The cost of the material is ____ in the bill for the work.

Trying to Find a Partner

One of the most striking findings of a recent poll in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships？ Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love？ Or are we making it harder for ourselves？

It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn't expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.

But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago, your choice of soul mate (心上人) was constrained by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never explicit, many marriages were essentially arranged.

Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster (牡蛎), you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint: the tyranny of choice.

The expectations of partners are inflated to an unmanageable degree: good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and right socks. There is no room for error in the first impression.

We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't, it is disposable. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Of course, this is complicated by realities. The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

What does the recent poll show？

A．It is getting more difficult for a woman to find her husband.

B．It is getting increasingly difficult to start a family.

C．It is getting more difficult for a man to find his wife.

D．It is getting increasingly difficult to develop an intimate relationship with your spouse.

on board which is subsequently exchanged for the B/L or Sea Way Bill.( )

g through emptiness for 2,000 miles. Driving half of it is plenty, so I've flown to the dead center: the desert town of Alice Springs. North of "the Alice" there's barely a stoplight for 1,000 miles-a-bout the distance from Dallas to Chicago-until the asphalt meets Darwin, on the Timor Sea.

Like Germany's autobahn, the Smart has no speed limit; unlike the autobahn, it's virtually barren. Every 45 minutes or so, a roadhouse appears mirage-like on the horizon, offering gas, beer, motel-style. lodging, and a little "Where ya from, mate？" Aside from that, the land presents itself the way God made it. Hour by hour, sandy red earth gives way to spindly trees, brown escarpments, termite mounds as tall as kindergartners, and not much else. No cell phone coverage, no radio stations. There's nowhere else on earth to be so isolated while on good roads in your aver-age rental car.

The pleasure of a Stuart drive is partly in stumbling across artifacts from man's attempts to make use of the bush. Beside the gas station in Barrow Creek (kilometer 294), a wooden telegraph repeater station from the early 1870s stands abandoned but perfectly preserved by the dry desert air. There's another in the expanse north of Tennant Creek (541). Barely rusted bits of telegraph wire and antique bottles still litter the grounds of both. The eerie ruins at Gorrie Airfield (1,103) once housed 6,500 personnel in World War II. Today, there are ghostly scraps of gray bitumen leading to an old fighter runway that's over a mile long.

The walls inside most of the bush pubs along the highway are stapled over with bras, under-wear, foreign currency, and business cards-a few of mine included-left by visitors from around the world. Basic rooms cost about $ 35; given the volume of cold Victoria Bitter on tap, by bed-time most customers aren't in a state to quibble over thread counts. Just about every pit stop is run by someone who could pass as the main character in a novel.

According to the passage, Darwin in the first paragraph is _______.

A．the name of a well-known scientist.

B．the name of an island in Timor Sea.

C．the name of a city standing at the end of the Smart Highway.

D．the name of a pub in the center of Australian desert.

A mate's receipt is issued by( )．

A．the mate/the master B．the shipowner

C．the shipper D．the consignee

Mate's Receipt(M/R)

Becoming Best Friends

With our Metamucil orange juleps(冰镇薄荷酒)in hand, we toast being best friends. It's something to celebrate. No couple arrives at that point automatically.

According to our research,_______ (1) is friendship. It's the greatest indicator of a successful second-half marriage. So to spice up (使……更有趣味) your marriage, become best friends.

When true friends talk they don't try to change one another. They relax and enjoy the conversation. How wonderful to feel safe with each other,_______ (2) !That's a true friend.

Friends also have fun together. When kids leave home, here are some ways to deepen your friendship：

_______ (3). Dating doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Actually, dating is an attitude. You can turn almost anything into a date. Each fall, we have a standing(固定)Flu Shot Date(流感预防针注射日期).

Choose a common interest or hobby. Anything goes. Play golf -- but don't keep score. Take a community college course. Work out together. Take up hiking or walking. The mall is a great place to walk, and it's cheap_______ (4).

Adopt new traditions. One of our favorites is having cinnamon rolls(肉桂卷)on Sunday morning. Our friends Fred and Margaret make the bed together each day. Pare and Bill kiss before saying the mealtime blessing.

Keep your sense of humor. Laugh together and don't take each other too seriously. At this stage, health issues and hard knocks are part of the landscape. We remind each other that the second half of marriage isn't for sissies.

Now it's your turn. What are you doing to build your friendship The second half can be the best time of your life -- especially_______ (5)!

A．when your are married to your best friend

B．what people want most from their mate

C．if you go before the stores open

D．to bare your soul without fear of rejection or unsolicited advice

E．choose an old tradition

F．establish a weekly date to focus on fun and friendship

第 46 题

请选择（1）处的最佳答案．

Relevant comments on mate's receipts should not be entered in hills of lading.( )

Mate's receipt means the consignee received the cargo.( )