During the twentieth-century there has been a great change in the lives of women. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and can be expected to live another thirty-five years and is likely to take paid work until sixty.
This important change in women's life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school and took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life.
46. We are told that in a family in about 1900 .
A. few children died before they were five
B. seven or eight children lived to be more than five
C. the youngest child would be fifteen
D. four or five children died when they were five
47.One reason why the woman of today may take a job is that she .
A. is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves
B. does not like children herself
C. needn't worry about food for her children
D. can be free from family duties when she reaches sixty
48. According to the passage, it is now quite usual for women to .
A. stay at home after leaving school
B. marry men younger than themselves
C. start working again later in life
D. marry while still at school
49.Many girls are now likely to .
A. give up their jobs for good after they are married
B. leave school as soon as they can
C. marry so that they can get a job
D. continue working until they are going to have a baby
50. Now a husband probably .
A. plays a greater part in looking after the children
B. helps his wife by doing more of the housework
C. feels dissatisfied with his part in the family
D. takes a part-time job so that he can help in the home46—50AACDB
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(答案→)46—50AACDB
解析：本文主要论述了二十世纪女性与十九世纪女性相比，在结婚，生子和工作等方面所发生的巨大改变。
46. A 细节题。从第一段的of whom four or five lived till they were five years old可知，七八个孩子中有四个或五个可能在五岁之前就死了。
47. A推断题。根据第一段中对十九世纪和二十世纪妈妈的年龄，就业等情况的对比中不难推出the woman of today may take a job的一个原因是is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves。
48. C 推断题。由Very many more afterwards return to full or part-time work可以推出妇女在生活后期回到工作岗位日渐普遍。同时可结合上下文相应文句，不难发现其它选项的不合理之处。
49. D 细节题。从第二段的more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born可以知道如今很多妇女坚持工作直到生养第一个孩子。
50. B 推断题。根据最后一句话中的the husband accepting a greater share of the duties可以推出，现代家庭里，丈夫会帮助他的妻子做家务活。