“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school . Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” -a document(檔案) stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores(雜務). Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.) After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled, ” admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press(also part of the bargain), stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.” Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs(嘆氣), “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however-until Bob signed the contract, whereupon she decided to relax and enjoy it. Although Peters had consulted(諮詢) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria(食堂), his meals were sometimes a disaster.
“I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner. As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely(日常地) sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative(暫定的`) title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.
1. The couple signed the contract because _______.
A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself
B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest
C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks
D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book
2. It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.
A. pay a certain amount of money
B. do all the housework for years
C. say sorry to his wife
D. admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood
3. What can we learn about Pat Peters?
A. She was hard-working and selfless.
B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.
C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.
D. She did not love Bob any longer.
4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Bob managed to keep the kids’clothes clean.
B. Bob tried to cook good meals for his children.
C. Bob frequently took the kids out to eat because he was too busy at work.
D. Bob taught the kids to make their beds every day.
5. Which of the following can best end the news story?
A. “My experience of being a mother.”
B. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”
C. “Wait till your mother gets home!”
D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”
【答案與解析】本文講述的是Bob和妻子Pat簽了一份合同，這個夏天照顧孩子和幹家務70天。雖然他費盡苦心，結果卻不盡人意，不得不公開認錯。
1. D。推斷題。根據第1段最後一句Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)可知雖然他甚至不會做起碼的家務，但很自信，認為照顧家庭是很容易的並認為這是他寫出一本好書所需要的體驗。因此答案為D。
2. D。推斷題。根據最後一段Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely(日常地) sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat可知Bob已經公開承認錯誤並和Pat分擔照顧孩子和做家務活。由此可推出他們籤合同時達成的協議是：如果Bob不能遵循合同，就公開承認錯誤。故答案為D。
3. A。推斷題。根據第1段he didn’t even know how to make coffee和第4段two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary…She continued to run the household可推知Pat既勤勞又無私。故答案為A。
4. B。判斷題。根據第5段Although Peters had consulted(諮詢) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria(食堂), his meals were sometimes a disaster可知Peters為了做好飯已經盡力了。因此可判斷正確答案為B。
5. C。推斷題。根據第5段最後一句For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner和第6段As for housekeeping...可知Bob無論在撫養孩子還是在管理家務方面都很失敗，要解決問題，只有等媽媽回家了。因此答案為C。
