Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of non-farm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September, 2009.

The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. On the one hand more women have entered the labor market over the years, and on the other hand the economic recession (衰退) has hit men harder than women. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost 11% compared to 8% for women.

Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing (制造业) and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.

Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And a recent study from the University of California, Davis, reveals that women hold fifty-one percent of well-paid management and professional jobs. Yet the study also shows that men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at most companies. The results have remained largely unchanged for five years.

Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their families. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found that they all value their independence and many enjoy having the power of control, though not all want it. But they even feel more pressure and worry. That is partly because of cultural expectations that working women should still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.

Which of the following is a reason why women have a larger share of jobs?

A.Women workers are paid less than men.

B.More women now have higher education than men.

C.The economic recession has affected men more than women.

D.Industries that traditionally use lots of men now need more women.

There have been an increasing number of jobs for women in           .

A.manufacturing           B.building             C.health care          D.farming

In the late 1970s, if a man earned 500 dollars a month, a woman probably earned          .

A.$260                       B.$310                C.$400                D.$500

If a woman is the main earner in her family, she probably             .

A.hopes to be less independent                    B.has the power of control

C.feels a bit threatened                        D.is less worried

For many years, women could only be seen on the seat behind the men operating the two-wheeled motorcycle. Now more and more women are taking the front seat. More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.

Since 1998 the number of female bikers has risen sharply. Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in Washington. The women formed the organization to share their love of motorcycle riding. But later it wanted to be more than just an organization for women togather and ride motorcycles, so it started to organize events that help national health organizations and women's shelters. It also permits women to share a strong sisterhood, and gives financial awards to poor students. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community. 

Different from male riders, female riders ride for more than fun. This sport gives women a sense of freedom and control. Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture. More than five years ago manufacturers began making equipment especially for women. Some bikes now have smaller, softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding now look good and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles that travelled at a moderate speed. Now theirs are as powerful as the ones men ride. Safety is very important when riding because the risk of injury is high. So the women wear protective clothing and equipment at all times, especially for the head.

Lady Sport Riders believes women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists, the members of the club say, “They Made the Game. We Came to Play!”

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Motorcycle riding used to be considered a male sport.

B. The number of female motorcyclists is now larger than that of male riders.

C. Female motorcyclists are more skilled at riding than male riders.

D. More and more women have an adventurous spirit.

2. In the beginning, Lady Sport Riders was organized to ________.

A. allow women to take up motorcycling

B. offer help to national health organizations

C. share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling

D. supply financial help to poor students

3. What do men motorcyclists mainly expect to get from motorcycling?

A. Strength and power.

B. A sense of freedom.

C. Money and fame.

D. Pleasure from this sport.

4. Compared with the past, the present equipment makes riding more ________ for women.

A. difficult  B. pleasant

C. risky  D. expensive

5. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To talk about the development of motorcycle riding.

B. To talk about the characteristics of the sport of motorcycling.

C. To introduce a female motorcycle club to readers.

D. To talk about the role women have played in the sport of motorcycling.

Did you know that women’s brains are smaller than men’s?  The average women’s brain weighs 10% less than men’s.Since research has shown that the bigger the brain, the cleverer the animal, men must be more intelligent than women.Right? Wrong.Men and women always score similarly on intelligence tests, despite the difference in brain size.Why? After years of study, researchers have concluded that it’s what’s inside that matters, not just the size of the brain.The brain consists of “grey matter” and “white matter”.While men have more of the latter, the amount of “thinking” brain is almost exactly the same in both sexes.
It has been suggested that smaller brain appears to work faster, perhaps because the two sides of the brain are better connected in women.This means that little girls tend to learn to speak earlier, and that women can understand sorts of information from different sources at the same time.When it comes to talking to the boss on the phone, cooking dinner and keeping an eye on the baby all at the same time, it’s women who come out on top every time.
There are other important differences between two sexes.As white matter is the key to spatial tasks, men know better where things are in relation to other things.“A great footballer always knows where he is in relation to the other players, and he knows where to go,” says one researcher.That may explain one of life’s great mysteries: why men refuse to ask for direction and women often need to!
The differences begin when fetuses(胎儿)are about nine weeks old, which can be seen in the action of children as young as one.A boy would try to climb a barrier before him or push it down while a girl would attract help from others.These brain differences also explain the fact that more men take up jobs that require good spatial skills, while more women speech skills.It may all go back to our ancestors, among whom women needed speech skills to take care of their babies and men needed spatial skills to hunt, according to one research.
If all this disappoints you, it shouldn’t.“The brain changes throughout our lives according to what we do with it.”says a biologist.
【小题1】Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph? ________.

