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  3. Aimlessness has hardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are the envy of the United States

Aimlessness has hardly been typical of the postwar Japan whose productivity and social harmony are the envy of the United States

admin2017-08-15  22
问题     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 teenagers 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.
According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the moral decline of Japanese society?
选项 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.
答案D
解析 从文章第1段第2句可知，日本人正在经历传统职业道德价值观的日益衰落；从第2段的内容可知，战后生育高峰时期出生的人己成年以及女性进入以前由男性主导的工作领域，限制了日本青少年的机会；最近的一项调查显示，只有24.5％的日本学生对学校生活完全满意，与之相比，美国却有67.2％的学生对学校生活完全满意；此外，表示对工作不满意的日本工人远远多于所调查的另外十个国家的工人。从文章第3段的内容可知，虽然日本由于注重基本训练而受到外国人的称赞，但是，日本的教育往往强调的是应试和机械学习，而不是创造性和个性表现的培养；自民党教育委员会主席指出，考分无法展现学生的个性、能力、勇气或慈悲心，这些完全被忽略，由此引发的沮丧感导致孩子们辍学、放荡不羁；去年，日本发生了2125起校园暴力事件，其中包括929起攻击老师的事件；在人们的谴责声中，保守派领导人正尝试恢复到战前那样，强调道德教育；当时的教育部长认为，二战后美国占领当局实施的自由主义改革淡化了日本人尊敬父母的道德观。从文章最后一段的内容可知，日本人的生活方式也发生了变化，人们逐渐放弃了社区和大家庭的观念，转而建立独立的两代人家庭；过去十年间，日本的离婚率虽然仍远低于美国，但是却上升了50％多，自杀率上升了将近25％。据此可知，作者认为，日本社会道德水平之所以下降，主要是因为日本人受了美国自由主义思想的影响。D项与文章的意思相符，因此D项为正确答案。
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