In recent years many countries have been faced with the problem of how to make their workers more productive. Some experts believe that the answer is to make jobs more varied. Do more varied jobs lead to greater productivity? There is something to suggest that while variety certainly makes the worker's life more enjoyable, it does not make him work harder. So variety is not important.

Other experts feel that giving the worker freedom to do his job in his own way is important and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom cannot easily be given in the modern factory with its complicated machinery which must be used in a fixed way. Thus while freedom of choice may be important, there is very little that can be done to achieve this.

Another important consideration is how much each worker contributes to the product he is making. In most factories the worker sees only one small part of the product. Some car factories are said to be experimenting with having many small production lines rather than a large one, so that each worker contributes more to the production of the cars on his line. It would seem then that the degree of worker contribution is important.

To what extent does more money lead to greater productivity? The workers themselves certainly think this is important, but perhaps they want more money only because the work they do is so boring. Money just lets them enjoy their spare time more. A similar argument may explain demands for shorter working hours. Perhaps if companies succeed in making workers' jobs more interesting, they will neither want more money, nor will shorter working hours be so important to them.

72. Which of the following things will not increase productivity?

A. Making jobs more varied.                        

B. Longer working hours.

C. Giving workers the freedom to do his jobs in their own way.

D. Increasing the workers' contribution to production.               

73. The last sentence in this passage means that if companies manage to make workers' jobs more interesting, _________.

A. they will want more money                    

B. they will demand shorter working hours

C. more money and shorter working hours are important    

D. more money and shorter working hours will not be so important to them

74. In this passage, the writer tells us _________.

A. how to make the workers more productive 

B. possible factors leading to greater productivity

C. more money leads to greater productivity

D. how to make workers' jobs more interesting

75. The writer of this passage is probably a _____________.

   A. teacher                B. worker                        C. manager                 D. physics

The cars were honking （鸣叫） on the road one morning as I was walking to the park．I walked on and soon found the cause — a little taxi that had got stuck in the middle of the road．There was sweat on the driver's face as he tried to start the engine again and again — nothing happened．"No petrol,"
I said to myself and then found myself getting angry．"Why doesn't the fool move his taxi to the side?" I thought, so did all the others who honked and shouted．
He got up tiredly, and the passenger in the taxi got out．He was a young man in a white shirt, who watched the driver try to push it to the side．"Stupid guy!" I said．"Can't he lend a helping hand? "
I watched as the poor driver pushed it to the side．Cars, buses and trucks went past cursing （咒骂） the poor man．The young man took another taxi and went off．
The taxi driver began mending his taxi．"Stupid passenger!" I said to him．"He didn't help you!" The taxi driver slowly got up．"Sir!" he asked, "Did you?" I looked at him guiltily, then looked away, and walked away fast, asking myself, "Did I help the poor man push his taxi?"
What had I been doing as the traffic jam took place? How had I helped deal with the problem? Did I help the poor man push his taxi? I’d done my bit, with my mouth．But never had I moved to solve the problem．I was shocked with guilt as I heard him asking, "Sir! Did you?"
【小题1】Why did a traffic jam happen on the road when the author was walking to the park?

