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.
64.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.
65.There have been an increasing number of jobs for women in .
A.manufacturing B.building C.health care D.farming
66.In the late 1970s, if a man earned 500 dollars a month, a woman probably earned .
A.$260 B.$310 C.$400 D.$500
67.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
Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage (遗产) Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist (薄雾), Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries (美术馆) than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, madding the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub (酒馆). It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore. Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by __________.
A.its charming banks |
B.its famous museums |
C.its wonderful palaces |
D.its attractive buildings |
The third paragraph is developed mainly by __________.
A.providing different examples |
B.following the order of space |
C.making comparisons |
D.analyzing causes |
The author uses the Philharmonic pub to prove that _________.
A.Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants |
B.Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction |
C.a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves u |
D.a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.The universal value of the world heritage in Liverpool. |
B.The exciting experience of the author in Liverpool. |
C.The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
D.The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
Ask a bachelor(单身汉) why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because ________ .
A.he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
B.he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
C.he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
D.he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
Raising children, in the author’s opinion is ________ .
A.a moral duty |
B.a thankless job |
C.a rewarding task |
D.a source of inevitable pain |
From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________ .
A.hatred |
B.misunderstanding |
C.prejudice |
D.ignorance |
To understand what true happiness is one must ________ .
A.have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime |
B.make every effort to liberate oneself from pain |
C.put up with pain under all circumstances |
D.be able to distinguish happiness from fun |
.What is the author trying to tell us?
A.Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain. |
B.One must know how to attain happiness. |
C.It is important to make commitments. |
D.It is pain that leads to happiness. |
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed (困惑) to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚) and very short , and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together-his steps slow, mine impatient-and because of that, we didn’t say much and we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway (地铁), which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not .It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk , even with help. At such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N. Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance .Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it -- without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart,” and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard (标准) by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”. How did the man treat his father when he was young?
A.He helped his father happily. |
B.He never helped his father. |
C.He helped his father, but not very happily. |
D.He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
A.didn’t work very hard |
B.didn’t go to work from time to time |
C.hated those who had good fortune |
D.was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ___.
A.anger |
B.sadness |
C.happiness |
D.unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
A.By subway. |
B.By bus. |
C.By wheelchair. |
D.By bike. |
A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained (抱怨) that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation (职业). In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature (特点) of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes. The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______.
A.the generation gap suddenly appeared |
B.the generation gap is a feature of modern social life |
C.people can reduce the generation gap |
D.many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap |
The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______.
A.on all sides | B.near | C.in every direction | D.in existence |
In American society, young people often _______.
A.depend on their parents to make a life |
B.stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education |
C.seek the best advice from their parents |
D.have very little in common with their parents |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Parents should be strict with their children. |
B.The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom. |
C.The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. |
D.The generation gap does not exist in American society. |
Most dog owners feel that their dogs are their best friends. Almost everyone likes dogs because they try hard to please their owners. One of my favorite stories is about a dog who wanted his owner to please him.
One of my friends has a large German shepherd ( 牧羊狗) named Jack. Every Sunday afternoon, my friend takes Jack for a walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much.
One Sunday afternoon, a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time, and he talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk, but the visitor didn’t leave. Jack became very worried about his walk in the park. He walked around the room several times and then sat down directly in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention. He continued talking. Finally, Jack couldn’t stand it any longer. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor, but this time he held the man’s hat in his mouth.
German shepherds aren’t the only intelligent dogs. Another intelligent dog is a Seeing Eye dog. This is a special dog which helps blind people walk along the streets and do many other things. We call these dogs Seeing Eye dogs because they are the “eye” of the blind people and they help them to “see”. Seeing Eye dogs generally go to special schools for several years to learn to help blind people. The writer tells the story about the dog Jack to show that____.
A.it, like many other dogs, always tried to please its owner master |
B.it, unlike many other dogs, always wanted its master to please it |
C.it was more intelligent than many other dogs |
D.it was the most faithful dog of his friend’s |
Jack came to sit in front of the visitor in order to____.
A.please him |
B.be pleased |
C.ask him to leave immediately |
D.invite him for a walk |
The sentence “Finally, Jack couldn’t stand it any longer.” means___.
A.Jack could no longer put up with the visitor |
B.Jack could no longer stand but he might sit down |
C.Jack was very tired and wanted a rest |
D.Jack was very angry with the visitor |
Which of the following titles would be the best for the passage?
A.Dogs─A Great Help to People |
B.Dogs ─ Our Faithful Companions |
C.An Introduction to Dogs |
D.Famous Dogs in Germany |