单选题Women’s high participation in informal employment is______ the fact that many jobs in the formal economy are not open to them.A owed by B due toC on accountD because

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It is frequently assumed that the mechanization of work has a revolutionary effect on the livesof the people who operate the new machines and on the society into which the machines have beenintroduced. For example, it has been suggested that the employment of women in industry takethem out of the. household, their traditional sphere and fundamentally alter their position in society.In the nineteenth century, when women began to enter factories, Jules Simon, a French politician,warned that by doing so, women would give up their femininity. Fredrich Engels, however,predicted that women would be liberated from the"social, legal, and economic subordination" ofthe family by technological developments that made possible the recruitment of "the whole femalesex .., into public industry." Observers thus differed concerning the social desirability ofmechanization's effects, but thev agreed that it would trmsiorm women's lives.
Historians, particularly thnse investigating the history of women, now seriously question thisassumption of transforming power. They conclude that such dramatic technological innovations asthe spinning jenny, the sewing tnachine, the typewriter, and the vacuum cleaner have not resultedin equally dramatic social changes in women's economic position or in the prevailing evaluation ofwomen's work. The employment of young women in textile mills during the Industrial Revolutionwas largely and extension of an older pattern of employment for young, single women as domestics.It was not the change in office technology, but rather the separation of secretarial work, previouslyseen as an apprenticeship for beginning managers, from administrative work that in the 1880'screated a new class of "dead end" jobs, thenceforth considered "women's work". The increase inthe numbers of married women enployed outside the home in the twentieth century, had less to dowith the mechanization of housework and an increase in leisure time for these women than it didwith their own economic necessity and with high marriage rates that shrank the available pool ofsingle women worke, previously, in many cases, the only women employers would hire.
Women's work has changed considerably in the past 200 years, moving from the household tothe ofiice or the factory, and later becoming mostly white-collar instead of blue-collar work. Fundamentally, however, the conditions under which women work have changed little since the Industrial Revolution: the segregation of occupatious by gender, lower pay for women as a group,jobs that require relatively low levels of skill and offer women little opportunity for advancement all persist, while women's household labour remains demanding. Recent historical investigation has led to a major revision of the notion that lec.hnology is always inherently revolutionary in its effectson society. Mechanization may even have slowed any change in the traditional position of womeu both in the labour market and in the home.

Why did the numbers of married women employers increase in the 20th century?
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A．The mechanization of housework.
B．The married women have much spare time.
C．The employers don't want to hire the single women.
D．Because of their own economic uecessity and high marriage rates.

共用题干
第二篇

In many of the developinlg countries in Africa and Asia,the population is growing fast.The reason for this is simple:Women in these countries have a high birth rate一from 3.0 to 7.0 children per woman.The majority of these women are poor,without the food or resources to care for their families.Why do they have so many children?Why don't they limit the size of the family?The answer may be that they often have no choice.There are several reasons for this.
One reason is economic.In a traditional agricultural economy,large families are helpful.Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age.In an industrial economy,the situation is different. Many children do not help a family;instead,they are an expense.Thus,industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate.This was the case in Italy,which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly.In the early part of the twentieth century,Italy was a poor,largely agricultural country with a high birth rate.After World War Ⅱ,Italy's economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized.By the end of the century,the birth rate had dropped to 1.3 children per woman,the world's lowest.
However,the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate.Saudi Arabia, for example,does not have an agriculture-based economy,and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.Nevertheless,it also has a very high birth rate(7.0).Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand,are poor countries,with largely agricultural economies,but they have recently reduced their population growth.
Clearly,other factors are involved.The most important of these is the condition of women.A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women.This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia.There,the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home.On the other hand,the improved condition of womnen in Mexico,Thailand,and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries.Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.
Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control.Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive ,birth rates have gone down.This is the case in Singapore,Sri Lanka,and India,as well as in Indonesia,Thailand,Mexico,and Brazil.In these countries,women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.
These trends show that an effective programn to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet theii needs.Only then,in fact,does it have any real chance of success.

