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真题来源:2000Text4
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.
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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.
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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 2125 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 life-styles. “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 Westerner’s eyes, the postwar Japan was________.
[A] under aimless development
[B] a positive example
[C] a rival to the West
[D] on the decline
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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 his been placed on the basics.
[D] The life-style has been influenced by Western values.
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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.
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66. The change in Japanese Life-style 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 US
[C] the Japanese endure more than ever before
[D] the Japanese appreciate their present life
答案解析:
63.[B]?
[B] 意为:正面的例子。
第一段第一句指出,战后,日本的生产率与和谐的社会状态是美国和欧洲所羡慕的,其发展目标明确(主句的直译意思是:无目标性一直不是日本的特点)。
A意为:处于无目标的发展状态下。
C意为:是西方国家的劲敌。
D意为:正在走下坡路。
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64.[D]?
[D] 意为:生活方式受西方价值观的影响。
第一段指出,日本人越来越多地目睹着一场传统的工作道德价值观的沦丧。十年前,年轻人工作努力,将工作看作是生存(being)的重要动力;但是,日本目前在很大程度上满足了其经济发展的需要,年轻人反而不知道下一步的发展目标了。
在第二、三段,文章探讨了造成这种现象的原因。在第四段第一句,作者指出,这(that指上一段提到的现象)也许更多地是与日本人的生活方式有关(have…?to?do?with意为:与……有关)。
A意为:妇女参加社会活动受到限制。第二段第一句的意思是:随着战后进入高生育时期,并随着妇女进入过去男人占统治地位的就业市场,青少年的机会受到限制,他们已经表现出对为爬上严格的社会阶层——如进入好学校或获得好工作——所做出的巨大的个人牺牲提出质疑。
B意为:更多的工人对自己的工作感到不满。
C意为:过多地注重基础训练。根据第三段,虽然外国人经常称赞日本教育对基础训练的强调,日本的教育却倾向于强调考试和机械的学习,而忽视丁创造力和自我表达的培养。可见,强调基础的教育是好的,但是忽视创造力和自我表达的培养也是不对的。这里,强调基础是教育的目的,强调考试和机械的学习是日本实现这一目的的方法;目标并没有错(不会导致道德水平的下降),错误的是实现这一目标的方法。
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65.[C]?
[C] 意为:应该更多地强调创造力的培养。
A意为:日本的教育受到赞赏,因为它有助于年轻人爬上社会阶梯。日本的教育受到外国人赞赏的原因是它强调整础教育。参阅第64题对选择项[C]的解释。
B意为:日本教育既强调机械的学习也强调创造力。参阅第64题对选择项[C]的解释。
D意为:失学导致了对考试的反感。根据Toshiki?Kaifu的看法,对这种东西(指上一句提到的强调考试,忽视个性、能力、勇气或人性教育)的反感使孩子们弃学,变得难以管教。可见,选择项[D]颠倒了因果。参阅第三段。
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66.[A]
?[A] 意为:年轻人更难以忍受生活中的困难。
根据Yoko?Muro的观点,对日本人来说,问题一直不是一个他们能否享受工作和生活的问题,而是一个他们有多大的承受力的问题。例如,城市居民长期以来一直承受着上下班时间长和生活环境拥挤的折磨,但是,随着旧的价值观被摈弃,(与之相关的)困难开始表面化了(tell意为:产生影响;显现出来)。这里的意思是,日本人以前默默地忍受生活的困苦,但是,现在年轻的日本人觉得这种牺牲太大,对此产生了逆反情绪。参阅第四段。
B意为:日本人的离婚率超过了美国人。根据第四段最后一句,日本人的离婚率仍然大大地(well)低于美国人。
C意为:日本人比以前需要忍受的东西更多了。
D意为:日本人喜欢自己目前的生活方式。
全文翻译:
战后日本的生产率和社会的和谐为美国和欧洲所称羡,因此漫无目标很难说是战后日本的特色。但是,日本人正在经历传统工作道德价值观的日益衰退。10年前,日本年轻人工作勤奋,将工作视为他们存在的主要理由,但现在日本大体上已经满足了其经济需求,年轻人却不知道他们下一步的目标在哪里。
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战后婴儿出生高峰期的到来及妇女进入男性主宰的就业市场,限制了青少年的发展机遇,这些青少年已经开始质疑在进好学校,找好工作,攀登日本等级森严的社会阶梯的过程中所做出的沉重的个人牺牲是否值得。在最近一次调查中发现与62.7%的美国学生相比较,只有24.5%的日本学生对学校生活完全满意。此外,与被调查的其他10个国家的工人相比,对自身工作表示不满的日本工人多得多。
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虽然日本的教育因强调基础知识而经常受到外国人的赞扬,但是它往往强调考试和机械学习,而不重视创造性和自我表现。“在考分中得不到体现的那些东西——个性、能力、勇气或人性——完全被忽视,”执政的自民党教育委员会主席Toshiki?Kaifu说,“对这类事情灰心丧气,致使孩子辍学、放荡不羁。”去年日本发生了2125起校园暴力事件,其中包括929起袭击老师事件。在一片抗议声中,许多保守党领导人正在力图回复到战前,强调道德教育;去年,当时任教育大臣的Mitsuo?Setoyama就提出责难,他申辩说二战后美国占领当局引进的自由改革削弱了“日本人尊敬父母的道德观”。
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但是,那也许与日本人的生活方式关系更大。“在日本,”教育家?Yoko?Muro说,“问题绝对不是你是否喜欢自己的工作和生活,而仅仅是你能承受多大的负荷。”随着经济的发展,居住集中化也跟着来了,在日本1亿1900万人当中,足有76%住在城市,在那里社区和几世同堂的大家庭已经成为过去,而取而代之的是单门独户的两代之家。城市里的日本人长期忍受着漫长的上下班来回路程和拥挤不堪的居住条件,随着旧的群体家庭道德观的削弱,令人不舒服的结果开始显现出来。在过去10年中,日本的离婚率,尽管仍远在美国之下,已经上升了50%,而自杀事件则上升了近1/4。?
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Thanks for reading!
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