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1、Unit1TheEvolvingNotionofHome“Home,sweethome”isaphrasethatexpressesanessentialattitudeintheUnitedStates.Whethertherealityoflifeinthefamilyhouseissweetornotsosweet,theidealofhomehasgreatimportanceformanypeople.ThisidealisavitalpartoftheAmericandream.Thisdream,dramatize
2、dinthehistoryofnineteenth-centuryEuropeansettlersoftheAmericanWest,wastofindapieceofland,buildahouseforone’sfamily,andstartafarm.Thesesmallhouseholdswereportraitsofindependence:theentirefamily—mother,father,children,evengrandparents—livinginasmallhouseandworkingtoget
3、hertosupporteachother.Everyoneunderstoodthelife-and-deathimportanceoffamilycooperationandhardwork.AlthoughmostpeopleintheUnitedStatesnolongerliveonfarms,theidealofhomeownershipisjustasstronginthetwentiethcenturyasitwasinthenineteenth.WhenU.S.soldierscamehomeafterWorl
4、dWarII,forexample,theydreamedofbuyinghousesandstartingfamilies.Sotherewasatremendousboominhomebuilding.Thenewhouses,typicallyinthesuburbs,wereoftensmallandnearlyidentical,buttheysatisfiedadeepneed.Manysawthesingle-familyhouseasthebasisoftheirwayoflife.Forthenewsuburb
5、anitesofthe1950sand1960s,however,lifeinsidetheirsmallhouseswasverydifferentfromlifeonafarm.First,thefamilyspentmuchlesstimetogetherinthehouse.Thefatherfrequentlydrove,orcommuted,asmuchasanhourtoworkeachmorning.Thechildrenwenttoschoolalldayandplayedafterschoolwithneig
6、hborhoodchildren.Thesuburbitselfwassometimescalledabedroomcommunitybecausepeopleusedtheirhousesbasicallyforsleeping.Second,thesuburbwasnotastablecommunity:Familiesmovedfrequentlyasthefatherssoughtupwardmobility—better-payingjobsandbiggerhouses.Althoughtheideaofhomewa
7、sstillaspreciousasalways,ithadtakenonadifferentmeaning.Inthe1970sand1980s,asmorewomenenteredthelaborforce,thefamilyspentevenlesstimetogether.Butthepictureischanging:Peoplecannowtelecommute,orworkathome,whilebeinglinkedtotheofficebymeansoftheircomputers.Moreandmorepeo
8、plecannowstayathome.Sotheoldexpressioncouldchangefrom“Home,sweethome”to“Home,sweetoffice,”buttheemphasisontheidealofhomewillmostlik