1 . Thousands of workers in the UK have a shortened week ahead of them as a large-scale four-day workweek pilot gets underway. Beginning this week, more than 3. 000 workers at 70 companies across diverse industries will get an extra day off every week. The six-month trial organized by 4 Day Week Global, is considered the largest experiment of its kind in the world.
“What is most exciting about the pilot is that we have a wide range of fields of economy participating.” said Joe Ryle, campaign director for the UK arm of 4 Day Week. “We’re hoping it will show that the four-day workweek is possible across the economy in the longer term. ”
Participating employers range from firms in the education sector to banking. IT. marketing, retail and hospitality businesses. The schedule is based on the 100-80-100 rule, which allows workers to earn 100%of their pay for 80%of their time for delivering 100% of output.
Employers have been eager to test programmes that offer workers more flexibility and a better work-life balance after workers quit their jobs at record rates. It has forced companies to find new ways to employ and retain(留住)talent, including bumping up pay and allowing more remote work. Cutting a full day off the workweek is yet another option companies can use to induce job seekers to work for them.
“We’ve seen a growing appetite for reduced work time,” said Joe O’Connor, CEO of 4 Day Week Global. “Employers are drawn to this idea as they see it providing them with a competitive advantage. Because of the pandemic(大流行病)，managers are more open-minded.”
For the workers’ part, expectations have also shifted dramatically since the start of the pandemic. “People’s expectations about what forms a reasonable life-work balance have changed,” O’Connor said.
“The four-day week is generally considered to be a triple-dividend policy-helping employees, companies, and the climate,” said Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College.
1. What is the purpose of the pilot according to Joe Ryle?| A．To test the effectiveness of the four-day workweek. |
| B．To help develop the economy during COVID-19. |
| C．To improve cooperation between different industries. |
| D．To increase employees'productivity within four days. |
| A．Work hard to get a pay raise. | B．Improve their productivity. |
| C．Keep a record of what they do. | D．Spend more time with their family. |
| A．Expect. | B．Force. | C．Allow. | D．Persuade. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unclear. | C．Favourable. | D．Doubtful. |
2 . The Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania live a life that has not changed much over ten thousand years. They have no crops, no house animals, no permanent shelters. In spite of long exposure to agriculturalist groups around them, the Hadza have maintained their lifestyle.
The story of the spread of agriculture is the story of growing population density (密度). Villages formed, then cities, then nations. Agriculture’s rise, however, came with a price. It introduced infectious diseases, social inequality, occasional famines (饥荒) and war. Professor Jared Diamond of UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) has called the adoption of agriculture “the worst mistake in human history”— a mistake from which we have never recovered.
Looking at the Hadza, you can see why he came to this conclusion. They do not engage in warfare. They do not live densely (稠密地) enough to be threatened by an infectious outbreak. They have no known history of famine (饥荒). The Hadza diet is more stable (稳定 的) and varied than that of most of the world’s citizens. They live almost entirely free of possessions. They enjoy an extraordinary amount of leisure time, “working” — actively pursuing food — only four to six hours a day.
The chief reason the Hadza have been able to maintain their lifestyle so long is that their homeland is not an inviting place. Recently, however, population growth has brought a flood of people into Hadza lands. The region has generally been viewed by outsiders as unused, a Place in need of development. The Hadza, who by nature are not a combative (好战的) people, have almost always moved away instead of fighting.
There are many things to envy about the Hadza, mostly what free spirits they appear to be. Free from schedules, jobs, bosses, bills, traffic, taxes, laws, social duties and money. But who of us could live like them? It’s incredibly risky. Medical help is far away. One bad fall from a tree, one bite from a snake, and you’re dead. The fact is that it’s too late for us to go back to the Hadza lifestyle. Of greater concern is that soon it may be impossible for them to maintain theirs.
1. What does the underlined word “It” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Agriculture’s rise. | B．The growth of population. |
| C．The formation of village. | D．The appearance of a city. |
| A．They are always busy in all seasons |
| B．They like fighting with the other nations |
| C．They are often in hunger because of fight |
| D．They are always leading a free life without fight. |
| A．It’s convenient for the people of Hadza to get medical care. |
| B．It’s worth visiting the beautiful scenery of the Hadza. |
| C．Visitors can be welcomed warmly by the people of the Hadza. |
| D．The author is worried about the current situation of the Hadza. |
| A．Agriculture of the Hadza | B．The Unique Hadza Lifestyle |
| C．The Attractive Diet of the Hadza | D．The Medical Care of the Hadza |
3 . Many cities in the United States could grow their own food locally, raising enough crops and cattle to meet the needs of all residents. This is the finding of an interesting new modeling study from Tufts University, which analyzed the potential for local food production in 378 areas across the US and expected food production.
The researchers found that cities in the Northwest in the United States had the greatest potential to raise their own food. Cities along the Eastern seaside and in the Southwest had the least potential and would not be able to meet all their own needs of diet, even if every acre of agricultural land was used for food production. This makes sense, as many of the cities are coastal and lack room for agricultural spreading.
The study revealed that the United States have a surplus (多余的) of agricultural land for feeding the domestic (国内的) population. Currently, some land is used to raise export crops, but a focus on local food production would start a conversation about how that land gets used. In the words of Peters, lead author and associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, “It would be important to make sure policies for supporting local or regional food production benefit conservation and create opportunities for farmers to adopt more sustainable (可持续的) practices. Policies should also recognize the ability of the natural resources in a given local or region and consider the supply chain, including ability for food processing and storage.”
Although it’s a far cry from the current reality, it is a nice thought to imagine cities surrounded by food production operations that transport freshly harvested food to nearby homes, and then make use of the leftover food to fertilize fields and generate heat for greenhouses.
1. The cities along the Eastern seaside fail to provide enough food because ________.| A．citizens are unwilling to grow crops | B．the methods of food production are wrong |
| C．they don’t have enough land to grow crops | D．their climate limits the agricultural production |
| A．More job opportunities for citizens. | B．More specific policies about using land. |
| C．Conversations with the local government. | D．A discussion on how to make use of land. |
| A．Agriculture. | B．Entertainment. | C．Lifestyle. | D．Sport. |
| A．The US Government Stops Wasting Food |
| B．Many Cities in the US Can Grow Their Own Food |
| C．Cities Learn to Grow Food From the Villages |
| D．Farmers Have More Chances to Be Employed |
