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Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Woman
Let us imagine how Pride and Prejudice,Jane Austen's most famous work, might be updated, 200 years on.
Austen's popularity is rooted in her intelligence. But today she would certainly have had a very different life, as would her characters. Here's my own suggestion...
It is a truth finally and universally acknowledged that a single woman with brains deserves to have equal opportunities to men, however disadvantaged she may feel by sexism.
“My dear husband,”said his hopeful wife one day,“have you heard that the local store, standing empty for so long,is taken over by a bright young businesswoman?”
Her dull and indifferent(漠不关心的) husband replied that he had not.
“But it is, it is,” she replied excitedly.
Mr. DullHusband made no reply.
“Don't you want to know her plans?” she cried with some impatience.
“Well,clearly you think it matters to your silly little head...so I'd better listen. ”
“Well, my dear, the rumour(传言) is that she has already set up a string of successful businesses in northern England, though how a woman can know anything about that is beyond me. She will move in herself next month. ”
“What is her name?”
“Bingley. ”
“Is she married or single?”
“What a question! And none of your business. But her coming will be a fine thing for our five boys. ”
“How so? How can it possibly affect them?”
“My dear love: those lazy boys need something to wake them up. There are bound to be jobs going. ”
“Is that her point in settling here? Surely as a woman she has simply taken a fancy to the place. ”
“Nonsense, my love, how little you've noticed the world has changed. She's got a firstrate degree and some sort of business qualification, I'm told. She surely needs one of our boys! Perhaps you might give her a call. ”
“Me? No. Perhaps you can take an interest. You still have your looks, after all. She may even offer you a job. ”
“Oh, that's not likely. These new chances belong to the younger generation. But now you mention it, I think I'll go along all the same. ”
And Mrs. Bennet went along. That was 10 years ago. She is now managing director of a FTSElisted company.
...It would remain the case, of course, that Mrs. Bennet would be one of very few women on the company board, that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues, her bonus of a more “female” dimension and her lifespan (年限)among the city's business leaders shorter than theirs. Still, she'd no doubt have enjoyed Davos—and might even have hobnobbed (攀谈) with influential figures.
【解题导语】 本文为一篇夹叙夹议文。作者通过《傲慢与偏见》这部著作,引出性别歧视依然存在这一社会话题。
21.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Austen was born 200 years ago.
B.Austen rewrote Pride and Prejudice.
C.Austen's success lies in her wisdom.
D.Austen's updated work gains popularity.
解析:选C 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句可知,《傲慢与偏见》的作者简·奥斯汀的成功源于她的智慧,故答案选C。
22.The underlined part in the passage suggests that Mrs. Bennet ________.
A.had mixed feelings of admiration and surprise about Bingley
B.felt kind of worried and doubtful about Bingley
C.was extremely anxious to meet Bingley
D.had a great curiosity about Bingley
解析:选A 推理判断题。该句字面意思为“一个女人怎么能知道关于生意的事,这超出了我的理解。”由此推断,她对Bingley(当地一家商店的年轻女老板)的成就感到既羡慕又惊讶。
23.In the eyes of Mrs. Bennet,Bingley surely needed one of their boys to ________.
A.get married to B.work for her
C.help her move in D.take over her store
解析:选B 细节理解题。根据倒数第五段中的“She surely needs one of our boys!”可知,在Bennet夫人的眼中,她认为Bingley肯定需要雇用他们家的一个男孩子来为其工作。
24.What does the writer intend to tell us?
A.Women with brains can also be as successful as men.
B.Women have to pay a high price for success.
C.A judgment must be made free from prejudice.
D.Sex discrimination still exists nowadays.
解析:选D 观点态度题。根据文章最后一段可知,当然,这种事依然存在,Bennet夫人是公司领导层中屈指可数的女性之一,她的薪水和奖金比男性同事少,作为城市商业领袖的年限也会比男同事短。可推断出,作者打算告诉读者,性别歧视在今天依然存在。