The existence of both racial and sexual discrimination in employment is well documented，and policymakers and responsible employers are particularly sensitive to the plight of the black female employee on the theory that she is doubly the victim of discrimination.That there exist differences in income between whites and blacks is clear，but it is not so clear that these differences are solely the result of racial discrimination in employment.The two groups differ in productivity，so basic economics dictates that their incomes will differ.

To obtain a true measure of the effect of racial discrimination in employment it is necessary to adjust the gross black/white income ratio for these productivity factors.White women in urban areas have a higher educational level than black women and can be expected to receive larger incomes.Moreover，State distribution of residence is important because blacks are overrepresented in the South，where wage rates are typically lower than elsewhere and where racial differentials in income are greater.Also，blacks are over-represented in large cities，and incomes of blacks would be greater if blacks were distributed among cities of different sizes in the same manner as whites.

After standardization for the productivity factors，the income of black urban women is estimated to be between 108 and 125 percent of the income of white women.This indicates that productivity factors more than account for the actual white/black income differential for women.Despite their greater education，white women’s actual average income is only 2 to 5 percent higher than that of black women in the North.Unlike the situation of men，the evidence indicates that the money income of black urban women was as great as，or greater than，that of whites of similar productivity in the North，and probably in the United States as a whole.

At least two possible hypotheses may explain why the adjustment for productivity more than accounts for the observed income differential for women.First，there may be more discrimination against black men than against black women.The different occupational structures for men and women give some indication why this could be the case.Second，the data are consistent with the hypothesis that the intensity of discrimination against women differs little between whites and blacks.Therefore，racial discrimination adds little to effects of existing sex discrimination.These findings suggest that a black woman does not necessarily suffer relatively more discrimination in the labor market than does a white woman.Rather，for women，the effects of sexual discrimination are so pervasive that the effects of racial discrimination are negligible.

1.The primary purpose of the passage is to____.

[A] explain the reasons for the existence of income differentials between men and women

[B] show that racial discrimination against black women in employment is less important than sexual discrimination

[C] explore the ways in which productivity factors influence the earning power of black workers

[D] sketch a history of racial and sexual discrimination against black and female workers in the labor market

2.The difference between income levels for black and white women is____.

[A] less than that for black and white men

[B] greater than that for black and white men

[C] greater since black women are subject to more discrimination

[D] smaller since women can only do low-paying jobs

3.Which of the following best describes the logical relationship between the two hypotheses presented in the fourth paragraph?

[A] They may both be true since each phenomenon could contribute to the observed differential.

[B] They are contradictory，and if one is proved to be correct，the other is proved incorrect.

[C] They are independent of each other，and it is hard to establish any relationship between them.

[D] The two hypotheses are logically connected so that it is impossible to prove either one to be true without also proving the other to be true.

4.If the second hypothesis mentioned by the author is correct，a general lessening of discrimination against women should lead to a(n) ____.

[A] higher white/black income ratio for women

[B] lower white/black income ratio for women

[C] lower female/male income ratio

[D] increase in the productivity of women

5.The author’s attitude toward racial and sexual discrimination in employment is one of____.

[A] apology [B] concern [C] indifference [D] indignation

参考答案：

1.[B] 文章最后一段是作者的结论，这段提到两个假设，一是对男性黑人的歧视可能比对女性黑人的歧视更严重;二是对妇女的歧视在黑人和白人之间没有多大区别。因此作者的结论是：就黑人妇女而言，种族歧视并没有使性别歧视加重——黑人妇女并没有受双重歧视，由于对任何种族的妇女的歧视占主导地位，种族歧视的影响几乎可以忽略不计了。

2.[A] 最后一段提到，有数据显示支持如下假设：对妇女的歧视在白人和黑人之间差别不大，因此，种族歧视在性别歧视之外几乎没有再添加影响。这些发现表明：在劳动力市场上，黑人妇女不一定比白人妇女遭受更多的歧视，更确切地说，对妇女来说，性别歧视是如此广泛存在，以至于种族歧视的影响可以忽略不计。

3.[A] 参阅第1题题解。

4.[A] 参阅第l题题解。

5.[B] 意为：关注。作者对黑人妇女在就业上可能存在的受歧视现象进行了实事求是的分析，并借助于数据进行了说明。作者的目的当然是找出根本原因，以便切实解决问题。从这个角度来看，作者对黑人妇女在工作中的地位是关心的。