Passage 8

　　American women experience a great variety of lifestyles. A "typical" American woman may be single. She may also be divorced or married. She may be a homemaker, a doctor, or a factory worker. It is very difficult to generalize about American women. However, one thing that many American women have in common is their attitude about themselves and their role in American life.
　　Historically, American women have always been very independent. The first colonists to come to New England were of ten young couples who had left behind their extended family (i.e. their parents,sisters, cousins, etc.). The women were alone in a new, undeveloped country with their husbands. This had two important effects. First of all, this as yet uncivilized environment demanded that every person share in developing it and in survival. Women worked along side their husbands and children to establish themselves in this new land. Second, because they were in a new land without the established influence of older members of society, women felt free to step into nontraditional roles.
　　This role of women was reinforced in later years as Americans moved west, again leaving family behind and encountering a hostile environment. Even later, in the East, as new immigrants arrived, the women often found jobs more easily than men. Women became the supporters of the family.
　　Within the established lifestyle of industrialized twentieth century America, the strong role of women was not as dramatic as in the early days of the country. Some women were active outside the home; others were not. However, when American men went to war in the 1940s, women stepped into the men's jobs as factory and business workers. After the war, some women stayed in these positions, and others left their jobs with a new sense of their own capabilities.

　　36. A typical American woman is .
　　 A) single or married
　　 B) divorced
　　 C) sure about herself and her role
　　 D) all of the above
　　37. Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the second
　　paragraph?
　　 A) Two contrasting views of a problem are presented.
　　 B) An evaluation is explained and then reasons are given.
　　 C) A problem is examined and possible answers are given.
　　 D) Historical view is explained in comparison with the present.
　　38. During the industrialized twentieth century, the role of women .
　　 A) was strengthened
　　 B) was as important as early
　　 C) was declined
　　 D) was more reinforced than early days
　　39. Women took part in men's jobs during the time of .
　　 A) the Second World War
　　 B) the West movement
　　 C) was early immigration
　　 D) the industrialized twentieth century
　　40. What is the main idea of this passage?
　　 A) Different life styles led by the American women.
　　 B) American women were free to step into nontraditional roles.
　　 C) American women worked hard to establish their roles in American history.
　　 D) American women were independent because they did not have to follow the
　　　　regulations at all.