单选题
(D)

Historically, the traditional role of women of all classes in Britain had been confined (限制) to that of mother in the home. Single and childless women consequently had an uncomfortable and difficult time. The majority of women had no voting or political rights until 1928, and for centuries wives and their property had been the legal possessions of their husbands. Formal education for women was thought to be unnecessary for their role in life, and was non-existent for the majority.
The female position in society became a little better in some respects towards the end of the nineteenth century, but was still very limited. However, elementary education for all was established and a few institutions of higher education began to admit women in restricted numbers.
Since the 1960s, women in Britain have been fighting for greater equality with men in job opportunities and rates of pay. Various laws from the 1970s to the present have been made. In spite of all these, men remain better paid than women in many occupations, particularly in industry. Women constitute nearly half the national workforce, there are more employed married women in Britain than in any other European Community country, and some 60 percent of wives are now employed compared with 22 percent in 1951. But their average weekly wage is still only 70 percent of the average paid to men. This is true of both the manufacturing trades and the service industries. The majority of female workers are consequently badly paid and often unprotected by the trade unions or the law.
单选题 In Britain, historically, single and childless women had an uncomfortable and difficult time because ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] (见原文前两句)
本文开头的两个句子,实际上存在着因果关系:因为在英国历史上,各阶层妇女的传统作用被限制为在家里做母亲的角色。因此(consequently)单身妇女和无子女妇女日子便不好过(因为她们不是母亲)。
注意:“that of mother”中的“that”是代词,代替前面出现过的“role”(角色)。
单选题 At the end of the 19th century, ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] (见第2段第2句)
原文中的“a few institutions of higher education” (为数极少的几所高等学校)和“in restricted numbers”(以有限的数量)都与D)项中的“a few women”(少数妇女)相吻合。
单选题 Which of the following statements is FALSE?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析]
1)A)、C)、D)三个选项分别能在第1段中找到答案。
2)B)项表示的意思与原文第1段最后1句表示的意思有出入。原文的“formal education”是“正规教育”。B)项的“any education”是指任何形式的教育。故B)项为答案。
单选题 Now in Britain ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] (见第3段第4、5句)
单选题 From this passage, we can infer that in Britain ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] (见第3段)
1)因题目里有“infer”一词,可见本题为推断题。题目要求读者根据本文的含义,特别是第3段的内容,进行综合、归纳、分析、判断。
2)A)项“women"s status has been improved a lot...”(本世纪妇女们的状况有了很大的改善)的关键词是“improved”。文章第3段较为集中地简述了自本世纪60年代以来,英国妇女为争取与男人们同工同酬而进行的斗争及取得的胜利。说明英国妇女的状况有了很大的改善。