Question

    I don’t want to 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 (controlled) by men. I 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, the shape of space, time and the nature of black holes.

At 19, when I began studying astrophysics (天体物理学), it 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 a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement — jobs, research papers, awards — was viewed through the lens (镜片) 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), I 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 (挑衅): 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 I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I 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 the 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 they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I 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.

1.Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

A.She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination (歧视).

B.She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.

C.She is not good at telling stories of the kind.

D.She finds space research more important.

2.From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute (把……归因于) the author’s failures to ________.

A.the burden she bears in a male-dominated society

B.her involvement in gender politics

C.her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist

D.the very fact that she is a woman

3.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 inside and outside her circle.

C.People’s fixed attitude toward female scientists.

D.Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.

4.What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?

A.Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.

B.Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

C.Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

D.Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.C

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述的是作者通过自己的努力和人们的传统的性别歧视作斗争，并且最后取得了非凡的成绩。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated (controlled) by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting.可知，在我的生活中，曾经有一段时间，人们总是问我在一个男人主宰的领域里工作是什么样子的。我从来都不擅长讲这些故事，因为说实话我从来都不觉得它们有趣。由此推知，作者不想再谈论成为一名女科学家的问题，因为她已经受够了性别歧视的问题。故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段My every achievement — jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens (镜片) of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures.可知，我的每一项成就——工作、研究论文、奖项——都是通过性别政治的视角来看待的。我的失败也是如此。由此推知，人们把她的失败归因于她是个女人这一事实。故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第二段Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.可知，有时，当我被迫就左脑与右脑，或先天与后天之争展开辩论时，我会立即为自己和所有女性展开激烈的斗争。由此可知，作者所抗争的是人们对女科学家的固定态度。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段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.可知，相反，我给了他们这个：他们的物理教授怀着孕做物理实验的视觉。反过来，他们给我的印象是45名女性被对科学的热爱所驱使。这是一个值得讨论的景象。由此可知，作者向她的学生呈现的形象暗示了女性可以在科学事业和家庭之间取得平衡。故选B。