阅读部分 Part III Reading Comprehension(40 minutes) Directions: This part is to test your reading ability. There are 5 tasks for you to fulfill. You should read the reading materials carefully and do the tasks as you are instructed. Task 1 Directions: After reading the following passage, you will find 5 questions or unfinished statements, numbered 36 to 40. For each question or statement there are 4 choices marked A ) , B ) , C ) and D ) . You should make the correct choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center. Most men and more than half of the women in North America work. In fact, many people who are lazy and don ’ t work for a living are looked down upon, such as people who have got a fortune from their parents, or those who receive money from the government when they are young enough to take a job. Americans usually are expected to work hard at their regular jobs. They have believed that they felt shameful if they did not work as hard and carefully as they could, and God would punish those who were careless or lazy in their work. This is calle d the “ work ethic ” . Its roots are in the Bible ’ s teachings: “ If a man will not work, he shall not eat. ” and “ Do not work to please men, but just please God. ” For 400 years or more, it has been a characteristic of Americans. Historians say that this “ w ork ethic” was perhaps the single most important reason for the rapid economic growth and continuing success of the United States. For the sake of better work, now companies are much more flexible in the number of days and hours their employees work. Many offices now allow their employees to choose the time they begin in the morning, so long as they arrive before 10:00 am and work for 8 hours. In America, there are women who choose to stay home as homemakers rather than to pursue a career. This is possible if the husband ’ s salary is enough to support the family. These women value family over career, and are not considered lazy by any mea ns. 36. In America, “work ethic” refers to_________ .