Paternity Leave

文章内容（节选）

完整文章请进入机考练习查看。

题目与答案

1. 14 Paragraph A
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：an illustration of a trend in one country

   原文定位：At a course for fathers-to-be in New York, participants are introduced to baby maintenance for beginners;The City Dads Group was founded… Frustrated, the friends set up their own group, which has spread to 17 cities in the USA, helping fathers who want to get involved from day one

2. 15 Paragraph B
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   原文定位：According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 85% of countries now provide at least 12 weeks' maternity leave;Though it publishes detailed advice regarding female employees, the organisation has drawn up no formal recommendations on fathers' rights and duties. Until recently, national governments have been similarly uninterested; less than half of countries offer paternity leave of any sort. In the eyes of most people, responsibility for bringing up baby still falls squarely on the mother

3. 16 Paragraph C
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：pressure for change from an unlikely source

   原文定位：But much of the demand for a shift in approaches to childcare has come from women, who have started to conclude that they are victims as well as beneficiaries of generous maternity-leave policies

   同义替换：「pressure for change」↔「demand for a shift in approaches to childcare」，「unlikely source」↔「women」

4. 17 Paragraph D
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：the implications of maternity leave

   原文定位：But it turns out that long maternity breaks have unintended consequences. Time away from the labour market reduces women's earning power, as their skills degrade and they miss chances to gain experience and win promotion. Moving into senior management becomes particularly hard;And the effect is magnified when lengthy maternity leave is combined with policies to encourage part-time work

   同义替换：「implications」↔「unintended consequences」，「maternity leave」↔「long maternity breaks」

5. 18 Paragraph E
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives

   原文定位：Britain recently became the latest country to combine maternity and paternity leave into a single chunk of parental leave;The problem is that dads tend not to take up the offer;The main reason for low take-up by fathers is financial;But pressure related to culture also weigh heavily

6. 19 Paragraph F
   • opposition by employers to parental leave
   • an illustration of a trend in one country
   • an explanation for the limited success of government initiatives
   • pressure for change from an unlikely source
   • the need for cooperation at a global level
   • the contrast in attitudes towards leave for mothers and fathers

   答案：a range of measures to encourage more equal responsibility

   原文定位：To overcome these obstacles, some countries are giving fathers a firm nudge. In a few, including Chile, Italy and Portugal, paternity leave is compulsory. Others offer incentives that are hard to turn down. Sweden grants a bonus to parents who share leave more equally;Germany introduced the same system;Poland has switched to gender-specific quotas

7. According to the writer, which TWO problems may be caused by maternity leave?
   • Women may be less effective at work after maternity leave.
   • Women may find it difficult to find suitable part-time work.
   • Women may find they are paid less for doing the same work.
   • Women's chances of professional advancement may be affected.
   • Women's pay may be insufficient to support them during maternity leave.

   答案：Women may be less effective at work after maternity leave.,Women's chances of professional advancement may be affected.

   原文定位：But it turns out that long maternity breaks have unintended consequences. Time away from the labour market reduces women's earning power, as their skills degrade and they miss chances to gain experience and win promotion. Moving into senior management becomes particularly hard

   同义替换：「professional advancement」↔「win promotion」，「affected」↔「hard」，「problems may be caused」↔「unintended consequences」

8. Encouraging more fathers to take paternity leave

   Even in countries where paternity leave is easy to get, few fathers make use of it chiefly for 22_____ reasons.

   答案：financial

   原文定位：The main reason for low take-up by fathers is financial: even pre-childbirth, women are paid less than men, meaning that their salaries are easier to forgo during a period of unpaid or low-paid leave

   同义替换：「few fathers make use of it」↔「low take-up by fathers」

9. However, issues connected with 23_____, including traditional views of male and female roles in the family, may also play a part.

   答案：culture

   原文定位：But pressure related to culture also weigh heavily. Mothers still tend to be seen as the main carers, with dads portrayed in domestic terms as blundering sidekicks or well-meaning buffoons

   同义替换：「issues connected with」↔「pressure related to」，「including traditional views of male and female roles in the family」↔「Mothers still tend to be seen as the main carers」，「may also play a part」↔「also weigh heavily」

10. Some countries, such as Chile, have made it 24_____ for men to take paternity leave.

    答案：compulsory

    原文定位：To overcome these obstacles, some countries are giving fathers a firm nudge. In a few, including Chile, Italy and Portugal, paternity leave is compulsory

    同义替换：「such as」↔「including」

11. Sweden and Germany both offer a bonus to families where parents share leave, and in Poland, mothers and fathers each have 25_____ of leave which are specified for them.

    答案：quotas

    原文定位：Germany introduced the same system and saw the proportion of fathers taking time off rise from 3% in 2006 to 32% in 2013, and Poland has switched to gender-specific quotas, replacing the previous system of shared leave

    同义替换：「specified for them」↔「gender-specific」

12. Sharing children in this way may be good for both mothers and fathers and may also support the 26_____ of the child.

    答案：development

    原文定位：And shared involvement by parents stands to improve women's careers, children's development and perhaps even dads' life satisfaction

    同义替换：「Sharing children in this way」↔「shared involvement by parents」，「support」↔「improve」