2019年6月大学英语四级阅读理解训练：女性就业

①Tourists were surprised to see a woman driving a huge orange tractor down one of Rome’s main avenues. ②Italy’s political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been even more puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200,000 women in a parading procession that took more than three hours to snake through central Rome.

①Shouting slogans, waving flags and dancing to drumbeats, the women had come to the capital from all over Italy to demonstrate for “a job for each of us, a different type of job, and a society without violence.” ②So far, action to improve women’s opportunities in employment has been the province of collective industrial bargaining. ③“But there is a growing awareness that this is not enough,” says a researcher on female labor at the government-funded Institute for the Development of Professional Training for Workers.

①Women, who constitute 52 per cent of Italy’s population, today represent only 35 per cent of Italy’s total workforce and 33 per cent of the total number of Italians with jobs. ②However, their presence in the workplace is growing. ③The employment of women is expanding considerably in services, next to the public administration and commerce as their principal workplace. ④Official statistics also show that women have also made significant strides in self-employment. ⑤More and more women are going into business for themselves. ⑥Many young women are turning to business because of the growing overall in employment. ⑦It is also a fact that today many prejudices have disappeared, so that banks and other financial institutes make judgments on purely business considerations without caring if it is a man or a woman.

①Such changes are occurring in the professions too. ②The number of women doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers and university professors increased two to three fold. ③Some of the changes are immediately visible. ④For example, women have appeared on the scene for the first time as state police, railway workers and street cleaners.

①However, the present situation is far from satisfactory though some progress has been made. ②A breakthrough in equal opportunities for women is now demanded.

　　一、词汇

1.avenue n. 林荫道，大街 2.chief n. 首领

3.parading a. 游行的 4.procession n. 队伍，行列

5.slogan n. 标语,口号 6.demonstrate v. 示威

7.province n.(单数，正式)知识(或兴趣、职责)范围，领域

8.bargaining n. 议价,交易 9.go into business从商、经商

10.bre1akthrough n. 突破

二、长难句

1. Italy’s political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been even more puzzled to see that the tractor was followed by about 200,000 women in a parading procession that took more than three hours to snake through central Rome.

该句主干为“be said+不定式完成式”的结构：Italy’s political leaders and some of its male union chiefs are said to have been puzzled to see…，不定式的核心结构be puzzled to see sth，第一个that引导的宾语从句做see的宾语，该从句中又嵌套了一个that引导的定语从句做后置定语，修饰名词procession。

翻译：据说，当看到这个由200,000名妇女组成的游行队伍跟在这拖拉机后面竟用了三个多小时才蛇行穿过罗马市中心时，意大利的政治领袖们和该国一些男性联盟主席感到更困惑。

2. The employment of women is expanding considerably in services, next to the public administration and commerce as their principal workplace.

该句的主干The employment of women is expanding，介词短语in services做状语，表示“在服务行业”。形容词短语next to …做后置定语，修饰名词services，相当于一个定语从句which is next to … as their principal workplace，意为“作为她们(女性)的主要工作领域仅次于……”。

翻译：服务行业的女性员工的人数正大幅攀升，仅低于公共管理和商业领域内女性员工的数目。

3. It is also a fact that today many prejudices have disappeared, so that banks and other financial institutes make judgments on purely business considerations without caring if it is a man or a woman.

该句的主干为It is also a fact that …，其中it为形式主语，that引导的主语从句为真正的主语。该主语从句是个主从复合句，其中so that引导结果状语从句。该状语从句的主干结构为banks and other financial institutes make judgments，介词短语without caring …做状语。If引导的从句做caring的逻辑宾语。

翻译：事实上，现今许多针对女性的歧视也消失了，银行和其他的金融机构的判断完全是基于商业目的而不关心其员工的性别。

　　三、文章结构分析

本文主要介绍了意大利女性就业状况的变化。文章主要采用了列数字，举例子等论证方法。

第一、二段：通过对示威游行画面的描述引出文章论述的话题：意大利的女性正在争取更多的工作机会以及工作性质的改变。

第三、四段：通过数据指出虽然女性在工作机会上虽仍处于劣势，但状况却在不断的改善，

第五段：总结全文，强调女性的就业状况仍不尽人意，需要改革突破。

　　四、试题具体分析

14. The expression “snake through central Rome” probably means “to move ________.14. “snake through central Rome”表达的含义可能是________。

[A] quietly through central Rome.”[A] 安静地穿过罗马市中心

[B] violently through central Rome.”[B] 狂怒地穿过罗马市中心

[C] in a long winding line through central Rome.”[C] 以漫长而曲折的路线穿过罗马市中心

[D] at a leisurely pace through central Rome.”[D] 闲庭信步般穿过罗马市中心

[分析]本题考查的知识点是：根据上下文推测词义。

动词snake的意思是由其名词释义 “蛇”的生理特性演变而来，意为to move like a snake, in a long twisting curves，即“曲折前行，蛇行”。[C]选项中的in a long winding line 对应 in a long twisting curves，故正确。

