阅读下列短文, 从所给的四个选项中, 选出最佳答案。

　　     Japan has a problem many other countries would envy—its workforce　　 works too hard.

　　

　　     Curing Japanese workers of the disease "workaholism" is proving　　 a difficult job, partly because many of them like work better than　　 anything else, experts say.

　　

　　     Last month, the Japanese Government passed a law for a 40-hour　　 working week, down from 48 hours, to let people spend more time away　　 from the office or factory. But it could be many years before average　　 work hours fall to the new level.

　　

　　     In 1985, Japanese workers worked an average of 2,168 hours a year.　　 By comparison (比较), people in Britain worked 1,952 hours, the United　　 States 1,924, Germany 1,659 and France 1,643.

　　

　　     Many Japanese workers work longer hours not only because of　　 devotion (忠诚) and the pleasure of the job, but also because of fear　　 and inefficiency (低效率).

　　

　　     Many people feel that if they take a week off, they will lose　　 touch with the business and fall behind other people. So they would　　 rather stay at their desks. It is also considered bad form in many　　 offices to leave before the boss. So workers will sit at their desks　　 pretending to be busy until their boss finally puts on his jacket and　　 heads out the door.

(1)  According to the passage, Japan is facing a problem because　　 many workers __________. 

[    ]

A. take days off because of disease　　 　　   

B. work inefficiently 　　   

C. fear their bosses 　　   

D. do not want to leave work 　　

(2) "Its" in paragraph 1 refers to _________.

[    ]

A. the problem's 　　   

B. the work-force's 　　   

C. Japan's 　　   

D. other countries' 　　

(3) "Workaholism" is likely to occur when one _______.

[    ]

A. has to do a very difficult job　　 　　   

B. loves one's work too much　　 　　   

C. works long hours in a place　　 　　   

D. suffers a lot at work 　　

(4) The passage tells that in Japan __________.

[    ]

A. the boss is usually the last to leave the office　　 　　   

B. the boss is usually the first to leave the office　　 　　   

C. workers are usually busier than the boss　　 　　   

D. workers are busiest just before going home　　 　　

(5) The Japanese government is trying to get workers to _________.

[    ]

A. work more efficiently 　　   

B. work even harder 　　   

C. work fewer hours 　　   

D. stay away from the office

　　

Today, when a man steps onto the moon, the 1 learn about it immediately. What did the 2 say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly 3 about it at all. There were only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very 4 . Some of the things they said were not even 5 .

    In 1904 the Wrights built a 6 machine. They called it“Flyer No. Two”. They 7 some reporters to watch them fly. 8 there was some mechanical trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspaperman 9 away. They were 10 and did not come back. The Wrights went on with their 11. In 1905 they built an even 12 machine,“Flyer No. Three”. They were able to 13 up in the air for half an hour and more in this machine. They were 14 to turn and climb in the air. Farmers and travelers often saw them flying. 15 when these people told newspaper men about it, they refused to believe them.

    The Wrights 16 “Flyer No. Three”to the United States Government. The Government was not 17. They seemed to think the Wrights wanted money to build a 18 . They did not understand that the Wrights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was 19 . At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their plane to pieces. The 20 were put into a huge box. It seemed nobody was interested.

    1. A. city　　    B. world　　　　　　    C. village　　　　　　   D. country

    2. A. people    B. experts　　　　　　  C. officials　　　　　　 D. newspapers

    3. A. nothing   B. anything　　　　    C. something　　　　 D. everything

    4. A. much　　 B. little　　　　　　　　  C. clearly　　　　　　   D. exactly

    5. A. wrong    B. useful　　　　　　    C. correct　　　　　　　　　　 D. important

    6. A. air　　　　  B. first　　　　　　　　  C. simple　　　　　　   D. second

    7. A. took　　　　　　  B. sent　　　　　　　　  C. invited　　　　　　   D. expected

    8. A. Really　　 B. Shortly　　　　　　  C. Usually　　　　　　  D. Unfortunately

    9. A. ran　　　　 B. went　　　　　　　　 C. gave　　　　　　　　 D. were

    10. A. sad　　　　　　  B. excited　　　　　　  C. pleased　　　　　　  D. disappointed

    11. A. work    B. program　　　　    C. search　　　　　　   D. job

    12. A. better    B. faster　　　　　　    C. richer　　　　　　    D. tougher

    13. A. set　　    B. get　　　　　　　　    C. stay　　　　　　　　  D. reach

    14. A. able　　      B. about　　　　　　    C. just　　　　　　　　   D. going

    15. A. However B. Though　　　　   C. But　　　　　　　　   D. Unless

    16. A. sold　　  B. gave　　　　　　　　  C. offered　　　　　　  D. brought

    17. A. worried B. interested　　　　   C. discouraged　　　　　　  D. surprised

    18. A. plane    B. company　　　　   C. firm　　　　　　　　  D. airport

    19. A. probable　　   B. wonderful　　　　  C. dangerous　　　　 D. impossible

20. A. planes   B. machines　　　　   C. parts　　　　　　　　 D. wings

 

Today, when a man steps onto the moon, the 1 learn about it immediately. What did the 2 say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly 3 about it at all. There were only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very 4 . Some of the things they said were not even 5 .

