Women have done all of the accommodating in terms of time, energy, and personal sacrifice that is humanly possible, and still they have not reached true integration in the workplace. For a complicated set of reasons—many beyond their control—they feel conflict between their careers and their children. All but a rare few quickly dispel the myth that superwomen ever existed.
For many women, profession and family are pitted against one another on a high-stakes collision course. Women’s values are stacked against the traditions of their professions. In the home, men and women struggle to figure out how dual-career marriages should work. Role conflict for women reaches far beyond the fundamental work/family dilemma to encompass a whole constellation of fiercely competing priorities. Women today find themselves in an intense battle with a society that cannot let go of a narrowly defined work ethic that is supported by a family structure that has not existed for decades. The unspoken assumption persists that there is still a woman at home to raise the children and manage the household. But the economic reality is that most people, whether in two-parent or single-parent families, need to work throughout their adult lives. As a consequence, the majority of today’s mothers are in the labor market.
The first full-fledged generation of women in the professions did not talk about their overbooked agenda or the toll it took on them and their families. They knew that their position in the office was shaky at best. With virtually no choice in the matter, they bought into the traditional notion of success in the workplace—usually attained at the high cost of giving up an involved family life. If they suffered self-doubt or frustration about how hollow professional success felt without complementary rewards from the home, they blamed themselves—either for expecting too much or for doing too little. And they asked themselves questions that held no easy answers: Am I expecting too much? Is it me? Am I alone in this dilemma? Do other women truly have it all?
26. According to the passage, today’s women .
［A］ want to achieve a balance between her loyalties to work and family
［B］ are stronger advocates of gender equality than the older generation
［C］ do not want to sacrifice anything at all for the desired liberation
［D］ are getting no nearer to achieving their ambition in life
27. What is the myth held by some “superwomen”?
［A］ Personal careers can be reconciled with parental responsibilities.
［B］ The devotion to career weighs more than the regard for children.
［C］ They can resist the temptation of ambition to make great achievements
［D］ The conflicts between careers and children can be resolved.
28. In what way do women today find themselves in an intense battle with the society?
［A］ The society regards women as less able to perform social tasks.
［B］ Women do too much about their career and too little about their families.
［C］ The society still holds the traditional image about a family.
［D］ Women no longer regard the family as a basic unit of the society.
29. When women fail to achieve a balance between work and children, they .
［A］ let things go their own courses［B］ admit that they are not superwomen
［C］ usually choose to give up their work［D］ often blame themselves for it
30. The author’s attitude towards women餾 dilemma seems to be one of .
［A］ suspicion ［B］ indifference ［C］ irony ［D］ sympathy
Text 3
The entrepreneur, according to French economist J. B. Say, “is a person who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and yield.” But Say’s definition does not tell us who this entrepreneur is. Some define the entrepreneur simply as one who starts his or her own new and small business. For our purposes, we will define the entrepreneur as a person who takes the necessary risks to organize and manage a business and receives the financial profits and non-monetary rewards.
The man who opens a small pizza restaurant is in business, but is he an entrepreneur? He took a risk and did something, but did he shift resources or start the business? If the answer is yes, then he is considered an entrepreneur. Ray Kroc is an example of an entrepreneur because he founded and established McDonald’s. His hamburgers were not a new idea, but he applied new techniques, resource allocations, and organizational methods in his venture. Ray Kroc upgraded the productivity and yield from the resources applied to create his fast-food chain. This is what entrepreneurs do; this is what entrepreneurship means.
Many of the sharp, black-and-white contrasts between the entrepreneur and the professional have faced to a gray color. Formerly, professionals such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, and accountants were not supposed to be entrepreneurial, aggressive, or market oriented. They were “above” the market-driven world. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, were the independent individuals of society. They were risk-takers who aggressively sought to make something happen. Long hours were about all the two worlds had in common. However, increased competition, saturated markets, and a more price-conscious public have changed the world of the professionals. Today they need to market their skills, talents, and competencies; Lawyers advertise their services. Doctors specialize in one form of surgery. Accounting firms join with other businesses (e. g. consulting and law) to serve clients.
