2013考研英语阅读真题英语二 Text4 （豆包整理）
Europe is not a gender-equality heaven. In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male. Indeed, women hold only 14 percent of positions on Europe corporate boards.
欧洲并非性别平等的天堂。尤其是企业职场，女性如若不能参与高层管理决策，工作环境就无法完全兼顾家庭需求，而且欧洲企业高层管理岗位绝大多数由男性占据。事实上，欧洲企业董事会里女性席位仅占14%。
The European Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women—up to 60 percent. This proposed mandate was born of frustration. Last year, European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action. Reding invited corporations to sign up for gender balance goal of 40 percent female board membership. But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
欧盟如今正在考虑立法，强制企业董事会维持一定女性占比，最高可达60%。这项拟议的硬性规定源于一次失败的尝试。去年欧盟委员会副主席维维安·雷丁号召企业自主行动，倡议企业签约达成董事会女性占比40%的性别平衡目标。但这场呼吁以失败告终，仅有24家企业参与。
Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance work and family?
我们是否需要配额制度，来确保女性能在平衡工作与家庭的同时，在职场公平晋升？
“Personally, I don’t like quotas,” Reding said recently. “But I like what the quotas do.” Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling,” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions.
雷丁近日表示：“我个人并不喜欢配额制，但我认可配额带来的成效。”配额可以促成实际改变：它铺平平等之路、打破职场无形天花板。法国等国家出台法定条例保障女性进入企业高管层，已经印证了这一点。
I understand Reding’s reluctance—and her frustration. I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, government by the capable. But, when one considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.
我理解雷丁的不情愿与挫败感。我同样反感配额制，它违背我崇尚的精英管理制度、任人唯贤的理念。但考虑到实现择优选材理想困难重重，想要打造更公平的环境，短期内的确需要硬性法规约束。
After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top position—no matter how much “soft pressure” is put upon them. When women do break through to the summit of corporate power—as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook—they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.
毕竟四十年的数据表明，无论外界施加多少软性压力，欧美企业始终回避择优聘用、提拔女性到高管岗位。少数女性成功跻身企业权力顶端，例如脸书的谢丽尔·桑德伯格，之所以收获大量关注，正是因为这类事例实属特例。
If appropriate public policies were in place to help all women—whether CEOs or their children’s caregivers—and all families, Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society.
倘若能够出台完善的公共政策，帮扶所有女性（无论是企业高管还是全职宝妈）和各个家庭，在一个更加公平的社会里，桑德伯格也就不会比其他优秀人才更具备新闻价值。
一、重难点单词
1. gender /ˈdʒendə/ n. 性别
2. overwhelmingly /ˌəʊvəˈwelmiŋli/ adv. 压倒性地，绝大多数
3. legislation /ˌledʒɪsˈleɪʃn/ n. 立法，法律
4. compel /kəmˈpel/ v. 强迫，迫使
5. mandate /ˈmændeɪt/ n. 强制规定，法令
6. quota /ˈkwəʊtə/ n. 配额，定额
7. glass ceiling 无形职场壁垒，玻璃天花板
8. binding /ˈbaɪndɪŋ/ adj. 有法律约束力的
9. provision /prəˈvɪʒn/ n. 法规，条款
10. reluctance /rɪˈlʌktəns/ n. 不情愿，勉强
11. run counter to 与……相悖
12. meritocracy /ˌmerɪˈtɒkrəsi/ n. 精英体制，任人唯贤制度
13. meritocratic adj. 择优的
14. obstacle /ˈɒbstəkl/ n. 阻碍，障碍
15. evade /ɪˈveɪd/ v. 规避，逃避
16. summit /ˈsʌmɪt/ n. 顶峰，高层
17. in place 就位，实施生效
二、五道题目+做题技巧
原题
36. In the European corporate workplace, generally ______. [B]
[A] women take the lead [B] men have the final say
[C] corporate governance is overwhelmed [D] senior management is family-friendly
37. The European Union’s intended legislation is ______. [A]
[A] a reflection of gender balance [B] a reluctant choice of Reding
[C] a response to Reding’s call [D] a voluntary action of companies
38. According to Reding, quotas may help women ______. [A]
[A] get top business positions [B] see through the glass ceiling
[C] balance work and family [D] anticipate legal results
39. The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is ______. [D]
[A] skeptical [B] objective [C] indifferent [D] approving
40. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of ______. [C]
[A] more social justice [B] massive media attention
[C] suitable public policies [D] greater “soft pressure”
本篇阅读做题技巧
1. 细节题（36/37/38/40）：题文同序
题干关键词定位原句，答案就在定位句本句或前后一句，不跨段乱找。
例40关键词headlines→尾段If appropriate public policies were in place…反向=缺少合适公共政策。
2. 态度题（39）：抓转折词
I understand…、But认可配额作用，看出作者赞同Reding；
标志词：understand、but转折是考研态度题高频线索。
3. 熟词陷阱排除
38B see through看穿≠原文break through打破，词义偷换直接排除。
4. 反向推理法
原文虚拟语气（would be no more newsworthy）=现实缺少政策，是英二高频出题句式。
10个月宝宝每天需要喝多少奶粉？
