4. Why do some foreign companies like to set up their plants in Brazil?

A. The investment(投资) environment in Brazil is suitable for them.

B. They will not be severely punished if they cause pollution in Brazil.

C. They can make much money because they do not have to pay Brazilian workers much.

D. They can act in an irresponsible(不负责任的) way in Brazil because there are no pollution laws there.

(19)

How many men do housework? Recently a European commission(委员会) tried to find out people’s ideas and reactions to the women’s movement. As part of their survey(调查), they asked many men and women the question, “Who does the housework?” The men answered very differently from the women!

The housework they asked people about was: preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and babysitting. 48% of British husbands said they did these things. 37% of Danish(丹麦的) men helped in the house. But only 15% of Italian men said they did the housework; many of them said they never helped at all! 

But there was an interesting point of view from the wives. According to British wives, only 38% of their husbands helped in the house. And Italian wives said that their husbands hardly ever helped. The Italian and British men did not tell the truth! The Commission found that Danish men were the most truthful husbands; their answers were the same as their wives’ answers. 

Do the men you know help in the house? Do you think the survey gives a true picture in your experience? Write and tell us what you think. 

4. Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers, ____.

A. have to do more in the household  B. have to make more difficult adaptations

C. have an easier job to do      D. can usually do a better job

(18)

Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America but also an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important aim. They want to introduce industries, and so they put few controls on the industries which cause pollution.

Cubatao, an industrial town of 85 000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it has more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants(污染物). The people of the town are suffering from the poisonous matter in their environment and the bad effects can be clearly seen. Birth shortcomings are extremely common. Among children and adults, lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.

It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, has laws against pollution, but these laws are not enforced strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to take no notice of the laws and pay the fines(罚款) than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important to the government than to the health of the workers. However, the responsibility(责任) does not completely lie with the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the U. S. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they caused the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely(严厉地) punished or even put out of business.

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