Thegreatestrecentsocialchangeshavebeeninthelivesofwomen.Duringthetwentiethcenturytherehasbeenaremarkableshorteningofthetimeofawoman’slifespentincaringforchildren.Awomanmarryingattheendofthenineteenthcenturywouldprobablyhavebeeninhermiddletwenties,andwouldbelikelytohavesevenoreightchildren,ofwhomfourorfivelivedtilltheywerefiveyearsold.Bythetimetheyoungestwasfifteen,themotherwouldhavebeeninherearlyfiftiesandwouldexpecttoliveafurthertwentyyears,duringwhichhealthmadeitunusualforhertogetpaidwork.Todaywomenmarryyoungerandhavefewerchildren.Usuallyawoman‘syoungestchildwillbefifteenwhensheisforty-fiveandcanbeexpectedtoliveanotherthirty-fiveyearsandislikelytotakepaidworkuntilretirement(退休)atsixty.Evenwhileshehasthecareofchildren,herworkislightenedbymodernlivingconditions.

Thisimportantchangeinwomen’slife-patternhasonlyrecentlybeguntohaveitsfulleffectonwomen‘seconomicposition.Evenafewyearsagomostgirlsleftschoolsatthefirstchance,andmostofthemtookafull-timejob.However,whentheymarried,theyusuallyleftworkatonceandneverreturnedtoit.Todaytheschool-leavingageissixteen,manygirlsstayatschoolafterthatage,andthoughwomenusuallymarryyounger,moremarriedwomenstayatleastuntilshortlybeforetheirfirstchildisborn.Verymanymoreafterwardsreturntofullorpart-timework.Suchchangeshaveledtoanewrelationshipinmarriage,withthehusbandacceptingagreatershareofthedutiesandsatisfactionsoffamilylife,andwiththebothhusbandandwifesharingmoreequallyinprovidingthemoney,andrunningthehome,accordingtotheabilitiesandinterestsofeachofthem.

　小题1:Accordingtothepassage,aroundtheyear1900mostwomenmarried________.

A.atabouttwenty-fiveB.intheirearlyfifties

Cassoonaspossibleaftertheywerefifteen

D.atanyagefromfifteentoforty-five

　小题2:Wearetoldthatinacommonfamilyabout1900_________.