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SAMPLE21

[法律类]

Defendersofspecialprotectivelaborlegislationforwomenoftenmaintainthateliminatingsuchlawswoulddestroythefruitsofacentury-longstrugglefortheprotectionofwomenworkers.Evenabriefexaminationofthehistoricpracticeofcourtsandemployerswouldshowthatthefruitofsuchlawshasbeenbitter:theyare,inpractice,moreofacursethanablessing.

Sex-definedprotectivelawshaveoftenbeenbasedonstereotypicalassumptionsconcerningwomen’sneedsandabilitiesandemployershavefrequentlyusedthemaslegalexcusesfordiscriminatingagainstwomen.AftertheSecondWorldWar,forexample,businessesandgovernmentsoughttopersuadewomentovacatejobsinfactories,thusmakingroominthelaborforceforreturningveterans.Therevivalorpassageofstatelawslimitingthedailyorweeklyworkhoursofwomenconvenientlyaccomplishedthis.Employershadonlytodeclarethatovertimehourswereanecessaryconditionofemploymentorpromotionintheirfactory,andwomencouldbequitelegallyfired,refusedjobs,orkeptatlowwagelevels,allinthenameof“protecting”theirhealth.Byvalidatingsuchlawswhentheyarechallengedbylawsuits,thecourtshavecolludedovertheyearsinestablishingdifferent,lessadvantageousemploymenttermsforwomenthanformen,thusreducingwomen’scompetitivenessonthejobmarket.Atthesametime,eventhemostwell-intentionedlawmakers,courts,andemployershaveoftenbeenblindtotherealneedsofwomen.Thelawmakersandthecourtscontinuetopermitemployerstoofferemployeehealthinsuranceplansthatcoverallknownhumanmedicaldisabilitiesexceptthoserelatingtopregnancyandchildbirth.

Finally,laborlawsprotectingonlyspecialgroupsareoftenineffectiveatprotectingtheworkerswhoareactuallyintheworkplace.Somechemicals,forexample,posereproductiverisksforwomenofchildbearingyears:manufacturersusingthechemicalscomplywithlawsprotectingwomenagainstthesehazardsbyrefusingtohirethem.Thusthesex-definedlegislationprotectsthehypotheticalfemaleworker,buthasnoeffectwhateveronthesafetyofanyactualemployee.Thehealthriskstomaleemployeesinsuchindustriescannotbenegligible,sincechemicalstoxicenoughtocausebirthdefectsinfetusesorsterilityinwomenarepresumablyharmfultothehumanmetabolism.Protectivelawsaimedatchangingproductionmaterialsortechniquesinordertoreducesuchhazardswouldbenefitallemployeeswithoutdiscriminatingagainstany.

Insum,protectivelaborlawsforwomenarediscriminatoryanddonotmeettheirintendedpurpose.Legislatorsshouldrecognizethatwomenareintheworkforcetostayandthattheirneeds—goodhealthcare,adecentwage,andasafeworkplace—aretheneedsofallworkers.Lawsthatignorethesefactsviolatewomen’srightsforequalprotectioninemployment.

1.Accordingtotheauthor,whichofthefollowingresultedfromthepassageorrevivalofstatelawslimitingtheworkhoursofwomenworkers?

[A]Womenworkerswerecompelledtoleavetheirjobsinfactories.

[B]Manyemployershaddifficultyinprovidingjobsforreturningveterans.

[C]Manyemployersfoundithardtoattractwomenworkers.

[D]Thehealthofmostwomenfactoryworkersimproved.

2.Theauthorplacestheword“protecting”inquotationmarksinline9,paragraph2mostlikelyinordertosuggestthat

[A]sheisquotingtheactualwordingofthelawsinquestion.

[B]theprotectivenatureofthelawsinquestionshouldnotbeoverlooked.

[C]protectingthehealthofworkersisimportanttothosewhosupportprotectivelaborlaws.

[D]thelawsinquestionwerereallyusedtothedetrimentofwomenworkers,despitebeingovertlyprotectiveinintent.

3.Thetextsuggeststhatwhichofthefollowingisashortcomingofprotectivelaborlawsthatsingleoutaparticulargroupofworkersforprotection?

[A]Suchlawsareoftentooweaktobeeffectiveatprotectingthegroupinquestion.

[B]Suchlawsareusuallydraftedbylegislatorswhodonothavethebestinterestsofworkersatheart.

[C]Suchlawsexertnopressureonemployerstoeliminatehazardsintheworkplace.

[D]Compliancewithsuchlawsisoftencostlyforemployersandprovokeslawsuitsbyemployeesclaimingdiscrimination.

4.Accordingtothefirstparagraphofthetext,theauthorconsiderswhichofthefollowingtobemosthelpfulindeterminingthevalueofspecialprotectivelaborlegislationforwomen?

[A]Acomparativestudyofpatternsofwork-relatedillnessesinstatesthathadsuchlawsandinstatesthatdidnot.

[B]Anestimateofhowmanywomenworkersareinfavorofsuchlaws.

[C]Ananalysisofthecosttoemployersofcomplyingwithsuchlaws.

[D]Astudyoftheactualeffectsthatsuchlawshavehadinthepastonwomenworkers.

5.Theauthorimpliesthatwhichofthefollowingischaracteristicofmanyemployeehealthinsuranceplans?

[A]Theycoverallthecommonmedicalconditionsaffectingmen,butonlysomeofthoseaffectingwomen.

[B]Theylackthespecialprovisionsforwomenworkersthatproposedspeciallaborlawsforwomenwouldprovide.

[C]Theypaythemedicalcostsassociatedwithpregnancyandchildbirthonlyforthespousesofmaleemployees,notforfemaleemployees.

[D]Theymeetminimumlegalrequirements,butdonotadequatelysafeguardthehealthofeithermaleorfemaleemployees.