阅读理解

Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than many. The converse 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 derision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to postpone marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy rebounds, the number of marriage also rises.

Coincident with the increase in women working outside the home is the increase in divorce rate. 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 derisions. 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. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. Given high unemployment, inflationary problems, and slow growth in real earnings, a working wife can increase household income and relieve some of these pressing financial burdens. 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. With higher earning capacity and status occupations outside of the borne comes the capacity to exercise power within the family. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of tire house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.

单选题 The word “portend” (Line 2, Para. 1) is closest in meaning to “_____” .
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】定位到文章首段第一句话。 portend预示； 预兆。 句子意思是： 一些未来主义学家一直认为女性劳动力的剧增或许预示了她们对婚姻的排斥。 signal也有“标志着； 预兆” 的意思。
单选题 It is said in the passage that when the economy slides, _____.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章首段倒数第二句提到“economic downturns tend to postpone marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead” ， 由此可知经济低迷时期人们倾向 推迟婚姻， 因为双方不能承担起一个家庭或者担心更窘迫的日子。
单选题 If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _____.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】根据文章第三段最后一句“if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union” 可知如果女人能在家庭以外的工作中找到成就感， 工作和婚姻可以一起建立更强大更稳定的联系。
单选题 One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that _____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】文章第三段第二句提到“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” ， 不能外出工作的妇女会感到被关在笼子里， 会觉得离婚是唯一的选择。 选项A“她们感到被剥夺了自由” 与文章表达的意思相符。
单选题 Which of the following statements can best summarize the author’ s view in the passage?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章第二段第二句提到“it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions” ， 仓促地得出简单的因果结论或许是错误的， 由此可知女性的外出工作对婚姻的影响是多种多样的， 不能一概而论。