单选题
In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog (齿轮) in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-ventilated factories and piped music, and by psychologists and 'human-relations' experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and that he is bored with it. In fact, the blue and the white collar workers have become economic puppets (木偶) who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management. The worker and employee are anxious, not only because they might find themselves out of a job; they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings. Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the right mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one's fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness. Am I suggesting that we should return to the pre-industrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century 'free enterprise' capitalism (资本主义)? Certainly not. Problems are not solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism (工业制度) in which man and full development of his potentialities—those of love and of reason—are the aims of social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.
单选题
Despite the comfortable working conditions, employees ______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】定位：根据题干信息词comfortable working conditions定位到第一段第一、二句和最后一句。 前两句指出：“总体而言，我们的社会正在变成一个采用官僚式管理的巨大的企业，在其中，人变成了机械上的一个小小的、平滑的齿轮。高薪、通风良好的工厂、喇叭音乐、心理学家及‘人际关系’专家都是润滑油。”最后一句说：“事实上，蓝领阶层及白领阶层已经变成和着自动化机械及官僚式管理的曲调翩翩起舞的经济玩偶。”由此可见，尽管工作条件可能比较舒适，但员工还是被比做“机械上的齿轮”和“经济玩偶”，由此可推断，员工们遭受痛苦是因为他们的工作机械，身不由己。故A项与文意相符，为正确答案。B项有一定的迷惑性，原文说蓝领阶层及白领阶层已经变成和着自动化机械及官僚式管理的曲调翩翩起舞的经济玩偶，这是比喻的说法，是说明他们身不由己，并非真正随着机器的节奏跳舞，故应排除B。
单选题
Employees are anxious about themselves because ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】定位：根据题干信息词employees和anxious定位到第二段。 关于雇员们焦虑的原因，第二段指出：“工人和雇员都很焦虑，这不仅是因为他们可能会失业，也因为他们不能在生活中获得真正的满足感或兴趣。他们这一生从来没有作为在情感上和智力上独立且富有创造力的人，去直面过人类生存的那些基本现实。”结合原文中的real satisfaction or interest in life、the fundamental realities以及emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings可知，他们焦虑的原因是无法获得作为人应有的精神满足。故C项为正确答案。
单选题
Those who are superior in position to others may suffer from ______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】定位：根据题干信息词superior in position定位到第三段第一句和第五句。 第一句指出：“那些位于上层社会的人们同样也很忧虑。”第五句点明了原因：“被晋升或降职不仅是薪水问题，更是一个人的自尊问题。”根据这个因果关系可判断，身在高位的人也许会担心失去自尊。B项符合文意，故为答案。
单选题
In order to stay competitive at work, employees ______.