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

Washington — The largest ozone (臭氧)hole ever observed has opened up over Antarctica, according to the scientists of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They believe it is a sign that ozone — destroying gases produced years ago are just now causing the largest quantities of ozone to disappear.

　　This year’s South Pole ozone hole spreads over about 28.5 million square kilometers, an area three times larger than the landmass of the United States.

　　Pictures of the hole have been offered by NASA. The hole appears as a giant blue mass, totally covering Antarctica and stretching to the southern tip of South America.

　　“The last time the ozone hole was close to this size was in 1998, when it spread over about 27.2 million square kilometers,” NASA said.

　　Paul Newman, who works with NASA’s Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument on a NASA satellite, said ozone watchers had expected a big hole this year, but not this big.

　　The Antarctica ozone hole, first observed in 1985, is caused by the depletion (损耗) of Earth protecting ozone by human-made chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, known as CFCs.

　　“Even though these chemicals were not allowed to use from the beginning of 1987, they remain in the atmosphere and will continue to do so for years,” Newman said.

　　“This year’s large hole may have been caused by a change in a swirling high-level air current over Antarctica, which circles the area and contains the zone hole,” Newman said.

56. The text is mainly about ____ .

　 A. the discovery of the largest ozone hole           B. the discovery of the Antarctica ozone hole

　 C. the history of the Antarctica ozone hole          D. the size of the largest ozone hole

57. The time 1985 was talked about in the text because it was when the Antarctica ozone hole ____ .

　 A. was watched by Newman   B. was first closed   C. disappeared   　 D. was first watched

58. There is a giant ozone hole over Antarctica because ____ over there.

　 A. human-made chemicals have protected ozone     B. ozone has protected the earth

　 C. human-made chemicals have destroyed ozone     D. human-made chemicals have increased ozone

Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
　　Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
　　There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.
　　When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
　　One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
【小题1】In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.

Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.

　　Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.

　　There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.

　　When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”

　　One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”

56. In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.

A. don’t work well together                                

B. work friendly with each other

C. teach each other new ways of building houses

D. spend eight weeks together, working as farmers

57.All the members work some time every day mainly to________.

A. lead a busy life                                 B. learn new skills of farming

C. get used to the life on the farms        D. find useful things and fun in work

58. Living together, ________.

A. the teenagers don’t have to obey the rules

B. the members have to obey the rules the adults make

C. the members have no free time but on weekends

D. the members should not break the rules that they make together

59. The best title for the passage is________.

A. The Rules of Living Together           B. Life in New York State

C. Teenagers and Adults Together        D. Free Hours in the Special Work Group

60. Which one is TRUE?

A. If someone breaks a rule, he will deal with it by himself.

B. They are free on weekends.

C. Everyone works one hour each day

D. The teenagers teach adults skills