T.he new Swedish gender-neutral (性别中立的) word “hen” was introduced at two Stockholm nurseries in 2012. It is used for describing either male or female, or someone not wanting to be described with those terms. Today “hen” is frequently used by Swedish children and adults alikE. Now other European countries are joining the gender-­neutrality trenD. “Fourteen major retailers(零售商) have made changes since we started our campaign almost two years ago,” reports Tricia Lowther, a mother-of-one in northern England and a member of the Let Toys Be Toys initiative, which lobbies for gender-neutral toy aisles. “They’ve taken down boys’ and girls’ signs. The blue and pink aisles remain, but things are happening.” The retailers doing away with boys’ and girls’ toy signs are major ones indeed: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Boots. Marks & Spencer has gone even further, making its toy labelling gender-neutral. In the efforts to achieve gender equality in the children world, no country has gone as far as Sweden. The nurseries that first introduced “hen” still use it, and others have joined them. “All children should be able to wear what they want. Dresses are not just for girls. And pink is a beautiful colour that should be available to everybody,” says Maria Hulth of a gender equality consulting firm. “Sweden is really the pioneer,” says Lann Hornscheidt, a professor of gender studies. “No other country has made such an effort to break down gender barriers among children.” Though there are no official statistics regarding the number of Swedish nurseries using “hen”, Maria Hulth notes that individual teachers now often opt to use “hen” even when it’s not the nursery’s policy. But, she notes, “Swedish nurseries’ and primary schools’ gender-neutral efforts don’t end at the neutral worD. They’re putting a lot of effort into avoiding words like boys and girls, instead just saying ‘children’. To its supporters, Sweden’s nursery world of “hen” and pink-for-all is a civil rights heaven. But, Dr David Eberhard argues that a new word won’t change the fact that the vast majority of people identify either as men or women. “Whatever you choose to call people, the biological differences between men and women remain,” he notes. “We should treat each other with respect, but ignoring biological gender differences is crazy. Making us the same won’t create more equality.” He thinks boys should be allowed to play with dolls – and girls with cars – if they like to. “But”, he adds, “calling them hen instead of him or her? That’s child cruelty.” Given that Sweden is the world’s fourth most gender-equal country, as measured in the World Economic Forum’s latest gender gap report (only Iceland, Finland and Denmark score higher), practices like the use of “hen” suggest an already progressive country trying to fix a minor problem. “Far from it, the gender gap creates poverty among women,” argues Hornscheidt. “Movements like the use of “hen” are all part of an effort to create a more just worlD.” 59.The author mentions some major retailers in Paragraph 2 to show___________. A. the influence of the gender-neutral campaign B. these retailers’ efforts to promote toy sales C. the importance of making boys and girls equal D. the varieties of toys for children to choose from 60.The underlined word “opt” in Paragraph 5 is closes in meaning to ___________. A. hesitate B. prefer C. pretend D. refuse 61. Which of the following would Lann Hornscheidt most probably agree with? A. Both men and women should wear pink clothes to show equality. B. Kids and adults will stay equal if they both use the word “hen”. C. Sweden has taken the lead in advocating the real gender equality. D. There are no biological gender differences between men and women. 62. What is the purpose of the passage? A. To seek a new solution to gender inequality. B. To introduce a new development in gender equality. C. To stress the significance of Sweden’s gender neutral movement. D. To compare Sweden’s education with that of other European countries.