    In 1904 the Wrights built a 6 machine. They called it“Flyer No. Two”. They 7 some reporters to watch them fly. 8 there was some mechanical trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspaperman 9 away. They were 10 and did not come back. The Wrights went on with their 11. In 1905 they built an even 12 machine,“Flyer No. Three”. They were able to 13 up in the air for half an hour and more in this machine. They were 14 to turn and climb in the air. Farmers and travelers often saw them flying. 15 when these people told newspaper men about it, they refused to believe them.

    The Wrights 16 “Flyer No. Three”to the United States Government. The Government was not 17. They seemed to think the Wrights wanted money to build a 18 . They did not understand that the Wrights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was 19 . At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their plane to pieces. The 20 were put into a huge box. It seemed nobody was interested.

    1. A. city　　    B. world　　　　　　    C. village　　　　　　   D. country

    2. A. people    B. experts　　　　　　  C. officials　　　　　　 D. newspapers

    3. A. nothing   B. anything　　　　    C. something　　　　 D. everything

    4. A. much　　 B. little　　　　　　　　  C. clearly　　　　　　   D. exactly

    5. A. wrong    B. useful　　　　　　    C. correct　　　　　　　　　　 D. important

    6. A. air　　　　  B. first　　　　　　　　  C. simple　　　　　　   D. second

    7. A. took　　　　　　  B. sent　　　　　　　　  C. invited　　　　　　   D. expected

    8. A. Really　　 B. Shortly　　　　　　  C. Usually　　　　　　  D. Unfortunately

    9. A. ran　　　　 B. went　　　　　　　　 C. gave　　　　　　　　 D. were

    10. A. sad　　　　　　  B. excited　　　　　　  C. pleased　　　　　　  D. disappointed

    11. A. work    B. program　　　　    C. search　　　　　　   D. job

    12. A. better    B. faster　　　　　　    C. richer　　　　　　    D. tougher

    13. A. set　　    B. get　　　　　　　　    C. stay　　　　　　　　  D. reach

    14. A. able　　      B. about　　　　　　    C. just　　　　　　　　   D. going

  
?

;  15. A. However B. Though　　　　   C. But　　　　　　　　   D. Unless

    16. A. sold　　  B. gave　　　　　　　　  C. offered　　　　　　  D. brought

    17. A. worried B. interested　　　　   C. discouraged　　　　　　  D. surprised

    18. A. plane    B. company　　　　   C. firm　　　　　　　　  D. airport

    19. A. probable　　   B. wonderful　　　　  C. dangerous　　　　 D. impossible

20. A. planes   B. machines　　　　   C. parts　　　　　　　　 D. wings

 

Middle class workers aged 50 and above are being forced to delay their retirement until they are “at least 70”, with many blaming their children, a report revealed yesterday.

The report, from the investment firm Heartwood, said the delay is “not driven by a love of their job, but by concerns of their ability to find their retirement”. It is not the soaring cost of living which is triggering (引起)the delay. Many blame the fact that they are constantly having to bail out their grown-up children at an age when they presumed they would be financially independent. Asked bout the reason for the delay, one in five middle class workers said they “needed to keep working in order to support their children”. Many grown-up children need help to get on to the property ladder, while others ask their parents to clear their university debts.

More than 40 percent said they plan to remain in work “for an average of five years longer that they had originally planned”. Around one in five said they will delay their retirement until they are aged 70 or above. Many are planning to “ semi-retire” , which means they will stop working full-time to switch to part-time work. Simon Lough, chief executive of Heartwood, said longer periods of semi-retirement are “increasingly becoming the norm” among wealthier people in their 50s and 60s.

He added: “In many cases, they are being faced with greater demands being placed on their pension pots, rises in the cost of living and unexpected financial commitments, such as supporting their children for longer than they had originally anticipated.(预料)”.

It comes as a separate report, from the pension giant Scottish Widows, found one in four women is saving “nothing at all” for their retirement, compared to 17 percent of men. This leaves many forced to rely on the state pension, which is just 102.15 pounds a week if they are eligible (合格的)for the full amount. To make matters worse, the age when a woman can claim her state pension is being increased. It used to be 60 but it will reach 66 in 2020, and will continue to rise in the future.

55. According to the report from the investment firm Heartwood, the major reason that so many middle class workers are delaying their retirement age is__.

A. the rising in the cost of living

B. their love for their jobs

C. supporting their grown-up children.

D. the pension reduce.

56. We can infer from the third paragraph that the average retirement age in Britain is about ___.

A. 70　　　 　　 B. 65　　　　　　 C. 60　　　　 D. 66

57. The underlined word “semi-retire” in paragraph 3 most probably means _____.

A. work full-time　　　　 B. work on weekends

C. work part-time　　　　 D. work day and night

58. What can we learn from this passage?

A. Many parents are blaming their children for their retirement dreams are crushed because of their inability to get a job.

B. More than 40 percent of the British people are planning to delay their retirement until they are 70 or above.

C. The women in Scotland will have to claim their state pension in an earlier age in the future.

D. The semi-retirement is only popular among a small number of wealthier people in their 50s and 60s.