单项选择题
The greatest changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there was a remarkable shortening of the time in a woman’s life spent caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the nineteenth century would probably have been in her mid twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five would live till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which time her state of health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman’s youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and she can expect to live another thirty years during which time she is likely to take paid work until her retirement at sixty. Even when she has to take care of her children, her work is lightened by modern living conditions.
This important change in a woman’s life pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on woman’s economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never went back to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls carry on working at school after that age, and though women usually marry younger, more married women carry on working at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more later return to full or part-time jobs. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally the responsibility providing money for living expenses, and running the house, according to the abilities and interests of each of them.
A. marry instead of getting paid work
B. marry before they are twenty-five
C. have more children under fifteen
D. have too few children