Onceitwaspossibletodefinemaleandfemaleroleseasilybythedivisionoflabor.Menworkedoutsidethehomeandearnedtheincometosupporttheirfamilies,whilewomencookedthemealsandtookcareofthehomeandthechildren.Theseroleswerefirmlyfixedformostpeople,andtherewasnotmuchopportunityforwomentoexchangetheirroles.Butbythemiddleofthiscentury,men’sandwomen’sroleswerebecominglessfirmlyfixed.
Inthe1950s,economicandsocialsuccesswasthegoalofthetypicalAmerican.Butinthe1960sanewforcedevelopedcalledthecounterculture.Thepeopleinvolvedinthismovementdidnotvaluethemiddle-classAmericangoals.Thecounterculturepresentedmenandwomenwithnewrolechoices.Takingmoreinterestinchildcare,menbegantosharechild-raisingtaskswiththeirwives.Infact,someyoungmenandwomenmovedtocommunalhomesorfarmswheretheeconomicandchildcareresponsibilitiesweresharedequallybybothsexes.Inaddition,manyAmericansdidnotvaluethetraditionalmaleroleofsoldier.SomeyoungmenrefusedtobedraftedassoldierstofightinthewarinVietnam.
Intermsofnumbers,thecounterculturewasnotaverylargegroupofpeople.ButitsinfluencespreadtomanypartsofAmericansociety.Workingmenofallclassesbegantochangetheireconomicandsocialpatterns.Industrialworkersandbusinessexecutivesalikecutdownon“overtime”worksothattheycouldspendmoreleisuretimewiththeirfamilies.Somedoctors,lawyers,andteachersturnedawayfromhighpayingsituationstopracticetheirprofessionsinpoorerneighborhoods.
Inthe1970s,thefeministmovement,orwomen’sliberation,producedadditionaleconomicandsocialchanges.Womenofallagesandatalllevelsofsocietywereenteringtheworkforceingreaternumbers.Mostofthemstilltooktraditionalwomen’sjobsaspublicschoolteaching,nursing,andsecretarialwork.Butsomewomenbegantoentertraditionallymaleoccupations:policework,banking,dentistry,andconstructionwork.Womenwereaskingforequalwork,andequalopportunitiesforpromotion.
Todaytheexpertsgenerallyagreethatimportantchangesaretakingplaceintherolesofmenandwomen.Naturally,therearedifficultiesinadjustingtothesetransformations.
1.WhichofthefollowingbestexpressthemainideaofParagraph1?
A.Womenusuallyworkedoutsidethehomeforwages.
B.Menandwomen’sroleswereeasilyexchangedinthepast.
C.Men’srolesathomeweremorefirmlyfixedthanwomen’s.
D.Menandwomen’sroleswereusuallyquiteseparatedinthepast.
2.WhichsentencebestexpressesthemainideaofParagraph2?
A.Thefirstsentence.
B.Thesecondandthethirdsentences.
C.Thefourthsentence.
D.Thelastsentence.
3.Inthepassagetheauthorproposesthatthecounterculture___.
A.destroyedtheUnitedStates.
B.transformedsomeAmericanvalues.
C.wasnotimportantintheUnitedStates.
D.broughtpeoplemoreleisuretimewiththeirfamilies.
4.Itcouldbeinferredfromthepassagethat___.
A.menandwomenwillneversharethesamegoals.
B.somemenwillbewillingtoexchangetheirtraditionalmaleroles.
C.mostmenwillbehappytosharesomeofthehouseholdresponsibilitieswiththeirwives.
D.moreAmericanhouseholdsareheadedbywomenthaneverbefore.
5.Thebesttitleforthepassagemaybe___.
A.ResultsofFeministMovements
B.NewinfluenceinAmericanLife
C.CountercultureandItsconsequence
D.TraditionalDivisionofMaleandFemaleRoles.
____youwerebusy,Iwouldn’thavebotheredyouwithquestions.