“Reconstituted” families are more and more common in the UK.

Steve and Debbie got married in 2001 and had two children，Lily and Alex.Unfortunately，Steve and Debbie's marriage didn't work out and they got divorced in 2006.The children live with Debbie.In 2008，Debbie remarried.Her new husband，Martin，has three children from his previous marriage and they visit Debbie，Martin，Lily and Alex at weekends.In addition，Debbie is pregnant with her third child.She's expecting a boy who will be a halfbrother to Lily and Alex and also to Martin's three other children.

Confused？Debbie's family arrangements might have seemed strange 30 years ago but nowadays this kind of “reconstituted” family is increasingly common in the UK.Almost half of all marriages in Britain end in divorce and over 40% of marriages are remarriages.More than 10% of all British children live with one birth parent and a stepparent—a parent who isn't their biological mother or father.The traditional “nuclear” family of two parents and their children is not so traditional any more.

       What does all of this mean for parents in these “reconstituted” families？“There are  difficulties and challenges，”says Debbie.“Different families have different routines and it can be difficult for children to move between their two families.Birthdays and holidays can be tricky.Where do the children go？Who should they spend their time with？Also，when my children are naughty it can be difficult for Martin to tell_them_off.Things that might be simple in a traditional family can be a bit more complicated.”

And how about the children？Martin's eldest child，Ella，is 12.“I like my two families，” she says.“I live with my mum but visit my dad quite often and I'm happy that my mum and dad get along OK.They're not married any more but it's good that they can still be friends.” Of course divorce and separation are never easy but many families in the UK are finding ways to make family life work in new ways.

        Remember Mr. Bean? The creation of British comic actor Rowan Atkinson has been away {#blank#}1{#/blank#}a while. But now he is back, in a new movie {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(call) Mr. Bean'sHoliday.

        The film {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(release) next Monday in the UK. Our hero and his peanut－sized brain are off on a vacation to the south of France. What trouble will he cause this time?

        Mr.Bean first appeared in 1990, and the idiot hero has been a hit around the world ever since. Why has the character enjoyed {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(succeed) with people of different cultures? One reason is that there is very little dialogue in the stories andthus no language barrier. The sight of Mr. Bean as a barber making {#blank#}5{#/blank#}horrible mess of some poor customers' hair doesn't need translating.

        But there is a {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(deep) reason. Although he is British and the stories generallytake place in British settings, Mr. Bean is really nationless. People from different cultures laugh at {#blank#}7{#/blank#} for the same reason that earlier generationslaughed at comic star Charlie Chaplin. It is physical humor {#blank#}8{#/blank#} draws on thetimeless appeal of everything going wrong.

        Mr.Bean breaks social rules {#blank#}9{#/blank#} he goes—he jumps the queue, tries to cheat inexams—something we all secretly want to do {#blank#}10{#/blank#} dare not.