In many cultures, traditional families, that is, married
couples with children, (1) . Until a decade ago, that was
also the case in the United States. But the U.S. Bureau of Census reports people
in more than (2) now live in some other
arrangements. For the first time in history, the number of
Americans living alone has (3) of historically dominant
households—married couples with children. In 1960, 45% of
American households (4) with children. Today it is less than
25%. In the past 10 years, the number of (5) has grown
faster than the number of family households. But the
(6) that the American (7) . Although the
rate of married-with-children household is still declining, it is declining
(8) than during the 1960s and 1970s, and married couples
with or without children still (9) all American
households. What really should be noted is actually
(10) in a lot of the numbers in the past 10 years, compared
to the structure of households 20 or 30 years before. And for example, in 1960,
if we go back 47 years, (11) were married-couple households.
The number (12) in 1970, and down to 60% in 1980. But then
over the past two decades, the rate of decline has slowed down quite a bit: it
went down to (13) and 52% in 2000. The
number of (14) is declining for several reasons. More than
ever before, men and women are (15) . Also the number of
(16) is growing much faster than the number of married
couples. The 2000 census shows that (17) .
First the aging of the American population and the growing number of both
young and old people living alone are the main reasons the average American
household (18) , just over two and a half people per
household. Some sociologists fear that the growing number of one-person
households means (19) . Others see it as a sign of prosperity
and an (20) .