Part A: Reading Comprehension
Text 4
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 European corporate boards.
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 goals of 40 percent female board membership. But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance work and family?
“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.
I understand Reding’s reluctance-and her frustration. I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance 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.
After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the U.S. are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top positions-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.
If appropriate pubic 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.
(Note: "pubic" in the last paragraph is a known typo in the original test paper, intended as "public".)
36. In the European corporate workplace, generally
37. The European Union’s intended legislation is
38. According to Reding, quotas may help women
39. The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of
40. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of
答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)
36. [B] men have the final say.
解析：第一段指出，“直到女性成为高层管理决策的一部分之前，职场永远不会对家庭完全友好”，且“欧洲最高层的公司治理职位仍然压倒性地由男性占据（remain overwhelmingly male）”。这说明在欧洲公司高层决策中，男性仍占据主导地位。选项B“男性拥有最终决定权（men have the final say）”正是对这一现象的同义转述。
37. [C] a reluctant choice.
解析：第二段提到欧盟正在考虑强制配额的立法，紧接着指出：“这项提议的强制要求源于沮丧（born of frustration）”。去年的“自愿行动”号召失败了。第五段进一步明确了这种“无奈”：“我理解Reding的不情愿（reluctance）和她的沮丧。我也不喜欢配额……但是……看来似乎必须暂时强制建立一个更公平的世界。”这说明立法强制配额是在自愿无果后“不得已的/不情愿的选择（a reluctant choice）”，选C。
38. [A] get top business positions.
解析：第四段引述 Reding 的观点：“配额能带来行动：它们‘为平等开辟了道路，它们打破了玻璃天花板’……这一结果在那些有法律约束力要求将女性安置在最高商业职位（placing women in top business positions）的国家已经看到。” 这直接对应了选项A“帮助女性获得顶级商业职位（get top business positions）”。选项B中的“see through（看穿）”是对原文“break through（打破）”的形似干扰。
39. [D] approval.
解析：作者在第五段表明了自己的态度。虽然作者和 Reding 一样在感情上不喜欢配额制（I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief...），但作者在转折后表示：“但是（But），当人们考虑到实现唯才是举理想的障碍时，看起来确实必须（it does look as if... must be）暂时强制建立一个更公平的世界。” 结合第六段批判企业逃避晋升女性，说明作者理智上是“赞同/支持（approval）”采用强制配额这一呼吁的，选D。
40. [C] suitable public policies.
解析：最后一段指出：“如果适当的公共政策到位（If appropriate pubic[public] policies were in place）来帮助所有女性……Sandberg（作为破局的女性CEO）就不会比其他任何在更公正的社会中生活的高能力人士更具新闻价值（newsworthy/become headlines）”。这里运用了虚拟语气，反向推理可知：正是因为目前缺乏“适当的公共政策（suitable public policies）”，她们进入高层才成了罕见的大新闻，选C。
全文翻译
欧洲不是性别平等的天堂。特别是，公司职场永远不会完全适合家庭，除非女性成为高层管理决策的一部分，而欧洲的顶级公司治理职位仍然以男性为主。确实，女性仅占据欧洲公司董事会14%的席位。
欧盟现在正在考虑立法，迫使公司董事会保持一定比例的女性——最高60%。这一提议的授权源于挫折感。去年，欧盟委员会副主席薇薇安·雷丁发出自愿行动的呼吁。雷丁邀请公司签署40%女性董事会成员的性别平衡目标。但她的呼吁被认为是失败的：只有24家公司响应。
我们是否需要配额来确保女性在平衡工作和家庭时能继续公平地攀登企业阶梯？
"就个人而言，我不喜欢配额，"雷丁最近说。"但我喜欢配额所达成的效果。"配额产生行动：它们"为平等打开道路并打破玻璃天花板，"据雷丁说，这是法国和其他有法律约束力规定将女性置于高层商业职位的国家所见到的结果。
我理解雷丁的不愿——和她的挫折感。我也不喜欢配额；它们违背了我对精英统治、由能力者治理的信念。但是，当一个人考虑到实现精英理想所面临的障碍时，一个更公平的世界似乎确实需要暂时被命令。
毕竟，四十年的证据现已表明，欧洲以及美国的公司正在回避对女性进行精英聘用和晋升到高层职位——无论对它们施加多少"软压力"。当女性确实突破到企业权力的顶峰时——例如，谢丽尔·桑德伯格最近在Facebook做到的——她们吸引巨大的关注，正是因为她们仍然是对规则的例外。
如果适当的公共政策到位，以帮助所有女性——无论她们是CEO还是孩子的照顾者——以及所有家庭，桑德伯格将不会比任何其他生活在一个更公正社会中的高能力人士更具新闻价值。
核心长难句精解 (High-Light)
1. Not... Until... 句型的正反翻译：
"In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions..."
【解析】not/never... until... 意为“直到...才...”。直译为“直到女性成为高层管理决策的一部分，职场才可能对家庭完全友好”。这凸显了女性进入决策层是改善职场环境的必要前提。
"In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions..."
【解析】not/never... until... 意为“直到...才...”。直译为“直到女性成为高层管理决策的一部分，职场才可能对家庭完全友好”。这凸显了女性进入决策层是改善职场环境的必要前提。
2. 插入语、同位语与态度的转折：
"I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance 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."
【解析】run counter to（与...背道而驰）；governance by the capable 是 meritocracy（唯才是举）的同位语解释。作者用 But 引导态度大转折，并用助动词 does 加强语气，认为在理想与现实（obstacles）冲突时，通过强制手段（ordered）实现公正是必要的。
"I don’t like quotas either; they run counter to my belief in meritocracy, governance 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."
【解析】run counter to（与...背道而驰）；governance by the capable 是 meritocracy（唯才是举）的同位语解释。作者用 But 引导态度大转折，并用助动词 does 加强语气，认为在理想与现实（obstacles）冲突时，通过强制手段（ordered）实现公正是必要的。
3. 虚拟语气与 no more... than 结构：
"If appropriate public policies were in place to help all women... Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society."
【解析】If... were... would be... 是对现在事实的虚拟假设。no more A than B 意为“和B一样不A”。这句话的意思是：如果公共政策到位了，桑德伯格就会和任何一位有能力的人一样，**不再**是什么值得大惊小怪的新闻了（因为女性做高管将成为常态）。
"If appropriate public policies were in place to help all women... Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society."
【解析】If... were... would be... 是对现在事实的虚拟假设。no more A than B 意为“和B一样不A”。这句话的意思是：如果公共政策到位了，桑德伯格就会和任何一位有能力的人一样，**不再**是什么值得大惊小怪的新闻了（因为女性做高管将成为常态）。