Your salary barely covers childcare, but your coworkers give you side-eye when you leave at five. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a partner who helps around the house, you’re still the one who knows when your kid needs new shoes — and remembers to buy birthday presents for other people’s kids. Today, we’re launching The Mother Load, a series exploring why motherhood in America is more challenging than in any other developed country — and what we can do about it. Over the next months, we’ll tap the Guardian’s network of global correspondents to illustrate just how much of an outlier America is. The US is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t have mandatory or obligatory maternity leave, forcing a quarter of new mothers to return to work within two weeks of giving birth. The cost of full-time childcare is 85% of the median cost of rent in some regions, leading too many women to leave the workforce to look after their kids. And perhaps most alarming, the US has the worst maternal death rate in the developed world — and the rate of women dying from pregnancy-related complications is actually rising. If the work of parenting in this country feels overwhelming, welcome to the club. But as this series will reveal in depth: it’s not you, it’s them. The crushing levels of stress so many parents endure is largely due to structural problems reinforced by our politicians, employers, and the rigid systems governing everything from healthcare to education. We can’t do it without men. Fathers are important partners in this battle and the most promising solutions will create support for all parents. We’ll strive to show parenthood in all its diversity, sharing perspectives from single parents and adoptive families. But women still shoulder an outsized load of the parenting in America — and the name of our project reflects their unique struggles. This isn’t a project about complaints. It’s about solutions. We’ll offer guidance on how to share the mental load of parenting with your partner and how to talk to your boss about mother-friendly policies. We’ll look to other countries for lessons. We’ll introduce you to men who are fighting for their right to parent and transforming their workplace cultures. We want you to get involved. We’re asking our readers to participate in two soon-to-launch columns “My worst motherhood moment“, and “How we make it work“, in which couples and families from around the world will share personal examples of what they do to share the load of parenting. We’ll publish our favorites.

6. M: Have you read the book I lent you yesterday? I wondered if this was the kind of book you would be interested in. W: I had some doubt at first. But once I started reading this book, I simply couldn’t tear myself away from it. Q: What does this woman mean? 7. M: I have never seen you driving a car. Do you have your driving license? W: Yes, I have. But driving along streets in Beijing is not much fun. It’s a nightmare when I get behind the wheel during rush hour. That’s why I’m scared of driving. Q: What can we learn about this woman? 8. M: How are you doing with your PhD program? W: Not very well. I have to publish two SCI papers before I can get my degree, but I can’t afford the time to do so many experiments. M: Why not ask your roommate for help? W: She seems to turn a blind eye to my trouble. Q: What can we learn about this woman? 9. W: Philip, I have some trouble shutting down my computer. Would you please come and have a look? M: Sure, but I’m tied up with my PPT at the moment. It’s no big deal. Q: What is the man probably going to do? She was interested in this book. She didn’t believe in this book. She didn’t read this book at all. She tore the book into pieces.

Unclean air is believed to______(2 words) nearly one third of the years of healthy life....Scientists say that air pollution causes more harm to the lungs, heart and brain than was estimated. Air pollution has become a major contributor to stroke for the first time. Unclean air is believed to account for nearly one third of the years of healthy life lost to the condition worldwide. In a survey of global risk factors for strokes, air pollution in the form of PM2.5 ranked seventh in terms of its impact on healthy lifespan, while household air pollution from burning solid fuels ranked eighth. About 15 million people a year suffer from a stroke worldwide. Nearly six million die, and five million are left with permanent disabilities, such as loss of sight and speech. The most important contributors to stroke worldwide included high blood pressure, a diet low in fruit, obesity, a high salt diet, smoking, and not eating enough vegetables. Nearly three quarters of the global burden of stroke was linked to lifestyle choices, such as smoking, bad diet and inactivity, suggesting that people can do a lot to reduce their risk of stroke. There is increasing evidence that air pollution has severe adverse toxic effects in multiple parts of the body from conception to old age. As one of the main sources of air pollution is car emissions, staying away from the streets, especially at rush hour, or avoiding busy roads, can help reduce exposure to air pollution. On days when air pollution is high, people should stay indoors as much as possible.

This road accident prompted a review of school safety policy regarding school buses. postponed inspired hindered withdrew

Shop owners complained that sales were marginally better in November. considerably virtually constantly slightly

Good health calls for a positive outlook, regular exercise and a good mood. attitude outcome prospect perspective

Tom’s girlfriend is a vegetarian because the idea of eating meat totally______her. differentiates depicts disgusts delights

A society should be judged by how it treats its children. A country that fails to【C1】______its children is endangering its future. And that’s why we should all be【C2】______by the crisis of mental health among Britain’s girls and boys — and the【C3】______lack of support to overcome it. Nearly a quarter of a million young people are receiving specialist health care for mental distress,【C4】______from depression to eating disorders.【C5】______, it is a crisis that is getting worse: Childline reports a doubling in five years of the number of children contemplating suicide. But the services simply aren’t there to support them. A【C6】______finds that seven【C7】______10 specialist nurses believe mental health services for children and adolescents are【C8】______, and 43% believe the services are actually getting worse. Overwhelmingly, a lack of nurses and delays in appointments are【C9】______as the main causes. Life is being made harder for children by both government policy and ever【C10】______attitudes and expectations. The children will suffer, so will our country’s future.

