Opinion polls are now beginning to show 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 available employment more widely.
But we need to go further. We must ask some fundamental questions about the future work. Should we continue to treat employment as the norm? Should we not rather encourage many 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 revive the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, as centers 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 the prospect of a better future for work. Universal employment, as its history shows, has not meant economic freedom.
Employment became widespread when the enclosures 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 commuted longer distances to their places of employment until, eventually, many people’s work lost all connection with their home lives and the places in which they live.
Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. In pre-industrial times, men and women had shared the productive work of the household and village community. Now it became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and families to his wife. Tax and benefit regulations still assume this norm today, and restrict more flexible sharing of work roles between the sexes.
It was not only women whose work status suffered. As employment became the dominant form of work, young people and old people were excluded—a problem now, as more teenagers become frustrated at school and more retired people want to live active lives.
All this may now have to change. The time has certainly come to switch some effort and resources away from the idealist goal 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” (Para. 3) 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 became 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 modern 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 pre-industrial 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.Frustrating.
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:A
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
What is the main idea of the passage? 这篇文章的主旨是什么?
A. Employment became widespread in the 17th and 18th centuries. A. 就业在17世纪和18世纪开始普及。
B. Unemployment will remain a major problem for industrialized nations. B. 失业仍将是工业化国家的一个主要问题。
C. The industrial age may now be coming to an end. C. 工业时代现在可能即将结束。
D. Some efforts and resources should be devoted to helping more people cope with the problem of unemployment. D. 应该投入一定的精力和资源,帮助更多的人解决失业问题。
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】文章首先指出了高失业率的问题,接着强调了需要重新分配资源来帮助人们应对失业问题,由此可知,本文的主旨是面对高失业率,应该投入更多的努力和资源来帮助人们应对没有全职工作的生活。因此D选项“应该投入一定的精力和资源,帮助更多的人解决失业问题。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“就业在17世纪和18世纪开始普及。”,B选项“失业仍将是工业化国家的一个主要问题。”和C选项“工业时代现在可能即将结束。”指在文章的某部分提及,不能概括全文的主旨大意,属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to the spread of employment? 以下哪项不是导致就业变得普遍的因素?
A. The enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries. A. 17和18世纪的圈地运动。
B. The development of factories. B. 工厂的发展。
C. Relief from housework on the part of women. C. 女性从家务劳动中解脱出来。
D. Development of modern means of transportation. D. 现代交通工具的发展。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the spread of employment 定位到文章第四段第“17世纪和18世纪的圈地运动剥夺了许多人对土地的使用权,从而剥夺了他们谋生的手段,使他们依赖于有偿工作,于是就业变得普遍起来(Employment became widespread when the enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries)。然后,工厂制度摧毁了家庭手工业,把工作从人们的家中移走(the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people’s homes)。后来,随着交通的改善(as transport improved),首先是铁路,然后是公路,人们通勤到工作地点的距离越来越远,直到最终,许多人的工作与他们的家庭生活和他们居住的地方失去了所有联系”,说明圈地运动、工厂的发展和现代交通工具的发展都是就业变得普遍的原因。文章虽然讨论了工业化如何改变了男女之间的工作分工,但并没有明确提到女性从家务中得到解脱作为就业普及的一个因素,因此C选项“女性从家务劳动中解脱出来。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“17和18世纪的圈地运动。”,B选项“工厂的发展。”和D选项“现代交通工具的发展。”都是就业变得普遍的因素,属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
It can be inferred from the passage that ________. 从文中可以推断出________。
A. most people who have been polled believe that the problem of unemployment may not be solved within a short period of time A. 接受调查的大多数人认为失业问题可能不会在短期内得到解决
B. many farmers lost their land when new railways and factories were being constructed B. 许多农民在修建新铁路和工厂时失去了土地
C. in pre-industrial societies housework and community service were mainly carried out by women C. 在前工业社会,家务劳动和社区服务主要由女性承担
D. some of the changes in work pattern that the industrial age brought have been reversed D. 工业时代带来的一些工作模式的变化已被逆转
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词polled可以定位到文章第一段第一句“民意调查现在开始显示,无论责任在谁,无论今后会发生什么,高失业率可能会持续下去(high unemployment is probably here to stay)”,说明大部分人认为失业率问题会持续下去。因此A选项“接受调查的大多数人认为失业问题可能不会在短期内得到解决”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B“许多农民在修建新铁路和工厂时失去了土地”和C选项“在前工业社会,家务劳动和社区服务主要由女性承担”在文中没有提及,属于无中生有;
D选项“工业时代带来的一些工作模式的变化已被逆转”,由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.(工业时代现在可能正在走向终结,它带来的一些工作模式的变化可能需要被逆转。)可知,文章只是说工业时代带来的一些工作模式的变化可能需要被逆转,而不是已经被逆转,属于过度推断。
第4题:
【选项释义】
What does the word “daunting” (Para. 3) mean? “daunting”(第 3 段)一词是什么意思?
A. Frustrating. A. 令人懊恼。
B. Interesting. B. 有趣。
C. Confusing C. 令人困惑。
D. Stimulating. D. 刺激。
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词daunting可以定位到文章第三段第二、三句“工业时代现在可能正在走向终结,它带来的一些工作模式的变化可能需要被逆转。这似乎是一个daunting的想法”,接着But表示转折,讲到它实际上可能为工作的未来提供了更好的前景,说明人们原本认为这是一个使人畏缩的想法。因此A选项“令人懊恼。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“有趣。”,C选项“令人困惑。”和D选项“刺激。”在文中均无法体现,属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following is NOT suggested as a possible means to cope with the current situation? 以下哪项不是应对当前形势的可能手段?
A. Create situations in which people work for themselves. A. 创造人们为自己工作的环境。
B. Treat employment as the norm. B. 将就业视为常态。
C. Endeavor to revive the household and the neighborhood as centers of production. C. 努力让家庭和社区重新成为生产中心。
D. Encourage people to work in circumstances other than normal working conditions. D. 鼓励人们在非正常工作条件下工作。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词Treat employment可以定位到文章第二段第三句“我们是否应该继续把就业当作常态(Should we continue to treat employment as the norm?)”,这里只是在提出是否应继续把就业视为常态的问题,而不是作为应对当前形势的建议。因此B选项“将就业视为常态。”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“创造人们为自己工作的环境。”,由Should we not create conditions in which many of us can work for ourselves, rather than for an employer?(我们是否应该创造条件让我们中的很多人为自己工作,而不是为雇主工作?)可知,文章鼓励人们为自己工作,属于反向干扰;
C选项“努力让家庭和社区重新成为生产中心。”,由Should we not aim to revive the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, as centers of production and work?(我们是否应该旨在复兴家庭和社区,以及工厂和办公室,作为生产和工作的中心?)可知,这表明了复兴家庭和社区作为生产中心的重要性,属于反向干扰;
D选项“鼓励人们在非正常工作条件下工作。”,由All this may now have to change.(所有这一切现在可能都需要改变。)可知,鼓励人们在非正常工作条件下工作是应对当前形势的手段,属于反向干扰。