阅读简答卷部分分析
正如大家在新东方课堂上反复强调的，高口阅读简答卷部分需要考生迅速分析文章结构，理清文章思路，为进一步确定细节做好筹备。
Parenthood should be affordable in this country, butthe cosplayt of raising a child from birth to adulthood is now a quarter of amillion dollars and projected to double by the time today's toddlers reach their teens.
首段不需要过分投入，仅需看到两个关键字affordable 和cosplayt 便知文章的话题所在。
Will having kids soon be out of reach economically formany American families? A recent report from the Center for American Progress found that middle|class families are feeling an unprecedented economic squeeze| caught between stagnating wages and the exploding cosplayt of basics like housing, health care and children's education. Most families, it seems, are getting by on less and living closer to the financial edge to help their kids grow up healthy and get ahead.
第二段开篇以设问形式点出文章主体：为何迫于经济重压，不少美国家庭没办法生儿育女?答案的关键字在于“caughtbetween stagnating wages and the exploding cosplayt of basics”
The most striking growth in cosplayts to families has beenin child care, where expenses have climbed about $200 annually in each of thelast dozen years, with nearly ten fold growth since the 1960s. Child care, on average, consumes $1 of every $5 in a family's budget and exceeds the typical rent in every state.
本段以细节形式点出抚养儿女的本钱增加之快。
In terms of their kids' health, families increasingly have to choose between treating their children's medical needs and paying household bills. Despite gains in the percentage of children with health insurance, per capita medical spending on kids has quietly ballooned faster than for any other age group, with families paying more for premiums and steeper out|of|pocket expenses.
本段首句再度说明不少家庭的问题在于两难之选：choose between treating their children's medical needsand paying household bills。
For evidence to suggest that middle|class parents might already be getting priced out of parenthood, look to the national birth rate. It fell sharply in the recession but, unlike in previous economicre bounds, has continued to drop. This makes sense in financial context, given that most families haven't seen their incomes grow since the recovery began andthe median net worth of households has actually fallen below what it was 15years ago. Most families today don't have enough saved to meet basic needs for three months, let alone save for college or retirement.
那样背后的深层缘由何在?段落首句直指national birthrate, 下面的细节可以暂时忽视不读。
For folks in the middle class, the economic calculus of raising kids must be daunting. Not only are the cosplayts unaffordable, but parents also face a harsh ultimatum: "Keep up with the Gateses" or risk your children's health, achievement and long|term well|being.
本段将上段内容推而广之，整个中产阶级都面临着如此的困境。
Higher|income families spend six times more than working|class families on child care and educational resources, such ashigh|quality day care, summer camps, computers and private schools, which are increasingly indispensable investments in long|term success. This spendingine quity has tripled over the last four decades and is only accelerating, which is likely to widen the achievement gap, creating a vicious cycle.
本段仅需抓住开头两个单词“高收入家庭”便可知与上段形成平行关系。细节暂时忽视。
The public education infrastructure, designed generations ago to drive a strong economy and give every child an equal footing for success, is crumbling from neglect | stuck between those who argue for repair and those who argue for redesign. As a consequence, it is unable to prepare most kids for the new economy. The statistics are grim: Two|thirds of preschoolers don't have access to high|quality child care, two|thirds of public school students fail to meet math and language proficiency by eighth grade, and two|thirds of public high schoolers aren't ready for college when they graduate.
本段中间部分有一个标志性词语as a consequence, 可知本段重点所在：不少父母跟不上新的经济形势，孩子的将来没办法得以保障。
To solve these problems we have increasingly relied on a public safety net designed to catch what used to be a small number of kids falling through the cracks. But over the last 50 years those cracks have become chasms. When funding constraints force programs such as Early Head Start toenroll just 4 percent of eligible children needing early intervention and half of pediatricians opt out of accepting kids on Medicaid, these are clear signsthat it's time to rethink our approach.
看到本段开头便可知，文章进入知道决问题阶段。第一回顾过去的失败历史。从“but over the last 50years those cracks have become chasms”可以看出问题不但没得到解决，反而愈演愈烈。
These economic realities are contributing to a swift loss of academic opportunity, health prospects and upward mobility among children whose parents cannot afford to spend TOP dollar. With this de factoeconomic segregation of opportunity leaving working families in the economic dust, we are risking the prosperity and social mobility of our kids for yearsto come.
本段将问题继续紧急话，应找到contribute to 和risking ，借此理清段落结构。
We should be reinvesting in working families and modernizing our public infrastructure. Not only would this make parenthood more feasible, it also makes good economic sense. We know that investing early in kids yields considerable savings by reducing chronic health problems, building stable families and increasing earning potential.The opportunity to raise healthy, smart and successful kids shouldn't be an economic luxury. It's time we made parenthood affordable again by investing more in kids and families.Given that what's at stake is the success of our country, the alternative is unaffordable.
读到开头的we should……可知，文章进入提出建议的阶段。至于细节，假如题目有涉及，再看不迟。
综上所述，本文虽然细节丰富，然而结构仍属平铺直叙，很容易抓住脉络，无论是马上筹备下一次考试的考生，还是进行高级阅读练习的英语学习者，都可以借此文章训练迅速阅读的能力。
更多精彩内容 新东方网英语频道
全国新东方英语课程搜索
（责任编辑：何莹莹）