In a traditional agricultural economy,a large family_________.
A:can be an advantage
B:may limit income
C:isn't necessary
D:is expensive

Text 2 Far from joining the labour force,women have been falling away at an alarming pace.The female employment rate in India,counting both the formal and informal economy,has tumbled from an already-low 35%in 2005 to just 26%now.Yet nearly 1Om fewer women are in jobs.A rise in female employment rates to the male level would provide India with an extra 235m workers,more than the EU has of either gender,and more than enough to fill all the factories in the rest ofAsia.Imagine the repercussions.Were India to rebalance its workforce in this way,the IMF estimates,the world's biggest democracy would be 27%richer.Its people would be well on their way to middle-income status.Beyond the obvious economic benelits are the incalculable human ones.Women who work are likelier to invest more in their children's upbringing,and to have more say over how they lead their lives.Social mores are startlingly conservative.A girl's first task is to persuade her own family that she should have a job.The in-laws she will typically move in with after marriage are even more likely to yank her out of the workforce and into social isolation.In a survey in 2012,84%of Indians agreed that men have more right to work than women when jobs are scarce.Men have taken 90%of the 36m additional jobs in industry India has created since 2005.And those who say that women themselves prefer not to work must contend with plenty of counter-evidence.Census data suggest that a third of stay-at-home women would WOfk ifjobs were available;govemment make-work schemes attract more women than men.What can be done?Many of the standard answers fall short.Promoting education,a time-tested development strategy,may not succeed.Figures show that the more schooling an Indian woman receives,the less likely she is to work,at least if she has anything less than a university degree.Likewise urbanization,another familiar way to alleviate poverty:city-dwelling women are half as likely as rural ones to have a job.An optimist might argue that more women are not working because India is still paying for the sins of the past,when so many of them were illiterate and high fertility rates bound them to the home.Most measures of female welfare are improving.India has many more girls in classrooms and fewer child brides than it once did.In fact,many fear that all that extra schooling was a parental ploy to improve a daughter's prospects not in the labour market but in the arranged-marriage market,part of the all-important quest to snag a suitable boy.A further push is needed to get Indian women what they really need:a suitable job.Once India balanced its workforce again,it would probably bring the following benefits except____.

A.a wealthier India
B.a higher living standard
C.a brighter future for children
D.a heavy investment in education

Text 2 Far from joining the labour force,women have been falling away at an alarming pace.The female employment rate in India,counting both the formal and informal economy,has tumbled from an already-low 35%in 2005 to just 26%now.Yet nearly 1Om fewer women are in jobs.A rise in female employment rates to the male level would provide India with an extra 235m workers,more than the EU has of either gender,and more than enough to fill all the factories in the rest ofAsia.Imagine the repercussions.Were India to rebalance its workforce in this way,the IMF estimates,the world's biggest democracy would be 27%richer.Its people would be well on their way to middle-income status.Beyond the obvious economic benelits are the incalculable human ones.Women who work are likelier to invest more in their children's upbringing,and to have more say over how they lead their lives.Social mores are startlingly conservative.A girl's first task is to persuade her own family that she should have a job.The in-laws she will typically move in with after marriage are even more likely to yank her out of the workforce and into social isolation.In a survey in 2012,84%of Indians agreed that men have more right to work than women when jobs are scarce.Men have taken 90%of the 36m additional jobs in industry India has created since 2005.And those who say that women themselves prefer not to work must contend with plenty of counter-evidence.Census data suggest that a third of stay-at-home women would WOfk ifjobs were available;govemment make-work schemes attract more women than men.What can be done?Many of the standard answers fall short.Promoting education,a time-tested development strategy,may not succeed.Figures show that the more schooling an Indian woman receives,the less likely she is to work,at least if she has anything less than a university degree.Likewise urbanization,another familiar way to alleviate poverty:city-dwelling women are half as likely as rural ones to have a job.An optimist might argue that more women are not working because India is still paying for the sins of the past,when so many of them were illiterate and high fertility rates bound them to the home.Most measures of female welfare are improving.India has many more girls in classrooms and fewer child brides than it once did.In fact,many fear that all that extra schooling was a parental ploy to improve a daughter's prospects not in the labour market but in the arranged-marriage market,part of the all-important quest to snag a suitable boy.A further push is needed to get Indian women what they really need:a suitable job.
An optimist may hold that lead to the phenomenon that more women are not working_____

