单选题 What percentage of the population in a modern technological society are, like myself, in the fortunate position of being workers? At a guess I would say sixteen per cent, and I do not think that figure is likely to get bigger in the future. Technology and the division of labor have done two things: by eliminating in many fields the need for special strength or skill, they have made a very large number of paid occupations which formerly were enjoyable work into boring labor, and by increasing productivity they have reduced the number of necessary laboring hours. It is already possible to imagine a society in which the majority of the population, that is to say, its laborers, will have almost as much leisure as in earlier times was enjoyed by the aristocracy. When one recalls how aristocracies in the past actually behaved, the prospect is not cheerful. Indeed, the problem of dealing with boredom may be even more difficult for such a future mass society than it was for aristocracies. The latter, for example, ritualized their time; there was a season to shoot grouse, a season to spend in town, etc. The masses are more likely to replace an unchanging ritual by fashion which changes as often as possible in the economic interest of certain people. Again, the masses cannot go in for hunting, for very soon there would be no animals left to hunt. For other aristocratic amusements like gambling, dueling, and warfare, it may be only too easy to find equivalents in dangerous driving, drug-taking, and senseless acts of violence. Workers seldom commit acts of violence, because they can put their aggression into their work, be it physical like the work of a smith, or mental like the work of a scientist or an artist. The role of aggression in mental work is aptly expressed by the phrase "getting one's teeth into a problem".

单选题 According to the passage, the writer believes the majority of the population

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：信息推断题。作者在文章首段提及在一个现代化的技术社会里，总人口中有多大比例的人能够像我一样有幸成为工作者呢?(in the fortunate position of being workers)，作者在这里使用了fortunate，表示实际上劳动者并不幸运。因为在其后的段落里，作者提及技术和劳动的分工在许多领域取消了特别才能和技术的需要，把过去本来令人愉快的大量受雇职业的工作变成了令人厌倦的劳动(enjoyable work into being labour)；劳动者有了更多的休闲时光。但是对于劳动者来说，在未来这样一个大众社会里，要解决“无聊”这个问题，也许比过去的贵族们要困难得多。由“theproblem of dealing with boredom may be even more difficult for such a future mass society than it was foraristocracies．”可知，对于大多数人来说，他们对于所做的事情并不感到快乐，故答案为A。

单选题 According to the passage, technology and division of labour have done all of the following EXCEPT

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。信息定位在第二段，eliminating in many fields the need for special strength or skill与选项B对应；made a very large number of paid occupations which formerly were enjoyable work into boringlabor与选项C对应；reduced the number of necessary laboring hours与选项D对应。选项A中提及increasing the joy of the paid occupation与the prospect is not cheerful意义相悖，由此可知答案为A。

单选题 What can be inferred from the passage about special strength and skill?

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：信息推断题。文中第二段首句提及技术和劳动的分工，通过在许多领域取消了特别才能和技术的需要，把过去本来令人愉快的大量受雇职业的工作变成了令人厌倦的劳动，言外之意，那些需要特殊才能和技术的工作可以给劳动者带来快乐，故答案为B。

单选题 According to the passage aristocracy dealt with boredom by

单选题 Which of the following is one of the amusements of the masses?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。文中第二段“Workers seldom commit acts of violence，because they can put theiraggression into their work”，提及工作者很少从事暴力活动，他们可以把自己的“敌对心理”用在工作上。之后举例说明不管是工匠的体力活，还是科学家、艺术家的脑力活都是他们解决无聊问题的方法。此信息与选项D内容一致，选项A和B都是过去贵族们的消遣活动，选项C与文章内容不符，故答案为D。