In Japan many workers who work in large corporations have a guarantee of lifetime employment. During their employment, they will not be laid off during recessions(经济萧条) or when the tasks they perform are taken over by robots. To some observers, this is what they call capitalism at its best, because workers are treated as people not things. Others see it as necessarily inefficient and they also believe it cannot continue if Japan is to remain competitive with foreign corporations by being more concerned about profits and less concerned about people.

　　Defenders of the system argue that those who call it inefficient do not understand how it really works. In the first place not every Japanese worker has the guarantee of a lifetime job. The lifetime employment system includes only “regular employees”. Many employees are not included in this category, including all women. All businesses have many part-time and temporary employees. These workers are hired and laid off during the course of the business cycle just as employees in the United States are. These “irregular workers” make up about 10 percent of the non-agricultural work force. Additionally, Japanese firms keep some flexibility through the large-scale use of subcontractors（转承包者）. This practice is much more common in Japan than in the United States.

　　The use of both subcontractors and temporary workers has increased remarkably in Japan since the 1974-1975 recessions. All this leads some people to argue that the Japanese system is not all that different from the American system. During recessions Japanese corporations lay off temporary workers and give less business to subcontractors. In the United States, corporations lay off those workers with the least seniority(资历). The difference then is probably less than the term “lifetime employment” suggests, but there still is a difference. And this difference cannot be understood without looking at the values of Japanese society. The relationship between employer and employee cannot be explained in purely contractual(合同的) terms. Firms hold on to the employees and employees stay with one firm. There are also practical reasons for not jumping from job to job. Most retirement benefits come from the employer. Changing jobs means losing these benefits. Also, teamwork is an essential part of Japanese production. Moving to a new firm means adapting to a different team and at least temporarily, possessing lower productivity and lower pay.

61.It is stated in the second paragraph that ____.

　　A. defenders themselves do not appreciate the system

　　B. about 90% of “irregular workers” are employed in agriculture

　　C. the business cycle occurs more often in Japan and in the U.S.

　　D. not all employees can benefit from the policy

62. During recessions those who are to be fired first in the U.S. corporations are ____.

　　A. regular employees                         B. part-time workers

    C. junior employees                            D. temporary workers

63. According to the passage, Japanese firms are remarkably different from American firms in that the former ____.

　　A. use subcontractors in larger amount

　　B. are less flexible in terms of lifetime employment

　　C. hold on to the values of society

　　D. are more efficient in competition than the latter

64. Which of the following does NOT account for the fact that a Japanese worker is unwilling to change his job?

　　A. He will probably be low-paid.

　　B. He will not be able to possess some job benefits.

　　C. He has got used to the teamwork.

　　D. He will be looked down upon by his prospective employer.

65. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

  A. The guarantee of employment in Japan

  B. The consequence of the Japanese system

  C. The advantages of lifetime employment in Japan

  D. The expectations of capitalism

In Japan many workers who work in large corporations have a guarantee of lifetime employment. During their employment, they will not be laid off during recessions(经济萧条) or when the tasks they perform are taken over by robots. To some observers, this is what they call capitalism at its best, because workers are treated as people not things. Others see it as necessarily inefficient and they also believe it cannot continue if Japan is to remain competitive with foreign corporations by being more concerned about profits and less concerned about people.
　　Defenders of the system argue that those who call it inefficient do not understand how it really works. In the first place not every Japanese worker has the guarantee of a lifetime job. The lifetime employment system includes only “regular employees”. Many employees are not included in this category, including all women. All businesses have many part-time and temporary employees. These workers are hired and laid off during the course of the business cycle just as employees in the United States are. These “irregular workers” make up about 10 percent of the non-agricultural work force. Additionally, Japanese firms keep some flexibility through the large-scale use of subcontractors（转承包者）. This practice is much more common in Japan than in the United States.
　　The use of both subcontractors and temporary workers has increased remarkably in Japan since the 1974-1975 recessions. All this leads some people to argue that the Japanese system is not all that different from the American system. During recessions Japanese corporations lay off temporary workers and give less business to subcontractors. In the United States, corporations lay off those workers with the least seniority(资历). The difference then is probably less than the term “lifetime employment” suggests, but there still is a difference. And this difference cannot be understood without looking at the values of Japanese society. The relationship between employer and employee cannot be explained in purely contractual(合同的) terms. Firms hold on to the employees and employees stay with one firm. There are also practical reasons for not jumping from job to job. Most retirement benefits come from the employer. Changing jobs means losing these benefits. Also, teamwork is an essential part of Japanese production. Moving to a new firm means adapting to a different team and at least temporarily, possessing lower productivity and lower pay.
61.It is stated in the second paragraph that ____.
　　A. defenders themselves do not appreciate the system
　　B. about 90% of “irregular workers” are employed in agriculture
　　C. the business cycle occurs more often in Japan and in the U.S.
　　D. not all employees can benefit from the policy
62. During recessions those who are to be fired first in the U.S. corporations are ____.
　　A. regular employees                   B. part-time workers
C. junior employees                     D. temporary workers
63. According to the passage, Japanese firms are remarkably different from American firms in that the former ____.
　　A. use subcontractors in larger amount
　　B. are less flexible in terms of lifetime employment
　　C. hold on to the values of society
　　D. are more efficient in competition than the latter
64. Which of the following does NOT account for the fact that a Japanese worker is unwilling to change his job?
　　A. He will probably be low-paid.
　　B. He will not be able to possess some job benefits.
　　C. He has got used to the teamwork.
　　D. He will be looked down upon by his prospective employer.
65. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A. The guarantee of employment in Japan
B. The consequence of the Japanese system
C. The advantages of lifetime employment in Japan
D. The expectations of capitalism

My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $ 1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.

