阅读训练

Reading Comprehension (Reading in Depth)

Section B　　

　　Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and are more likely to get involved in activities such as art, dance and music, according to research released today.
　　Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity in which students either sink or swim, the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to conform to a stereotype, the US study says.
Boys at single sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to conform to the "boy code" of hiding their emotions to be a "real man".
The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
　　The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
　　But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys' learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study's author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with specifically "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision, learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given "hands-on" lessons where they are allowed to walk around. "Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine and prefer the modern genre in which violence and sexism are major themes," James wrote.
　　Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to conform to a stereotype that men should be "masterful and in charge" in relationships. "In mixed schools, boys feel compelled to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means," the study reported.

57. The author believes that a single-sex school would _____________________.
A force boys to hide their emotions to be “real man”
B help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys
C encourage boys to express their emotions more freely
D naturally reinforce in boys that traditional image of a man
58. It is commonly believed that in a mixed schools boys ____________________.
A perform relatively better B grow up more healthily
C behave more responsibly D receive a better education
59. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?
A It fails more boys than girls academically B It focuses more on mixed school education
C It fails to give boys the attention they need
D It places more pressure on boys than on girls
60. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______________.
A teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys
B boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted
C boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in
D teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit
61. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?
A They enjoy being in charge B They conform to stereotypes
C They have sharper vision D They are violent and sexist
全文翻译

　　【全文翻译】
　　欧洲南部的妇女在10和11世纪时享有较高的社会地位，这并未获得广泛认识。作为一个妻子，女性的地位受到其嫁妆的保护。诚然，嫁妆最初的目的是防止女性被抛弃;但是，它在当时家庭和社会现实生活中起着更重要的作用。妻子的嫁妆使她有权获得其丈夫十分之一的财物。妻子有权利拒绝丈夫所做的任何交易，但这不仅仅只是一项权利而已;文件表明她与丈夫一样平等地享有真正的决定权。文件没有表明丈夫和妻子在法律地位上有任何差别。
　　妻子享有管理丈夫私人财产的权利，但是反之则不然。如果丈夫要越权侵犯她们的利益，女性们会时刻准备着捍卫自己的利益，有时她们还会表现出一种坚强的斗争精神。Maria Vivas就是一个典型的例子。为了家庭的需要，她同意其丈夫Miro出售一块属于她的土地，但是她坚持要求获得补偿。但是丈夫没有给她提供补偿，于是她把丈夫拖到一个文书处，起草了一份合同，成功地把他丈夫的一块私人土地划归自己。正如合同所写的，“为了和平”，这个不幸的丈夫不得不同意。要么借助嫁妆，要么通过发脾气，妻子知道如何在家庭中为自己赢得强大的经济地位。
参考答案

【讲解答案】

Section B　　

Passage One
　　57. 【解析】[C]推断题。本文介绍了欧洲南部10和11世纪嫁妆对女性在婚姻中地位的重要性。虽然嫁妆最初的目的是防止女性被抛弃，但实际上它的作用远远不止于此。它使妻子在婚姻中的地位与丈夫平等，并保障了妻子的经济利益。女性在维护自己的利益上，是很坚定果敢的，Maria Vivas就是一个例子。见第一段第三句，“Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion.。.”，虽然在实际生活中嫁妆有更重要的作用，但最初它的作用只是为了防范女性被丈夫抛弃，所以C为正确答案。
　　58.【解析】[D]细节题。根据本文，妻子在婚姻中的法律地位和丈夫是平等的。见第一段最后一句，“In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife”文件中并没有表明丈夫和妻子在法律地位上有任何的差别，也就是说他们的地位是平等的，所以D为正确答案。
　　59.【解析】[B]推断题。作者举Maria Vivas的事例，是为了说明妻子是能够捍卫自己的利益的。见第二段第二句，“Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance...they showed a fine fighting spirit。”如果丈夫要侵占自己的利益，女性们就时刻准备着捍卫自己的利益，有时她们还表现出很强的斗争精神。接下来作者就举了Maria Vivas的例子，说明女性是有能力捍卫自己的利益的。所以B为正确答案。
　　60.【解析】[A]细节题。Maria Vivas得到的一份作为补偿的土地，本来是属于Miro的个人财产。见第二段第五句，“None being offered, she succeeded in... assigning her a piece of land from Miro?s personal inheritance”由此知A为正确答案。
　　61.【解析】[D]推断题。作者对Maria Vivas所持的态度是客观的。作者客观地介绍了Maria Vivas的事例，并没有表示出同情、不满或者是漠不关心，所以A、B、C都是错误答案