Inthecontextofthereading,whatdoestheword“fertile”mostcloselymean?Ideasoriginatefrompregnantminds,justasbabiesemergefromthebelliesoftheirmothers.Whatmakesamindfertile?Foronething,itisthefreedomtoventurewithouttheconfinesoftraditionalthinkingortheburdenofpracticalconcerns.

Directions：Youaregoingtoreadapassagewith10statementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter. APrenup(婚前协议）MayBeRightforYou A)Peoplemoanandgroanaboutprenups,andatfirstblush.It’seasytoseewhy:Couplesmaynotwanttoconsiderhowtheirmarriagewillendwhentheyintendtobemarriedforlife.Amarriageisacontract,andaprenuptialagreementisputtingfinerpointsonthatcontract. B)Aprenupisalegalagreementthatspecifieshowcoupleswilldivideassetsintheeventofdivorce.Itisastatementthatallowsforthepossibilityofdivorce,andconsiderswhattodointheeventofadivorce.Whencouplesmarryandeachhassignificantassets,aprenuptialagreementmaybebeneficialinkeepingthoseassetsdividedintheeventofthedissolutionofthemarriage.Coupleswhohavechildrenfrompreviousmarriagesmayalsowanttouseoneinordertoprotectassetsfortheirchildren.Somereligionsfindtheprenuptialagreementmorallyrepugnant(让人反感的).Churches,liketheRomanCatholicChurch,don’tbanthesetypesofagreementsbutcertainlydofrownuponthem.SinceamarriageisalifetimebindingcommitmenttotheCatholicChurch,aprenupsimplydoesn’tmakesenseandappearstocontradictchurchteachings. C)Historically,prenuptialagreementswereforwealthypeoplewhoneededtoprotectextensiveassets,abusinessorinvestments.Butmoreandmoremiddleclasspeoplearedraftingprenups.Andwithsomuchaboutsame-sexmarriageinthenews,Ialsohavetomentionthatthey’renotjustforstraightpeople.A2011surveybytheAmericanAcademyofMatrimonialLawyersfoundthatprenupshadincreased73percentoverafive-yearperiod.Oneinterestingfactoid(说法):Morewomenarerequestingthem. D)Why?Foronething,anailing(境况不佳的)economyhaspeoplethinkaboutmoneymore.Weallknowthestatisticthatabout50percentofmarriagesendindivorce,sopeoplearebeingalittlemorerealisticaboutapossiblesplit.Andpeoplearegettingmarriedlaterinlife.TheaverageageoffirstmarriageintheUnitedStatesis27forwomenand29formen,upfrom23forwomenand26formenin1990and20and22in1960.Becausethey’regettingmarriedolder,morepeoplehaveactualassetstheywanttoprotectintheeventtherelationshipgoessouth. E)Hereyoumightbetemptedtosaythatyouandyourfiancéhavenoassets.Youcan’ttakehalfofnothing,right?Notso.Infact,youcanenduptakinghalfoflessthannothing–meaningyourspouse’sdebtscouldhauntyou.Andagain,Iwanttopointtothatrisingageofnewlyweds–moreandmorepeoplearetakingliabilitiestothealtar–likecreditcarddebtandstudentloans.Itmakesperfectsensethatspouseswouldwanttoprotecteachotherfromanyliabilityonehasgoingin.You’resaying“Ido,”not“Iowe.”Also,youprobablyhavesomeassetsyouhaven’tthoughtaboutthatyou’dliketokeepseparate–likearetirementplanoranexpectedinheritance.Orwhataboutpropertyyourparentsmaypassdowntoyouandyoursiblings? F)Becauseprenupsaresuchanemotionallychargedissue,it’simportanttoproceedwithcaution;butstarttalkingsoonerratherthanlater.Thatmeansasyougetengaged.Thisshouldn’tbealast-minuterequestforasignatureoutsidethechurch.Ifyou’rerecentlyengaged,thisistheperfecttimetobringitupbecauseyoucanuseyourtaxesasanexcuse.Nextyear,you’llfilejointly,soeventhoughit’suncomfortable,suggestyouexchangereturnsasawaytostarttheconversation. G)Manypeopleshyawayfromtheperceivedcost.AccordingtoanewstudybyTheWeddingReport,theaverageengagementringcostsover$3,300.Bycomparison,theattorneyfeesforaprenupwillprobablystartatabout$2,000.You’llneedtocontactafamilyattorneyandbothyouandyourbetrothedwillbothneedyourownlawyer.Don’ttrythedo-it-yourselfrouteonthisone.Yourcousinthenotaryisnotgoingtocutit.Anythingyoudraftonyourownwillnotstandupincourt. H)Therearesomeonlineresourcesifyou’reveryconcernedaboutcostsandjustneedasimpleagreement.Forexample,Legalzoom.comhasa“prenuppackage”thatstartsat$600.Somegeneralguidelines:Whenpreparingaprenup,you’dofcourseaddressanyproperty,retirementaccounts,andanydebt.Butyoushouldalsoconsidersentimentalbelongingslikefurnitureandothernon-traditionalthingslikepets.Sortingitoutnowcouldsaveyouamajorheadacheinthefuture. I)Also,evenifacoupledoesn’tdraftaformalprenuptialagreement,itiscriticalthattheyhaveacompletelyhonestdiscussionaboutfinancespriortothe“IDo’s”.Thatmeanscomingcleanaboutanyoutstandingdebtsandsettingsomeparameters(决定因素)abouthowyouwillmanageyourfinancesasacouple. J)Manystudiescitefinancialissuesasoneofthetopcausesofdivorce–rightalongsidecommunicationproblemsandinfidelity(不忠实).Why?Frequently,couplesdon’trealizetheyhaveverydifferentvaluesaroundmoneyuntilthey’vetiedtheknotandco-mingledtheiraccounts.Don’tmakethatmistake!Ifit’saJunewedding,firstgofortheprenup. 1.Evenwithoutawrittenprenup,acoupleshoulddiscussthefinancialissuesfranklyandsincerelybeforetheweddingceremony.