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1、Unit1TheEvolvingNotionofHome“Home,sweethome”isaphrasethatexpressesanessentialattitudeintheUnitedStates.Whethertherealityoflifeinthefamilyhouseissweetornotsosweet,theidealofhomehasgreatimportanceformanypeople.ThisidealisavitalpartoftheAmericandream.Thisdream,dramatizedinthehistoryofnineteenth-centu
2、ryEuropeansettlersoftheAmericanWest,wastofindapieceofland,buildahouseforone’sfamily,andstartafarm.Thesesmallhouseholdswereportraitsofindependence:theentirefamily—mother,father,children,evengrandparents—livinginasmallhouseandworkingtogethertosupporteachother.Everyoneunderstoodthelife-and-deathimpor
3、tanceoffamilycooperationandhardwork.AlthoughmostpeopleintheUnitedStatesnolongerliveonfarms,theidealofhomeownershipisjustasstronginthetwentiethcenturyasitwasinthenineteenth.WhenU.S.soldierscamehomeafterWorldWarII,forexample,theydreamedofbuyinghousesandstartingfamilies.Sotherewasatremendousboominhom
4、ebuilding.Thenewhouses,typicallyinthesuburbs,wereoftensmallandnearlyidentical,buttheysatisfiedadeepneed.Manysawthesingle-familyhouseasthebasisoftheirwayoflife.Forthenewsuburbanitesofthe1950sand1960s,however,lifeinsidetheirsmallhouseswasverydifferentfromlifeonafarm.First,thefamilyspentmuchlesstimet
5、ogetherinthehouse.Thefatherfrequentlydrove,orcommuted,asmuchasanhourtoworkeachmorning.Thechildrenwenttoschoolalldayandplayedafterschoolwithneighborhoodchildren.Thesuburbitselfwassometimescalledabedroomcommunitybecausepeopleusedtheirhousesbasicallyforsleeping.Second,thesuburbwasnotastablecommunity:
6、Familiesmovedfrequentlyasthefatherssoughtupwardmobility—better-payingjobsandbiggerhouses.Althoughtheideaofhomewasstillaspreciousasalways,ithadtakenonadifferentmeaning.Inthe1970sand1980s,asmorewomenenteredthelaborforce,thefamilyspentevenlesstimetogether.Butthepictureischanging:Peoplecannowtelecommu
7、te,orworkathome,whilebeinglinkedtotheofficebymeansoftheircomputers.Moreandmorepeoplecannowstayathome.Sotheoldexpressioncouldchangefrom“Home,sweethome”to“Home,sweetoffice,”buttheemphasisontheidealofhomewillmostlik