Exercise 8. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

A recent study shows that an unequal share of household chores is still the norm in many households, (106) ____ the fact that many more women now have jobs. In a survey of 1,256 people (107) ____ between 18 and 65, men said they contributed an average of 37 per cent of the total housework, while the women (108) ____ their share to be nearly double that, at 70 per cent. This ratio was not affected by (109) ____ the woman was working or not.

When they were asked what they thought was a fair division of labour, women with jobs felt that housework should (110) ____ shared equally between male and female partners. Women who did not work outside the home were satisfied to perform 80 per cent - the majority of housework - if their husbands did the (111) ____. Research has shown that if levels increase beyond these percentages, women become unhappy and anxious, and feel they are (112) ____.

After marriage, a woman is reported to increase her household workload (113) ____ 14 hours per week, but for men (114) ____ amount is just 90 minutes. So the division of labour becomes unbalanced, (115) ____ the man’s share increases much less than the woman’s. It is the inequality and (116) ____ of respect, not the actual number of hours. which leads to (117) ____ and depression. The research even (118) ____ housework as thankless and unfulfilling.

106. A. in spite            B. despite                    C. although                  D. even

107. A. aged                B. aging                       C. age                          D. ages

108. A. guessed           B. judged                     C. estimated                D. valued

109. A. what                B. whether                  C. which                      D. that

110. A. being               B. been                        C. to be                        D. be

111. A. remaining       B. remain                    C. remainder               D. remained

112. A. essential          B. slight                       C. worthy                     D. unimportant

113. A. by                    B. to                             C. at                             D. in

114. A. a                      B. an                            C. the                           D. some

115. A. as                    B. so                            C. but                           D. then

116. A. waste              B. loss                          C. disadvantage          D. death

117. A. anxiety            B. anxious                    C. anxiously                 D. anxiousness

118. A. draws              B. expresses                C. reports                    D. describes