Question

Gay marriage, and especially gay parenting, has been in the cross hairs in recent days.

On Jan.6, Rick Santorum told a New Hampshire audience that children are better off with a father in prison than being raised in a home with lesbian parents and no father at all. And last Monday(Jan.9), Pope Benedict called gay marriage a threat “to the future of humanity itself”, citing the need for children to have heterosexual homes.

But research on families headed by gays and lesbians doesn’t back up these above views. In fact, in some ways, gay parents may bring talents to the table that straight parents don’t.

Gay parents “tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents.” Said Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University who researches gay and lesbian parenting. Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident, compared with an almost 50 percent accidental pregnancy rate among heterosexuals, Goldberg said. “That translates to greater commitment on average and more involvement”.

And while research indicates that kids of gay parents show few differences in achievement, mental health, social functioning and other measures, these kids may have the advantage of open-mindedness, tolerance and role models for equal relationships, according to some research. Not only that, but gays and lesbians are likely to provide homes for difficult-to-place children in the foster system, studies show.

Children of gay parents also show less care about gender difference. That’s likely because gays and lesbians tend to have more equal relationships than straight couples, Goldberg said.

“Men and women felt like they were free to pursue a wide range of interests,” Goldberg said. “Nobody was telling them, ‘Oh, you can’t do that, that’s a boy thing,’ or That’s a girl thing.”

61.The underlined phrase “in the cross hairs”(in Paragraph 1) probably means.

A.a great concern         B.a big threat      C.a political ban      D.a role model

62.It can be learned from the passage that Rick Santorum___.

   A.opposes the need for children to have heterosexual homes

   B.thinks children are better off with a father in prison

   C.believes children are better off in heterosexual homes

   D.is in favor of children being raised by lesbian parents

63.From Abbie Goldberg’s words, we can learn that____.

 A.Most heterosexual parents have children by accident

 B.Gays and lesbians consider carefully before becoming parents

C.Heterosexual parents are not committed in the marriage

D.There’s no gender difference in gay and lesbian parenting

64.From the passage, we can infer that___.

   A.Children of gay parents are more talented

   B.Gay parents like adopting poor children

   C.Children of gay parents may enjoy more freedom

   D.Gay parents show no difference in social functioning

65.Which of the following is the advantage of kids of gay parents?

   A.Tolerance .        B.More talents.   C. Achievement.      D.Mental health.

Answer 1

61. A解析：最近，同性恋婚姻以及同性恋父母对孩子的教育问题成为人们关心的一个大问题。

62. C解析：根据第二段第一句可知“Rick Santorum告诉听众，与被女同性恋抚养长大而根本没有父亲相比，有个坐监狱的父亲会更好”。

63. B解析：根据第四段的信息they chose to be parents；Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident可知同性恋者在成为父母前是经过考虑的。

64. C解析：从最后一段可得知答案。

65. A解析：由倒数第三段可知…these kids may have the advantage of open-mindedness, tolerance and role models for equal relationships, according to some research.