Opinion polls are now beginning to show an unwilling general agreement that, whoever is to blame and whatever happens from now on, high unemployment is probably here to stay. This means we shall have to find ways of sharing the employment more widely.
But we need to go further. We must ask some questions about the future of work. Should we continue to treat employment as the norm? Should we not rather encourage many other ways for self-respecting people to work? Should we not create conditions in which many of us can work for ourselves, rather than for an employer? Should we not aim to make the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, centres of production and work?
The industrial age has been the only period of human history in which most people's work has taken the form of jobs. The industrial age may now be coming to an end, and some of the changes in work patterns which it brought may have to be reversed. This seems a daunting thought, but, in fact, it could offer a better future for work. Universal employment, as its history shows, has not meant economic freedom.
Employment became widespread when the enclosure of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people dependent on paid work by depriving them of the use of the land, and thus of the means to provide a living for themselves. Then the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people’s homes. Later, as transport improved, first by rail and then by road, people travelled longer distances to their places of employment until, in the end, many people’s work lost all connection with their home lives and the places in which they lived.
Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. It became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife.
All this may now have to change. The time has certainly come to switch some effort and resources away from the impractical goal of creating jobs for all to the urgent practical task of helping many people to manage without full-time jobs.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
2. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to the spread of employment?
3. It can be inferred from the passage that ( ).
4. What does the word “daunting” in the third paragraph mean?
5. Which of the following is NOT suggested as a possible means to cope with the current situation?
问题1选项
A.Employment become widespread in the 17th and 18th centuries.
B.Unemployment will remain a major problem for industrialized nations.
C.The industrial age may now be coming to an end.
D.Some efforts and resources should be devoted to helping more people cope with the problem of unemployment.
问题2选项
A.The enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries.
B.The development of factories.
C.Relief from housework on the part of women.
D.Development of modem means of transportation.
问题3选项
A.most people who have been polled believe that the problem of unemployment may not be solved within a short period of time
B.many farmers lost their land when new railways and factories were being constructed
C.in preindustrial societies housework and community service were mainly carried out by women
D.some of the changes in work pattern that the industrial age brought have been reversed
问题4选项
A.Shocking
B.Interesting
C.Confusing
D.Stimulating
问题5选项
A.Create situations in which people work for themselves.
B.Treat employment as the norm.
C.Endeavor to revive the household and the neighborhood as centers of production.
D.Encourage people to work in circumstances other than normal working conditions.
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:B
第5题:B
第1题:
主旨大意题。根据倒数第一段第二句The time has certainly come to switch some effort and resources away from the impractical goal of creating jobs for all to the urgent practical task of helping many people to manage without full-time jobs.(当然,现在是时候把一些努力和资源从为所有人创造就业的不切实际的目标转移到帮助许多没有全职工作的人管理的紧迫的实际任务上了),可知D选项“一些努力和资源应该用来帮助更多的人应对失业问题”正确;根据倒数第三段第一句Employment became widespread when the enclosure of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people dependent on paid work by depriving them of the use of the land, and thus of the means to provide a living for themselves.(17、18世纪的圈地运动使许多人不得不依靠有偿工作谋生,从而剥夺了他们对土地的使用权,从而失去了维持生计的手段),可知A选项“就业在17和18世纪变得普遍”错误,原文并没有提到就业普遍;B选项“失业仍将是工业化国家的主要问题”和C选项“工业时代现在可能即将结束”没有在文章内具体提及。因此D选项符合题意。
第2题:
事实细节题。根据倒数第二段Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. It became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife(与此同时,就业让女性处于不利地位。丈夫出去找工作,把家务和家庭的无偿工作留给妻子,这已成为一种惯例),可知C选项“妇女从家务劳动中解脱出来”错误,原文只是提到就业让女性处于不利地位,没有说要让妇女从家务中解脱出来;根据倒数第三段Employment became widespread when the enclosure of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people dependent on paid work by depriving them of the use of the land, and thus of the means to provide a living for themselves. Then the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people’s homes. Later, as transport improved...(17、18世纪的圈地运动使许多人不得不依靠有偿工作谋生,从而剥夺了他们对土地的使用权,从而失去了维持生计的手段。然后,工厂系统摧毁了家庭手工业,将工作从人们的家中移走。后来,随着交通运输的改善……)可以得知A选项“17、18世纪的圈地运动”,B选项正确“工厂的发展”以及D选项“现代交通工具的发展”在文中都有提到;因此C选项符合题意。
第3题:
推理判断题。根据第一段第一句Opinion polls are now beginning to show an unwilling general agreement that, whoever is to blame and whatever happens from now on, high unemployment is probably here to stay.(现在,民意调查开始显示出一种不情愿的普遍共识,即无论谁是罪魁祸首,无论从现在开始发生什么,高失业率很可能会持续下去)可以判断出A选项“大多数接受民意调查的人认为失业问题可能不会在短时间内得到解决”正确;B选项“当修建新铁路和工厂时,许多农民失去了他们的土地”错误,原文并没有提及;根据倒数第二段Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. It became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife.(与此同时,就业让女性处于不利地位。丈夫出去找工作,把家务和家庭的无偿工作留给妻子,这已成为一种惯例)可以得知C选项“在前工业社会,家务劳动和社区服务主要由妇女进行”错误,并不包括社区服务;根据第三段第二句The industrial age may now be coming to an end, and some of the changes in work patterns which it brought may have to be reversed.(工业时代现在可能即将结束,它所带来的一些工作模式的变化可能不得不被逆转)可以得知D选项“工业时代带来的工作模式的一些变化已经被逆转了”错误,原文没有提到已经被逆转;因此A选项符合题意。
第4题:
语义推测题。根据关键字daunting可以定位到第三段This seems a daunting thought, but, in fact, it could offer a better future for work. (这似乎是一个令人气馁的想法,但事实上,它可以为工作提供一个更好的未来)由but可以得知but前后想表达的含义相反,daunting(令人气馁的),因此C选项“令人困惑的”符合题意。
第5题:
推理判断题。定位到原文第二段We must ask some questions about the future of work. Should we continue to treat employment as the norm? Should we not rather encourage many other ways for self-respecting people to work? Should we not create conditions in which many of us can work for ourselves, rather than for an employer? Should we not aim to make the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, centres of production and work? (我们必须问一些关于未来工作的问题。我们应该继续把就业当作常态吗?难道我们不应该鼓励有自尊心的人以其他方式工作吗?难道我们不应该创造条件,让我们中的许多人能够为自己工作,而不是为雇主工作吗?难道我们不应该让家庭和社区,以及工厂和办公室,成为生产和工作的中心吗?)可知B选项“将就业视为常态”不被建议作为应对当前情况的可能手段;且A选项“创造人们为自己工作的环境”,C选项“努力使家庭和社区重新成为生产中心”,以及D选项“鼓励人们在正常工作条件以外的环境下工作”是可能的。因此B选项符合题意。