The law says that women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them.

　 The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men.

　 They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won’t consider. And they lose they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children.

　 All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government’s women’s unite.

　 The biggest problem isn’t equal pay in work places such as factories. It is a sort of work women do.

　 Make a list of low-paid of jobs_ then consider who does them.

　 Try nurses, secretaries, cleaner, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies, and child care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there?

　 Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start.

　 So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer--- because they are women.

　 This is not going to be put right overnight. But the Government, which employs a lot of them,, and other bosses have to make a start.

　 It is disgraceful(可耻的) that we have gone into the 21st Century still treating women like second-class citizens.

41. Women should have the chance of doing the same jobs and be paid equally as men ____.

　 A. after 25 years　                              B. according to the law

　 C. as a result of the Equal Pay Act　　  D. because women are as strong as men

42. We can learn from the text what the problem really matters is ____.

　 A. that the women interrupt a career to have children

　 B. what sort of work women do

　 C. because they are women

　 D. what an unfair pay women get in workplaces.

43. Which of the following best describes the writer’s idea?

　 A. Women should get equal pay for equal work to that of men.

　 B. Women should strengthen加强 themselves.

　 C. The Government ought to protect women against getting paid less than men.

　 D. Some of the jobs that women do are of great importance.

44. When the writer says “This is not going to be put right overnight”, he means ____.

　 A. we must solve the problem very quickly.

　 B. there is not completely fair thing all over the world.

　 C. we need a long time to change the unfair reality.

　 D. the problem that women lose will be solved soon.

45. Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?

　 A. Work to give women a fair pay deal.

　 B. Time to change the situation.

　 C. Equal work, equal pay.

　 D. Should women be treated like second-class citizens?

E
Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering, the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers (消费者). “This led to an enormous change in consumption (消耗、消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.
57. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.
A. by educating its citizens 　　　　　　　　B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programs 　　　　　　　D. by chance
58. According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.
A. haven’t attacked much importance to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
59. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
60. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)
D. A country’s production is limited by its population growth.

 Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth, but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
　　Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
　　Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
　　“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards life, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people aware of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
【小题1】According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth _____.

In the USA Forbes magazine has published its annual list of the richest people in the world. Bill Gates of Microsoft is the richest man again for the eleventh successive year with a fortune of forty?four billion dollars.

　　There are a record 691 dollar billionaires according to Forbes magazine. Between them they have a fortune of two point two trillion dollars. The highest concentration of the ultra?rich is in New York followed by Moscow and San Fransisco and then London and Los Angeles. But in total the very wealthy live in forty?seven different countries with Iceland Kazakstan? Ukraine and Poland entering the list for the first time this year.

　　Laksmi Mittal,an Indian born steel tycoon （巨头）enjoyed the biggest increase in personal fortune. His net worth has quadrupled （变成四倍）to thirteen billion dollars making him the world’s third richest man. Ingvar Kamprad founder of the Swedish furniture chain Ikea also saw a big increase in wealth taking him to the sixth place. Developing countries make more of a showing than in past years — there are for example three Russians and four Indians in the top sixty richest people, though surprisingly perhaps none from China excluding Hong Kong. Asian wealth is probably under?represented as its usually spread among families whereas Forbes looks at individuals. Relatively few women feature in the list — among them is JK Rowling,author of the Harry Potter novels ranked 620th with a fortune of 519 million dollars. New entrants to the list include the founders of the Internet search group Google Sergie Brin and Larry Page each worth more than seven billion dollars after their company’s recent stock market debut. The richest Italian is the prime minister Silvio Berlusconi ranked number 25 in the global wealth league.

Which of the following persons has the largest fortune according to this year’s  Forbes magazine?

A. Laksmi Mittal.       B. Ingvar Kamprad.

C. JK Rowling.         D. Silvio Berlusconi.

There are about _____ persons with a fortune between 100 million dollars and 519 million dollars in the world.

A. 300    B. 180    C. 70    D. 150

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. No Chinese has entered the top sixty richest people in the world.

B. Russia is a developing country.

C. This is the first time that Sergie Brin and Larry Page has been included in the list.

D. There are more billionaires（亿万富翁） in New York than any other city in the world.

We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. There are more billionaires in London than in Moscow.

B. Ukraine is a very rich country in the world.

C. JK Rowling’s novels have sold very well.

D. The IT industry is a profit?making industry.

 Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth, but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.

　　Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.

　　Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.

　　“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards life, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people aware of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”

1.According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth _____.

2.What can you infer from the passage about many Third World countries ?

3.Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ______.