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　　It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (彩禮). Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife’s right to receive a tenth of all her husband’s property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.

　　The wife shared in the management of her husband’s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe(法學家) to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro’s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.” Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s.

　　練習題：

　　Choose correct answers to the question:

　　1. A decimum was ________.

　　A. the wife's inheritance from her father

　　B. a gift of money to the new husband

　　C.a protection of the wife’s right

　　D. a written contract

　　2. In the 10th and11th centuries in southern European, women’s social position was ______.

　　A. higher than men’s

　　B. as high as men’s

　　C. lower than men’s

　　D.never recognized

　　3.The purpose of mentioning the case of Maria Vivas_____

　　A.to show women had the same rights as,if not more than,their husband

　　B.to prove hot-tempered woman held a powerful economic position

　　C.to tell the readers the real situations in some countries

　　D.to show the fight spirits of woman

　　4.Could a husband sell his wife's inheritance?

　　A. Yes, if she agreed.

　　B. No, under no circumstances.

　　C. Yes, whenever he wished to.

　　D, Yes, if his father-in-law agreed.

　　5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect of the dowry system?

　　A. The husband had to share the power of decision in marriage.

　　B. The wife could manage her husband’s personal property.

　　C. The wife gained a powerful economic position.

　　D. The wife would not be deserted by her husband.

　　1.[C] 詞義推斷題。第1段第2句指出了 decimum的作用，即與“彩禮”相當，作為保護婦女的工具。第4句以 “The decimum was...”的句式指出其定義，綜合這兩句，可斷定選項C正確。

　　2.[B] 推理判斷題。文章第1句就表明婦女當時的地位很高，第1段最后兩句表明婦女與其丈夫的地位并無不同，是平等的，因此可以推斷本題答案應為B。

　　3.[A] 推理判斷題。本題考查例子與觀點的關系。該例子是為了證明其前面，即第2段開頭兩句的觀點,選項A是對這兩句話的總結。

　　4.[A]推理判斷題。本題考査從例子的推斷。根據Maria Vivas的例子可確定答案，而且從第2段第4句中的Having agreed with her husband可推斷售賣妻子繼承的財產必須先征得妻子的同意，因此選項A正確。

　　5.[D] 事實細節題。可用排除法找出答案。第1段倒數第2句可證明選項A正確，第2段首句可證明選項B正確，第2段末句可表明選項C正確，只有選項D太絕對。

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