A.crimes committed in the past
B.preferences for early marriage
C.illiteracy and parenting duty
D.pressures from the poor welfare

共用题干
第二篇

In many of the developinlg countries in Africa and Asia,the population is growing fast.The reason for this is simple:Women in these countries have a high birth rate一from 3.0 to 7.0 children per woman.The majority of these women are poor,without the food or resources to care for their families.Why do they have so many children?Why don't they limit the size of the family?The answer may be that they often have no choice.There are several reasons for this.
One reason is economic.In a traditional agricultural economy,large families are helpful.Having more children means having more workers in the fields and someone to take care of the parents in old age.In an industrial economy,the situation is different. Many children do not help a family;instead,they are an expense.Thus,industrialization has generally brought down the birth rate.This was the case in Italy,which was industrialized quite recently and rapidly.In the early part of the twentieth century,Italy was a poor,largely agricultural country with a high birth rate.After World War Ⅱ,Italy's economy was rapidly modernized and industrialized.By the end of the century,the birth rate had dropped to 1.3 children per woman,the world's lowest.
However,the economy is not the only important factor that influences birth rate.Saudi Arabia, for example,does not have an agriculture-based economy,and it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.Nevertheless,it also has a very high birth rate(7.0).Mexico and Indonesia, on the other hand,are poor countries,with largely agricultural economies,but they have recently reduced their population growth.
Clearly,other factors are involved.The most important of these is the condition of women.A high birth rate almost always goes together with lack of education and low status for women.This would explain the high birth rate of Saudi Arabia.There,the traditional culture gives women little education or independence and few possibilities outside the home.On the other hand,the improved condition of womnen in Mexico,Thailand,and Indonesia explains the decline in birth rates in these countries.Their governments have taken measures to provide more education and opportunities for women.
Another key factor in the birth rate is birth control.Women may want to limit their families but have no way to do so. In countries where governments have made birth control easily available and inexpensive ,birth rates have gone down.This is the case in Singapore,Sri Lanka,and India,as well as in Indonesia,Thailand,Mexico,and Brazil.In these countries,women have also been provided with health care and help in planning their families.
These trends show that an effective programn to reduce population growth does not have to depend on better economic conditions. It can be effective if it aims to help women and meet theii needs.Only then,in fact,does it have any real chance of success.

Saudi Arabia is mentioned in the passage because it shows that________.
A:the most important factor influencing birth rate is the economy
B:factors other than the economy influence birth rate
C:women who have a high income usually have few children
D:the birth rate depends on per capita income

Passage?One
The small number of newborn babies,which has been caused by high prices and the changing social situation of women,is one of the most serious problems inAsia.When people talk about it,you can hear a word invented inJapan,"DINKS",which means Double Income No Kids.
In many majorAsian cities like Seoul,Singapore,and Tokyo,the cost of a house is extremelyhigh.A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about$300,000（though prices have fallen）.For a flat with one bedroom,onedining-room,a kitchen,and a bathroom,the couple will pay about$900 amonth.What′s more,if they want to have a child,the child′s education is veryexpensive.For example,most kindergarten charges are at least$5,000 a year.In such a situation,it′s difficult to afford children.
The number ofmarried women who want to continue working increases rapidly because they enjoytheir jobs.However,if they want to have children,they immediately haveserious problems.Though most companies allow women to leave their jobs for ashort time to have a baby,they expect women with babies to give up their jobs.In short,if they want to bring up children properly,both parents have towork,but it is hard for mothers to work.Indeed,women who want to continueworking have to choose between having children or keeping their jobs.
In a word,Asiangovernments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon aspossible.

What is the main problem beingdiscussed in the passage?

A.The small number of newborn babies.
B.The changing social situation of women.
C.The high prices of houses andeducation.
D.The necessary steps of Asiangovernments.