[A]、[D]选项分别错在quietly和at a leisurely pace。由第二段第一句可知，这20万人的游行队伍是喊着口号、挥动着旗子还踏着鼓点穿过罗马市中心的，因此不可能是“安静的”或“闲庭信步的”。文中并未指出游行队伍同任何机构或团体产生冲突，因此谈不上是violently，故排除[B]选项。

15. Which of the following statements is NOT true?15. 下列哪一项说法是不正确的?

[A] There are more women than men in Italy.[A] 在意大利女性人数要多于男性。

[B] In Italy, women are chiefly employed in services.[B] 在意大利，女性主要从事服务行业。

[C] In Italy, women are still at a disadvantage in employment.[C] 在意大利，女性在就业方面仍处于劣势。

[D] In Italy, about two-thirds of the jobs are held by men.[D] 在意大利，大约三分之二的工作被男性把持着。

[分析] 本题考查的知识点是：事实细节。

文章第三段③句指出，服务行业的女性员工的人数正大幅攀升，仅低于公共管理和商业领域内女性员工数目。可知，在意大利，女性员工数目最多的三个领域分别是公共管理、商业、服务业，即服务行业的女性员工的数目排在第三位。故[B]选项错误。

文章第三段①句指出，在意大利，女性人口占全国总人口的52%但却只占意大利工人总数的35%。可知，在意大利女性确实要比男性多但全国三分之二的工作被男性把持着。第五段①句指出，虽然女性就业情况得到了改善但状况还远不尽人意，即，在意大利女性在就业方面仍处于劣势。故[A]、[C]、[D]都是正确的。

16. About 200,000 women in Rome demonstrated for ________.16.约200，000名在罗马示威争取________。

[A] more job opportunities[A] 更多的工作机会

[B] a greater variety of jobs[B] 更多类型的工作

[C] “equal job, equal pay”[C]“同工同酬”

[D] both A and B[D] [A]和[B]选项的内容

[分析] 本题考查的知识点是：具体细节。

文章第二段①句指出了20万女性从全国各地聚集到意大利首都，他们示威的口号是“人人有工作，工作多样化，以及社会无暴力。”即她们争取的是更多的工作机会、更多类型的工作以及一个没有暴力的社会。[D]选项是对示威口号前两句的概括，故正确。

[A]、[B]选项都只概括了示威口号的一部分。[C]选项无中生有，“同工同酬”并非是这次示威的口号。

17. The best title for this passage would be ________.17. 本文最好的标题是______。

[A] The Role of Women in Society[A] 女性在社会中的作用

[B] Women Demonstrate for Equality in Employment[B] 女性争取就业平等

[C] Women as Self-employed Professionals[C] 作为自由职业者的女性们

[D] Women and the Jobs Market[D] 女性与工作市场

[分析]本题考查的知识点是：文章主旨。

文章前两段指出了意大利20万女性的示威游行活动，目的是要争取更多的工作机会、工作性质的改变以及一个没有暴力的社会。第三、四段通过数据指出了虽然女性在工作机会上处于劣势，但状况却在不断的改善。第五段总结全文，指出女性的就业状况虽有所改善，但结果却不尽人意，仍需要改革突破。可见，全文主要是围绕意大利女性争取就业平等而展开的，故[B]选项正确。

[A]选项无中生有。文章只涉及了意大利女性就业情况的变化并未涉及其在社会中的作用。[C]是根据原文词汇self-employment和professions编造的干扰项。[D]选项无中生有。文章并未谈及工作市场，故可排除。

　　五、全文翻译

当看到一个女人驾着一辆橙色的巨型拖拉机沿着罗马的一条主街行驶时，游客们都感到很诧异。据说，当看到这个由200,000名妇女组成的游行队伍跟在这拖拉机后面竟用了三个多小时才蛇行穿过罗马市中心时，意大利的政治领袖们和该国一些男性联盟主席感到更困惑。

这些喊着口号，挥动着旗子还踏着鼓点前行的女性是从意大利各地聚集到首都的，她们游行示威以争取“人人有工作，工作多样化，以及社会无暴力。”到目前为止，提高妇女的就业机会已成为企业劳资谈判的话题。一位在政府资助的“劳工专业培训发展机构”中女性劳工部门工作的研究人员表示“光是认识上的不断提高还是不够的。”

如今，女性人口占了意大利人口总数的52%，却只占全国工人总数的35%，占意大利就业总人数的33%。但是，女性员工的人数却不断上升。服务行业的女性员工的人数正大幅攀升，仅低于公共管理和商业领域内女性员工的数目。官方数据也表明了自主经营的女性人数也有了大幅的上升。越来越多的女性正在开创自己的事业。许多年轻的女性开始进入工商企业，因为这个领域雇佣人数越来越多。事实上，现今许多针对女性的歧视也消失了，银行和其他的金融机构的判断完全是基于商业目的而不关心其员工的性别。

这种变化也正发生在专业领域里。女医生、女牙医、女律师、女工程师和女教授的数量增加了两到三倍。一些变化是立竿见影的。例如，女性第一次出现在了国家警察、铁路工人和街道清洁人员的行列之中。

然而，女性的就业状况虽有所改善但还远不尽人意。如今仍需要在女性就业机会平等方面取得突破性的进展。