The greatest recent social changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there has been a remarkable shortening of the proportion of a woman's life spent in caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which customs, opportunity and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and can be expected to live another thirty-five years and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty. Even while she has the care of children, her work is lightened by household appliances and convenience foods.

This important change in women's life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-or-part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage: with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.

6. Which of the following is the topic of this passage?

A. The marriage of women: past and present.

B. Women and their jobs.

C. The social changes in the lives of women.

D. Women's role in family life.

7. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the amount of time the women spent taking care of children ________.

A. was shorter than in previous centuries

B. was longer than in previous centuries

C. was considered to be surprisingly long

D. accounted for a great part of their lives

8. One reason why the woman of today may take a job is that she ________.

A. is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves

B. does not like children herself

C. need not worry about food for her children

D. can retire from family responsibilities when she reaches sixty

9. According to the passage, it is now quite usual for women to ________.

A. stay at home after leaving school

B. marry men younger than themselves

C. start working again later in life

D. marry while still at school

10. What can be inferred from the last sentence?

A. The husband tends to share greater share of duties of family life.

B. In the past, the husband used to provide money for the family while the wife ran the home.

C. The wife does not have her own abilities and interests.

D. Both the husband and the wife should be satisfied with their family life.

Dash of Hope

“Dash” is a symbol which represents every day we’ve spent alive on earth. Therefore, how you spend your “dash” is important.

Recently I  36  about a little girl named Hope. After learning more about her life, I couldn’t help but feel it was not by  37 , nor happenstance(意外事件), that she had been named “Hope”. The strong feeling of sympathy and generosity  38  in her young heart made a lasting impression on me and countless others.  39  I never had the opportunity to meet her, I wish I had. It seems as though she was wise beyond her tender years and very, very special.

Hope was a twelve-year-old girl who was  40  a “wish” in early December 2010 by the “Make-A-Wish” Foundation after being  41  that she had a rare type of bone cancer. However, when she found out that more than 150  42  in her area were waiting for their wishes to be achieved , she unselfishly used her wish to  43  that those children have their wishes granted. She also asked that it be done  44  January 16, 2011. Unfortunately, however, the organization informed her that her  45   request could not be granted as the funds were simply  46 . They calculated that they would need to raise more than one  47  dollars in thirty days in order to grant her wish.  48 , but not discouraged, she turned her disappointment into an enthusiasm that inspired caring  49  to take up helping grant the wishes of the other children, and eventually  50  as well. Newspaper columnists and reporters for radio and TV stations  51  the story of this caring young girl who had  52  the hearts of so many and as word spread, the community was challenged. Committees were fanned and schools, corporations and various organizations assisted in  53  money to help make Hope’s dream come true.

Her efforts were not in vain as they continue to help others, not only  54 , but spiritually and emotionally as well. At the gathering to celebrate her life, “A Celebration of Hope” on January 16, 2011 , the  55  was made that they had indeed received donations totaling more than one million dollars. Her wish had been granted!

1.A. heard            B. thought                      C. cared                   D. talked

2.A. coincidence                B. independence     C. convenience         D. intelligence

3.A. lost                      B. carried                            C. expected                        D. housed

4.A. Until                    B. Unless                            C. Though                            D. If

5.A. expressed                   B. offered                            C. made                               D. sent

6.A. recognized                 B. informed                         C. reminded                        D. understood

7.A. children              B. citizens                           C. villagers                 D. relatives

8.A. suggest                       B. ask                                   C. arrange                           D. order

9.A. for                                 B. to                                      C. on                                     D. by

10.A. final                            B. formal                    C. simple                    D. noble

11.A. unbearable              B. unbelievable  C. unavailable               D. uncomfortable

12.A. thousand                  B. hundred                          C. million                    D. billion

13.A. Disappointed B. Surprised     C. Worried                          D. Embarrassed

14.A. committees             B. individuals   C. corporations                  D. organizations

15.A. theirs                         B. ours                                 C. hers                                 D. yours

16.A. wrote                        B. read                                 C. broadcast             D. shared

17.A. touched           B. examined              C. won                                  D. opened

18.A. finding              B. spending               C. raising                    D. borrowing

19.A. perfectly                   B. physically     C. healthily                D. thankfully

20.A. proposal          B. decision                 C. conclusion             D. announcement

 

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