单选题
So far as I know, Miss Hannah Arendt was the first person to define the essential difference between work and labor. To be happy, a man must feel, firstly, free and, secondly, important. He cannot be really happy if he is compelled by society to do what he does not enjoy doing, or if what he enjoys doing is ignored by society as of no value or importance. In a society where slavery in the strict sense has been abolished, the sign that what a man does is of social value is that he is paid money to do it, but a laborer today can rightly be called a wage slave. A man is a laborer if the job society offers him is of no interest to himself but he is compelled to take it by the necessity of earning a living and supporting his family. The antithesis to labor is play. When we play a game, we enjoy what we are doing, otherwise we should not play it, but it is a purely private activity; society could not care less whether we play it or not. Between labor and play stands work. A man is a worker if he is personally interested in the job which society pays him to do; what from the point of view of society is necessary labor is from his own point of view voluntary play. Whether a job is to be classified as labor or work depends, not on the job itself, but on the tastes of the individual who undertakes it. The difference does not, for example, coincide with the difference between a manual and a mental job; a gardener or cobbler may be a worker, a bank clerk, a laborer. Which a man is can be seen from his attitude toward leisure. To a worker, leisure means simply the hours he needs to relax and rest in order to work efficiently. He is therefore more likely to take too little leisure than too much; workers die of coronaries and forget their wives' birthdays. To the laborer, on the other hand, leisure means freedom from compulsion, so that it is natural for him to imagine the fewer hours he has to spend laboring, and the more hours he is free to play, the better.
单选题
The best title for the passage could be ______. A. Work, Labor and Play B. Ways Leading to Happiness C. The Most Desirable Job in the World D. The Necessity of Leisure
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
If a person wishes to be happy, ______. A. he must have something to do B. he must realize the essential difference between work and labor C. he must feel free first of all D. he must do something valuable to society
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】
单选题
A man is a laborer if ______. A. what he likes to do is not recognized by society. B. he has to make a living or supporting his family C. he cannot get paid for what he does D. he is forced to do what he doesn't enjoy
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】
单选题
According to the passage, what is society's attitude toward the game we play? A. Society regards play as another kind of labor. B. Society doesn't care what we play at all. C. Society forbids us to play any game. D. Society cares for private games very much.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】
单选题
Which of the following kinds of person is a worker? A. A teacher who enjoys working with students B. A white-collar employee who is well paid C. A man who doesn't mix work with play D. A man who has good appetite and enjoys good health
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】
单选题
What does the laborer think of leisure? A. He thinks he has no time for it since he has to support his family. B. He wishes to have as little leisure as possible. C. He hopes to have more leisure to play. D. He thinks it more important than health and family.