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  3. The government of UK is launching a program aiming at helping more families balance their work and home lives. The right to ask

The government of UK is launching a program aiming at helping more families balance their work and home lives. The right to ask

admin2012-02-02  45
问题     The government of UK is launching a program aiming at helping more families balance their work and home lives. The right to ask employers for flexible working hours was previously limited to parents of children up to the age of six or disabled children aged up to 18. But following a recommendation made by an independent review last year, the government decided to extend the age limit. 4.5 million parents of children aged 16 and under will be able to ask employers for flexible work arrangements in future. A total of 10 million parents will be entitled to request flexible working.
    Harriet Harman, minister for Women and Equality, said mothers often "tear their hair out" while bringing up children and trying to earn a living. A survey of 1,000 parents by the government’s Equalities Office suggested half believed their relationship with their child would improve if their work hours were more flexible. Two thirds said it would be helpful to work flexibly as their children became older, and half of parents whose children were aged between 11 and 16 said they would help with homework if they could find the time.
    Ms. Harman said: "Children don’t stop needing their parents’ time when they reach their sixteenth birthday. We have already built a strong foundation of support for families through the right for parents with children under six to request flexible work. But, as any parent knows, older children going through the teenage years need just as much support and guidance."
    Sarah Jackson, chief executive of campaign group Working Families, said: "The conflict that often seems to exist between family and work is so unnecessary and counterproductive. I would particularly encourage men to consider working flexibly as that has the potential to create stronger families and go some way to addressing the inequalities that still exist in the home."
    The move is backed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), but the CBI has warned that firms may find it difficult to grant requests for flexible working during the recession. Trades Union Congress is another organization that favors the arrangement. Brendan Barber, the general secretary, said the extension would be "good news" for employers. He added, "Companies whose workers enjoy the benefits of flexible working are likely to feel less stressed and less anxious about balancing their lives at home and work, which means they are more committed and productive while at work."
Why did Brendan Barber regard the extension of flexible working hours as good news?
选项 A、It will minimize office space and save money for the firms.
B、It will solve the companies’ problems during the recession.
C、It will make employees more efficient and benefit the firms.
D、It will make everyone feel more relaxed and comfortable.
答案C
解析 根据题干中的Brendan Barber。将本题出处定位于最后一段。该段第三句中，Brendan Barber。说拓宽弹性工作制申请者的适用范围是个“好消息”，紧接着他又说明了原因——they are more committed and productive whileat work，因此[C]与原文意思相符。[A]未在文中提及。文中仅说明弹性工作制对雇员和工作都有好处，未提及这就能解决公司的问题，使每个人都轻松，故[B]和[D]属于过度推测。
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