VIII. Read the following passage and choose the item (A, B, C or D) that best answers each of the questions about it. (1.0 point)

Women hold up half the sky. This is an old Chinese saying. However, research shows that perhaps women do more than their share of “holding up the sky".

Fifty percent of the world's population is women, but nearly two-thirds of all working hours are done by women. They do most of the domestic work like cooking and washing clothes. Millions also work outside the home. Women hold forty percent of all the world's jobs. For this work they earn only 40 to 60 percent as much as men, and of course they earn nothing for their domestic work. In developing countries, where three-fourths of the world's population lives, women produce more than half of the food. In Africa, 80 percent of all agricultural work is done by women.

In parts of Africa, this is a typical day for a village woman. At 4.45 am, she gets up, washes, and eats. It takes her half an hour to walk to the fields, and she works there until 3.00 pm. She collects firewood until 4.00 pm then comes back home. She spends the next hour and a half preparing food to cook; then she collects water for another hour. From 6.30 to 8.30 she cooks. After dinner, she spends an hour washing the dishes. She goes to bed at 9.30 pm.

1. What is the main topic of the passage?

    A. Women work outside the home.          B. Women work in the field.

    C. The work of women.                                     D. The role of women.

2. The underlined word “domestic work” in the passage probably means___________.

     A. housework                                         B. homework

     C. firework                                                      D. gardening

3. What does the word “they” in the second paragraph refer to? 

    A. women                            B. world’s job                C. men                                     D. clothes

4. In Africa, women do _____________ of all agricultural work.

    A. one- fifth                          B. two- thirds                 C. three- fourths             D. four-fifths

5. What is NOT mentioned as the work of a village woman in Africa?

    A. working in the field

    B. preparing food for children going to school

    C. collecting firewood

    D. bringing water home

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 55 to 64.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labor, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work – if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

In cases where men perform most of the housework, results were similar. The men also became depressed by the imbalance of labor. The research showed that the least distressed people are those who have equal share, implying that men could perform significantly more chores and even benefit from this. The  research concludes “Everybody benefits from sharing the housework. Even for women keeping house, a share division of labor is important. If you decide to stay at home to raise the children, you don’t want to become the servant of the house”.

Working women _____.

A. want their partners to do an  equal share                  

B. are anxious and depressed

C. do 80% of  the household                                

D. would prefer not to have a job

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 55 to 64.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labor, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work – if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

In cases where men perform most of the housework, results were similar. The men also became depressed by the imbalance of labor. The research showed that the least distressed people are those who have equal share, implying that men could perform significantly more chores and even benefit from this. The  research concludes “Everybody benefits from sharing the housework. Even for women keeping house, a share division of labor is important. If you decide to stay at home to raise the children, you don’t want to become the servant of the house”.

After getting married,___________.

A. women have a  bigger house                            

B. men do more housework

C. men  do less housework                                  

D. women do twice as much housework

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

  A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

  When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labour, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work - if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

  After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labour becomes unbalanced, as a man's share increases much less than the woman's. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

Although women think men should share the housework, those who don't have paid job agree to share _________ of the chores.

A. 14 percent

B. 37 percent

C. 80 percent

D. 70 percent

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labour, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work - if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labour becomes unbalanced, as a man's share increases much less than the woman's. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

Although women think men should share the housework, those who don't have paid job agree to share ____ of the chores

A. 14 percent 

B. 37 percent 

C. 80 percent 

D. 70 percent 

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 55 to 64.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labor, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work – if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

In cases where men perform most of the housework, results were similar. The men also became depressed by the imbalance of labor. The research showed that the least distressed people are those who have equal share, implying that men could perform significantly more chores and even benefit from this. The  research concludes “Everybody benefits from sharing the housework. Even for women keeping house, a share division of labor is important. If you decide to stay at home to raise the children, you don’t want to become the servant of the house”.

Women who do not have a job   become depressed_____.

A. if they have to do more than half of the housework

B. because they have no respect

C. when their husbands do not help them

D. if their husbands do 20% of the chores

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 55 to 64.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labor, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work – if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

In cases where men perform most of the housework, results were similar. The men also became depressed by the imbalance of labor. The research showed that the least distressed people are those who have equal share, implying that men could perform significantly more chores and even benefit from this. The  research concludes “Everybody benefits from sharing the housework. Even for women keeping house, a share division of labor is important. If you decide to stay at home to raise the children, you don’t want to become the servant of the house”.

Although women think men should share the housework, those who don’t have paid job agree  to  share__________ of the chores.

A. 14%                 

B. 37%                           

C. 70%                 

D. 80%

Should women find their happiness inside or outside the home? In the United States people used to believe the saying, "A woman's place is in the home." But now both women and society are changing. More than fifty percent of American women continue their work even after they are married. What has brought about these changes? What is happening to the American family today?Up until the 1950's a typical American woman got married in her early 20's. In those days she quit her job andbecame a mother. "A woman's place is in the home" was a popular saying. Most women felt that taking care of their home and family was their full-time job.But times have changed. Women are getting married later these days and more have chosen to stay single. Others get married but decide not to have any children. Today more than fifty percent of all married women work full-time. Many others run businesses in their homes.What has caused these major changes? One reason is economic necessity. It may be that the husband has lost his job and the wife must support the family. Or even if the husband is working, some families say they can't survive on only one paycheck.But probably a more important influence has been the "women's liberation movement." Women are being told in many magazines and TV programs: "You can be successful on your own. Don't be satisfied with just being a wife and mother. Use your intelligence and talents to do something bigger. And you should be paid as much as a man."No doubt this movement has accomplished much good. But it has also contributed to a selfish "me first" attitude that is breaking up many families. Sometimes women who are happy staying at home feel that working women look down on them.There are no easy answers to these problems. But certainly women's influence will continue to grow in business, education and politics.

1. It is obvious that the major influence that has brought about a change in women's role in society comes from ……….

A. the women's liberation movement B. magazines and TV programs

C. women who chose to stay single D. men who are unemployed or underpaid

2. In the US nowadays, women who continue to work after they get married ………..

A. are in minority B. account for more than half of all women

C. are doing so unwillingly D. because their husbands want them to

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Up until the 1950's, "A woman's place is in the home" was a popular saying.

B. The American women who continue to work after marriage are more than fifty percent.

C. People used to believe that women should work as hard as men and be paid as much as men.

D. It seems that women's influence and role in American society will increase in the near future.

4. According to the passage, the women's liberation movement ………..

A. encourages a "me first" attitude which may threaten to break up the family

B. looks down on women who don't work                                     

C. has less influence than it once did D. has succeeded in solving social problems

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 55 to 64.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labor, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work – if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.

In cases where men perform most of the housework, results were similar. The men also became depressed by the imbalance of labor. The research showed that the least distressed people are those who have equal share, implying that men could perform significantly more chores and even benefit from this. The  research concludes “Everybody benefits from sharing the housework. Even for women keeping house, a share division of labor is important. If you decide to stay at home to raise the children, you don’t want to become the servant of the house”.

What is the most suitable heading for the passage?

A. Difficulties  of working women                       

B. Unequal housework division

C. Reason for women to  be distress                    

D. How to be happy couples