than one child, and many would opt for a“DINK” lifestyle, which will worsen the low birth rate in turn.

3．I want two children in the future: one boy and one girl. I don't want my child to be the only and the lonely one. However, the high expense of raising children make it impossible for me to breed three or more children. As a result, two children become the best choice.