A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure（闲暇）. As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.
The figures support the western prejudice（偏见） that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.
But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised（隐性的） pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.
68．The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that .
A．the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people
B．the government needs to get more goods from abroad
C．the Japanese have been working too hard
D．the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice
69．The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is .
A．the small companies B．the industrialists
C．the unions D．the younger generation
70．The unions think that .
A．the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get
B．the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy
C．the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have
D．the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be
71．The best title for this passage can be .
A．Oh no! Not Saturday Again! B．Leisure: the Greatest Threat!
C．Enjoy While You are Young! D．Less Work and More Play!
James knew the decision was not going to be an easy one to make as he sat on the hill near the small town that he lived in. There was no one he could turn to for advice. His only sister lived away and he hardly ever saw her and when his sister came over, they always ended up in an argument.
It had been a hot day and James’s clothes seemed to stick to his body. He had felt terrible for weeks and he was just tired of feeling sick. He had started vomiting（呕吐）after he would eat anything and he knew that something would have to be done.
After going to the doctor, he was told to come back in a few days. The next three days had gone by slowly and it was time for his visit to the doctor. He had been shown into the doctor’s office and James knew it was bad news. The end result was he had stomach cancer.
James sat on the hill looking down at the town and wonder what he would do. Taking out his phone, he dialed his sister’s number and told her the bad news. She started to cry and said, “If anything happens to you, I will be alone in this world.”
Marie, his sister said, “You are moving up here and you will live with me until you get back on your feet, so go home, pack up and I will be there to get you in two days.”
He smiled and said, “It sounds wonderful, but I still haven’t decided if I am going to have the surgery or not?” Hearing this, she softly whispered, “Of course you are having the surgery. I will pick you up in two days. I love you.”
James knew the final word was still up to him and he would think about it because this was a decision that wouldn’t come easy to him.From the very beginning, we know that James ________________.
| A．used to sit on the hill when in trouble |
| B．lived alone and seldom met others |
| C．didn’t get along well with Marie |
| D．never made a decision by himself |
James decided to go to his doctor when _____________.
| A．he felt it had been too hot for him |
| B．he vomited anything he ate |
| C．he felt sick for several weeks |
| D．he got a call from his sister |
The underlined word “it” in the passage refers to _____________.
| A．James having the surgery |
| B．Packing up within two days |
| C．Marie coming to meet him |
| D．James moving to live with Marie |
What is the message expressed in the passage?
| A．Health is not valued till sickness comes. |
| B．Blood is thicker than water. |
| C．Each day brings its own bread. |
| D．Good health is above wealth. |
To protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security（安全） Administration (TSA) is required by law to check all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and checked. Your bag was among those selected for check.
During the check, your bag and its contents may have been searched for items forbidden by law such
as fireworks, fuels, gunpowder, etc. At the completion of the check, the contents were returned to your bag, which was resealed（重新封口）with a "special" lock.
If the TSA screener was unable to open your bag for check because it was locked, the screener may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, and has taken care to reseal your bag upon completion of check. However, TSA is not liable for damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution (预防措施) .
For packing tips and other suggestions that may assist you during your next trip, visit: WWW.TSATravelTips.us.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the Transportation Security Administration Consumer Response Center:
Phone: toll-free at (866) 289-9673
Email: TellTSA@tas.dot.govThe passage is trying to ______.
| A．introduce one of the security acts |
| B．tell people about baggage check |
| C．warn against the damage of locking the baggage |
| D．persuade people to contact TSA |
The passage is most probably written to those who ______.
| A．had their baggage selected for checking |
| B．refused to check their baggage |
| C．kept some damaged items in their baggage |
| D．left their baggage unlocked |
The underlined word “liable” means “______”.
| A．suitable by law | B．permitted by law |
| C．responsible by law | D．prepared by law |
For packing tips and other suggestions, visit ______.
| A．TellTSA@tas.dot.gov |
| B．TSA Consumer Response Center |
| C．toll-free at (866) 289-9673 |
| D．WWW.TSATravelTips.us |
My son and I were trying to sell the house we had repaired, but in the barn（谷仓）there were bats and they would not leave. The barn was their home. They told us so in their own way they hung for the season. “Don’t worry about it, Dad.” Patrick said. “They keep down the mosquitoes（蚊子）.”
