The flood of women into the job market boosted economic growth and changed U.S. society in many ways. Many in-home jobs that used to be done (47) ________ by women — ranging from family shopping to preparing meals to doing (48) ________ work — still need to be done by someone. Husbands and children now do some of these jobs, a (49) ________ that has changed the target market for many products. Or a working woman may face a crushing "poverty of time " and look for help elsewhere, creating opportunities for producers of frozen meals, child care centers, dry cleaners, financial services, and the like.
Although there is still a big wage (50) ________ between men and women, the income working women (51) ________ gives them new independence and buying power. For example, women now (52) ________ about half of all cars. Not long ago, many car dealers (53) ________ women shoppers by ignoring them or suggesting that they come back with their husbands. Now car companies have realized that women are (54) ________ customers. It’’s interesting that some leading Japanese car dealers were the first to (55) ________ pay attention to women customers. In Japan, fewer women have jobs or buy cars — the Japanese society is still very much male-oriented. Perhaps it was the (56) ________ contrast with Japanese society that prompted American firms to pay more attention to women buyers.
WORD BANK
[A] scale [F] affordable [K] voluntary
[B] retailed [G] situation [L] excessive
[C] generate [H] really [M] insulted
[D] extreme [I] potential [N] purchase
[E] technically [J] gap [O] primarily