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阅读训练 A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure. A part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted. The figures support the western prejudice that the Japanese are all working without play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice. But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitions may not cut hour. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say shorter hours are a disguised pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching TV, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves too. 1.A possible reason for workers’ unwillingness(不情愿) to accept more leisure is that ____. A. they are not used to leisure B. they don’t want to spend more C. they will earn less money D. they view leisure a challenge to Japanese traditions 2. Who supports the short-hour system? A. The small companies. B. The unions C. The industrialists. D. The younger generation 3. The younger workers are different from the old workers as _______. A. the former have a new style of consumption B. the former want to have more leisure C. the former don’t like watching TV D. the former are anti-social 4. It can be inferred that the Japanese government adopts the short-hour system ____. A. in order to improve efficiency B. partly because of the foreign pressure C. to save some chances for others D. to reduce the burden of some industrialists 5. The passage mainly discusses ______. A. a new policy threatening Japanese tradition B. the balance between work and play C. different attitudes towards short working hours D. generation gap 答案： 1. C 2. C 3. A 4. B 5. C (责任编辑：admin) |