单选题Directions:Read the following four texts. Answer the
questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.
We have known for a long time that the organization of any particular society is
influenced by the definition of the sexes and the distinction drawn between
them. But we have realized only recently that the identity of each sex is not so
easy to pin down, and that definitions evolve in accordance with different types
of culture known to us, that is, scientific discoveries and ideological
revolutions. Our nature is not considered as immutable, either socially or
biologically. As we approach the beginning of the 21st century, the substantial
progress made in biology and genetics is radically challenging the roles,
responsibilities and specific characteristics attributed to each sex, and yet,
scarcely twenty years ago, these were thought to be "beyond dispute"
We can safely say, with a few minor exceptions, that the definition of
the sexes and their respective functions remained unchanged in the West from the
beginning of the 19th century to the 1960s. The role distinction, raised in some
cases to the status of uncompromising dualism on a strongly hierarchical model,
lasted throughout this period, appealing for its justification to nature,
religion and customs alleged to have existed since the dawn of time. The woman
bore children and took care of the home. The man set out to conquer the world
and was responsible for the survival of his family, by satisfying their needs in
peacetime and going to war when necessary. The entire world order rested on the
divergence of the sexes. Any overlapping or confusion between the roles was seen
as a threat to the timehonored order of things. It was felt to be against
nature, a deviation from the norm. Sex roles were determined
according to the "place" appropriate to each. Women's place was, first and
foremost, in the home. The outside world, i. e. workshops, factories and
business firms, belonged to men. This sex-based division of the world (private
and public) gave rise to a strict dichotomy between the attitudes, which
conferred on each its special identity. The woman, sequestered at home, "cared,
nurtured and conserved" . To do this, she had no need to be daring, ambitious,
tough or competitive. The man, on the other hand, competing with his fellow men,
was caught up every day in the struggle for survival, and hence developed
those characteristics which were thought natural in a man. Today, many women go
out to work, and their reasons for doing so have changed considerably. Besides
the traditional financial incentives, we find ambition and personal fulfillment
motivating those in the most favorable circumstances, and the wish to have a
social life and to get out of their domestic isolation influencing others. Above
all, for all women, work is invariably connected with the desire for
independence.
单选题
It is only in recent years that we have recognized that ______.
A. there is almost no clue to the identity of both sexes
B. the role distinction between different sexes is conspicuous
C. the different definitions of sexes bears on the development of
culture
D. the progress of civilization greatly influences the role definitions of
sexes
单选题
From paragraph 1 we can infer that it is now possible for women to
embark on a career because ______.
A. the change in sex roles is out of the question
B. women's role has been going on for many years
C. ideas about the roles of women have been changing
D. the expansion of sciences scarcely remolds the women's roles
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[考点] 推理判断题
[解析] 第1段最后两句写道：“不能认为我们的本性在社会的或生理的方面来看是不可改变的。随着我们接近21世纪初，生物学和遗传学方面所取得的巨大进步正在从根本上对属于每一种性别的角色、职责和特征提出挑战，可是在不到20年以前，上述观点还被认为是‘无可争辩的。”由此推理，现在妇女可以从事一种职业，因为有关妇女角色的观念一直在改变。故应选C。A具有较强的干扰性。out of the question意为“不可能的”。有的考生之所以选A是因为把out of the question错误地理解为“毫无疑问的”。D属正反颠倒，故不能入选。注意：通过词汇手段增强干扰是当前命题的一种趋势。
单选题
The author believes that sex discrimination in the West before the
1960s was ______.
单选题
According to the fourth paragraph, the author seems to think that
______.
A. female passivity is natural
B. men and women are physically identical
C. men are born competitive and aggressive
D. some different sex identity is acquired
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[考点] 推理判断题。
[解析] 第4段第1句写道：“不同性别所承担的角色是根据适合于每种性别的‘地方’所决定的。”作者谈到了男女的不同“place”。接着作者说：“This sex-based division of the world (private and public) gave rise to a strict dichotomy between the attitudes, which conferred on each its special iclentity. ”(这种根据性别对世界[个人的和公共的]的划分产生了两种严格不同的态度，因而赋予每一种性别所特有的特性。)可见，在作者看来，某种不同的性别特性不是天生的，而是后天因划分了“地方”而逐渐形成的。紧接着，作者对其观点做了阐述。因此，D“某种不同的性别特性是后天获得的”是作者似乎要说明的。注意：文中所说的“地方”实际上是指“工作岗位”。
单选题
According to the author, which of the following is the most important
reason for women to go to work?