阅读理解
A
(2015·扬州模拟)
Trying to recover from a devastating economic crisis, Spain is considering moving the country’s clock back by one hour.
Many people regard long afternoon naps and late dinners as perfect aspects of the Spanish way of life. Until the 1940s, Spain was on the same time as Britain and Portugal. In World WarⅡ, Spain and Portugal moved the clocks forward to align them with Nazi Germany. The same happened in Portugal. After the defeat of Hitler, Portugal returned to Greenwich Mean Time, but Spain did not.
“The fact that for more than 71 years Spain has not been in its proper time zone means we sleep almost an hour less than the World Health Organization recommends, ”lawmakers in the Spanish Parliament wrote in a proposal. “This has a negative effect on productivity, absenteeism, stress, accidents and school drop-out rates. ”
Last September, a parliamentary commission recommended that the government turn back the clocks by one hour and introduce a regular eight-hour workday. For the time being, the Spanish government is treating the campaign seriously but it hasn’t taken any action yet.
Spain’s time zone issue explains why everything in Spain happens later, from meal times to broadcast entertainment(prime time doesn’t start until 10 pm). Many urban Spaniards complain of a never-ending workday that begins in the morning but is interrupted by a traditional late-morning break and then again by the midday siesta—a two-hour long lunch and nap that usually starts at 2 pm. If workers return to their desks at 4 pm, they end up working late into the evening.
Under the proposed new schedule, the lunchtime break would be cut to an hour or less. The interruption-filled Spanish workday would be replaced by something closer to a 9-to-5 schedule. Ignacio Buqueras, president of the Association for the Rationalization of Spanish Working Hours, told The New York Times that changing the Spanish schedule would be good news for working mothers. It would also allow families more free time together and boost Spain’s economic recovery.
Maria Angles Duran, a sociologist with the Spanish National Research Council, is skeptical that changing the time zone will reverse low productivity, which she attributes more to the structure of the service-oriented economy. But she agreed that a more normal work schedule would help women, who often complain that their husbands deliberately schedule meetings in the early evening.
“For men, this is perfect, ”Duran said, “They arrive home and the children have already had their baths! Timetables can be used as a sort of weapon. ”
【文章大意】本文主要讲述的是为提高经济竞争力, 西班牙正考虑把时间拨后一个小时。
1. Spain is thinking about changing the current time system because ________ . A. Spain is eager to improve its economic competitiveness
B. it is urgent to increase sleeping hours for Spaniards
C. Spanish schools suffer from high drop-out rates
D. 71 years has passed since Spain was ruled by Nazi
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据文章第一段Trying to recover from a devastating economic crisis, Spain is considering moving the country’s clock back by one hour. 可知, 原因是西班牙渴望提高经济竞争力。
2. We can learn from the passage that ________ .
A. an eight-hour workday is soon to be put into practice in Spain
B. people are used to working late into the evening in Spain
C. heavy workloads require a two-hour nap for working people
D. the current workday pattern does not win much favor among city workers
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据文章第五段Many urban Spaniards complain of a never-ending workday that begins in the morning but is interrupted by a traditional late-morning break and then again by the midday siesta—a two-hour long lunch and nap that usually starts at 2 pm. 可知。
3. According to the passage, Duran may agree with the following EXCEPT that ________ .
A. the new schedule will allow families more free time
B. women will probably benefit from the new schedule
C. economic structure influences economic performance
D. men can escape housework in the existing schedule
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据文章第七、八段可知。
4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Lifestyle changes in Spain
B. Time for Spain to turn back
C. Spain’s time zone issues
D. Spain’s work hour regulation
【解析】选B。主旨大意题。综合全文内容并结合文章第一段可知。
