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 teen-agers 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 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.
1.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
2.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.
3.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.
4.The change in Japanese life-style is revealed in the fact that_______.
A.the young are less tolerant of discomforts
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
5.Which one ISN'T the social problem of present Japan due to lack of proper education?
A.Over productivity. B.Violence. C.Divorce. D.Suicide.
長難例句分析
［長難例句］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 teen-agers who are already questioning the heavy personal sacrifices involved in climbing Japan's rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs.
［結構分析］本句中，主干是The coming of age and an entry of women have limited the opportunities of teenagers。who引導的定語從句修飾teenagers。involved in climbing Japan's rigid social ladder是過去分詞短語作定語，修飾sacrifices。固定搭配sacrifices to sth. 的意思是“為……作出犧牲”。
［參考譯文］戰(zhàn)后嬰兒潮一代的步入成年加上婦女打入男性統(tǒng)治的勞動力市場使得青少年的發(fā)展機遇變得極為有限，這些青少年對為了爬上日本國內(nèi)那通往優(yōu)秀學校和體面工作的嚴酷的社會階梯所付出的沉重的個人代價發(fā)生了質(zhì)疑。
全文參考譯文
日本在戰(zhàn)后并非毫無目的的發(fā)展，它的高生產(chǎn)率和社會和諧讓歐美各國羨慕不已。但是，日本人正在經(jīng)歷傳統(tǒng)職業(yè)道德價值觀的日益衰落。10年前的年輕人工作努力，把工作當做生存的主要目的。可現(xiàn)在日本在很大程度上已滿足了經(jīng)濟需求，結果導致年輕人不知道他們下一步的目標在哪里。
戰(zhàn)后嬰兒潮的一代步入成年加上婦女加入男性統(tǒng)治的勞動力市場對青少年的發(fā)展機遇有所限制，這些青少年對從攀比上好學校到找好工作這一嚴格的社會階梯所付出的沉重的個人代價產(chǎn)生了質(zhì)疑。在最新的一項調(diào)查中發(fā)現(xiàn)，和67.2％的美國學生比較，僅有24.5％的日本學生對學校生活徹底滿意。另外，和被調(diào)查的其他10個國家的工人比較，有更多的日本工人對工作表示不滿意。
雖然日本的教育由于強調(diào)基礎知識而經(jīng)常受到外國人的稱贊，可它往往強調(diào)應試和機械性學習而不重視創(chuàng)造性及能動性。占壟斷地位的自由民主黨教育委員會主席Toshiki Kaifu說：“考分中無法展現(xiàn)的個體、能力、勇氣或慈悲心——這些被完全忽略。由此引發(fā)的沮喪感導致學生輟學，放蕩不羈?！比ツ?，日本發(fā)生了2125起校園暴力事件，其中有929起是針對教師的。在人們的強烈譴責聲中，很多保守黨領導人正嘗試恢復到戰(zhàn)前那樣，即強調(diào)道德教育。去年，當時任教育大臣的Mitsuo Setoyama就提出責難，認為二戰(zhàn)后美國就業(yè)當局推出的改革開放政策削弱了日本人孝敬父母的道德觀。
