【趣谈英语】芬兰婴孩睡觉-Finnish Babies Sleep In Boxes
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
expectant: waiting for something, especially the birth of a baby
mortality: death
kit 1: a package of useful items
double: to have a secondary purpose
onesie: a one-piece shirt and underwear set (also called a diaper shirt)
opt 2 out: to decline
Finnish Babies Sleep In Boxes
Did you know that expectant mothers in Finland receive a maternity 3 starter kit from the government? This has been a tradition since 1938. Finland’s maternity program was introduced to lower the infant mortality rate. To receive the kit, an expectant mother in Finland must visit a doctor or pre-natal clinic in the first few months of her pregnancy 4. Before the baby is due, a cardboard box full of useful items is delivered to the mother’s home. The box itself doubles as a crib. It comes with a small mattress 5 as well as sheets and a sleeping bag. Some contents in the box have changed over the years. Originally, mothers were given fabric 6 to sew their own baby clothes. Today, onesies, pyjamas 7, and even a snowsuit are included. Recently, bottles were removed from the boxes in order to encourage breastfeeding. A storybook was added to encourage reading. Mothers can opt out of the program and receive cash instead of the box; however, 95% of Finnish mothers choose the starter kit.
- The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
- The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。
- They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
- Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？
- Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
- Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。
- Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
- Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。
- The straw mattress needs to be aired.草垫子该晾一晾了。
- The new mattress I bought sags in the middle.我买的新床垫中间陷了下去。