A.Women’s brain is 10% less than men’s
B.Grey matter controls thinking in the brain.
C.Grey matter plays the same role as white matter.
D.Both sexes have the same amount of white matter.
【小题2】What can we infer from the second and third paragraphs? ________.
A.Men do better dealing with one job at a time.
B.Women prefer doing many things at a time.
C.Women do not need to tell directions.
D.Men have weaker spatial abilities.
【小题3】Which of the following do you agree with according to the fourth paragraph? _ 
A.More women take up jobs requiring speech skills
B.Young boys may be stronger than young girls.
C.Women may have stronger feelings than men.
D.Our ancestors needed more spatial skills.
【小题4】What is the writer’s attitude in writing this passage? ________.
A.Defensive.B.Objective.C.Persuasive.D.Supportive.

 

         Science is a major topic in our culture. Since it touches almost every field of our life, educated people need at least some knowledge with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the scientific subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific ideas is easier to obtain if one knows something about the things that excite and discourage the scientist.

    This book is written for the person whose knowledge with science is not complete; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty(发霉的)storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of tricks; and for the person who views the scientists as some sort of magician. The book can be used to add to a course in any science, to come with any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader view on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an idea and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. Besides, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies(哲学)that are deep in our culture.

         We have tried to present in this book a correct and up-to-date picture of the scientific world and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to include more and more women. This increasing role of women is not just the only event but, rather, part of the trend obvious in all parts of society, as more women enter traditionally male-controlled fields and make influential contributions.

         We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our method is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a cruel and unpleasant way to earn a living.

1. According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means __________.

         A. scientific society               B. technical groups

         C. complex situation                  D. knowledge system

2. We need to know something about science because __________.

         A. scientists have specific scientific ideas

         B. science affects almost every field of our life

         C. it is easier to understand general characteristics of science

         D. it is not easy to understand the things that excite and discourage scientists

3. The book mentioned in this passage is written for readers who __________.

         A. are scientists making influential contributions

         B. want to have a little understanding of science

         C. want to break the male-controlled world

         D. have a misunderstanding about science

4 This passage most probably is __________.

         A. the review of a book    B. the concluding part of a book

         C. the information added to a book         D. the introduction of a book

5. According to the passage, we can infer that the book probably is __________.

         A. interesting  B. serious         C. realistic        D. humorous

 

Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge(剧增)of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse(反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to putting off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible(似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
Also, a major part of women’s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.

  1. 1.

    The word “portend” (Line 2, Para.1) is closest in meaning to“_____”.

    1. A.
      defy
    2. B.
      signal
    3. C.
      suffer from
    4. D.
      result from
  2. 2.

    It is said in the passage that when the economy slides_____.

    1. A.
      men would choose working women as their marriage partners
    2. B.
      more women would get married to seek financial security
    3. C.
      even working women would worry about their marriages
    4. D.
      more people would prefer to remain single for the time being
  3. 3.

    If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,_____.

    1. A.
      they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners
    2. B.
      their husbands are expected to do more housework
    3. C.
      their marriage ties can be strengthened
    4. D.
      they tend to put their career before marriage
  4. 4.

    One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that_____.

    1. A.
      they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom
    2. B.
      they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands
    3. C.
      they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations
    4. D.
      they tend to suspect their husbands? loyalty to their marriage
  5. 5.

    Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage?

    1. A.
      The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country.
    2. B.
      Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.
    3. C.
      In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent
    4. D.
      The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.

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