At a time when the world is short of causes for celebration, here is a candidate: within t

he next few months women will cross the 50% threshold and become the majority of the American workforce. Women already【C1】______the majority of university graduates in the OECD countries and the majority of【C2】______workers in several rich countries, including the United States. Women 【C3】______many of the worlds great companies, from Pepsi Co. in America to Areva in France. Womens【C4】______empowerment is arguably the biggest social change of our times. Just a generation ago, women were【C5】______confined to repetitive, humble jobs. They were routinely 【C6】______to casual sexism and were expected to【C7】______their careers when they married and had children. Today they are running some of the organizations that once treated them 【C8】______ second-class citizens. Millions of women have been given more control over their own lives.【C9】______ millions of brains have been put to more productive use. Societies that try to【C10】______this trend—most notably the Arab countries, but also Japan and some southern European countries—will pay a heavy price in the form. of wasted talent and frustrated citizens. This revolution has been【C11】______with only a modicum of friction. Men have,【C12】______, welcomed womens invasion of the workplace, 【C13】______even the most positive changes can be incomplete or unsatisfactory. This particular advance comes with two stings. The first is that women are still【C14】______at the top of companies. Only 2% of the bosses of Americas largest companies and 5% of their【C15】______ in Britain are women. They are also paid significantly less than men【C16】______ average. The second is that juggling work and child-rearing is difficult. Middle-class couples routinely【C17】______that they have too little time for their children. But the biggest losers are poor children—【C18】______ in places like America and Britain that have 【C19】______high levels of female【C20】______ in the labour force with a reluctance to spend public money on child care.

【C1】

A．make from

B．make of

C．make up

D．make off