Dar Chahabaane Sec School Mr Hadji 2009/ 2010
TEST N°4
Name…………………………..…. Class : 4th M………….. N°……………………..
Reading Comprehension The traditional family, consisting of breadwinner father, at-home mother and children younger than age 18 -- which totaled 46 percent of America's married-couple families about 30 years ago, has decreased to 20 by 2005 as a direct consequence of gender equality and women empowerment. Although at-home mothers still outnumber their male counterparts, the men are coming along strong, their number is growing steadily and they are accepting their new titles and responsibilities. “To a lot of people, taking care of kids is not a job," says Ron Wilson as he fetches juice for his sons - ages six, four and two. "They think I'm sitting home reading magazines. But those are the people who have never been home with kids all day. Watching my sons for an afternoon while mom runs responsibilities doesn't count. Men who are their children's primary caretakers know that each day is an endless sequence of changing diapers, cooking, folding laundry, shopping and going to the pediatrician ”, Wilson explains. "It's a good day when I can read the paper before my wife gets home from work," Wilson notes. Neither he nor his wife, Denise, a manager, regrets the arrangement they agreed to in the late 1990s, when he quit his job as a mechanical engineer. "There will always be someone who asks, `You're not man enough to get a job?'" says John Chapman, a full-time father to his daughter Jenna, age eight, and his sevenyear-old son Ian. His wife, Dr. Katherine practises family medicine. Like most couples with an at-home dad, the Wilson’s and Chapman’s were two-career families who decided to simplify their lives by abandoning, temporarily at least, the less well-paid job. "By the time we added up day care, clothing, commuting, lunches, dinners out and higher income taxes, we figured out if both of us worked, we made only $3,000 more," Denise Wilson says. There are occasional drawbacks to the role of at-home father like isolation. In fact, a study by a psychology professor found that 66 percent of the caregiver fathers felt "somewhat" or "totally" isolated compared with 44 percent of care giving mothers. Overall, though, the study revealed that more than half the fathers described themselves as "extremely satisfied" with the arrangement. Chapman and Wilson say their rewards are their children's health and happiness. They don't see parenting as feminine or masculine. Men should and can spend a lot of time with their children.
By Leslie Mann
Questions (12pts) 1) -Read and find out the father’s role in the American family.(2) Before
Mr Hadji
-- 4th Formers --
Now
Dar Chabaane Sec School--
2010