Entrepreneurs exhibit many different behaviors. Searching for a specific personality pattern is very difficult. Some entrepreneurs are quiet, introverted, and analytical. On the other hand, some are brash, extroverted, and very emotional. Many of them share some qualities. Viewing change as the norm, entrepreneurs usually search for it, respond to it, and treat it as an opportunity. An entrepreneur such as Ray Kroc of McDonald’s is able to take resources and shift them to meet a need. Making the decision to shift resources works better if a person is creative, experienced, and confident.
31. According to the passage, who can be regarded as an entrepreneur?
［A］ A person knowing how to run his business.
［B］ The owner of a profitable restaurant.
［C］ An innovative business starter.
［D］ A person who disregards business risks.
32. “Long hours were about all the two worlds had in common” probably means .
［A］ there wasn’t much difference between entrepreneurs and professionals
［B］ entrepreneurs in the past seemed to were live in an isolated world
［C］ both entrepreneurs and professionals were workaholic in the past
［D］ entrepreneurs were those professionals conscious of risks
33. From the passage, we learn that .
［A］ an entrepreneur always has the courage to take risks
［B］ an entrepreneur understand the market is fluctuating
［C］ opportunities never favor those who don’t understand the market
［D］ an entrepreneur is sensitive and responsive to the market
34. The purpose of the author in writing the passage is to .
［A］ complete the definition of entrepreneur
［B］ explain the main characteristics of entrepreneurs
［C］ show what kind of people can become entrepreneurs
［D］ illustrate why Ray Kroc can become an entrepreneur
35. What will most possibly follow the text?
［A］ An example of how an entrepreneur operates.
［B］ Another theory about entrepreneurship.
［C］ The bad effects of entrepreneurs.
［D］ The good effects of entrepreneurs.
Text 4
If there is one thing scientists have to hear, it is that the game is over. Raised on the belief of an endless voyage of discovery, they recoil (畏縮) from the suggestion that most of the best things have already been located. If they have, today’s scientists can hope to contribute no more than a few grace notes to the symphony of science.
A book to be published in Britain this week, The End of Science, argues persuasively that this is the case. Its author, John Horgan, is a senior writer for Scientific American magazine, who has interviewed many of today’s leading scientists and science philosophers. The shock of realizing that science might be over came to him, he says, when he was talking to Oxford mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose.
For many women, profession and family are pitted against one another on a high-stakes collision course. Women’s values are stacked against the traditions of their professions. In the home, men and women struggle to figure out how dual-career marriages should work. Role conflict for women reaches far beyond the fundamental work/family dilemma to encompass a whole constellation of fiercely competing priorities. Women today find themselves in an intense battle with a society that cannot let go of a narrowly defined work ethic that is supported by a family structure that has not existed for decades. The unspoken assumption persists that there is still a woman at home to raise the children and manage the household. But the economic reality is that most people, whether in two-parent or single-parent families, need to work throughout their adult lives. As a consequence, the majority of today’s mothers are in the labor market.
The first full-fledged generation of women in the professions did not talk about their overbooked agenda or the toll it took on them and their families. They knew that their position in the office was shaky at best. With virtually no choice in the matter, they bought into the traditional notion of success in the workplace—usually attained at the high cost of giving up an involved family life. If they suffered self-doubt or frustration about how hollow professional success felt without complementary rewards from the home, they blamed themselves—either for expecting too much or for doing too little. And they asked themselves questions that held no easy answers: Am I expecting too much? Is it me? Am I alone in this dilemma? Do other women truly have it all?
26. According to the passage, today’s women .
［A］ want to achieve a balance between her loyalties to work and family
［B］ are stronger advocates of gender equality than the older generation
［C］ do not want to sacrifice anything at all for the desired liberation
［D］ are getting no nearer to achieving their ambition in life
27. What is the myth held by some “superwomen”?
［A］ Personal careers can be reconciled with parental responsibilities.
［B］ The devotion to career weighs more than the regard for children.
［C］ They can resist the temptation of ambition to make great achievements
［D］ The conflicts between careers and children can be resolved.
28. In what way do women today find themselves in an intense battle with the society?
［A］ The society regards women as less able to perform social tasks.
［B］ Women do too much about their career and too little about their families.
［C］ The society still holds the traditional image about a family.