Teens who become addicted to their cell phones may be placing their health at risk by harming their ability to sleep well，a new Swedish study suggests.
"The message is that teenagers who use their cell phones excessively are much more stressed, much more restless, much more tired, and have a great tendency to develop sleep deprivation(剥夺) as a result of their calling habits, " said the study author Dr. Gaby Bader.
He focused on the experiences of 21 healthy Swedish boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 20. The teens kept what the authors described as "regular working/studying hours" and were not previously diagnosed with any particular sleep irregularity．
He observed that the above-15 call group kept more irregular sleeping hours than the lower-use group，had more difficulty falling asleep，more difficulty waking up，and experienced more sleep disruptions（扰乱）．
Bader said that among young people，a relatively recent technological invention like the cell phone has quickly become existed nearly everywhere，giving rise to considerable pressure to keep in touch. And this pressure can develop into an addiction，with serious negative results for teenager health.
"We see more and more people--especially the young generation-- who grew up with these kinds of items and gadgets in their hands," Bader said. "And they become dependent on the technology. So，we have to teach young people to be structured. To know when to have the cell phone on，and when to switch it off. To avoid becoming the slave of technology，instead of the master. "
Dr. Mary Carskadon expressed little surprise with the finding. " Interpersonal（人际的）contact is one of the things that's best at keeping us awake，" she observed. "And so，a young person receiving cell phone texts or phone calls is going to have more deep disturbances. And they are going to be tired and restless，and probably，as a result，going to use more stimulants（兴奋剂）．And judgment is not always the best in our teenage years. So, that's where I think parental attention to this issue may be useful. "
72. Teens who become addicted to their cell phones will become    ．
A. too anxious to relax.               B. unable to stay still.
C. unable to have real rest.             D. excited to forget sleep.
73. What we can learn from the sixth paragraph is that    ．
A. more teens know how to make technology serve them
B. teens used to be taught how to use technology
C. we should make use of technology rather than be in the control of it
D. the young generation depends less on the technology to grow up
74. According to Dr. Mary Carskadon，how to deal with the problem?
A. Teenagers should judge how to use their phones.
B. Teenagers should reduce their interpersonal contact.
C. Teenagers should switch their phones off.
D. Parents should give more attention to children's use of phones.
75．What's the passage mainly about?
A. Too much phone time has a bad effect on teens' sleep.
B. Too many cell phone calls have cost teens too much.
C. Few cell phone calls will damage teens' friendships.
D. Too little cell phone time improves teens' attention at class.

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

In the past，most American mothers were at home to take care of their children during the day. Now,  36  , many mothers are working. More than half of the American women with young children have   37   outside the house.

American families solve the child care   38   in different ways. Some parents allow older children to stay at home alone after school. The parents   39   make sure that their children, usually not younger than 10 years old, understand   40   rules and can deal with emergencies (紧急情况). Other parents say they would   41 allow their children to be at home alone. They usually   42  someone to take care of the children.

Some parents in the U. S. find their own ways to cut the cost of child care. They join child care   43   . Each person in the group   44  for the children of other group members at different times. Some parents ask local churches, schools and social organizations to help   45   activities for the children. These child care choices often cost   46   or no money. Many American parents, however, still struggle with the problem of   47   good child care at a reasonable price.

1.A. therefore         B. otherwise        C. thus           D. however

2.A. children          B. jobs            C. houses          D. money

3.A. problem          B. question        C. chance          D. choice

4.A. can              B. must           C. may            D. ought

5.A. dangerous        B. safety           C. funny           D. true

6.A. rather           B. certainly         C. always          D. never

7.A. tell              B. stop             C. pay            D. invite

8.A. schools          B. groups           C. clubs           D. hospitals

9.A. cares            B. sends            C. asks            D. pays

10.A. have             B. offer           C. play            D. join

11.A. much            B . little           C. enough         D. a great deal

12.A. taking           B. finding          C. losing          D. suffering

Planting trees around poultry farms can improve air and water quality -- and relations with neighbors. Research has shown that just three rows of trees near poultry houses can reduce the release of dust and ammonia(氨). They can also reduce the strong smell of ammonia gas.
The trees take dust, ammonia and odors in their leaves. They also provide shade from the sun, so they reduce cooling costs in summer. And they act as a windbreak, so they reduce heating costs in winter. Trees can also improve water quality around farms by removing pollutions from soil and groundwater.
Several years ago, people were objecting to the odor of poultry farms on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United State s. Delmarva is where the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia come together. Two thousand farms there can each house an average of seventy-five thousand chickens.
Traditionally the farms used windows to provide fresh air in the chicken houses. Farmers rarely planted trees or tall crops around the buildings, so there would be no barrier to the airflow. But then farms began to use new ventilation systems. Instead of windows, the new systems used tunnel fans to circulate air. The fans directed airflow from the poultry houses toward the homes of neighbors.
Researchers began dealing with the problem in two thousand. They found that over a period of six years, planting three rows of trees reduced total dust and ammonia by more than half. And they found that smells were reduced by eighteen percent.
Farmers may think trees will take too long to grow and be effective. But some trees can grow quickly. At least one-third of the Delmarva farms have planted trees, technically known as vegetative environmental buffers. The idea offers a way to cut pollution, save money and energy, and make the neighbors happy.
【小题1】The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.