Aimlessness hashardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmonyare the envy of the United States and Europe. But increasingly the Japanese areseeing a decline of the traditional work-moral values. Ten years ago youngpeople were hard-working and saw their jobs as their primary reason for being,but now Japan has largely fulfilled its economic needs, and young people don tknow where they should go next。
The coming of age of the postwar baby boom and an entry of womeninto the male-dominated job market have limited the opportunities of teen-agerswho are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved in climbingJapan s rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs. In a recent survey, itwas found that only 24.5 percent of Japanese students were fully satisfied withschool life, compared with 67.2 percent of students in the United States. Inaddition, far more Japanese workers expressed dissatisfaction with their jobsthan 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 overcreativity and self-expression。Those things that do not show up in the test scorespersonality,ability, courage or humanity―are completely ignored, says Toshiki Kaifu,chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party s education committee。Frustrationagainst this kind of thing leads kids to drop out and run wild。 Last yearJapan experienced 2,125 incidents of school violence, including 929 assaults onteachers. Amid the outcry, many conservative leaders are seeking a return tothe prewar emphasis on moral education. Last year Mitsuo Setoyama, who was theneducation minister, raised eyebrows when he argued that liberal reformsintroduced by the American occupation authorities after World War Ⅱ hadweakened the Japanese morality of respect for parents。 But that may have more to do with Japanese life-styles. In Japan, sayseducator 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 ofJapan s 119 million citizens live in cities where community and the extendedfamily have been abandoned in favor of isolated, two generation n Japanese have long endured lengthy commutes 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 divorcerate, while still well below that of the United States, has increased by morethan 50 percent, and suicides have increased by nearly one-quarter。
23. 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
24. According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible forthe 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 life-style has been influenced by Western values。
25. Which of the following is true according to the author?
[A]Japanese education is praised for helping the young climb thesocial ladder
[B]Japanese education is characterized by mechanical learning aswell as creativity。
[C]More stress should be placed on the cultivation of creativity。
[D]Dropping out leads to frustration against test taking。
26. The change in Japanese life-style is revealed in the factthat____。
[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
名師解析
23. In the Westernerseyes, the postwar Japan was_____.
在西方人看來，戰後的日本是_____。
[A]under aimless development 盲目發展
[B]a positive example 一個積極的例子
[C]a rival to the West 西方的競爭對手
[D]on the decline 在衰退中
【答案】 B 【考點】 事實細節題。
【分析】 文章第一段第一句就指出，盲目性不是戰後日本的特色，它的生產率和社會的和諧為美國和歐洲所羨慕。也就是說是一個積極的正面的例子。[A]違反了第一句。[C]選項和[D]選項不是本文談論的話題。
24. According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for themoral decline of Japanese society?
根據本文作者的觀點，日本社會道德滑坡的主要原因是什麼?
[A] Women s participation in social activities is limited. 婦女參加社會活動受到限制。
[B] More workers are dissatisfied with their jobs。 越來越多的工人對自己的工作感到不滿。
[C] Excessive emphasis has been placed on the basics。 過多地注重基礎教育。
[D] The life-style has been influenced by Western values。 生活方式受西方價值觀的影響。
【答案】 D 【考點】 事實細節題。
【分析】 文中第一段指出日本人正在逐漸經歷傳統工作道德價值觀的日益滑坡，說十年前，年輕人工作努力，將工作看作是生存的重要動力，但是，日本目前在很大程度上滿足了其經濟發展的需要，年輕人反而不知道下一步的發展目標了。具體提到道德滑坡是在第三段，文中提到校園暴力，提到保守黨領導人正在力圖重新重視戰前那種道德教育，Mitsuo Setoyama更是冒出驚人之語，他堅持認為二戰後美國佔領當局引進的自由改革削弱了日本人尊敬父母的道德觀。而在下文，作者更是直接提出，但是，這可能和日本人的生活方式關係更大。人們已經拋棄了社群和大家庭，而更加喜歡單門獨戶的兩代人構成的家庭，舊的集體和家庭價值觀被削弱。由此可見，本題的答案就是[D]選項。
25. Which of the following is true according to the author?
在作者看來，以下哪一個是正確的?
[A] Japanese education is praised for helping the young climb thesocial ladder。 日本的教育受人稱道，因為它有助於年輕人攀登社會階梯。
[B] Japanese education is characterized by mechanical learning aswell as creativity。 日本教育的特點就是既有機械性的學習又有創造力的培養。
[C] More stress should be placed on the cultivation of creativity。 應該更加強調創造力的培養上。
[D] Dropping out leads to frustration against test taking。 輟學導致了對應試的挫折感。
【答案】 C 【考點】 作者觀點題。
【分析】 [A]說法是錯誤的，因為日本的教育受到外國人讚賞的原因是它強調整礎教育。[B]說法是錯誤的，因為文中提到它強調考試和機械學習而不是創造性和自我表現。[C]是正確的，因為文中提到它強調考試和機械學習超過創造性和自我表現。那些在考分中不能體現的東西個性、能力、勇氣或人性完全被忽視了，執政的自民黨教育委員會主席Toshiki Kaifu說，這類事情造成的挫折致使孩子輟學以及變得狂野，這說明日本應該更加強調創造力的培養。[D]的.說法是錯誤的，因為文中說這類事情造成的挫折致使孩子輟學以及變得狂野，該選項故意混淆了原因和結果。
