Question

When Women Were “Ladies”

As late as 1800, women’s only place was in the home. The idea of women in the business world was unthinkable. No “nice” woman would d 1.  of entering what was strictly a “man’s world”. Even if she could, what would she do? Men were positive that no women could deal with a job outside her home. This was such a w  2.  accepted idea that when the famous Brontë sisters began writing books in 1846, they disguised (伪装) themselves by signing their books w  3. men’s names.

Teaching was the first profession (职业) open to women soon after 1800. But even so, that was not an e 4. profession for women to enter because most high schools and colleges were open only to men. Oberlin College in Ohio was the first college in America to a  5.  women.

Hospital nursing became respectable work for women only after Florence Nightingale became f6.  . Because she was a wealthy and cultured woman, as well as a nurse, people began to believe it was possible for women to nurse the s  7. and still be “ladies”. Miss Nightingale opened England’s first training school for nurses in 1860.

The i 8.  of the typewriter (打字机) in 1867 helped to bring women out of the home and into the business world. Because women had slender (纤细的), quick f  9.  , they learned to operate typewriter quickly and well. Businessmen found that they had to hire women for this new kind of work.

By 1900, thousands of women were working at real jobs in schools, hospitals, and offices in both England and America. Some women even m 10. to become doctors or lawyers. The idea that “nice” women could work in the business world had been accepted.

Answer

1.dream

2.widely

3.with

4.easy

5.accept

6.famous

7.sick

8.invention

9.fingers

10.managed

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述的是妇女从家庭主妇走向社会，走向事业的解放历程。

1.dream 句意：妇女参加工作是不敢想像的，没有“漂亮”的女人梦想着进入严肃的男人世界。从句意可以推测出这里填“梦想”，故填：dream。

2.widely 句意：只有男人而不是女人可以处理家以外的事务。这是被广泛接受的想法。根据短文，妇女解放前，人们都是那样认为的。所以说是被广泛地认为，故填widely。

3.with 她们用男名签字，来伪装自己。从语义可以推测出这里填“用”，用……作为工具，作介词with。

4.easy 句意：1800年后，教育是第一个为妇女开放的职业。即使那样，因为许多中学、大学只对男性开放，那也是对妇女不容易的职业。不容易，故填easy。

5.accept 句意：俄亥俄州的奥柏林大学是第一所接受妇女的大学。根据短语语境，前面讲述的是许多学校只对男性开放，而这所大学是第一所接受妇女的大学。接受：accept。

6.famous弗洛伦斯·南丁格尔出名后，医院护士成为对妇女受尊敬的职业。出名：become famous。故填famous。

7.sick 句意：人们开始相信对妇女们来讲，护理病人是可能的。病人：the sick。故填sick。

8.invention 句意：1867年打字机的发明把妇女从家里带到商业世界来。打字机的发明，用名词形式，故填：invention。

9.fingers 句意：因为妇女有纤细、灵巧的手指，他们学习操作打字机又快又好。根据语境：此处填手指finger。故填：fingers。

10.

考点：历史文化类短文阅读。