奇速英语官网—英语在线学习平台_让学英语更快乐_更快速

Mothers and fathers should both be able to work part-time and share parenting duties without impacting on their careers, Jenni Murray has urged. She said it was the “ideal solution” rather than one parent having to give up work or otherwise sending young children to the nursery.
But she added that many men and women are now stopped from working part-time due to the impact on their careers. Dame Jenni, a married mother of two grown-up sons, said, “What we don’t have are the social attitudes where people take part-time working seriously. I know so many women who have gone part-time and find reactions like, ‘She’s not taking it seriously, she’s not putting the hours in, she’s not working as hard as she could’.”
Dame Jenni, the president of the Fawcett Society, said modern young men want to be involved with parenting and it is no longer seen just as a woman’s role. She said, “Partly through my sons, I know a lot of young men who are beginning to change. They experienced with their fathers who were breadwinners and worked long hours, but expected they would never change a nappy. These boys are saying ‘We missed out on our fathers, but we won’t miss out on our children.’”
Dame Jenni said that, during the 1980s, she asked Margaret Thatcher about whether her government would be willing to help mothers wanting to go back to work. Mrs Thatcher replied, “Perhaps women could work a couple of days and find a kind aunt to help.” But Dame Jenni said, “She managed to do what she did because she had her wealthy husband to help with the childcare costs of their two children.”

1.What is the best title of the passage?

A Parents should share the duties of caring babies by working part-time.

B One of the parents has to give up jobs for the babies if it is necessary.

C Mothers must have the chance of working outside when they want to.

D Fathers are now stopped from working part-time because of low pay.

解析：选A。文章标题题。根据第一段第一句的Mothers and fathers should both be able to work part-time and share parenting duties without impacting on their careers可以得知文章讲述的主要内容是父母可以同时兼职来分担照顾孩子的责任。故选A。

2.What is the people’s attitude on women taking a part-time job?

A The women do not work hard.

B The women should be paid more.

C The women have high position.

D The women take work seriously.

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句的She’s not taking it seriously, she’s not putting the hours in, she’s not working as hard as she could可以得知很多人认为她们做兼职工作时，工作不卖力、不认真。故选A。

3.What do some boys mean by saying “we won’t miss out on our children”?

A They want to be the breadwinners.

B They will show love to their children.

C They don’t want to work long hours.

D They would like to look after children.

解析：选D。细节理解题。根据第三段第一句的modern young men want to be involved with parenting and it is no longer seen just as a woman’s role可以得知照顾孩子不仅仅是女人的责任，结合该段第二句的Partly through my sons, I know a lot of young men who are beginning to change可以得知有些男孩子也开始改变，他们也要承担照顾孩子的责任了。故选D。

4.How did Dame Jenni think of Mrs Thatcher’s reply?

A It wasn’t interesting.

B It wasn’t reasonable.

C It was valuable.

D It was helpful.

解析：选B。推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句的She managed to do what she did because she had her wealthy husband可以得知她认为撒切尔夫人能请保姆是因为她的丈夫有钱，因此这对其他收入不高的夫妇是很难实现的，因此她认为撒切尔夫人的话是“不合常理的”。故选B。