考研英語三層遞進攻尅閲讀理解2000年試題(四)

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Aimlessness has hardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are the envy of the United States and Europe. But increasingly the Japanese are seeing a decline of the traditional work moral values. Ten years ago young people were hardworking and saw their jobs as their primary reason for being, but now Japan has largely fulfilled its economic needs, and young people don’t know where they should go next.
The coming of age of the postwar baby boom and an entry of women into the male dominated job market have limited the opportunities of teenagers who are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved in climbing Japan’s rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs. In a recent survey, it was found that only 24.5 percent of Japanese students were fully satisfied with school life, compared with 67.2 percent of students in the United States. In addition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs than did their counterparts in the 10 other countries surveyed.

While often praised by foreigners for its emphasis on the basics, Japanese education tends to stress test taking and mechanical learning over creativity and selfexpression. “Those things that do not show up in the test scores—personality, ability, courage or humanity—are completely ignored,” says Toshiki Kaifu, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s education committee. “Frustration against this kind of thing leads kids to drop out and run wild.” Last year Japan experienced 2,125 incidents of school violence, including 929 assaults on teachers. Amid the outcry, many conservative leaders are seeking a return to the prewar emphasis on moral education. Last year Mitsuo Setoyama, who was then education minister, raised eyebrows when he argued that liberal reforms introduced by the American occupation authorities after World War II had weakened the “Japanese morality of respect for parents”.

But that may have more to do with Japanese lifestyles. “In Japan,” says educator Yoko Muro, “it’s never a question of whether you enjoy your job and your life, but only how much you can endure.” With economic growth has come centralization, fully 76 percent of Japan’s 119 million citizens live in cities where community and the extended family have been abandoned in favor of isolated, two generation households. Urban Japanese have long endured lengthy commutes （travels to and from work）and crowded living conditions, but as the old group and family values weaken, the discomfort is beginning to tell. In the past decade, the Japanese divorce rate, while still well below that of the United States, has increased by more than 50 percent, and suicides have increased by nearly one quarter.

63. In the Westerners’ eyes, the postwar Japan was .

［A］ under aimless development［B］ a positive example

［C］ a rival to the West［D］ on the decline

64. According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the moral decline of Japanese society?

［A］ Women’s participation in social activities is limited.

［B］ More workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.

［C］ Excessive emphasis has been placed on the basics.

［D］ The lifestyle has been influenced by Western values.

65. Which of the following is true according to the author?

［A］ Japanese education is praised for helping the young climb the social ladder.

［B］ Japanese education is characterized by mechanical learning as well as creativity.

［C］ More stress should be placed on the cultivation of creativity.

［D］ Dropping out leads to frustration against test taking.

66. The change in Japanese lifestyle is revealed in the fact that .

［A］ the young are less tolerant of discomforts in life

［B］ the divorce rate in Japan exceeds that in the U.S.

［C］ the Japanese endure more than ever before

［D］ the Japanese appreciate their present life

核心詞滙：

assault［E5sC:lt］v.猛烈地攻擊，襲擊n.突然而猛烈的攻擊（as一再 sault跳→一再跳起來→進攻）

commute［kE5mju:t］v.乘公交車上下班,乘車（船等）往返於兩地（com共同 mute→和大家一起變動→坐公共車）

conservative［kEn5sE:vEtiv］a.保守的,守舊的n.保守主義者（conserve ative形容詞後綴→保守的）

counterpart［5kauntEpB:t］n.對應的人（或物）（counter相對應 part→對應的一部分→對應的人或物）

cultivation［9kQlti5veiFEn］n.栽培；培養（cultivate ion名詞後綴→栽培）

divorce［di5vC:s］v./n.離婚,分離（di vorce=vert轉→從身邊轉開→離婚）

endure［in5djuE］v.忍受,持久,持續(en進入 dure持久，堅硬→進入持久→耐久)

envy［5envi］v./n.羨慕,忌妒（en使 vy=vid使得看別人→妒忌）

exceed［ik5si:d］v.超過,勝過;越出（ex出 ceed→走出→超過）

harmony［5ha:mEni］n.協調,和諧;融洽(har mony)，har諧音“哈”，mony即money，於是“哈！money！”→有錢很多事情都會變得“和諧”與“融洽”。

isolate［5aisEleit］v.分開,隔斷;隔離，絕緣a.獨自的；單獨的(iso島 ate動詞後綴→孤島→孤立)

ladder［5lAdE］n.梯子,堦梯

liberal［5libErEl］a.慷慨的,大方的;富足的;自由的,思想開放的（liber al形容詞後綴→自由的）

morality［mE5rAliti］n.道德,美德（moral ity名詞後綴）

personality［pE:sE5nAliti］n.人格,個性（person ality名詞後綴，表示性質、狀態→個性）

postwar［5pEust5wC:］a.戰後的(post在後麪 war戰爭→戰後的)；prewar（戰前）←pre前綴“在前” war

rigid［5ridVid］a.剛性的;刻板的；嚴厲的(rig硬；澆水 id形容詞後綴→鋼硬的；僵硬的；嚴格的，死板的)

sacrifice［5sAkrifais］n.犧牲,犧牲品;祭品v.（for,to）犧牲,獻出（sacri神聖 fice→爲神做的東西→犧牲品；犧牲）

score［skC:］n.得分,分數;二十v.得(分),記(……的)分數

tolerant［5tClErEnt］a.容忍的,寬容的；有耐葯力的（toler ant形容詞後綴）

urban［5E:bEn］a.城市的, 市內的（urb an形容詞後綴）