2007年6月23日英语四级考试题卷及答案

            passage2

            I don't ever want 10 talk about being a woman scientist again. There
            was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about
            what it's like to work in a field dominated by men. 1 was never very
            good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them
            interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the
            universe, ihe shape of space-lime and the nature of black holes.

            At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, il did not bother me in
            the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning
            my Ph.D. at MIT and then as 3 post-doctor doing space research, the
            issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research
            papers, awards— was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics.
            So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument
            on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture
            (培育), 1 would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all
            womankind.

            Then one day a few years ago. out of my mouth came a sentence that
            would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I
            don't talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the
            confidence I had at 19 and to realize that 1 didn't want to deal
            with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible
            burden on every female scientist? After all. 1 don't study sociology
            or political theory.

            Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women's college in New York
            City. Recently, some­one asked me how many of tlie 45 students in my
            class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able
            to answer. 45. I know some of my students worry how ihcy will manage
            their scientific research and a desire for children. And 1 don't
            dismiss those concerns. Still. 1 don't tell them "war" stories.
            Instead. I have given them this: the visual of their physics
            professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn
            they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of
            science. And that's a sight worth talking about.

            62. Why doesn't ihc author want to talk about being a woman
            scientist again?
            A) She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.
            B) She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.
            C) She is not good at telling stories of the kind.
            D) She finds space research more important.
            本题答案: D

            63. From Paragraph 2. we can infer that people would attribute the
            author's failures to_______
            A) the very fact that she is a woman
            B) her involvement in gender politics
            C) her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist
            D) the burden she bears in a male-dominated society
            本题答案: A

            64. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her
            Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?
            A) Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.
            B) Unfair accusations from both tfiside and outside her circle.
            C) People's stereotyped attitude towards female scientists.
            D) Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurture
            本题答案: C

            65. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about
            her class?
            A) Female students no longer have to boihcr about gender issues.
            B) Her students' performance has brought back her confidence.
            C) Her female students can do just as well as male students.
            D) More female students are pursuing science than before.
            本题答案: D

            66. What docs the image the author presents to her students suggest?
            A) Women students needn't have the concerns of her generation.
            B) Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.
            C) Women can balance a career in science and having a family.
            D) Women now have fewer problcmsmirsuinga science career.
            本题答案: C