All the Ways Women Are Still Pressured to Put Family before Career - IELTS Reading Sample with Explanation

The IELTS reading test spans 60 minutes. It has 40 questions. IELTS reading passages are based on different topics like science, technology, arts, humanities. A variety of question formats are used to assess reading ability. Skimming, grasping logical argumentation, recognizing writers' perspectives, attitudes, and intent are all examples of reading for gist. The IELTS reading sample article - All The Ways Women Are Still Pressured To Put Family Before Career consists of passages along with the answers and explanations.

The following passage contains following types of questions:

• Choose the correct answer

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Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

All The Ways Women Are Still Pressured To Put Family Before Career IELTS Reading Sample​

1. There’s no denying that women around the world have made great strides toward equality in the past century. One hundred years ago, women in the United States still didn’t have the right to vote, and very few were allowed to pursue higher education or a meaningful career outside of their household duties. Fast forward to today, and more than 70 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 54 are active members of the national workforce. On top of this, 2015 marked the first year when women were, on average, more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than men, and this trend is on the rise.
2. But despite all this newfound opportunity, the prevailing societal attitudes about what women are historically supposed to value still have a long way to go. That’s why we’ve partnered with SK-II to learn more about all of the ways women are still pressured to stick to outdated gender norms. “Women have won unprecedented rights thanks to the feminist movement, but as a society, we still expect women to prioritize family over career, or even over their own needs,” says Silvia Dutchevici, president and founder of the Critical Therapy Center in New York City. Dutchevici says many women feel pressure to “have it all,” meaning both a thriving career and the perfect family, but that can be very difficult to achieve.
3.  “Most women try to balance work and family,” Dutchevici says, “but that balance is seldom equal.” In fact, she says working mothers ― even those with partners ― often find themselves essentially working two full-time jobs: keeping their career together while doing the brunt of housework, cooking and child-rearing. This happens for a variety of reasons, but societal expectations about the roles of women and men at home are still very much to blame, says Tamra Lashchyk, a Wall Street executive, business coach and author of the book “Lose the Gum: A Survival Guide to Women on Wall Street.”
4. “No matter how successful she is, the burden of running a household still falls on the woman’s shoulders,” Lashchyk says. “Men get more of a pass when it comes to these duties, especially those that involve children.” Lashchyk says much of this pressure on women to conform to a more domestic lifestyle comes from friends and family.
5. “In many people’s minds, a woman’s career success pales in comparison to having a family,” she says. “Especially if the woman is single, no matter how great her professional achievements, almost every single one of her conversations with her family will include questions about her romantic life or lack thereof. I could literally tell my family I’d cured cancer and the conversation would still end with, ‘But are you dating anyone?’” While covert societal expectations might contribute to some of this inequality, workplace policies on maternity and paternity leave can hold a lot of the blame.
6. “Unfortunately, many workplace policies regarding taking time off to care for family do not the changing times,” Dutchevici says. “Both men and women suffer in their careers when they prioritize family, but women carry far harsher punishments. Their choice to take time off and start a family can result in lower pay, and fewer promotions in the future. The right to family leave is not a woman’s issue, it is a society’s issue, a family’s issue.” Lashchyk agrees with this sentiment. “There should be more flexibility and benefits [in the workplace], like longer periods of time for paternity leave….If paternity leave was extended, men could share a greater responsibility in child care, and they could also spend more time bonding with their infant children, which is beneficial for the entire family.
7. Another less visible way the modern workplace forces women to choose family over career has to do with the fact that women are pushing back pregnancy, says Jeni Mayorskaya, a fertility expert and CEO of Stork Club, an online community for women dedicated to fertility issues. “Compared to our parents, our generation is having children a decade later,” Mayorskaya says. “Unfortunately, when we hit our mid-30s and we’re finally ready for that managing position or that title of a partner at a firm we fought so hard for, we have to think about putting our career on pause and becoming a mom.”
8. So what can women do to combat these societal pressures? Finding workplaces that offer flexible schedules, work-at-home opportunities and ample maternity and paternity leave is a good first step, but Dr. Neeta Bhushan, an emotional intelligence advocate and author, says women should also learn to put themselves first. “The first step is being mindful of your emotional health in your relationships with others and the relationship you have with yourself,“ Bhushan says. “When you put yourself first, you are able to make a bigger impact on your community. This is different than being selfish ― think beyond you. You want to make sure that you are being taken care of so that you can take care of others.”

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Section 2

Solution With Explanation

Questions 14-21
Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 14-21 on your answer sheet.

14. Two "jobs" that women essentially do

Answer: 'C'

Keyword: two full time jobs

Keyword location: Paragraph C, line 6

Supporting statement: "often find themselves essentially working two full-time jobs: keeping their career together while doing the brunt of housework, cooking and child-rearing."

Explanation: The supporting statement indicates that the women in this world work full time for their family and do two full time jobs without getting paid.

15. Question about dating

Answer: 'E'

Keyword: are you dating

Keyword location: Paragraph E, line 10

Supporting statement: Especially if the woman is single, no matter how great her professional achievements, almost every single one of her conversations with her family will include questions about her romantic life or lack thereof. I could literally tell my family I’d cured cancer and the conversation would still end with, ‘But are you dating anyone?’”

Explanation: Women in this world have to face a query about dating in their life and romantic life .

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16. Delaying pregnancy

Answer: 'G'

Keyword: pushing back pregnancy

Keyword location: Paragraph G,4th line

Supporting statement: Another less visible way the modern workplace forces women to choose family over career has to do with the fact that women are pushing back pregnancy,

Explanation: In paragraph G , it clearly indicates that with the passing of time, modern womens are delaying pregnancy due to their career.