It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.

I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ 18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have.

When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.

The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴树枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field — except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick.

1. The writer’s first job was _______.

　 A. to stand down the fairway at a golf course

　 B. to watch over the sugar-cane plantation

　 C. to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields

　 D. to spot the balls as they landed so the golfers could find them

2. The writer learned that_______ from his first job.

　A. he should work for those who he liked most

　B. he should work longer than what he was expected

　 C. he should never fail to say hello to his owner

　 D. he should be respectful and faithful to the people he worked for

3. _______ gave the writer self-esteem.

A. Having a family of eight people

　 B. Owning his own golf course

　 C. Bringing money back home to help the family

　 D. Helping his father with the work on the plantation

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

　 A. He wanted to be a successful golfer.

　B. He wanted to run a golf course near his house.

　C. He was satisfied with the job he got on a plantation.

　D. He wanted to make money by guiding oxen with a broomstick.

One day when the famous American scientist Edison was on his way home, a young man stopped him and required to have a word with him. Edison accepted his request.

The young man asked, “How, Mr. Edison, can you invent so many things and get your fame (名声)?”

The scientist said, “It seems that you have been thinking of becoming famous every day, “

The young man nodded, “Yes. I have been dreaming of being a person as famed as you. Every minute I am thinking of how to become reputable(有声望的). I don’t know when I can achieve my fame. “

Edison told him, “Don’t worry, young man. If you want to be a famous man this way, you will have to wait until you die!”

“Why should I?” the young man was puzzled.

Edison said, “What you dream is actually a high building. You never think of how to build it with bricks. Thus the building will never come into reality. However, your story can serve as a mirror. People will remember you because of your illness and laziness. They will often speak of your name while they give warnings to their children. Aren’t you a notorious person by then?”

1. What happened to Edison when he was on his way home?

A. a beggar stopped him　　

B. a robber stopped him.

C. A man wanted to speak to him.　

D. A man wanted to have words with him.

2. The man asked Edison to tell him______.

A. how to invent new things.　　　　 B. how to become famous

C. how he became a nobleman　　　　 D. how to become a scientist

3. After hearing his talk, the young man was puzzled because Edison told him ______.

A. he would die after he was famous　　 B. he would be famous before he died

C. he would die before he was famous　　　 D. he would never be famous

4. The story mainly tells us ________.

A.    a person needs high spirit　　

B. one shouldn’t dream of becoming famous

C. only by hard work can one’s wish come into reality

D. one person should be idle and lazy.

                                  In Japan many workers who work in large corporations have a guarantee of lifetime employment. During their employment, they will not be laid off during recessions(经济萧条) or when the tasks they perform are taken over by robots. To some observers, this is what they call capitalism at its best, because workers are treated as people not things. Others see it as necessarily inefficient and they also believe it cannot continue if Japan is to remain competitive with foreign corporations by being more concerned about profits and less concerned about people.

　　Defenders of the system argue that those who call it inefficient do not understand how it really works. In the first place not every Japanese worker has the guarantee of a lifetime job. The lifetime employment system includes only “regular employees”. Many employees are not included in this category, including all women. All businesses have many part-time and temporary employees. These workers are hired and laid off during the course of the business cycle just as employees in the United States are. These “irregular workers” make up about 10 percent of the non-agricultural work force. Additionally, Japanese firms keep some flexibility through the large-scale use of subcontractors（转承包者）. This practice is much more common in Japan than in the United States.

　　The use of both subcontractors and temporary workers has increased remarkably in Japan since the 1974-1975 recessions. All this leads some people to argue that the Japanese system is not all that different from the American system. During recessions Japanese corporations lay off temporary workers and give less business to subcontractors. In the United States, corporations lay off those workers with the least seniority(资历). The difference then is probably less than the term “lifetime employment” suggests, but there still is a difference. And this difference cannot be understood without looking at the values of Japanese society. The relationship between employer and employee cannot be explained in purely contractual(合同的) terms. Firms hold on to the employees and employees stay with one firm. There are also practical reasons for not jumping from job to job. Most retirement benefits come from the employer. Changing jobs means losing these benefits. Also, teamwork is an essential part of Japanese production. Moving to a new firm means adapting to a different team and at least temporarily, possessing lower productivity and lower pay.

61.It is stated in the second paragraph that ____.

　　A. defenders themselves do not appreciate the system

　　B. about 90% of “irregular workers” are employed in agriculture

　　C. the business cycle occurs more often in Japan and in the U.S.

　　D. not all employees can benefit from the policy

62. During recessions those who are to be fired first in the U.S. corporations are ____.

　　A. regular employees                   B. part-time workers

    C. junior employees                     D. temporary workers

63. According to the passage, Japanese firms are remarkably different from American firms in that the former ____.

　　A. use subcontractors in larger amount

　　B. are less flexible in terms of lifetime employment

　　C. hold on to the values of society

　　D. are more efficient in competition than the latter

64. Which of the following does NOT account for the fact that a Japanese worker is unwilling to change his job?

　　A. He will probably be low-paid.

　　B. He will not be able to possess some job benefits.

　　C. He has got used to the teamwork.

　　D. He will be looked down upon by his prospective employer.

65. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

  A. The guarantee of employment in Japan

  B. The consequence of the Japanese system

  C. The advantages of lifetime employment in Japan

  D. The expectations of capitalism