我们的生活离不开音乐。音乐的特殊之处在于它不分国界。任何一种乐器，不论是小提琴还是钢琴，都是自我娱乐的良好手段。而且，早期接触音乐有助于儿童的智力发育。小学应该提高音乐课的教学质量，使更多的孩子成为热爱音乐的人。

1. W: There is nothing I like better than taking a walk over these hills on the weekends. The trees are tall and fantastic. M: The trees? What about the grass and wild flowers? Q: What does the man mean? 2. W: John, do you still ask Jane out recently? M: My relationship with her is already history. I’m no longer her Mr. Right. Q: What can we learn about John? 3. M: I hear you have applied for several universities in this city. Have you received any notification of admission? W: I haven’t heard anything yet, but I believe in myself. There is no need to worry. Q: What can we learn about this woman? 4. W: Professor, I had put a lot of effort into this essay. I was quite satisfied with it. But I don’t understand why you gave me a B. M: The academic value of an essay lies in innovative and independent ideas, not in the amount of work it takes. Q: What does the man think of the essay? 5. W: Are you ready for the final exam? M: Not quite. The physics exam is the only cloud on the horizon. I’m sure I’ll do fine in the other courses. Q: What does the man mean? He doesn’t seem to like the trees there. He also likes the grass and flowers there. He is more interested in the trees there. He sees neither grass nor flowers there.

The findings reveal that the benefits of having children became more pronounced with age. noticeable prevalent negligible redundant

Troops are needed to get food to people in desperate need in these disaster-affected areas. hopeless pressing enthusiastic dangerous

Mental distress among children is also driven by an educational culture obsessed with exams. accused of accompanied by preoccupied with accustomed to

My little brother believes that an alien invasion is right around the corner. out of the question about to happen still in the air already out of hand

I’m planning a trip to Xi’an this summer, but I’m afraid I can’t stand the heat there. put up with keep track of lead up to get hold of

Foreigners who are learning Chinese find the spelling of Chinese______frustrating. properties characters features characteristics

In my______opinion, you can begin by retrieving some related literature from these databases. ironic implicit public humble

Doctors are advised to______the recently-released and well-received guidelines for blood pressure. make up for get away with take account of be alert to

I’m sure that you will come to realize how much your parents care about you______. in question on end by turns in time

“You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they are also keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave, “ said Joshua Jackson, PhD. He added that your personality at an early age can predict how long you will live and that close friends are usually better than you at recognizing these traits. “Our study shows that people can observe and rate a friend’s personality accurately enough to predict early mortality decades down the road, “ Jackson said. “It suggests that people are able to see important characteristics related to health even when their friends were healthy and many years from death.“ For example, people who take negative attitude towards life and remain pessimistic are less likely to have healthier hearts. On the other hand, men who are conscientious are more likely to eat right, stick to an exercise routine and avoid risks. Women who are emotionally stable may be better at fighting off anger, anxiety and depression, Jackson suggests. Young women seen as highly agreeable and emotionally stable may have increased odds for a long and happy life since their personalities were well suited for the role of a supportive and easy-going wife. The long-term study included extensive data on participant personality traits, both self-reported and as reported by close friends, including bridesmaids and groomsmen at participants’ wedding parties. Using information from previous follow-up studies and searches of death certificates, Jackson and colleagues documented dates of death for all but a few study participants. Peer ratings of personality were stronger predictors of mortality risk than self-ratings of personality. “First, friends may see something that you miss; they may have some insight that you do not. Second, because people have multiple friends, we are able to average the peculiarities of any one friend to obtain a more reliable assessment of personality. With self reports, people may be biased or miss certain aspects of themselves and we can’t counteract that because there is only one you, only one self-report.“ The study also revealed gender differences in self-assessment: men’s self-ratings of personality traits were somewhat useful in predicting their lifespan, whereas the self-reports of women were of little predictive value. This study shows how important personality is in influencing significant life outcomes like health. Information from friends is crucial to understanding one’s health issues. For example, it suggests that family members and even physician ratings could be used to personalize medical treatments or identify who is at risk for certain health problems.

Your salary barely covers childcare, but your coworkers give you side-eye when you leave at five. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a partner who helps around the house, you’re still the one who knows when your kid needs new shoes — and remembers to buy birthday presents for other people’s kids. Today, we’re launching The Mother Load, a series exploring why motherhood in America is more challenging than in any other developed country — and what we can do about it. Over the next months, we’ll tap the Guardian’s network of global correspondents to illustrate just how much of an outlier America is. The US is the only country in the developed world that doesn’t have mandatory or obligatory maternity leave, forcing a quarter of new mothers to return to work within two weeks of giving birth. The cost of full-time childcare is 85% of the median cost of rent in some regions, leading too many women to leave the workforce to look after their kids. And perhaps most alarming, the US has the worst maternal death rate in the developed world — and the rate of women dying from pregnancy-related complications is actually rising. If the work of parenting in this country feels overwhelming, welcome to the club. But as this series will reveal in depth: it’s not you, it’s them. The crushing levels of stress so many parents endure is largely due to structural problems reinforced by our politicians, employers, and the rigid systems governing everything from healthcare to education. We can’t do it without men. Fathers are important partners in this battle and the most promising solutions will create support for all parents. We’ll strive to show parenthood in all its diversity, sharing perspectives from single parents and adoptive families. But women still shoulder an outsized load of the parenting in America — and the name of our project reflects their unique struggles. This isn’t a project about complaints. It’s about solutions. We’ll offer guidance on how to share the mental load of parenting with your partner and how to talk to your boss about mother-friendly policies. We’ll look to other countries for lessons. We’ll introduce you to men who are fighting for their right to parent and transforming their workplace cultures. We want you to get involved. We’re asking our readers to participate in two soon-to-launch columns “My worst motherhood moment“, and “How we make it work“, in which couples and families from around the world will share personal examples of what they do to share the load of parenting. We’ll publish our favorites.

The underlined words in the first paragraph probably mean_____.

The Mother Load is probably______.

Mothers in the United States are faced with the following problems except_____.

The root of the problems facing parents lies in______.

It can be concluded that the Mother Load______.

The ultimate objective of this initiative is to______.