17. The first year, when women are more likely to have bachelor's a degree

Answer: 'A'

Keyword: women more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than men

Keyword location: Paragraph A,11th line

Supporting statement: On top of this, 2015 marked the first year when women were, on average, more likely to have a bachelor’s degree than men, and this trend is on the rise.

Explanation: According to the reports of 2015, it was the first year when women possessed greater education than men and this trend seems to be rising.

18. The reasons to put yourself first

Answer: 'H'

Keyword: bigger impact on community

Keyword location: Paragraph H, 12th line

Supporting statement: women should also learn to put themselves first. “The first step is being mindful of your emotional health in your relationships with others and the relationship you have with yourself,“ Bhushan says. “When you put yourself first, you are able to make a bigger impact on your community.

Explanation: Women in this world live for their family and put their family first instead of choosing their own career.so Bhushan says that they should consider themself first and it will bring a positive impact in society.

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19. The source of conformation to domestic lifestyle

Answer: 'D'

Keyword: friends and family

Keyword location: Paragraph D,6th line

Supporting statement: Lashchyk says much of this pressure on women to conform to a more domestic lifestyle comes from friends and family.

Explanation: The supporting statement mentioned above depicts the source of conformation to domestic lifestyle.

20. Our expectancy over women's prioritization

Answer: 'B'

Keyword: we still expect women to prioritize

Keyword location: Paragraph B,8th line

Supporting statement: Women have won unprecedented rights thanks to the feminist movement, but as a society, we still expect women to prioritize family over career, or even over their own needs,”

Explanation: The world expects women to live for their family and give priority to family members instead of living their own life.

21. Pros of extended paternity

Answer: 'F'

Keyword: paternity leave,extended paternity

Keyword location: Paragraph F, Line 13

Supporting statement: There should be more flexibility and benefits [in the workplace], like longer periods of time for paternity leave….If paternity leave was extended, men could share a greater responsibility in child care, and they could also spend more time bonding with their infant children, which is beneficial for the entire family.

Explanation: In paragraph F, it clearly shows that delaying pregnancy has some benefits like men can get the responsibility in taking care of a child.

Questions 22-27

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 22-27 on your answer sheet.

22. One hundred years ago, women in USA:

1. had no rights.
2. were not allowed to pursue higher education.
3. couldn't vote.
4. were members of the national workforce.

Answer: 'C'

Keyword: didn't have right to vote

Keyword location: Paragraph A,3rd line

Supporting statement: One hundred years ago, women in the United States still didn’t have the right to vote

Explanation: In the first paragraph, the introductory sentence states about the women that one hundred years ago didn't possess the right to vote.

23. According to Silvia Dutchevici:

1. feminist movement has more disadvantages than advantages.
2. now we expect women to prioritize career over family.
3. now we expect women to prioritize their own needs over family.
4. women rarely achieve equal balance between family and work.

Answer: 'D'

Keyword: balance work and family

Keyword location: Paragraph C

Supporting statement: Most women try to balance work and family,” Dutchevici says, “but that balance is seldom equal.”

Explanation: The supporting statement mentioned above states that it is quite difficult for a woman to maintain a proper balance between work and family.

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24. Tamra Lashchyk, a Wall Street executive, says that

1. Most women are still responsible for the house duties.
2. men don't really need to do any housework.
3. it's more important for a woman to have a career than a family.
4. both A and B.

Answer: 'A'

Keyword: burden of running a household

Keyword location: Paragraph D , 1st line

Supporting statement: “No matter how successful she is, the burden of running a household still falls on the woman’s shoulders,” Lashchyk says.

Explanation: As we know that women play an important role in our society for running a household and paragraph D clearly explains about the women having a burden of running a household.

25. Lashchyk agrees with Dutchevici on

1. women's rights and feminism.
2. the fact that the right to family leave is a society’s issue.
3. the state of women's rights in America.
4. the reason why women want to pursue their careers.

Answer: 'B'

Keyword: not a women issue, social issue

Keyword location: Paragraph F, 8th line

Supporting statement: The right to family leave is not a woman’s issue, it is a society’s issue, a family’s issue.” Lashchyk agrees with this sentiment.

Explanation: Lashchyk completely agrees with Dutchevici 's words that the right to family leave is the issue of a society, and is not responsible for this particular issue.

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26. Jeni Mayorskaya says that

1. nowadays women give birth later than they used to.
2. now women don't push pregnancy back.
3. when women are in their 30s, they have to think about putting their career on pause to become a mother.
4. Both A and C.

Answer: 'D'

Keyword: a decade later,managing position

Keyword location: Paragraph G

Supporting statement: Compared to our parents, our generation is having children a decade later,” Mayorskaya says. “Unfortunately, when we hit our mid-30s and we’re finally ready for that managing position or that title of a partner at a firm we fought so hard for, we have to think about putting our career on pause and becoming a mom.”

Explanation: Paragraph G states about the delay of pregnancy of the women,as women have to stop their career to become a mother.

27. According to the last paragraph, how can women deal with societal pressure?

1. They should be selfish.
2. They shouldn't work at home.
3. They should put themselves first.
4. They should avoid marriage at all.

Answer: 'C'

Keyword: put yourself first

Keyword location: Paragraph H,line 11

Supporting statement: “When you put yourself first, you are able to make a bigger impact on your community. This is different from being selfish ― think beyond you. You want to make sure that you are being taken care of so that you can take care of others.”

Explanation: The last paragraph states about the upliftment of women in the society, and it shows that women should themselves first and that will bring a major impact in the community.