单选题 {{B}}Text 2{{/B}}

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 marry. 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 decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to putting off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. 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 decisions. 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 (似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. 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. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the 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" in the first sentence of the passage is closest in meaning to"______".

A、 signal
B、 defy
C、 suffer from
D、 result from

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 词义猜测题。根据句意不难理解portend是“预示”的意思。signal“显示”；defy“不服从，反抗”；suffer from“忍受，遭受”；result from“由……产生”。

单选题 It is said in the passage that when the economy slides______.

A、 men would choose working women as their marriage partners
B、 more women would get married to seek financial security
C、 even working women would worry about their marriages
D、 more people would prefer to remain single for the time being

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。题干的the economy slides等于原文的economic downturns。根据第一段倒数第二句可知经济低迷时期人们倾向推迟婚姻，因为双方不能承担一个家庭或者担心更窘迫的日子。D符合原文意思。

单选题 If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,______.

A、 they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners
B、 their husbands are expected to do more housework
C、 their marriage ties can be strengthened
D、 they tend to put their career before marriage

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。根据第二段最后一句By raising a family's standard of living, a working wife may strengthen...and emotional stability．可知答案为C。

单选题 One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that______.

A、 they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom
B、 they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands
C、 they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations
D、 they tend to suspect their husbands' loyalty to their marriage

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。根据第三段第二句可知不能外出工作的妇女会感到被关在笼子里，相当于 A(她们感到被剥夺了自由)。所以答案为A。

单选题 Which of the following statements can best summarize the author's view in the passage?

A、 The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country.
B、 Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.
C、 In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent.
D、 The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 主旨推断题。用排除法解题。A因果颠倒，排除；B文章从未提及；C以偏概全；只有D：女性的外出工作对婚姻的影响因人而异，才准确表达出文章中两种平行的相反观点。