Text 2 Far from joining the labour force,women have been falling away at an alarming pace.The female employment rate in India,counting both the formal and informal economy,has tumbled from an already-low 35%in 2005 to just 26%now.Yet nearly 1Om fewer women are in jobs.A rise in female employment rates to the male level would provide India with an extra 235m workers,more than the EU has of either gender,and more than enough to fill all the factories in the rest ofAsia.Imagine the repercussions.Were India to rebalance its workforce in this way,the IMF estimates,the world's biggest democracy would be 27%richer.Its people would be well on their way to middle-income status.Beyond the obvious economic benelits are the incalculable human ones.Women who work are likelier to invest more in their children's upbringing,and to have more say over how they lead their lives.Social mores are startlingly conservative.A girl's first task is to persuade her own family that she should have a job.The in-laws she will typically move in with after marriage are even more likely to yank her out of the workforce and into social isolation.In a survey in 2012,84%of Indians agreed that men have more right to work than women when jobs are scarce.Men have taken 90%of the 36m additional jobs in industry India has created since 2005.And those who say that women themselves prefer not to work must contend with plenty of counter-evidence.Census data suggest that a third of stay-at-home women would WOfk ifjobs were available;govemment make-work schemes attract more women than men.What can be done?Many of the standard answers fall short.Promoting education,a time-tested development strategy,may not succeed.Figures show that the more schooling an Indian woman receives,the less likely she is to work,at least if she has anything less than a university degree.Likewise urbanization,another familiar way to alleviate poverty:city-dwelling women are half as likely as rural ones to have a job.An optimist might argue that more women are not working because India is still paying for the sins of the past,when so many of them were illiterate and high fertility rates bound them to the home.Most measures of female welfare are improving.India has many more girls in classrooms and fewer child brides than it once did.In fact,many fear that all that extra schooling was a parental ploy to improve a daughter's prospects not in the labour market but in the arranged-marriage market,part of the all-important quest to snag a suitable boy.A further push is needed to get Indian women what they really need:a suitablejob.
Which ofthe following would be the best title ofthe text?

A.Why Indian Women Don't Work
B.Why India Needs Women to Work
C.Why India's Employment Rate Is Low
D.Why India's Employment Rate Declines

Text 2 Far from joining the labour force,women have been falling away at an alarming pace.The female employment rate in India,counting both the formal and informal economy,has tumbled from an already-low 35%in 2005 to just 26%now.Yet nearly 1Om fewer women are in jobs.A rise in female employment rates to the male level would provide India with an extra 235m workers,more than the EU has of either gender,and more than enough to fill all the factories in the rest ofAsia.Imagine the repercussions.Were India to rebalance its workforce in this way,the IMF estimates,the world's biggest democracy would be 27%richer.Its people would be well on their way to middle-income status.Beyond the obvious economic benelits are the incalculable human ones.Women who work are likelier to invest more in their children's upbringing,and to have more say over how they lead their lives.Social mores are startlingly conservative.A girl's first task is to persuade her own family that she should have a job.The in-laws she will typically move in with after marriage are even more likely to yank her out of the workforce and into social isolation.In a survey in 2012,84%of Indians agreed that men have more right to work than women when jobs are scarce.Men have taken 90%of the 36m additional jobs in industry India has created since 2005.And those who say that women themselves prefer not to work must contend with plenty of counter-evidence.Census data suggest that a third of stay-at-home women would WOfk ifjobs were available;govemment make-work schemes attract more women than men.What can be done?Many of the standard answers fall short.Promoting education,a time-tested development strategy,may not succeed.Figures show that the more schooling an Indian woman receives,the less likely she is to work,at least if she has anything less than a university degree.Likewise urbanization,another familiar way to alleviate poverty:city-dwelling women are half as likely as rural ones to have a job.An optimist might argue that more women are not working because India is still paying for the sins of the past,when so many of them were illiterate and high fertility rates bound them to the home.Most measures of female welfare are improving.India has many more girls in classrooms and fewer child brides than it once did.In fact,many fear that all that extra schooling was a parental ploy to improve a daughter's prospects not in the labour market but in the arranged-marriage market,part of the all-important quest to snag a suitable boy.A further push is needed to get Indian women what they really need:a suitable job.Better education may not function because_____

A.higher educated women are reluctant to work
B.higher education is not equal to higher possibility of work
C.women living in rural are less likely to join work
D.higher education failed to stand the test oftime