In both rich and poor countries, poverty most often has a
feminine face. It is bad enough in America: according to the Census
Bureau 14.1% of women live in poverty, compared with 11.1% of men.
In the developing world, the situation is much worse. By some
estimates 70% of the world's poor are women and the depth of their
poverty look positively benign.
The World Bank would like this to change. Late in February,
together with the OECD and several European governments, it
convened a conference in Berlin on increasing the economic power of
women. The bank reckons that restricting women's participation in
the economy is not merely unfair, but bad economics. To put matters
right it has released a “Gender Action Plan”, which calls for
better data and a harder push for World Bank schemes that seek to
move women into the economic mainstream.
Currently, the World Bank says that women earn an average of 22%
less than men, and have much less access to credit; in Africa, for
example, they receive just 1% of the credit going to the
agricultural sector. Changing this could have an enormous impact on
deprivation around the world. This is why Grameen Bank, among other
poverty-fighting institutions, has chosen to focus its efforts on
women.
micro-lender tries to ensure that its loans raise the economic
status of women within their families by ensuring, for example,
that ownership of houses built with Grameen loans staying with the
women.
fosters economic development. Where men control most of the
finances, it is more likely that households will distribute what
they have unequally between male and female children, leaving the
female family members with insufficient resources to meet basic
needs. This, in turn, can hinder development of both mind and body.
Giving women economic power can significantly
where women contribute a significant portion of the revenue spend
more money on food and childcare and less on alcohol and
tobacco.
But the World Bank may have cause and effect reversed. Does
liberating women promote economic growth or does economic growth
spur women's liberation? In an economy where adding economic value
involves muscle power, women are bound to be paid less, and valued
less, than men even before the effects of childbirth and childcare
are taken into account. And in most societies, lower economic value
translates into reduced social and political status.
The experience of developed countries certainly seems to indicate
that economic growth is profoundly liberating for women. As the
value of brute force falls opportunities in the labour market for
women grow. Modern
appliances, make it easier for them to take paid work. And with
that comes economic and political power. There is a strong argument
that women's liberation movement owes less to the “feminine
machines that reduced household
bank would do better to concentrate on spurring economic growth
rather than
注（1）：本文选自
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 1。
1． Why does the author claim that poverty has a feminine
face?
[A] Because women are in general poorer than
men.
[C]
Because the poverty rate among women are higher than men.
[D]
Because women earn less money then men
2． Which of the following is NOT the oppinion of the World
Bank?
[A] It is almost impossible to change the
American poverty situation.
desirable to raise women’s economic status.
[C] Women
should be entitled to access more credit.
[D]
Giving women more economic power is good for families.
3． The expression “translate into” (Line 5, Paragraph 5) most
probably means _______.
[A] turn one language into another
[C]
transfer to
[D] lead
to
4． What is the author’s attitude towards World Bank’s
interpretation of female poverty?
[A] Researved consent
[C]
Slight comtempt
[D]
Enthusiastic support
5． Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
[A]
Poverty in America is of the similar condition as that of the rest
of the world.
in households.
[C] To
raise women’s economic status, it is important to liberate them
from housework.
[D]
Grameen Bank only deals with small loan businesses.
剥夺
mystique
供养
feminine face. It is bad enough in America: according to the Census
Bureau 14.1% of women live in poverty, compared with 11.1% of men.
In the developing world, the situation is much worse. By some
estimates 70% of the world's poor are women and the depth of their
poverty look positively benign.
The World Bank would like this to change. Late in February,
together with the OECD and several European governments, it
convened a conference in Berlin on increasing the economic power of
women. The bank reckons that restricting women's participation in
the economy is not merely unfair, but bad economics. To put matters
right it has released a “Gender Action Plan”, which calls for
better data and a harder push for World Bank schemes that seek to
move women into the economic mainstream.
Currently, the World Bank says that women earn an average of 22%
less than men, and have much less access to credit; in Africa, for
example, they receive just 1% of the credit going to the
agricultural sector. Changing this could have an enormous impact on
deprivation around the world. This is why Grameen Bank, among other
poverty-fighting institutions, has chosen to focus its efforts on
women.
micro-lender tries to ensure that its loans raise the economic
status of women within their families by ensuring, for example,
that ownership of houses built with Grameen loans staying with the
women.
fosters economic development. Where men control most of the
finances, it is more likely that households will distribute what
they have unequally between male and female children, leaving the
female family members with insufficient resources to meet basic
needs. This, in turn, can hinder development of both mind and body.
Giving women economic power can significantly
where women contribute a significant portion of the revenue spend
more money on food and childcare and less on alcohol and
tobacco.
But the World Bank may have cause and effect reversed. Does
liberating women promote economic growth or does economic growth
spur women's liberation? In an economy where adding economic value
involves muscle power, women are bound to be paid less, and valued
less, than men even before the effects of childbirth and childcare
are taken into account. And in most societies, lower economic value
translates into reduced social and political status.
The experience of developed countries certainly seems to indicate
that economic growth is profoundly liberating for women. As the
value of brute force falls opportunities in the labour market for
women grow. Modern
appliances, make it easier for them to take paid work. And with
that comes economic and political power. There is a strong argument
that women's liberation movement owes less to the “feminine
machines that reduced household
bank would do better to concentrate on spurring economic growth
rather than
注（1）：本文选自
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text 1。
1． Why does the author claim that poverty has a feminine
face?
[A] Because women are in general poorer than
men.
[C]
Because the poverty rate among women are higher than men.
[D]
Because women earn less money then men
2． Which of the following is NOT the oppinion of the World
Bank?
[A] It is almost impossible to change the
American poverty situation.
desirable to raise women’s economic status.
[C] Women
should be entitled to access more credit.
[D]
Giving women more economic power is good for families.
3． The expression “translate into” (Line 5, Paragraph 5) most
probably means _______.
[A] turn one language into another
[C]
transfer to
[D] lead
to
4． What is the author’s attitude towards World Bank’s
interpretation of female poverty?
[A] Researved consent
[C]
Slight comtempt
[D]
Enthusiastic support
5． Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
[A]
Poverty in America is of the similar condition as that of the rest
of the world.
in households.
[C] To
raise women’s economic status, it is important to liberate them
from housework.
[D]
Grameen Bank only deals with small loan businesses.
剥夺
mystique
供养