博士阅读理解.doc

考博阅读冲刺班密卷 1 Western states were the first to give women the vote. Between 1869 and the outbreak of World War I, 17 states west of the Mississippi gave women the right to vote in state elections for Governors and Representatives. It was not until 1920 that the Federal Government under pressure by suffragettes (women insisting on their right to vote), followed the states lead and permitted women to take part in national elections for Congresswomen and the President. Women have made great strides since then in achieving political equality. Recently, American feminists have been working hard to achieve social and economic equality as well as political. Their belief is that, as there is nothing that women cannot do just as well as men, they should be shown the same respect and have the same social rights and the same pay as their male counterparts. Anything less is discrimination and sexism. Few American girls agree with the extreme feminists who deride marriage and romantic love, but more and more of them are prepared to live with a man outside marriage, often with the intention of buying a home and marrying only when, between them, they have saved enough money. Young couples today share both the household chores and care of the baby. The old generations, especially those that live in the city suburbs, are bewildered and disturbed by this trend. It is all against the great American tradition of the home as the symbol of the unified family. The American woman makes the most of her free time. She helps with political campaigns. She sits on committees. She goes to classes of all kinds, from health foods to English literature, from environmental studies to karate. She swims, plays tennis, and she takes an active interest in her childrens education. In most of these activities her companions are other housewives from her neighborhood. There are women executives of some important industries and businesses. In fact there are women in most jobs which were formerly reserved