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1、Unit1TheEvolvingNotionofHome“Home,sweethome”isaphrasethatexpressesanessentialattitudeintheUnitedStates.Whethertherealityoflifeinthefamilyhouseissweetornotsosweet,theidealofhomehasgreatimportanceformanypeople.ThisidealisavitalpartoftheAmericandream.Thisdream,dramatizedinthehistoryofnineteenth
2、-centuryEuropeansettlersoftheAmericanWest,wastofindapieceofland,buildahouseforone’sfamily,andstartafarm.Thesesmallhouseholdswereportraitsofindependence:theentirefamily—mother,father,children,evengrandparents—livinginasmallhouseandworkingtogethertosupporteachother.Everyoneunderstoodthelife-an
3、d-deathimportanceoffamilycooperationandhardwork.AlthoughmostpeopleintheUnitedStatesnolongerliveonfarms,theidealofhomeownershipisjustasstronginthetwentiethcenturyasitwasinthenineteenth.WhenU.S.soldierscamehomeafterWorldWarII,forexample,theydreamedofbuyinghousesandstartingfamilies.Sotherewasat
4、remendousboominhomebuilding.Thenewhouses,typicallyinthesuburbs,wereoftensmallandnearlyidentical,buttheysatisfiedadeepneed.Manysawthesingle-familyhouseasthebasisoftheirwayoflife.Forthenewsuburbanitesofthe1950sand1960s,however,lifeinsidetheirsmallhouseswasverydifferentfromlifeonafarm.First,the
5、familyspentmuchlesstimetogetherinthehouse.Thefatherfrequentlydrove,orcommuted,asmuchasanhourtoworkeachmorning.Thechildrenwenttoschoolalldayandplayedafterschoolwithneighborhoodchildren.Thesuburbitselfwassometimescalledabedroomcommunitybecausepeopleusedtheirhousesbasicallyforsleeping.Second,th
6、esuburbwasnotastablecommunity:Familiesmovedfrequentlyasthefatherssoughtupwardmobility—better-payingjobsandbiggerhouses.Althoughtheideaofhomewasstillaspreciousasalways,ithadtakenonadifferentmeaning.Inthe1970sand1980s,asmorewomenenteredthelaborforce,thefamilyspentevenlesstimetogether.Butthepic
7、tureischanging:Peoplecannowtelecommute,orworkathome,whilebeinglinkedtotheofficebymeansoftheircomputers.Moreandmorepeoplecannowstayathome.Sotheoldexpressioncouldchangefrom“Home,sweethome”to“Home,sweetoffice,”buttheemphasisontheidealofhomewillmostlik
