BÀI 2

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, almost nothing was

written about the contribution of women during the colonial period and the early history of
the newly formed United States. Lacking the right to vote and absent from the seats of
power, women were not considered an important force in history. Anne Bradstreet wrote
some significant poetry in the 17th century, Mercy Otis Warren produced the
best contemporary history of the American Revolution, and Abigail Adams penned
important letters showing she exercised great political influence over her husband, John,
the second President of the United States. But little or no notice was taken of these
contributions. During these centuries, women remained invisible in history books.

Throughout the 19th century, this lack of visibility continued, despite the efforts of female
authors writing about women. These writers, like most, of their male counterparts, were
amateur historians. Their writings were celebratory in nature, and they were uncritical in
their selection and use of sources.

During the 19th century, however, certain feminists showed a keen sense of history by
keeping records of activities in which women were engaged. National, regional, and local
women’s organizations compiled accounts of their doings. Personal correspondence,
newspaper clippings, and souvenirs were saved and stored. These sources form the core of
the two greatest collections of women’s history in the United States: one at the Elizabeth
and Arthur Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe College, and the other the Sophia Smith
Collection at Smith College. Such sources have provided valuable materials for later
generations of historians.

Despite the gathering of more information about ordinary women during the 19th century,
most of the writing about women conformed to the “great women” theory of history, just as
much of mainstream American history concentrated on “great men”. To demonstrate that
women were making significant contributions to American life, female authors singled out
women leaders, and wrote biographies, and important women produced their
autobiographies. Most of these leaders were involved in public life as reformers, activists
working for women’s right to vote, or authors, and were not representative at all of the great
of ordinary women. The lives of ordinary people continued, generally, to be untold in the
American histories being published.

Notes:

- correspondence ( danh từ) = thư từ

- uncritical (tính từ) = thiếu óc phê bình, thiếu tính phê phán.

0Câu 1

The passage mainly discusses______

A. the place of American women in written histories

B.the “great women” approach to history used by American historians

C. the role of literature in early American histories

D. the keen sense of history shown by American women

Câu 2

The word “contemporary” in paragraph 1 means that the history was _______

A. written at that time

B.faultfinding

C. thoughtful

D. informative

Câu 3

In paragraph 1, Bradstreet, Warren, and Adams are mentioned to show that_____

A. only three women were able to get their writing published

B. even the contribution of outstanding women were ignored

C. a woman’s status was changed by marriage

D. poetry produced by women was more readily accepted than other writing by women

Câu 4

The word “celebratory” in paragraph 2 means that the writings referred to were ____

A. serious

B.religious

C. full of praise

D. related to parties

Câu 5
The word “they” in paragraph 2 refers to__ .

A. authors

B.efforts

C. counterparts

D. sources

Câu 6

In paragraph 2, the author points out the weakness in 19th century histories that is ____

A. the sources of the information they were based on were not necessarily accurate

B.they were printed on poor-quality paper

C. they put too much emphasis on daily activities

D. they left out discussion of the influence of money on politics

Câu 7

On the basis of information in paragraph 3, nineteenth-century feminist organizations would

most likely collect ________

A. letters from a mother to a daughter advising her how to handle a family problem

B.books about famous graduates of the country’s first college

C. newspaper accounts of presidential election results

D. biographies of John Adams

Câu 8

The nineteenth-century women’s history materials in the Schlesinger Library and the Sophia
Smith Collection_________.

A. formed the basis of college courses in the 19th century

B. we combined and published in a multivolume encyclopedia

C. they provided valuable information for twentieth-century historical researchers

D. were shared among women’s colleges throughout the United States

Câu 9

In the last paragraph, the author mentions all of the following as possible roles of
nineteenth-century “great women” EXCEPT____ .

A. reformers

B. politicians

C. activists for women’s rights

D. authors

Câu 10

The word “representative” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ____

A. typical

B. satisfied

C. supportive

D. distinctive

Đáp án Câu 1 : A
Đoạn 1. Những đóng góp của phụ nữ không được chú ý.

Đoạn 2. Nguồn mà phụ nữ dùng để viết tác phẩm của họ.

Đoạn 3. Những đóng góp của phụ nữ thế kỉ 19.

Đoạn 4. Những đóng góp của phụ nữ đối với cuộc sống nước Mỹ.

=> Ý chính của toàn bài sẽ bàn về vị trí của phụ nữ Mỹ được ghi lại trong lịch sử.

Đáp án Câu 2 : A
“contemporary” (a) (thuộc cùng một thời điểm, đường thời) = written at the time (được viết
cùng lúc)

Informative (a) mang nhiều thông tin

Thoughtful (a) trầm ngâm, tư lự

Faultfinding (a) sự bắt bẻ

Đáp án Câu 3 : B
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 1, “Anne Bradstreet wrote …, Mercy Otis Warren produced …, and
Abigail Adams penned …. But little or no notice was taken of these contributions.” (Anne
Bradstreet đã viết…, Mercy Otis Warren đã sản xuất…, và Abigail Adams đã viết…. Nhưng
ít hoặc không có sự chú ý đến những đóng góp này) => những đóng góp của họ bị phớt lờ.

Đáp án Câu 4 : C
"celebratory" (a) được tán dương, ca ngợi = full of praise (đầy sự khen ngợi)

serious (a) nghiêm trọng

religious (a) thuộc tôn giáo

related to party: liên quan đến đảng phái

Đáp án Câu 5 : A
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 2, " These writers, like most, of their male counterparts, were amateur
historians. Their writings were celebratory in nature, and they were uncritical in their
selection and use of sources" (Những nhà văn này, giống như hầu hết các bạn nam của họ,
là những nhà sử học nghiệp dư. Các tác phẩm của họ đã được ăn mừng trong tự nhiên, và
họ không quan trọng trong việc lựa chọn và sử dụng các nguồn của họ)

Đáp án Câu 6 : A
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 2, “Throughout the 19th century, … Their writings were celebratory in
nature, and they were uncritical in their selection and use of sources.” (Trong suốt thế kỷ
19, ... Các tác phẩm của họ đã được khen ngợi trong tự nhiên, và họ không quan trọng
trong việc lựa chọn và sử dụng các nguồn của họ) => nguồn thông tin không cần chính xác.

Đáp án Câu 7 : A
Dẫn chứng ở đoan 3, “Personal correspondence, newspaper clippings, and souvenirs were
saved and stored.” (Thư từ cá nhân, mẩu báo và quà lưu niệm được lưu và lưu trữ.)

Đáp án Câu 8 : C
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn 3, “… one at the Elizabeth and Arthur Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe
College, and the other the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College. Such sources have
provided valuable materials for later generations of historians.” (… một tại Thư viện
Elizabeth và Arthur Schlesinger tại Radcliffe College, và cái khác là Sophia Smith Collection
tại Smith College. Những nguồn như vậy đã cung cấp tài liệu quý giá cho các thế hệ sử gia
sau này. ”

Đáp án Câu 9 : B
Dẫn chứng ở đoạn cuối, “Most of these leaders were involved in public life
as reformers, activists working for women’s right to vote, or authors, and were
not representative at all of the great of ordinary women.”
Đáp án Câu 10 : A
“representative” (a) đại diện, tiêu biểu = typical (tiêu biểu)

Satisfied (a) thỏa mãn

Supportive (a) ủng hộ

Distinctive (a) khác biệt