26. The change in Japanese life-style is revealed in the factthat____.
日本人生活方式的變化體現在下面的一個事實中。
[A] the young are less tolerant of discomforts in life 年輕人對現實生活中困苦的忍受力下降
[B] the divorce rate in Japan exceeds that in the U.S。 日本的離婚率超過美國的
[C] the Japanese endure more than ever before 日本人忍受的東西比以前更多了
[D] the Japanese appreciate their present life 日本人欣賞他們目前的生活
【答案】 A 【考點】 事實細節題。
【分析】 文中提到教育家YokoMuro。他說在日本，你喜歡不喜歡自己的工作和生活，這從來都不是問題，問題是你有多大的承受力。然後在最後一段裡面提到家庭結構的改變，舊的集體和家庭價值觀的削弱，人們的不滿凸現。也就是說日本人以前默默地忍受生活的困苦，但是，現在年輕的日本人覺得這種犧牲太大，對此產生了逆反情緒。因此可以判定日本人的生活方式的變化體現年輕人對現實生活中的困苦忍受力下降。[B]的說法是錯誤的，因為根據第四段最後一句，日本人的離婚率仍然低於美國人的。[C]在文中找不到很據。[D]可以根據最近一次調查發現只有24.5%的日本學生對學校生活完全滿意，相比之下，美國學生的比例是62.7%。此外，與被調查的其他10個國家的工人相比，對自身工作表示不滿的日本工人多得多進行排除。
難句解析：
The coming of age of the postwar baby boom and an entry of womeninto the male-dominated job market have limited the opportunities of teenagerswho are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved in climbingJapans rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs。
【結構分析】本句的主語有兩個。一個是The coming of age of the postwar baby boom另外一個是anentry of women into the male-dominated job market。謂語是have limited。賓語是theopportunities of teen-agers。who引導一個定語從句修飾賓語。involved in climbing Japans rigid socialladder to good schools and jobs是personal sacrifices的後置定語。
Last year Mitsuo Setoyama, who was then education minister,raised eyebrows when he argued that liberal reforms introduced by the Americanoccupation authorities after World War II had weakened the Japanesemorality of respect for parents。
【結構分析】本句主句結構是Mitsuo Setoyama raised eyebrows。插入語who was theneducation minister是主語的定語，when引導一個時間狀語從句，that引導的從句做argued的賓語，該賓語從句中主語是liberal reforms，謂語是had weakened，賓語是theJapanese morality of respect for parents，introducedby the American occupation authorities after World War II是liberalreforms的定語。
全文翻譯：
盲目性不是戰後日本的特色，它的生產率和社會的和諧為美國和歐洲所羨慕。但是，日本人正在逐漸經歷傳統工作道德價值觀的日益滑坡。10年前，日本年輕人工作勤奮，將工作視為他們存在的主要理由，但如今日本基本上已經滿足了其經濟需求，年輕人卻不知道他們隨後該去何方。 戰後嬰兒出生高峰期出生的人已到成年，以及婦女進入男性主宰的就業市場，限制了青少年的發展機遇，這些青少年已經開始質疑攀登日本等級森嚴的社會階梯以求進好學校，找好工作中付出的沉重的個人犧牲是否值得。最近一次調查發現只有24.5%的日本學生對學校生活完全滿意，相比之下，美國學生的比例是62.7%。此外，與被調查的其他10個國家的工人相比，對自身工作表示不滿的日本工人多得多。 雖然日本的教育因強調基礎知識而經常受到外國人的讚揚，但是它強調考試和機械學習而不是創造性和自我表現。那些在考分中不能體現的東西個性、能力、勇氣或人性完全被忽視了，執政的自民黨教育委員會主席Toshiki Kaifu說，這類事情造成的挫折致使孩子輟學以及變得狂野。去年日本發生了2,125起校園暴力事件，其中包括929起襲擊老師事件。在抗議聲中，許多保守黨領導人正在力圖重新重視戰前那種道德教育;去年，時任教育大臣的Mitsuo Setoyama就冒出驚人之語，他堅持認為二戰後美國佔領當局引進的自由改革削弱了日本人尊敬父母的道德觀。 但是，這可能和日本人的生活方式關係更大。教育家 Yoko Muro說在日本，你喜歡不喜歡自己的工作和生活，這從來都不是問題，問題是你有多大的承受力。經濟的增長伴隨著人口的集中，在日本1.19億人當中，76%的人住在城市，在那裡，人們已經拋棄了社群和大家庭，而更加喜歡單門獨戶的兩代人構成的家庭。日本的城裡人長期忍受著漫長的上下班來回路程和擁擠的居住條件，但是隨著舊的集體和家庭價值觀的削弱，人們的不滿開始顯現。在過去10年中，日本的離婚率雖然仍遠在美國之下，但是也已經上升了50%，而自殺則上升了近1/4。