I don't ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people
asked constantly for stories about what it's like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very
good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is
the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
     At 19, when I began studying astrophysics (天體物理學(xué)), it did not bother me in the least to be the only
woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as 3 post-doctor doing space research,
the issue started to bother me. My every achievement-jobs, research papers, awards- was viewed through the
lens of gender (性別) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left
brain versus (相對于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my
behalf and all womankind.
     Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply
to any and all provocations: I don't talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I
had at 19 and to realize that I didn't want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another
terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don't study sociology or political theory.
     Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women's college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me
how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to
answer; 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for
children. And I don't dismiss those concerns. Still, I don't tell them"war" stories. Instead, I have given them
this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have
given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that's a sight worth talking about.

1. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the author's failures to ______.

A. the very fact that she is a woman
B. her involvement in gender politics
C. her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist
D. the burden she bears in a male-dominated society

2. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?

A. Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.
B. Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.
C. People's stereotyped attitude towards female scientists.
D. Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurture

3. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

A. Female students no longer have to worry about gender issues.
B. Her students' performance has brought back her confidence.
C. Her female students can do just as well as male students.
D. More female students are pursuing science than before.

4. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?

A. Women students needn't have the concerns of her generation.
B. Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.
C. Women can balance a career in science and having a family.
D. Women now have fewer discrimination problems about science career.

     On the day of a big event, many people came to Big Bend Mountain to watch.John Henry and the
salesman stood side by side.Even early in the day, the sun was burning hot.
      The competition began.John Henry kissed his hammer and started working.At first, the
steampowered drill worked two times faster than he did.Then, he started working with a hammer in
each hand.He worked faster and faster.In the mountain, the heat and dust were so thick that most men
would have had trouble breathing.The crowd shouted as clouds of dust came from inside the mountain.
      The salesman was afraid when he heard what sounded like the mountain breaking.However, it was
only the sound of John Henry at work.Polly Ann and her son cheered when the machine was pulled
from the tunnel of the mountain.It had broken down.Polly Ann urged John Henry to come out.But he
kept working, faster and faster.He dug deep into the darkness, hitting the steel so hard that his body
began to fail him.He became weak, and his heart burst.
     John Henry fell to the ground.There was a terrible silence.Polly Ann did not move because she knew
what had happened.John Henry's blood spilled over the ground.But he still held one of the hammers."I
beat them, " he said.His wife cried out, "Don't go, John Henry." "Bring me a cool drink of water, " he
said.Then he took his last breath.
      His friends carried his body from the mountain.They buried him near the house where he was born.
Crowds went there after they heard about John Henry's death.
      Soon, the steam drill and other machines replaced the steeldrivers.Many laborers left their families to
look for work.They took the only jobs they could find.As they worked, some sang about John Henry.

1. What does the big event mentioned in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. John Henry's work on a machine.
B. A competition between John Henry and a salesman.
C. John Henry's work with his hammer and the steel.
D. A competition between John Henry and a drill.

2.The underlined word "tunnel" in Paragraph 3 probably  means"   __".
A. flat ground          
B. big rock
C. underground passage  
D. hard metal

3.What happened to John Henry when he fell to the  ground?
A. He was tired and had to have a rest.
B. He had heart trouble and was dying.
C. He was thirsty and wanted to drink some water.
D. He was injured slightly and was bleeding.

4.What do we know about John Henry?
A. He won the competition finally.
B. He was buried under the mountain.
C. He loved his work very much.
D. He said nothing before his death.

5.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Humans can never beat machines.
B. John Henry was regarded as a hero.
C. Laborers hated machines very much.
D. It was easy for laborers to find work.