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 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'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.

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 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 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 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.

26. 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 U.S.

[C]the Japanese endure more than ever before

[D]the Japanese appreciate their present life

名师解析

23. In the Westerners’eyes, the postwar Japan was_____.

在西方人看来，战后的日本是 _____ 。

[A]under aimless development 盲目发展

[B]a positive example 一个积极的例子

[C]a rival to the West 西方的竞争对手

[D]on the decline 在衰退中

【答案】 B

【考点】 事实细节题。

【分析】 文章第一段第一句就指出，“盲目性不是战后日本的特色，它的生产率和社会的和谐为美国和欧洲所羡慕。”也就是说是一个积极的正面的例子。 [A] 违反了第一句。 [C] 选项和 [D] 选项不是本文谈论的话题。

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

根据本文作者的观点，日本社会道德滑坡的主要原因是什么？

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

妇女参加社会活动受到限制。

[B] More workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.

越来越多的工人对自己的工作感到不满。

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

过多地注重基础教育。

[D] The life-style has been influenced by Western values.

生活方式受西方价值观的影响。

【答案】 D

【考点】 事实细节题。

【分析】 文中第一段指出日本人正在逐渐经历传统工作道德价值观的日益滑坡，说“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。具体提到道德滑坡是在第三段，文中提到校园暴力，提到“保守党领导人正在力图重新重视战前那种道德教育”，“ Mitsuo Setoyama ”更是冒出“惊人之语” (raise the eyebrows) ，他坚持认为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”。而在下文，作者更是直接提出，“但是，这可能和日本人的生活方式关系更大。人们已经抛弃了社区和大家庭，而更加喜欢单门独户的两代人构成的家庭，旧的集体和家庭价值观被削弱”。由此可见，本题的答案就是 [D] 选项。

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

在作者看来，以下哪一个是正确的？

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

日本的教育受人称道，因为它有助于年轻人攀登社会阶梯。

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

日本教育的特点就是既有机械性的学习又有创造力的培养。

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

应该更加强调创造力的培养上。

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

辍学导致了对应试的挫折感。

【答案】 C

【考点】 作者观点题。

【分析】 [A] 说法是错误的，因为日本的教育受到外国人赞赏的原因是“它强调整础教育”。 [B] 说法是错误的，因为文中提到“它强调考试和机械学习而不是创造性和自我表现”。 [C] 是正确的，因为文中提到“它强调考试和机械学习超过创造性和自我表现”。“那些在考分中不能体现的东西——个性、能力、勇气或人性——完全被忽视了，”执政的自民党教育委员会主席“ Toshiki Kaifu ”说，“这类事情造成的挫折致使孩子辍学以及变得狂野”，这说明日本应该更加强调创造力的培养。 [D] 的说法是错误的，因为文中说“这类事情造成的挫折致使孩子辍学以及变得狂野”，该选项故意混淆了原因和结果。

26. The change in Japanese life-style is revealed in the fact that____.

日本人生活方式的变化体现在下面的 一个事实中。

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

年轻人对现实生活中困苦的忍受力下降

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

日本的离婚率超过美国的

[C] the Japanese endure more than ever before

日本人忍受的东西比以前更多了

[D] the Japanese appreciate their present life

日本人欣赏他们目前的生活

【答案】 A

【考点】 事实细节题。

【分析】 文中提到教育家“ Yoko Muro ”。他说“在日本，你喜欢不喜欢自己的工作和生活，这从来都不是问题，问题是你有多大的承受力”。然后在最后一段里面提到“家庭结构的改变，旧的集体和家庭价值观的削弱，人们的不满凸现”。也就是说“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”。因此可以判定“日本人的生活方式的变化体现年轻人对现实生活中的困苦忍受力下降”。 [B] 的说法是错误的，因为根据第四段最后一句，“日本人的离婚率仍然低于美国人的”。 [C] 在文中找不到很据。 [D] 可以根据“最近一次调查发现只有 24.5% 的日本学生对学校生活完全满意，相比之下，美国学生的比例是 62.7% 。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”进行排除。

难句解析 ：

1. 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.

【结构分析】 本句的主语有两个。一个是“ The coming of age of the postwar baby boom ”；另外一个是“ an entry of women into the male-dominated job market ”。谓语是“ have limited ”。宾语是“ the opportunities of teen-agers ”。“ who ” 引导一个定语从句修饰宾语。“ involved in climbing Japan’s rigid social ladder to good schools and jobs ”是“ personal sacrifices ”的后置定语。

2. 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. ”

【结构分析】 本句主句结构是“ Mitsuo Setoyama raised eyebrows ”。插入语“ who was then education minister ”是主语的定语，“ when ” 引导一个时间状语从句，“ that ”引导的从句做“ argued ”的宾语，该宾语从句中主语是“ liberal reforms ”，谓语是“ had weakened ”，宾语是“ the ‘ Japanese morality of respect for parents ’”，“ introduced by the American occupation authorities after World War II ”是“ liberal reforms ”的定语。

全文翻译：

盲目性不是战后日本的特色，它的生产率和社会的和谐为美国和欧洲所羡慕。但是，日本人正在逐渐经历传统工作道德价值观的日益滑坡。 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，但如今日本基本上已经满足了其经济需求，年轻人却不知道他们随后该去何方。

战后婴儿出生高峰期出生的人已到成年，以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攀登日本等级森严的社会阶梯以求进好学校，找好工作中付出的沉重的个人牺牲是否值得。最近一次调查发现只有 24.5% 的日本学生对学校生活完全满意，相比之下，美国学生的比例是 62.7% 。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。

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，但是它强调考试和机械学习而不是创造性和自我表现。“那些在考分中不能体现的东西——个性、能力、勇气或人性——完全被忽视了，”执政的自民党教育委员会主席 Toshiki Kaifu 说，“这类事情造成的挫折致使孩子辍学以及变得狂野。”去年日本发生了 2,125 起校园暴力事件，其中包括 929 起袭击老师事件。在抗议声中，许多保守党领导人正在力图重新重视战前那种道德教育；去年，时任教育大臣的 Mitsuo Setoyama 就冒出惊人之语，他坚持认为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”。

但是，这可能和日本人的生活方式关系更大。教育家 Yoko Muro 说“在日本，你喜欢不喜欢自己的工作和生活，这从来都不是问题，问题是你有多大的承受力。”经济的增长伴随着人口的集中，在日本 1.19 亿人当中， 76% 的人住在城市，在那里，人们已经抛弃了社区和大家庭，而更加喜欢单门独户的两代人构成的家庭。日本的城里人长期忍受着漫长的上下班来回路程和拥挤的居住条件，但是随着旧的集体和家庭价值观的削弱，人们的不满开始显现。在过去 10 年中，日本的离婚率虽然仍远在美国之下，但是也已经上升了 50% ，而自杀则上升了近 1/4 。