In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-ventilated and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and he is bored with it. In fact, the blue- and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated and bureaucratic management.
The worker and employee are anxious, not only because they might find themselves out of a job; they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.
Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again! By the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.
Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to nineteen-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities—those of love and of reason—are the aims of all social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.
1.By“well-oiled cog in the machinery”the author intends to render the idea that man is( ).
2.The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employee is that( ).
3.From the passage we can infer that real happiness of life belongs to those( ).
4.To solve the present social problems the author suggests that we should( ).
5.The author’s attitude towards industrialism might best be summarized as one of( ).
问题1选项
A.a necessary part of the society though each individual’s function is negligible
B.working in complete harmony with the rest of the society
C.an unimportant part in comparison with the rest of the society, though functioning smoothly
D.a humble component of the society, especially when working smoothly
问题2选项
A.they are likely to lose their jobs
B.they have no genuine satisfaction or interest in life
C.they are faced with the fundamental realities of human existence
D.they are deprived of their individuality and independence
问题3选项
A.who are at the bottom of the society
B.who are high up in their social status
C.who prove better than their fellow-competitors
D.who could keep far away from their competitive world
问题4选项
A.resort to the production mode of our ancestor
B.offer higher wages to the workers and employees
C.enable man to fully develop his potentialities
D.take the fundamental realities for granted
问题5选项
A.approval
B.dissatisfaction
C.suspicion
D.tolerance
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:D
第4题:C
第5题:B
1.判断推理题。根据题干定位到第一段第一句In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery.(总的来说,我们的社会正在成为官僚管理下的巨型企业之一,在这种管理下,人变成了机器中一个润滑良好的小齿轮。)通过第一段我们得知作者认为人类已经失去了个性和独立性,成为机器中一颗微不足道的小齿轮,因此C选项“与社会其他部分相比,尽管运行良好但已经不甚重要”正确。A选项“尽管每个人的作用不大,但却是社会必要的组成部分”与原文意思相悖,人类已经如齿轮一般无足轻重;B选项“与社会其他方面和谐地工作”并未在文中提及;D选项“尤其在运作良好的时候却在社会中仍微不足道”与原文不符。
2.判断推理题。根据题干定位到第二段they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.(他们焦虑也是因为他们无法获得任何真正的满足或生活的兴趣。他们生与死都没有面对过人类存在的基本现实,作为情感上、智力上独立的和有生产力的人。)由此可知,其真正原因是情感与理智上独立的、富有创造性的个人生存状态被忽视,因此D选项“他们被剥夺了个性和独立性”正确。A选项“他们很可能会失去工作”是部分原因;B选项“他们对生活没有真正的满足或兴趣”与原文相悖;C选项“他们面对着人类生存的基本现实”也是部分原因。
3.判断推理题。根据题干定位第三段最后一句This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.(这种不断地需要证明自己和竞争对手一样好或更好的需求,造成了持续的焦虑和压力,而这正是不快乐和疾病的根源。)说明这种需要不断证明自己与竞争对手同样优秀或超过对手从而不断地造成焦虑和压力,正是不幸与疾病的起因。因此,摆脱了竞争所造成的焦虑和压力就可以享受到生命的真正快乐,因此D选项“可以远离竞争的世界”正确。A选项“社会最底层的人”与原文不符;B选项“那些社会地位很高的人”在第三段的第一句话Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. (那些社会地位较高的人也同样焦虑。)因此B选项错误;C选项“觉得自己比他们的竞争对手更好”不符合原文。
4.事实细节题。根据题干关键词定位到最后一段I suggest transforming...those of love and of reason—are the aims of all social arrangements.(我建议把我们的社会制度从以最大限度生产和消费为目的的官僚管理的工业主义转变为以人和充分开发他的潜力——爱和理性的潜力——为一切社会安排的目的的人文主义工业主义。)因此C选项“使人能够充分发挥他的潜力”正确。A选项“求助于我们祖先的生产方式”在最后一段Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to nineteen-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not.(我是在建议我们回到工业化前的生产方式,还是回到19世纪的“自由企业”资本主义?当然不是。)因此作者并没有建议我们回到之前的生产方式;B选项“为工人和雇员提供更高的工资”文章没有提及;D选项“认为基本的现实是理所当然的”也与原文不符。
5.作者态度题。根据题干定位到最后一段I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism...development of his potentialities(我建议把我们的社会制度从以最大限度生产和消费为目的的官僚管理的工业主义转变为以人和充分开发他的潜力……)可以看出,作者对现有工业制度的态度是不满的,因此B选项“不满”正确。A选项“赞同”;C选项“怀疑”;D选项“容忍”都不符合题意。