Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
A.post B.pressure C.paid D.negotiating E.abandon F.balance G.average H.entitled I.increasingly J.reluctantly
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Most women in France work. Their average salary is about 75% that of their male co-workers, even though laws passed in 1972 require “professional equality” between the sexes.
The good news is that women are __1__moving into middle management, but a handful are to top executives. The higher their position, the harder it is to __2__family and career. A 38-year-old woman who graduated from the National school of Administration remembers that when she took a senior __3__in a ministry, her male colleagues assured her,” you are one of us, one of the guys”. But when she became a mother, she found it difficult to stick to age-old traditions of being a housewife. Meanwhile, she couldn’t follow the office schedule. “It was too much__4__ to have long lunches and late-night meetings.”, she said.
For those who want to balance family with a job, France is a heaven. Women marry later, on __5__, than in America - at age 25. They stay in the workforce, and part-time jobs are easy to find. Maternity(孕產) benefits are generous, with over six months of __6__ leave. Women who’ve raised three or more children are __7__to get a state-funded pension, and the quality of publicly funded education for children is high.
French businesswomen dress elegantly, argue intelligently and play hardball at the __8__table. They show their wit, intellect, ability to make puns and understanding of politics, history and literature. Unlike most American female executives who dress conservatively in a dark, not particularly flattering suit, with no jewelry and little makeup, Frenchwomen see no need to __9__femininity(婦女特質) and elegance in the business world. They prefer soft colors, stylish clothes, silk scarves, light makeup, and simple but elegant jewelry.
