Question
Which sentence expresses the main idea of this paragraph?
At the turn of the century. fewer than 20 percent of American women were in the work force. By midcentury. the
percentage had almost doubled, and by 1993, it had nearly tripled. During this time, the percentage of men in the
workforce hardly changed. However, between 1960 and 1993, the percentage of men in the workforce declined from 89.2
to 77.3. During the same period of time, the percentage of married women working increased from 31.9 to 59.4
From G. R. LEFRANCOIS, The Lifespan 1e (p.458).
The percentage of women in the American work force increased dramatically from 1900 to 1960.
B) The percentages of America's working men and women fluctuated throughout the twentieth century.
The percentage of working American women, relative to men, dramatically increased during the twentieth
century
The percentage of men in the workforce remained relatively steady until 1960, when it started to decline.
Answer
The percentage of working American women, relative to men, dramatically increased during the twentieth century.