五、阅读理解
Housework is an endless argument(争论)between lazy husbands and their hard-working wives，but women are warned not to expect men to share housework any time soon.
A study from Oxford University has found it seems impossible for men to be doing an equal share of housework before 2050. Mothers will continue to shoulder the burden(负担)of childcare and housework for the next thirty years，largely because housework such as cleaning and cooking is still thought of to be “women’s work”.
The gap(鸿沟)has narrowed slowly over the past thirty years. Women expect true equality(平等). But what makes them down is that it will take another thirty years before
it is achieved.
The research has found that in the northern part of Europe，the burden of housework is shared more equally between men and women. In the UK，a woman spends around four hours and forty minutes each day on housework，compared with two hours and twenty-eight minutes for men. This is an improvement from the 1960s，when British women typically(典型地)spent six hours a day on housework，while men spent just ninety minutes every day.
But progress towards housework equality appears to be slowing in some countries. Dr Oriel Sullivan，a research reader，said，“We’ve looked at what is influencing the equality at home，and we have found that certain tasks seem to be given according to whether they are viewed as ‘men’s work’ or ‘women’s work’.”
Dr Sullivan said cultural attitudes(态度)taught at school may decide the views of housework. “At school it is much easier for a girl to be a tomboy(假小子)，but it is much more difficult for a boy to enjoy cooking and dancing，” she said.
(
D
)1. Women will continue to do more housework before 2050 mainly because
.
A. men are too busy to help
B. they would like to do so
C. they can do it better
D. it is considered as women’s work
(
C
)2. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refers to
.
A. the research
B. the housework
C. true equality
D. the gap
(
C
)3. From Paragraph 4 we know that in the UK
.
A. men now spend just ninety minutes a day on housework
B. women now are too busy with their work to do housework
C. women now spend less time on housework than before
D. housework is shared equally between men and women
(
B
)4. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Argument about housework between husbands and wives will end.
B. Women will be doing more housework than men until 2050.
C. Men are unable to help their wives with housework.
D. Women spend less time on housework while men spend more than before.
