Almost every new parent will say adding a baby to a household can also add stress to a career. Now，a new study backs that up with some astonishing numbers：After science，technology，engineering，and mathematics(STEM) professionals become parents，43% of women and 23% of men switch fields, make a transition(转变) to parttime workers，or leave the workforce entirely.
Many researchers and parents already knew that STEM can be unwelcoming to parents，particularly mothers.“But the considerable departure was astonishing，”says Erin Cech，an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and the lead author of the study，published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.For both genders，the proportions are higher than we expected.
“The surprisingly high reduction rate for men also highlights that parenthood in STEM is not just a mother's issue；it's a worker's issue，”Cech says.She hopes that the findings might promote changes，such as more paid parental leave from both the government and employers and policies that better support flexible work time without a tight routine.“We are not suggesting that people who want families should avoid STEM；that's not the solution，”she emphasizes.
By 2018，78% of new fathers were still working in STEM，and the vast majority worked fulltime.For new mothers，68% were still in STEM，but only 57% worked fulltime.For professionals without children，on the other hand，84% of men and 76% of women were predicted to still be working in STEM fulltime in 2018.For the new parents across all fields，16% of women were working parttime and 15% had left the workforce，as compared with just 2% and 3%，respectively，for men.These sharp differences make it clear that even though the reduction rate for new fathers is higher than expected，new mothers still face particular career challenges.
【语篇解读】 一项新的研究表明，养育孩子对科学、技术、工程以及数学领域的专业人士的工作有着很大的影响。这些领域的很多专业人士，尤其是女性，因为养育孩子而不再从事本领域的工作，或转为兼职或离职。因此，研究者希望该研究结果能促进变革，如政府和雇主给更长的带薪育儿假，政策也应该支持弹性工作时间。
1．What makes many STEM employees change their jobs?
A．Worrying about their family.
B．The attraction of parttime jobs.
C．Being tired of the former jobs.
D．The heavy burden at home and work.
D [考查推理判断。根据第一段中的“Almost every new parent will say adding a baby to a household can also add stress to a career”并结合常识和该段的其他内容可推知，养育孩子增加了科学、技术、工程以及数学领域的专业人士的压力，由于沉重的家庭压力和工作压力，他们被迫换工作，故D项正确。]
2．Which statement may Erin Cech agree with?
A．Working at home may be a popular choice.
B．Increasing welfare may keep STEM parents.
C．People with families should leave STEM.
D．STEM professionals should obey the rules.
B [考查推理判断。根据第三段中的“She hopes that the findings might promote changes, such as more paid parental leave from both the government and employers and policies that better support flexible work time without a tight routine”可知，Cech希望这些研究结果能促进变革，比如政府和雇主能给予职工更长的带薪育儿假，出台更支持弹性工作时间的政策。据此可推知，Cech支持提高在科学、技术、工程以及数学领域工作的父母的福利待遇，故B项正确。]
3．How many new mothers among all the labor force worked fulltime in 2018?
A．69%. B．76%.
C．57%. D．31%.
A [考查细节理解。根据最后一段中的“For the new parents across all fields, 16% of women were working parttime and 15% had left the workforce”可知，就所有领域的新生儿父母而言，16%的女性从事兼职工作，15%的女性已经离开了工作岗位。据此可知，2018年69%的新生儿母亲从事全职工作，故A项正确。]
4．What does the author want to stress by listing the sharp differences?
A．Too many new fathers leave STEM.
B．It's hard for new mothers to make a balance.
C．STEM jobs are no longer popular.
D．It's impossible to have a successful career.
B [考查推理判断。根据最后一段中的最后两句可知，就所有领域的新生儿父母而言，16%的女性从事兼职工作，15%的女性已经离开了工作岗位。这两种情况在男性中的比例分别只有2%和3%，这些明显的差异表明尽管新生儿父亲兼职或离职率高于预期，但新生儿母亲仍然面临着特别的职业挑战。据此可推知，作者列举这些明显的差异，旨在强调新生儿母亲很难平衡工作和家庭，故B项正确。]
