The American Family

[cuchoangthi]

I have a reading comprehension exercise, could you help me to answer?
Thank you so much.
Here it is.

The nuclear family, consisting of a mother, a father, and their children, may be more an American ideal than an American reality. Of course, the so-called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among American groups.

The most recent government statistics reveal that only about one third of all current American families fits the traditional mold and another third consist of married couples who either have no children or have none still living at home. Of the final one third, about 20% of the total number of American households are single people, usually women over sixty-five years old. A small percentage, about 3% of the total, consist of unmarried people who choose to live together, and the rest , about 7% are single, usually divorced parents, with at least one child. Today, these varied family types are typical, and therefore, normal. Apparantly, many Americans are achieving supportive relationships in family forms other than the traditional one.

• What is the most suitable title for this passage?

A.The ideal family
B.The current American family
C.The nuclear family
C.The traditional American family

• The author wants to show that………………

A. the ideal American family is the best structure.
B. Racial, ethnic, and religious groups have presented the traditional family structure.
C. Fewer married couples are having children.
D. There has always been a wider variety of family types in the US.

[Soup]

First, what are your answers, and why have you chosen those answers?

[cuchoangthi]

Originally Posted by Soup

First, what are your answers, and why have you chosen those answers?

My answer for the first question was B.The current American family, but my friends thought it must be C : nuclear family.
They said if I wanted to know the title of a paragraph I could see the first sentence of that paragraph.
And my answer for the second question was B.Racial, ethnic, and religious groups have presented the traditional family structure. But my friends thought it must be D.There has always been a wider variety of family types in the US.
I saw

Of course, the so-called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among American groups..
so I chose B.
Could you explain these answers for me?.
Thank you

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by cuchoangthi

What is the most suitable title for this passage?
A.The ideal family
B.The current American family
C.The nuclear family

D.The traditional American family

It should be D. (See the second sentence of the first paragraph as well as others.)

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by cuchoangthi

• The author wants to show that………………

A. the ideal American family is the best structure.

B. Racial, ethnic, and religious groups have presented the traditional family structure.
C. Fewer married couples are having children.
D. There have always been a wide variety of family types in the US.

The choice is D.

What grammatical mistakes are there in the passage cited?

[cuchoangthi]

Originally Posted by RonBee

It should be D. (See the second sentence of the first paragraph as well as others.)

really ?

[cuchoangthi]

Originally Posted by RonBee

The choice is D.

What grammatical mistakes are there in the passage cited?

Are there any mistakes in this sentence ?
You mean it must be " D. There have always been a wide variety of family types in the US." don't you ?.
Can you explain? I don't understand clearly
help me ^^ !

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by cuchoangthi

Are there any mistakes in this sentence ?
You mean it must be " D. There have always been a wide variety of family types in the US." don't you ?.
Can you explain? I don't understand clearly
help me ^^ !

Example:

Of course, the so-called traditional American family was always more varied than we had been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among American groups.

The past tense is not appropriate there. (The American family is still with us.) Instead, try past perfect progressive. The sentence changes to:

Of course, the so-called traditional American family has always been more varied than we have been led to believe, reflecting the very different racial, ethnic, class, and religious customs among American groups.

The sentence has changed its focus more to the present.

[sio]

I am a member here. May I share my opinion. If yes, I will choose B for the first question. My reason is:

The first paragraph is the background about American family in the past, and the next paragraph is about today's American family; this paragraph explores more about American family nowadays than the previous paragraph. I refer to the last sentence... today ...

For the second question I agree with Ron's answer.

[cuchoangthi]

Could you show me that the word " wider " in the sentence " D.There has always been a wider variety of family types in the US " is right or wrong?
thank you