Educatinggirlsquitepossiblyoutputsahigherrateofreturnthananyotherinvestmentavailableinthedevelopingworld.Women’seducationmaybeanunusualfieldforeconomistsbutraisingwomen’scontributiontodevelopmentisactuallyasmuchaneconomicasasocialproblem.Andeconomicswithitsemphasisonmotivationprovidesanexplanationforwhysomanygirlscan’treceiveeducation.
Parentsinlow-incomecountriesfailtoinvestintheirdaughtersbecausetheydonotexpectthemtomakeaneconomiccontributiontothefamily:girlsgrowuponlytomarryintosomebodyelse’sfamilyandbearchildren.Girlsarethusseenaslessvaluablethanboysandarekeptathometodohouseworkwhiletheirbrothersaresenttoschool―thepredictionbecomesself-fulfillingtrappingwomeninaviciouscircle(恶性循环)oflackofattention.
Aneducatedmotherontheotherhandhasgreaterearningabilitiesoutsidethehomeandfacesanentirelydifferentsetofchoices.Sheislikelytohavefewerbuthealthierchildrenandcaninsistonthedevelopmentofallherchildrenensuringthatherdaughtersaregivenafairchance.Theeducationofherdaughtersthenmakesitmuchmorelikelythatthenextgenerationofgirlsaswellasofboyswillbeeducatedandhealthy.Theviciouscircleisthustransformedintoagoodcircle.
Fewwilldisagreewithitthateducatingwomenhasgreatsocialbenefits.Butithashugeeconomicadvantagesaswell.Mostobviouslythereisthedirecteffectofeducationonthewagesoffemaleworkers.Wagesriseby10to20percentforeachextrayearofschooling.Suchbigreturnsareimpressivebythestandardofotheravailableinvestmentsbuttheyarejustthebeginning.Educatingwomenalsohasanimportantinfluenceonhealthpracticesincludingfamilyplanning.
60.Theauthorarguesthateducatinggirlsindevelopingcountriesis_______.
A.troublesome B.rewarding C.labor-saving D.expensive
61.WhatdoestheunderlinedpartinParagraph2probablymean?
A.Girlswillreallymakealesseconomiccontributiontothefamily.
B.Girlswillbecapableofrealizingtheirowndreams.
C.Girlswilleventuallyreceivethesameeducationasboys.
D.Girlswillbeincreasing