参考答案

正确答案：A
解析：题目问：第四段中的“whip hand”是什么意思。根据第四段“No man likes his wife to earn more than he does．We see how fragile are the marriages of those in which the female has the whip hand of power in the shape of fame，success，wealth，royalty．In contrast，marriages where the female status is obviously inferior，including arranged marriages，there is a greater stability．”可知，没有一个男人会愿意妻子的收人比自己更高。我们可以看到，女性在声誉、成就、财富、权力方面都占据支配地位的家庭里，婚姻多么容易破裂。与此相反，女性地位确实较低的婚姻关系却更稳定，其中包括包办婚姻。从男人对妻子的态度和后面女性两种婚姻状况的对比可以推知，A项为正确答案。