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That mythical beast, homo economicus, is utterly clear about the purpose of work: to get paid. He is keener on leisure than work, and if money can be got without effort, he downs tools. If real people feel the same, then plentiful out-of-work benefits should be found in the same places as work-shy citizens.
Yet a cross-country comparison of benefits and attitudes to work published on January 28th finds precisely the opposite pattern. Researchers ranked 13 countries according to their generosity (measured by comparing typical benefits to those out of work with the average wage of a production worker) and their citizens’ commitment to work (gauged by asking whether they would work if they did not need the cash, and whether they regarded a job as merely a way to earn a living). The more generous a state is, the keener on work its people are, they found. Britons, whose benefits were least after those that Americans get, were least keen of all on work.
One reason may be the skills make-up of the British workforce. The researchers found, logically enough, that professionals and graduates were more positive about work than the unskilled and non-graduates. Fewer Britons than Norwegians (who came top on work commitment) have professional jobs or degrees. But this does not entirely explain their comparative immunity to the attractions of hard work: Britons of every social class and level of education were less keen on work than their counterparts elsewhere.
Could the “dependency culture” currently excercising British politicians be solved by raising benefits? Unlikely, says Alison Park, editor of the annual British Social Attitudes Report, in which the study appeared: attitudes to work vary from country to country for many reasons. The generosity of what the report terms “encompassing” states, all Nordic with Lutheran traditions, may have been made possible by a strong work ethic, rather than a stronger commitment to work having emerged as a result of it.
And work incentives are affected by features of welfare systems other than overall generosity: “corporatist” states such as Germany, which pay higher benefits to those with a longer work history, may be encouraging positive attitudes to work by such conditionality. Britain’ s little benefits, by contrast, are largely independent of previous employment, which may mean they are seen as an alternative to work, rather than as one of the good things that flow from it.

6. “Work-shy citizens” in the last sentence of paragraph 1 probably refers to people who are( ).

7. From paragraph 2, we learn that( ).

8. Britons are unmotivated in their work mainly due to( ).

9. Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

10. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

问题1选项
A.incompetent for their work
B.ashamed of their work
C.unwilling to do their work
D.irresponsible for their work
问题2选项
A.Britons’ average wage is the lowest in Europe
B.Britons rely heavily on government welfares
C.Britons prefer leisure to work
D.Britons are not enthusiastic in work
问题3选项
A.weak work ethic
B.insufficient work skills
C.lazy lifestyle
D.defective welfare system
问题4选项
A.Americans are probably less interested in their work than Britons.
B.Norwegians exceed Britons in professional education.
C.People in Nordic countries are more committed to their work than Germans.
D.The welfare of “encompassing” states might be better than that of “corporatist” states.10. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
问题5选项
A.Attitude to Work: Diligent or Idle?
B.Attitude to Work: Can’t or Won’t?
C.Welfare System: Stimulator or Inhibitor?
D.Welfare System: More Generous or More Reasonable?
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