GMAT阅读资料第24篇

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2007:03:10 10:15:47
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

　Two modes of argumentation have been used on behalf of womens emancipation in Western societies. Arguments in what could be called the "relational" feminist tradition maintain the doctrine of "equality in (5) difference," or equity as distinct for equality. They posit that biological distinctions between the sexes result in a necessary sexual division of labor in the family and throughout society and that womens pro- creative labor is currently undervalued by society, to (10) the disadvantage of women. By contrast, the individual- ist feminist tradition emphasizes individual human rights and celebrates womens quest for personal autonomy, while downplaying the importance of gender roles and minimizing discussion of childbearing and its attendant (15) responsibilities.

　　Before the late nineteenth century, these views coexisted within the feminist movement, often within the writings of the same individual. Between 1890 nd 1920, however, relational feminism, which had been the (20) dominant strain in feminist thought, and which still pre- dominates among European and non-Western feminists, lost ground in England and the United States. Because the concept of individual rights was already well estab- lished in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition, (25) individualist feminism came to predominate in English- speaking countries. At the same time, the goals of the two approaches began to seem increasingly irreconcil- able. Individualist feminists began to advocate a totally gender-blind system with equal rights for all. Relational (30) feminists, while agreeing that equal educational and economic opportunities outside the home should be avail- able for all women, continued to emphasize womens special contributions to society as homemakers and mothers. they demanded special treatment (35) including protective legislation for women workers, state-sponsored maternity benefits, and paid compensa- tion for housework.

　Relational arguments have a major pitfall: because they underline womens physiological and psychological (40) distinctiveness, they are often appropriated by political adversaries and used to endorse male privilege. But the individualist approach, by attacking gender roles, deny- ing the significance of physiological difference, and condemning existing familial institutions as hopelessly (45) patriarchal, has often simply treated as irrelevant the family roles important to many women. If the individu- alist framework, with its claim for womens autonomy, could be harmonized with the family-oriented concerns of relational feminists, a more fruitful model for con- (50) temporary feminist politics could emerge.

　　1. The author of the passage alludes to the well- established nature of the concept of individual rights in the Anglo-Saxon legal and political tradition in order to

　　(A) illustrate the influence of individualist feminist thought on more general intellectual trends in English history

　　(B) argue that feminism was already a part of the larger Anglo-Saxon intellectual tradition, even though this has often gone unnoticed by critics of womens emancipation.

　　(C) explain the decline in individualist thinking among feminists in non-English-speaking countries

　　(D) help account for an increasing shift toward individualist feminism among feminists in English- speaking countries.

　　(E) account for the philosophical differences between individualist and relational feminists in English- speaking countries

　　2. The passage suggests that the author of the passage believes which of the following?

　　(A) The predominance of individualist feminism in English-speaking countries is a historical phenomenon, the causes of which have not yet been investigated.

　　(B) The individualist and relational feminist views are irreconcilable, given their theoretical differences concerning the foundations of society.　(C) A consensus concerning the direction of future feminist politics will probably soon emerge, given the awareness among feminists of the need for cooperation among women.

　　(D) Political adversaries of feminism often misuse arguments predicated on differences between the sexes to argue that the existing social system should be maintained.

　　(E) Relational feminism provides the best theoretical framework for contemporary feminist politics, but individualist feminism could contribute much toward refining and strengthening modern feminist thought.