Madam President

According to the text, who was the first woman secretary of state?

• Hillary Clinton

• Madeleine Albright

• Condoleezza Rice

• Nancy Pelosi

Read these sentences from the text.

Because of the work of those leaders and others who followed, women's role in government has changed. In 2007 to 2008, a record number of women served in Congress: 71 of 435 representatives in the House and 16 of 100 senators.

Which of the following describes the relationship between these two sentences?

• The second sentence describes an effect of something stated by the first sentence.

• The sentences show both sides of an argument.

• The sentences compare two things.

• The second sentence explains the cause of a problem described by the first sentence

Why does the author include the section titled “Playing Catch-Up”?

• to compare the number of women in political office in the U.S. with that of other countries

• to demonstrate that women in the U.S. still need to be encouraged to enter politics

• to explain what a legislature is and where the U.S. ranks internationally

• to list the ways women can make more progress

Read this sentence from the text.

“Pretty much every barrier has been broken except the presidency and vice presidency,” adds Cain.

As used in this sentence, what does the word "barrier" mean?

• decision

• career

• fence

• obstacle

Which statement best describes the central idea of the text?

• Women in the United States have overcome inequalities to rise to top political jobs.

• The United States lags behind other countries with women leaders.

• Suffragists organized a national women’s rights movement leading to more opportunities.

• The 1920s were a pivotal year for women in the United States since they gained voting rights.

Review the time line within the text. What political milestone did Sandra Day O’Connor achieve?

• She was the first female speaker of the house

• She was the first assistant to the president

• She was the first woman supreme court judge

• She was the first woman to graduate from her school with honors