Unfortunately they also kept the buyers away. When we had asked a person to sell the house for us he had refused to show it because of the bats. “Bats are popular,” Patrick comforted me. “They are ecological.” “Isn’t there a machine you can buy that produces high-frequency sounds to keep bats away?” “ I don’t know,” said Patrick. “But I like bats, and whoever buys this house will probably like them too.’ “Probably?” I hated that word. “How many bats are there, anyway?” “I counted about 90 last night,” said Patrick. “They were dropping out from under the edge of the roof.” “You mean there are more------outside?” “They’re everywhere, Dad. But look at it this way. When the cold weather comes, they’ll be off to Mexico. Maybe in the spring we can keep them out. Don’t worry about it,” he said for the
the hundredth time. “It’s not a problem.”
The bat expert I called was even more active than Patrick. “I think you’ve got a large number there,” he said in wonder. “I’ve been trying to attract bats to our house for 25 years. A single bat ears up his weight in mosquitoes and black flies three times every night. You’ve a very lucky man.” I offered to share my luck with him. He could take them away. “Bats have a remarkable homing instinct（本能）,” he said. “They’d fly straight back even if I transported them 100 miles. Once they have settled, you can’t stop them from coming back.” I was silent.
Finally we managed to rent the house to a young family, who were also interested in buying it. “What about the bats?” I said to Patrick. “Oh, they love the bats,” he said. “No mosquitoes. No black flies. It’s one of the things that attracted them.” “Do you think they will really buy the house?” “Probably? Well, if they do, I suppose I’ll have to admit that I was wrong.” “You mean you’re going to eat your words?”
“Yes. I am.”What was the problem the author had with his house?
| A．Bats were living in the barn and wouldn’t go away. |
| B．The author and his son couldn’t sleep well because of the bats |
| C．The author and his son might be able to stay for the season. |
| D．The house was still badly in need of repair. |
What did Patrick suggest the author should do to stop the bats living in the barn?
| A．Buy a high-frequency machine. |
| B．Close the barn in the spring. |
| C．Reduce the number of mosquitoes. |
| D．Move them one hundred miles away. |
What happened to the house in the end?
| A．Some people agreed to rent the house. |
| B．The author failed to find anybody who wanted to live in the house |
| C．The bat expert made the decision to buy the house. |
| D．The bats left the house for Mexico in the spring. |
Why did the author think he might have to “eat his words”?
| A．He felt sorry for the bats. |
| B．He was happy about selling the house. |
| C．He realized they might be wrong about the bats’ actions |
| D．He might be mistaken about being unable to sell the house. |
Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble —and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP（特异功能）. ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here’s an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!” Just then, a telegram came. The woman’s father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what’s behind these strange mental messages. Here’s another example —one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, “There’s room for one more.” The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said. “There’s room for one more.”
Then the man saw that the driver’s face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn’t get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ______.
| A．possible | B．imaginative |
| C．not real | D．impossible |
By studying ESP, scientists may get to ______.
| A．learn how people tell lies |
| B．know more about human dreams |
| C．know more about human mind |
| D．learn how strange things happen |
In the last paragraph the underlined word “coincidences” probably means “______”.
| A．things that may not happen |
| B．things that happen by accident |
| C．things that must happen |
| D．things that happen in a dream |
This article is mainly about ______.
| A．the human dream | B．a crowded bus |
| C．the human mind | D．the sixth sense |
How many men do housework? Recently a European Commission 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 were: preparing meals, washing dishes, cleaning the house and babysitting. 48% of British husbands said they did these things. 37% of Danish 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 trustful 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.The survey was carried out in ______.
| A．Britain | B．Europe | C．Denmark | D．Italy |
The subject for the survey is ______.
| A．how many boys do the housework |
| B．who are more diligent（勤劳）, wives or husbands |
| C．how many women do the housework |
| D．who does the housework at home |
From the passage we can see that ______.
| A．there were more husbands who did the housework than wives |
| B．husbands did half of the housework all the time |
| C．there were more wives who did the housework than husbands |
| D．wives did all the housework at home |
More ______ husbands help in the house than ______ husbands.
| A．British; Danish | B．Italian; Danish | C．Danish; British | D．Italian; British |