①　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 per cent of positions on European corporate boards.

②　The European Union is now considering legislation to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women – up to 60 per cent. 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 per cent female board membership. But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.

③　Do we need quotas to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate ladder fairly as they balance work and family?

④　“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.

⑤　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.

⑥　After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as well as the US 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.

1.1.In the European corporate workplace, generally ________.

A women take the lead

B men have the final say

C corporate governance is overwhelmed

D senior management is family-friendly

解析：选B。 B推理判断题。题目问欧洲职场的总体现象，相关信息集中在第一段。该段指出：欧洲并非性别平等的天堂，男性在公司高层中占绝对主导地位，女性所占比例甚微。可见，[B]选项符合文义。

2.2.The European Union’s intended legislation is ________.

A a reflection of gender balance

B a response to Reding’s call

C a reluctant choice

D a voluntary action

解析：选C。 C推理判断题。本文通篇都在针对欧盟拟定的立法进行讨论，仅根据题干无法准确定位。结合选项可发现，各项涉及该立法提案的性质/来源，由此定位到第二段。该段首句指出，欧盟正考虑立法以强迫公司董事会保持一定的女性比例。 第二句指出，欧盟这一做法源于一次挫折。 第三至末句具体讲述挫折：欧委会副主席薇薇安·瑞丁号召企业自愿参与实现性别平衡的目标，但接受呼吁者寥寥可数。整体来看，正是由于“呼吁自愿参与”无效，欧盟才考虑“立法强迫执行”，拟定此项立法实乃不得已而为之，[C]选项正确。

3.3.According to Reding, quotas may help women ________.

A get top business positions

B see through the glass ceiling

C balance work and family

D anticipate legal results

解析：选A。 A细节理解题。题目询问定额给予女性的帮助，信息集中在第四段。该段指出瑞丁观点：定额可以开辟通往平等之路，打破晋升障碍；法国等“明文规定女性在企业高层所占比例”的国家即证明了这一点。可见，[A]选项符合瑞丁观点。

4.4.The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is one of ________.

A skepticism

B objectiveness

C indifference

D approval

解析：选D。 D观点态度题。第四段阐述了瑞丁关于定额的观点：不喜欢定额，但认可定额的作用。 第五段表明本文作者观点：我理解瑞丁的不情愿和沮丧；我也不喜欢定额——它与我所信仰的英才管理理念相悖；但当前形势下要实现精英管理困难重重，因而确实需要强制手段（即，实施定额）来实现较为公平的世界。可见，作者对瑞丁呼吁职场性别平等持赞同态度，[D]正确。

5.5.Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of ________.

A more social justice

B massive media attention

C suitable public policies

D greater “soft pressure”

解析：选C。 C推理判断题。此根据题干关键词become headlines与第六段的attract massive attention及第七段的newsworthy的照应关系，可定位至这两段。第七段用虚拟句“假如有合适的公共政策来帮助女性……则女性高管也就不会具有如此高的新闻价值了”反向表明女性高管引发轰动的真正原因：缺乏合适的公共政策，[C]选项正确。