Module 6 War and Peace

跟踪导练（一）

阅读理解

On May 1， 1926， Ford Motor Company became one of the first American companies to adopt a five-day， 40-hour week. It was something workers and labor unions had been calling for. However， the five-day workweek was to increase productivity. With more time and money， workers were expected to buy and use the products they were making. Manufacturers soon followed Ford’s lead， and the Monday-to-Friday workweek became standard practice.

Since then， everything has changed but the hours. Many people worked longer， which severely influenced health and well-being， as well as the environment. Until the Second World War， it was common for one person in a family， usually the oldest male， to work full-time. Women gradually made up 42 percent of the world’s full-time workforce. Later， technology made lots of work unnecessary， with computers and robots doing many tasks previously performed by humans.

Well into the 21st century， we continue to work the same long hours as 20th century laborers， using up more of Earth’s supply to produce more goods that we must keep working to buy， use and replace in a seemingly endless cycle of hard work and consumption. It’s time to pause and consider better ways to live like shifting from fossil-fueled lifestyles with which our consumer-based workweeks are connected.

The UK New Economics Foundation argues that a standard 21-hour workweek would solve a number of interconnected problems： overwork， unemployment， over-consumption， high carbon emissions， low well-being， and the lack of time to live sustainably， to care for each other， and simply to enjoy life. Economic systems that require constant growth on a finite （有限的） planet make no sense. It’s time for a change in our economic thinking.

1. Why did Henry Ford shorten the workweek？

A. To increase efficiency. B. To cut workers’ salaries.

C. To end conflicts with workers. D. To create more job opportunities.

2. What happened in the workforce after World War II？

A. Job positions were created due to technology.

B. Technology let people work more flexibly.

C. The oldest male had to work longer.

D. More women got full-time jobs.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 3？

A. The 2lst century sees the longest working hours.

B. Longer working hours means better consumption ability.

C. The cycle of hard work and consumption should be changed.

D. Stopping our way of life can change the present workweek.

4. What will a 21-hour workweek bring about according to the last paragraph？

A. Some companies will be closed down. B. Economic growth will be slow.

C. Economic systems can work better. D. People can enjoy life more.

阅读七选五

We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day： you could finally stick to an exercise routine， write your novel， or learn the guitar and so on.

1 But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.

◆ Get out of bed earlier.

If you normally get up at 7：30 am， try getting up at 7：00 am. That half-hour might not sound like much， but it could be time that you use to exercise， to read that book you’ve been meaning to finish. 2

◆ Do the important tasks first.

Once you get to work， get the important ones done first. You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big， important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones. 3 The urgent tasks will still get done， and you won’t miss the important ones.

◆ Reduce interruptions.

Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time; they also break your concentration. When you’ve got a big task to focus on， let your calls go to voicemail. 4 Wearing headphones makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.

◆ 5

When you’re working， work. If your concentration is slipping， take a proper break. And if you’re facing a difficult task， try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to deal with.

A. Stay focused on your work.

B. Take breaks when necessary.

C. You want to make your day longer.

D. If you have an office door， close it.

E. If you work like this， you’ll usually save time.

F. I can’t magically make all your days 25 hours long.

G. Or simply use it to get your day off to a calm and organized start.

1. ____________2. ____________3. ____________4. ____________5. ____________

跟踪导练（二）

完形填空

I have decided to test myself every day in a different way. Today’s test： practice the art of 1 . It is something so simple， but so 2 to those who need a kind heart and a good listener. Sometimes， we all need someone to listen to us with no 3 . We just want to be 4 . Therefore， I really made sure that I listened to everyone who spoke to me throughout the day， 5 I was busy.