Europe is not a gender-equality heaven. In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male. Indeed, women hold only 14 percent of positions on Europe corporate boards.
The Europe Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women一up to 60 percent. This proposed mandate was born of frustration. Last year, Europe an Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action. Reding invited corporations to sign up for gender balance goals of 40 percent female board membership. But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance work and family?
“Personally, I don’t like quotas,” Reding said recently. “But I like what the quotas do.” Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions.
I understand Reding’s reluctance—and her frustration. I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, government by the capable. But, when one considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.
After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top position一no matter how much “soft pressure” is put upon them. When women do break through to the summit of corporate power—as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook—they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.
If appropriate pubic policies were in place to help all women—whether CEOs or their children’s caregivers一 and all families, Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society.
1.In the European corporate workplace, generally （ ）.
2.The European Union’s intended legislation is （ ）.
3.According to Reding, quotas may help women （ ）.
4.The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of （ ）.
5.Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of（ ）.
问题1选项
A.women take the lead
B.men have the final say
C.corporate governance is overwhelmed
D.senior management is family-friendly
问题2选项
A.a reflection of gender balance
B.a response to Reding’s call
C.a reluctant choice
D.a voluntary action
问题3选项
A.get top business positions
B.see through the glass ceiling
C.balance work and family
D.anticipate legal results
问题4选项
A.skepticism
B.objectiveness
C.indifference
D.approval
问题5选项
A.more social justice
B.massive media attention
C.suitable public policies
D.greater “soft pressure”
第1题:B
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
In the European corporate workplace, generally_____. 在欧洲的企业工作场所，一般是_____。
A. women take the lead A. 女性引领潮流
B. men have the final say B. 男人有最终的决定权
C. corporate governance is overwhelmed C. 公司治理不堪重负
D. senior management is family-friendly D. 高级管理层是家庭友好型的
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干European corporate workplace和generally可定位到第一段第二句：In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male.（尤其是在公司，女性若不能参与高级管理层的决策，工作场所就永远不会是完全有利于家庭的地方，但欧洲管理层职位中，男性仍然占主导地位。）B选项与文段信息相符，正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项，根据解析可知，该选项属于反向干扰；
C选项的含义在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项把主从句的主语和谓语部分交叉混用进行干扰，属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The European Union’s intended legislation is_____. 欧盟计划的立法是_____。
A. a reflection of gender balance A. 性别平衡的反映
B. a response to Reding’s call B. 是对雷丁号召的回应
C. a reluctant choice C. 一个不情愿的选择
D. a voluntary action D. 自愿的行为
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干The European Union’s intended legislation可定位至第二段第一句和第二句：The European Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women, up to 60 per cent. This proposed mandate was born of frustration. （欧盟目前正在考虑立法，以迫使公司董事会确保一定比例的女性，该比例高达60%，这个强制性提议源于一次挫折。）C选项‘a reluctant choice不得已的选择’第二句“源自于一个挫折”的同义转述，具体来讲，假若没有遭受挫折，欧盟是不会出台强制性立法的，正是该挫折使得欧盟别无选择，只能采取立法行动，因此属“情非得已”，所以C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项根据第一段的信息可知，在欧洲性别是不平等的，立法试图改变这个状态，但不能用来反映性别平衡，属于曲解原文；
B选项，根据第二段Last year, Europe Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action.（去年，欧盟委员会副主席维维安·雷丁呼吁采取自愿行动。）可知雷丁的呼吁不是立法所考虑的，立法都是强制的，这里属于曲解原文；
D选项根据解析可知，与文章所给信息相反，属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
According to Reding, quotas may help women_____. 根据雷丁的说法，配额可以帮助女性_____。
A. get top business positions A. 获得顶级商业职位
B. see through the glass ceiling B. 透过玻璃天花板
C. balance work and family C. 平衡工作和家庭
D. anticipate legal results D. 预期法律结果
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干According to Reding, quotas和may help可定位到第四段第三句：Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions. A选项‘get top business positions得到企业高管职位’与句中‘open the way to equality and break through the glass ceiling打开通向性别平等的道路，并打破女性职场瓶颈’信息相符，正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项，原文中是break through the glass ceiling（打破女性职场瓶颈）与选项中的see through the glass ceiling（透过玻璃天花板）一字之差，但意义完全不同，属于偷换概念；
C选项，第三段说定额最大的作用是能够保证女性获得高职位，而平衡工作和家庭是对其获得职位的限定，并不是主要目的，该选项属于曲解原文；
D选项，第四段尾句谈到“在法律条款中，将女性置于企业高层职位，这个结果可以在法国和其他国家见到”，与D选项的含义不同，属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of_____. 作者对雷丁的呼吁的态度是_____。
A. skepticism A. 怀疑
B. objectiveness B. 客观
C. indifference C. 冷漠
D. approval D. 赞同
【考查点】观点态度题
【解题思路】根据题干author和Reding’s appeal可定位在第五段。第一句中的understand和第二句中的don’t like...either都是主观倾向性表达，体现了作者对雷丁观点的认同。第三句中的does‘强调’，fairer‘更加公平的’与must‘必须’也属主观倾向性表达，表明作者对ordered的认可，也就是对当前状况下“制定配额”的认同，同样也是对雷丁观点的认可。所以D选项approval‘赞同’正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、C选项都是否定态度，与作者看法完全相反；
B选项objectiveness‘客观’与这一段中作者鲜明而又强烈的“主观倾向性”不一致。
第5题:
【选项释义】
Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of_____. 进入高层管理阶层的女性之所以成为头条新闻，是因为_____的缺失。
A. more social justice A. 更多的社会正义
B. massive media attention B. 大量媒体的关注
C. suitable public policies C. 适当的公共政策
D. greater “soft pressure” D. 更大的“软压力”
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干Women entering top management, become headlines和due to可定位到第六段第二句：When women do break through to the summit of corporate power—as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook—they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.而题干所问的原因在接下来的第七段：If appropriate pubic policies were in place to help all women…Sandberg would be no more newsworthy...in a more just society.（如果能够制定适当的公共政策来帮助女性，那么在这样一个更公正的社会中，Sandberg也就没有新闻价值了。）这句话是虚拟语气，暗示像Sandberg这样的进入高管行列的女性之所以有新闻价值或成为新闻头条，是因为缺乏“适当的公共政策”，所以C选项‘suitable public policies适当的公共政策’正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、D选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有；
B选项，根据解析提到的第一句话可知，大量媒体关注是女性进入高层管理的结果，而不是原因，属于曲解原文。ore just society.如果能够制定适当的公共政策来帮助女性，那么在这样一 个更公正的社会中，Sandberg也就没有新闻价值了。这句话是虚拟语气，如果制定适当的公共政策来帮助女性，那么Sandberg也就没有新闻价值了。这显然暗示像Sandberg这样的进入高管行列的女性之所以有新闻价值或成为新闻头条，是因为缺乏“适当的公共政策”，所以C选项‘suitable public policies合适的公共政策’正确。