但是這也許與日本人的生活方式有更大關系。教育家Yoko Muro說：“在日本，問題絕不是你是否喜歡自己的工作及生活，而只是你能承受多少?！卑橹?jīng)濟的發(fā)展實現(xiàn)了居住的集中化。在1.19億日本人中，足足有76％住在城里。在城里，社區(qū)和大家庭已不復存在，取而代之的是獨立的兩代人的家庭。城里的日本人長久以來忍受著漫長的上下班交通和擁擠的居住環(huán)境，然而，伴著舊的群體和家庭觀念的削弱，這種不舒適開始出現(xiàn)。在過去的10年中，日本人的離婚率，雖然仍遠遠低于美國，可已上升了50％，而自殺率上升了差不多25％。
題目答案與解析
1.戰(zhàn)后的日本在西方人看來________。
A.處于漫無目標的發(fā)展之中 B.是個正面例子
C.是西方國家的競爭者 D.在衰敗
【答案】B
【解析】本題可參照文章的第一段。從中可知，日本在戰(zhàn)后并非毫無目的地發(fā)展——日本的生產(chǎn)力水平以及社會的融洽程度令歐美國家羨慕。據(jù)此可知，西方人認為，戰(zhàn)后的日本值得學習。B項與文中the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are the envy of the United States and Europe的意思相符，因此為正確答案。
2.依照作者的觀點，什么是日本社會的道德水平下降的主要原因？
A.女性參加社會的活動受到限制?！.更多的工人對其工作不滿。
C.過多地重視基本訓練?！ .生活方式受西方價值觀的影響。
【答案】D
【解析】從文章第一段的第二句話可知，日本人的傳統(tǒng)工作道德價值觀在逐漸淡化；從第二段的內(nèi)容可知，戰(zhàn)后生育高峰時期的到來以及女性進入以前由男性主導的工作領域限制了日本青少年的機會；此外，表示對工作不滿意的日本工人遠遠多于所調(diào)查的另外10個國家的工人；從文章第三段的內(nèi)容可知，雖然外國人經(jīng)常稱贊日本人注重基本訓練，但是，日本的教育往往強調(diào)的是應試和機械學習，而不是創(chuàng)造性和個性表現(xiàn)的培養(yǎng)；自民黨教育委員會主席指出，個性、能力、勇氣或人道等全都被人們忽略了，由此而受到的挫折導致孩子們輟學、放蕩不羈；從文章最后一段的內(nèi)容可知，日本人的生活方式也發(fā)生了變化，人們逐漸放棄了社區(qū)和大家庭的觀念，轉而建立獨立的兩代人家庭；過去10年間，日本的離婚率雖然仍遠低于美國，但是卻增加了50％多，自殺率上升了將近25％。據(jù)此可知，作者認為，日本社會道德水平之所以下降，主要是因為日本人受了美國自由主義思想的影響。D項與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。
3.依照作者的觀點，下面哪項是說法正確的？
A.人們稱贊日本的教育有助于年輕人攀登社會階梯。
B.日本的教育具有機械學習和創(chuàng)造力雙重特征。
C.應該更注重創(chuàng)造力的培養(yǎng)。
D.輟學導致對應試教育的沮喪。
【答案】C
【解析】本題可參照文章的第三段。從中可知，雖然外國人經(jīng)常稱贊日本人注重基本訓練，但是，日本的教育往往強調(diào)的是應試和機械學習，而不是創(chuàng)造性和個性表現(xiàn)的培養(yǎng)；據(jù)此可知，作者認為日本的教育應該注重創(chuàng)造性和自我表現(xiàn)的培養(yǎng)。C項與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。
4.日本人的生活方式發(fā)生了變化，其顯示的事實是________。
A.年輕人更不能容忍生活中的不便之處 B.離婚率超過了美國
C.日本人忍耐的東西甚至比以前更多 D.日本人欣賞現(xiàn)在的生活
【答案】A
【解析】本題可參照文章的第四段。從中可知，這可能與日本人的生活方式關系更大。教育家Yoko Muro指出，在日本，你是否喜歡你的工作或生活從來都不是問題，唯一的問題就是你能夠忍受到何種程度。在日本，人們逐漸放棄了社區(qū)和大家庭的觀念，轉而建立獨立的兩代人家庭。日本的城市居民長期忍受著漫長的乘車上、下班和擁擠的生活環(huán)境之苦，但是，隨著傳統(tǒng)的群體和家庭價值觀念的淡薄，這些不便之處開始顯露出來。過去10年間，日本的離婚率雖然仍遠低于美國，但是卻增加了50％多，自殺率上升了將近25％。由此可知：日本人的生活方式發(fā)生變化的標志就是——他們?nèi)淌懿涣松钪械牟槐阒?。A項的“年輕人更不能容忍生活中的不便之處”與文章的意思相符，因此為正確答案。
5.下面哪項不是因為缺乏正確教育而導致的當今日本的社會問題？
A.過度的生產(chǎn)力?！.暴力?！.離婚?！.自殺。
【答案】A
【解析】本文探討了當今的日本社會由于過度追求經(jīng)濟增長、放松人文道德教育而導致的社會問題：年輕人生活沒有目標，迷惘，暴力犯罪增多，家庭結構變化導致個人幸福感降低，離婚率高，自殺人數(shù)上升，人們不是享受生活而是忍受生活等。本題考查全面綜合能力。日本過度的經(jīng)濟增長是日本社會的主要特征，是優(yōu)點而不是缺點。
