2023年专四阅读详解.doc

星期4 ThursdayBusiness is the salf of life.事业是人生的第一需要学习内容题 材词 数建议时间错误记录做题备忘Text A女性职场4306分钟 /5Text B经济管理3925分钟 /5Text C自然奥秘4506.5分钟 /5Text D社会问题5467.5分钟 /5今日练习Text ADespite all the progress toward women’s equality, women who work full time are still earning only 75 cents on average to every dollar earned by men.Driving home that point, the National Committee on Pay Equity has chosen April 16 this year, to remind Americans that all women would need to work at least an extra two days in a workweek to earn almost as much as all men do in one normal workweek.Why does such a wage gap still persist?Economists differ in their explanations. And yet this income disparity is seen as a key indicator of how women are treated — in both the workplace and at home.Fortunately, the women’s movement and civil rights enforcement have ended most gender discrimination in setting wages. Now advocates are focused on ensuring that working women have female advisers and role models, while they try to remove subtle discrimination in promotions — the “glass ceiling” (指职业女性在职务提高时碰到的无形阻力)that accounts for so few women being in top management.Many economists, however, say many women have lower-paying jobs because of choices made in their home life, such as taking time out to raise children. Or women take part-time, low-wage jobs for the flexibility. When they do reenter the workforce full time, they’re often behind their working peers in pay and promotions.But as more women feel empowered to make career choices, their pay rises.Another explanation is that women don’t really make the choice to drop off the career ladder or to stay at a lower job rung. They may, for example, accept the expectations of others to take traditional jobs for women, such as nursing, which have low market wages. They must often take jobs that don’t account for the unpredictability of families. Working moms may find their income can’t pay for day care, or day care doesn’t suit their child. If they are married, they may realize their husbands are not inclined to child rearing (or house chores), so they either quit work or go part time.So as their life choices seem to become a life burden, women’s income slips behind men’s.No matter what the explanation, much progress has been made in reducing the pay gap. While government still has a major role, employers can do more. Many have found a market advantage in supporting working mothers or putting women in management. And in the home, men and women are getting smarter in defining their marital relationships, often before tying the knot.Just as women now outnumber men in college, perhaps someday their average pay will surpass men’s — and that may make up for lost wages.1. April 16 has been chosen [A] to show the organization’s attitude towards equal pay.[B] to define the day as pay day for women who are not equally paid.[C] to make it clear that women working full time are earning less than men.[D] to remind women to work longer hours to earn as much as men.2. How can women raise their salary?[A] By going out for work instead of staying at home.[B] By asking their employer to raise their salary.[C] By sending their child to the kindergarten.[D] By having the ability to choose their jobs.3. Which of the following is NOT a traditional job for women?[A] Nurse. [B] Teacher.[C] Economist. [D] Typist.4. Which of the following statement is NOT true? [A] Wage gap servers as a key indicator of how women are treated.[B] Many women have lower-paying jobs because of house chores.[C] Some working mothers earn less than their children’s day care.[D] Many employers have already done enough to support working mothers.5. Who are expected to contribute more to narrowing the pay gap?[A] Women themselves.[B] Employers.[C] The government. [D] Men.Text BIf sustainable competitive advantage depends upon work force skills, American firms have a problem. Human-resource management is not traditionally seen as central to the competitive survival of the firm in the United States. Skill acquisition is considered an individual responsibility. Labor is simply another factor of production to be hired — rented at the lowest possible cost — much as one buys raw materials or equipment.The lack of importance attached to human-resource management can be seen in the corporate hierarchy. In an American firm the chief financial officer (CFO) is almost always second in command. The post of head of human-resource management is usually a specialized job, off at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human-resource management is central — usually the second most important executive, after the CEO, in the firm’s hierarchy.While Am。