［D］ Women no longer regard the family as a basic unit of the society.
29. When women fail to achieve a balance between work and children, they .
［A］ let things go their own courses［B］ admit that they are not superwomen
［C］ usually choose to give up their work［D］ often blame themselves for it
30. The author’s attitude towards women餾 dilemma seems to be one of .
［A］ suspicion ［B］ indifference ［C］ irony ［D］ sympathy
Text 3
The entrepreneur, according to French economist J. B. Say, “is a person who shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and yield.” But Say’s definition does not tell us who this entrepreneur is. Some define the entrepreneur simply as one who starts his or her own new and small business. For our purposes, we will define the entrepreneur as a person who takes the necessary risks to organize and manage a business and receives the financial profits and non-monetary rewards.
The man who opens a small pizza restaurant is in business, but is he an entrepreneur? He took a risk and did something, but did he shift resources or start the business? If the answer is yes, then he is considered an entrepreneur. Ray Kroc is an example of an entrepreneur because he founded and established McDonald’s. His hamburgers were not a new idea, but he applied new techniques, resource allocations, and organizational methods in his venture. Ray Kroc upgraded the productivity and yield from the resources applied to create his fast-food chain. This is what entrepreneurs do; this is what entrepreneurship means.
Many of the sharp, black-and-white contrasts between the entrepreneur and the professional have faced to a gray color. Formerly, professionals such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, and accountants were not supposed to be entrepreneurial, aggressive, or market oriented. They were “above” the market-driven world. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, were the independent individuals of society. They were risk-takers who aggressively sought to make something happen. Long hours were about all the two worlds had in common. However, increased competition, saturated markets, and a more price-conscious public have changed the world of the professionals. Today they need to market their skills, talents, and competencies; Lawyers advertise their services. Doctors specialize in one form of surgery. Accounting firms join with other businesses (e. g. consulting and law) to serve clients.
Entrepreneurs exhibit many different behaviors. Searching for a specific personality pattern is very difficult. Some entrepreneurs are quiet, introverted, and analytical. On the other hand, some are brash, extroverted, and very emotional. Many of them share some qualities. Viewing change as the norm, entrepreneurs usually search for it, respond to it, and treat it as an opportunity. An entrepreneur such as Ray Kroc of McDonald’s is able to take resources and shift them to meet a need. Making the decision to shift resources works better if a person is creative, experienced, and confident.
31. According to the passage, who can be regarded as an entrepreneur?
［A］ A person knowing how to run his business.
［B］ The owner of a profitable restaurant.
［C］ An innovative business starter.
［D］ A person who disregards business risks.
32. “Long hours were about all the two worlds had in common” probably means .
［A］ there wasn’t much difference between entrepreneurs and professionals
［B］ entrepreneurs in the past seemed to were live in an isolated world
［C］ both entrepreneurs and professionals were workaholic in the past
［D］ entrepreneurs were those professionals conscious of risks
33. From the passage, we learn that .
［A］ an entrepreneur always has the courage to take risks
［B］ an entrepreneur understand the market is fluctuating
［C］ opportunities never favor those who don’t understand the market
［D］ an entrepreneur is sensitive and responsive to the market
34. The purpose of the author in writing the passage is to .
［A］ complete the definition of entrepreneur
［B］ explain the main characteristics of entrepreneurs
［C］ show what kind of people can become entrepreneurs
［D］ illustrate why Ray Kroc can become an entrepreneur
35. What will most possibly follow the text?
［A］ An example of how an entrepreneur operates.
［B］ Another theory about entrepreneurship.
［C］ The bad effects of entrepreneurs.
［D］ The good effects of entrepreneurs.
Text 4
If there is one thing scientists have to hear, it is that the game is over. Raised on the belief of an endless voyage of discovery, they recoil (畏縮) from the suggestion that most of the best things have already been located. If they have, today’s scientists can hope to contribute no more than a few grace notes to the symphony of science.
A book to be published in Britain this week, The End of Science, argues persuasively that this is the case. Its author, John Horgan, is a senior writer for Scientific American magazine, who has interviewed many of today’s leading scientists and science philosophers. The shock of realizing that science might be over came to him, he says, when he was talking to Oxford mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose.