(2019·石家庄模拟)Few people are aware that Waterloo Bridge, crossed by thousands of daily commuters(通勤者) and celebrated as a London landmark, was mainly built by a female workforce.
There are no written or photographic records of the women who built the bridge since the construction company that built it closed in the 1980s and with it went all the records. What’s left is anecdotal evidence, kept alive by the tourist boat captains who have called it the Ladies’ Bridge.
During the Second World War, with the majority of the active male labor force away at the front, women increasingly took on traditionally male roles. By 1944, 25，000 women were working in the construction industry, carrying out backbreaking tasks. These women were permitted to carry out this exhausting and dangerous work on the basis that it would only be temporary and that their pay would be lower than that of men. So the trend in women working in construction and engineering did not continue after the war.
September sees a series of events celebrating the unknown work of the large female workforce. Musician Claudia Molitor has created a 45minute musical entitled “the Singing Bridge”， which runs at Somerset House from 9 to 25 September. In late September, the “Light up the Ladies’ Bridge” event sees the National Theatre’s fly tower lit up by large scale photographic projections(投影) of female construction workers working in construction during World War Ⅱ.
Let’s all celebrate the women who have helped to build the cities in which we live.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。介绍了英国滑铁卢桥的历史、建造人及纪念活动等。
1．Why do few people know about the builders of Waterloo Bridge?
A．The records of their work have been lost.
B．Female workers received little attention.
C．The construction took place long ago.
D．Few people know about the bridge.
A 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的第一句可知，自从20世纪80年代建造该桥的建筑公司倒闭以来，就没有妇女建造该桥的文字或照片记录了，所有的记录随着公司的倒闭都丢失了，故A项正确。
2．Why did London women do the construction work?
A．It was a tradition in London.
B．They wanted to get a steady job.
C．The company offered them better pay.
D．Most men had gone to the battlefield.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段的第一句可知，由于二战期间大部分男子都上前线参战了，而妇女便不得不充当起了男子的角色，故D项正确。
3．What’s the fourth paragraph mainly about?
A．The influence of the bridge on art.
B．A musician’s contribution to the bridge.
C．The events in honor of the bridge builders.
D．Women’s work during the Second World War.
C 解析：段落大意题。通读第四段可知，该段第一句为该段主题句，该段主要介绍了在九月份举行的一系列纪念建桥者的活动，故C项正确。
4．Which can be the best title for the text?
A．Female Workers on the Rise
B．A Hidden Treasure in London
C．A New London Landmark
D．The Story Behind the Ladies’ Bridge
D 解析：标题归纳题。通读全文可知，本文主要介绍了英国滑铁卢桥的历史、建造人及纪念活动等，重点介绍了该桥被称为“女士桥” 的原因和其背后的故事，故D项最适合作本文标题。
