IV. Read the following passage carefully and complete the sentences that follow by circling letter A, B, C or D as the correct answers and then mark your choice on the answer sheet.
Passage1
A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, despite the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people ages between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37% of the total housework, while the women estimated their share to be nearly double that, at 70%. This ratio was not affected by whether the woman was working or not.
When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labour, women with jobs felt that housework should be shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80% - the majority of the household work - if their husbands did remainder. Research has shown that, if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are unimportant.
After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload by 14 hours per week, but for men the amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labor becomes unbalanced, as a man`s share increases much less than the woman`s. It is the inequality and loss of respect, not the actual number of hours, which leads to anxiety and depression. The research describes housework as thankless and unfulfilling. Activities included in the study were cooking, cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, washing up and childcare. Women who have jobs report that they feel overworked by these chores in addition to their professional duties. In contrast, full-time homemakers frequently anticipate going back to work when the children grow up. Distress for this group is caused by losing the teamwork in the marriage.
Question 1: What is this passage mainly about?
Unbalanced sharing of housework
The increase in working hours.
The equality in sharing housework.
The work of married women
Question 2: All activities mentioned in the passage are household chores EXCEPT________.
shopping B. washing-up
C. taking care of old-aged parents D. child-caring
Question 3: The word "norm"in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.
A. unequal thing B. changing thing C. usual thing D. strange thing
Question 4: Although women think men should share the housework, those who don`t have paid job agree to share________of the chores.
A. 14 per cent B. 70 per cent C. 37 per cent D. 80 per cent
Question 5: The word"they"in paragraph 2 refers to________.
A. men B. women C. jobs D. labor
Passage 2
Everyday life today is much more complicated than in the past. Even in our leisure time we have to make so many choices about what to do or even what to watch on TV. We are often spoilt for choice and this can leave us feeling confused and dissatisfied. We all know that it is important to achieve a balance between work and play, but many of us do not succeed. Instead, we put extra pressure on ourselves by trying to be as successful as in our work life as in our personal life.
Life in the past was much simpler as many people worked to meet their basic needs. Today, for many of us, our job is not just a way of making a living. For many, work plays an important role in our everyday life and gives us a strong sense of personal fulfillment. What’s more, we have become much more materialistic. Many people set themselves goals such as buying a new house or car and so we measure our success by the material things we own. Desiring these luxuries is what motivates us to work much harder than in the past, so in many ways we choose this way of life.
We have worked hard to improve our standard of living, but it may have come at a very high price. We need to make some changes in our priorities so that family occasions are as important as business meetings. We should also take every possible opportunity to enjoy our leisure time. Once you have made the decision to do this, you should find that your quality of life also improves.
Question 1: What is the passage mainly about?
A. Good qualities of life today and in the past
B. Ways people today balance their work life and personal life
C. Distinction between life today and in the past
D. Basic needs for people today and in the past
Question 2: According to the passage, people today have to work much harder to meet all the following basic needs EXCEPT ______.
A. personal fulfillment B. materialistic life C. luxurious lifestyle D. simpler life
Question 3: The word
nguon VI OLET
