Question

A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”

“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”

“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.

One day I found myself in the same situation. The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.

The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.

I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”

Coolly, without any trace of panic（恐慌，惊慌） in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t）, in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7 and 3.

Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”

Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.

1.What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?

A. The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.

B. The recorder was impatient and rude.

C. The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.

D. Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.

2.How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?

A. curious B. puzzled C. indifferent D. interested

3.How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?

A. calm B. panic-stricken C. confident D. cool

4.Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?

A. Because the author cared little about rewards.

B. Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.

C. Because she thought the author did admirable work.

D. Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.

5.What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A. To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.

B. To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.

C. To show that the author had a grander job than Emily.

D. To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：社会上通常用家庭主妇来称呼那些照顾家庭和孩子的妈妈，很多人不认为motherhood是一种职业。然而，作者却为motherhood这份工作感到自豪。

1.“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.”可知，就工作种类而言，“妈妈”属于家庭主妇，“妈妈”作为一种职业，还没有被社会接受，故选D。

2.“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?””可知，那位女职员不理解作者描述的是什么工作，根据ask可知，女职员感到困惑，故选B。

3.without any trace of panic（恐慌，惊慌） in my voice, ”可知，作者回答自己的工作是什么的时候很冷静，故选A。

4.But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.””可知，女职员觉得作者所做的工作是令人敬佩的，故选C。

5.Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.”可知，“妈妈”这个工作是很有意义的，是应该得到尊重的。故选B。

考点：社会类短文阅读