A
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Let’s meet some of the great women who have left their mark on our country’ s highest court.
Margaret Brent
In the early years of our nation, women were generally prevented from practicing law. However,there were some exceptions. One such exception was Margaret Brent, who settled in Maryland with her sisters in 1638 and became a wealthy landowner.Brent appeared before courts several times to file lawsuits against people who owed her money.
Lucy Terry Prince
Lucy was well-known for her skills as a public speaker, and in 1796 she became the first black woman in America to argue before a Supreme Court justice. The case arose from a land dispute, and Lucy argued against two leading lawyers.Chief justice Samuel Chase, who oversaw the case,said that Prince "made a better argument than he had ever heard from a lawyer in Vermont.”
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, Ginsburg attended Cornell University and Columbia Law school. Between 1972 and 1978, Ginsburg argued six cases before the Supreme Court concerning laws that kept women out of certain occupations. She won five of them. In the spring of 1993, Justice Byron White retired from the Supreme Court. President Bill Clinton then picked Ginsburg to be his replacement.
Myra Bradwell
In 1872, the Illinois Supreme Court denied Myra Bradwell’ s admission to the Illinois Bar despite the fact that she had passed the state bar exam. Bradwell then asked the U. S. Supreme Court to overturn the Illinois court’s decision.Unfortunately for Bradwell, the tables weren’t turned. The Supreme Court claimed that there was nothing unconstitutional about denying a woman the chance to practice as a lawyer.
1. Which of the following describes Margaret Brent?
A. Brave and determined
B. Generous and friendly
C. Considerate and optimistic
D. Traditional and scholarly
2. What was Samuel Chase’ s attitude to Lucy’s argument?
A. Favorable B. Uncaring
C. Doubtful D. Grateful
3. What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the text?
A. Bradwell failed the state bar exam
B. Bradwell' s request was unconstitutional
C. The Illinois Supreme Court broke the law
D. The Supreme Court ruled against Bradwell
【答案】1. A 2. A 3. D
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了四位在最高法庭留下名声的伟大女性。
【1题详解】
推理判断题。根据Margaret Brent中“In the early years of our nation, women were generally prevented from practicing law. (在我国早期，妇女通常被禁止从事法律工作)”和“Brent appeared before courts several times to file lawsuits against people who owed her money. (Brent多次出庭，对欠她钱的人提起诉讼)可知，Brent在女人不得从事法律工作的时期多次出庭，对欠她钱的人提起诉讼。因此勇敢和有决心最适合描述Margaret Brent。故选A项。
【2题详解】
推理判断题。根据Lucy Terry Prince中“Chief justice Samuel Chase, who oversaw the case, said that Prince “made a better argument than he had ever heard from a lawyer in Vermont.”(负责此案的首席大法官Samuel Chase说，Prince“提出的理由比他从佛蒙特州的律师那里听到的任何理由都要充分。”)”可知，Samuel Chase对Lucy的辩论持赞许的态度。故选A项。
【3题详解】
词句猜测题。根据Myra Bradwell中“The Supreme Court claimed that there was nothing unconstitutional about denying a woman the chance to practice as a lawyer. (最高法院声称，剥夺妇女作为律师执业的机会并没有违反宪法)”由最高法院没有支持Bradwell的做法，可知，Bradwell还是不能进入伊利诺斯州律师协会，因此划线句意为“最高法院的判决对Bradwell不利”。故选D项。
