Japanese alternatives

1
Japanese alternatives

• What is your image of the Japanese workforce?
• How do you think Japanese young people differ
  from the older generation?

2
1. In paragraph 1, the writer characterises
Japanese office ladies as ... (52)

• They are trained as secretaries , but they do not
  dress fashionably (uniforms that western firms
  abandoned decades ago).
• Salarymen clog the subway, not OLs.
• There are two symbols of the business environment
  in Japan salarymen and OLs.
• D. correct

• A. fashionably dressed secretaries.
• B. daily commuters on the subway.
• C. underqualified professional workers.
• D. symbols of the business environment.
• Line 9 The OL is as much a part of the Japanese
  corporate culture as the harassed, overworked
  salarymen who clog the subway

3
2. According to paragraph 2, Yamanakas first
paid job was as ... (90)

• A. a waitress.
• B. a voice-over artist.
• C. an ice cream seller.
• D. an actress.
• Line 17 Her only income came from standing
  behind a shop counter serving scoops of ice
  cream.

• She didnt get paid for her work with the acting
  troupe.
• C. correct.

4
3. According to paragraph 2, Yamanakas ambition
is to ... (64)

• A. A. keep making a living from temporary jobs.
• B. take professional acting lessons.
• C. get a respectable office job.
• D. succeed as a voice-over artist.

• Line 19 Now, the 26-year-old is an aspiring
  voice-over artist
• aspiring means that this is what she wants to
  be.
• D. correct

5
4. In paragraph 2, the job of voice-over artist
is described as (36)

• A. mainstream.
• B. acceptable.
• C. sophisticated.
• D. unpredictable.
• Line 21 Voice-over work, , is viewed as a
  reasonable fall-back Yamanka has no intention
  of joining mainstream employment.

• Mainstream employment is normal employment,
  and she doesnt want to do this.
• She wants to be a voice-over artist because its
  a reasonable choice for her.
• B. Correct

6
5. In paragraph 3, freeters are described as
intriguing and controversial (line27-28) because
... (49)

• A. they do not accept the limitations of post-war
  Japans core values.
• B. the word freeter is a strange mixture of
  German and English words.
• C. They belong to a new kind of political
  movement.
• D. They have traded their identities for security.

• Line 31 A freeter is a person who has opted out
  of Japanese societys rigid work ethic.
• opted out do not accept
• We already know that a rigid work ethic is one of
  Japans core values.
• A. Correct.

7
6. According to paragraph 3, the most important
thing for most Japanese who worked for large
companies was ... (67)

• A. life-long employment.
• B. a career in trading.
• C. a secure family life.
• D. an ethical job.
• Line 34 Japanese workers traded their family
  lives for the security of lifetime employment.

• In other words, they sacrificed their family
  lives so that they could have life-long
  employment.
• A. Correct.

8
7. In line 39, Japans corporate soldiers are
... (64)

• A. employees willing to sacrifice themselves for
  their job.
• B. members of Japans modern armed forces.
• C. business leaders who run the country.
• D. companies which resemble military
  organisations.

• The previous paragraph mentioned that they were
  willing to give up their identities and family
  life for their jobs.
• A. correct

9
8. According to paragraph 5, Yamanaka ... (81)

• A. rejects the notion of job loyalty.
• B. is unwilling to take on responsibility.
• C. values her independence.
• D. is not goal-oriented.
• Line 53 her loyalty remains with her company
  while she is working, but once her work is
  over, her responsibility is to herself. freedom
  

• She works hard during work hours.
• After work, she stops thinking about work and
  cares more about herself.
• C. Correct.

10
9. In line 65, such people refers to ... (81)

• A. newspaper editors.
• B. older Japanese.
• C. freeters.
• D. believers in Confucianism.
• Line 62 editorials criticising the freeters
  for their laziness, Some businessmen find such
  people difficult to understand.

• Older Japanese, including newspaper reporters and
  businessmen, find them difficult to understand.
• C. Correct.

11
10. According to paragraph 7, Yamanakas opinion
of freeters is that they ... (59)

• A. have changed in the last decade.
• B. do not need defending.
• C. reject helpful suggestions.
• D. have the right to be lazy.
• Line 76 She defends those that are just
  following their own lifestyle choice. If they
  want to be lazy, so be it.

• The passage says that people would never have
  thought this way a decade before.
• It doesnt say that Yamanakas opinion of
  freeters has changed.
• She does believe a person can be lazy if they
  want to.
• D. Correct

12
11. According to paragraph 8, although ordinary
jobs are still available, ... (70)

• A. these jobs are not easy to do.
• B. freeters do not want to take these jobs.
• C. companies are unwilling to employ freeters.
• D. high schools are discouraging students from
  taking these jobs.

• Line 80 companies are struggling to fill
  conventional vacancies. None of my friends
  want to be salaraymen.
• Companies find it difficult to fill vacancies
  because people like Kento do not want to be
  salarymen.
• B. Correct.

13
12. In line 82, downsides are ... (49)

• A. reductions.
• B. disadvantages.
• C. lack of availability.
• D. lack of opinions.
• Line 81 High schools are starting to counsel
  students on the downsides of alternative
  employment. It is not an easy task.

• We know freeters prefer alternative employment to
  traditional jobs.
• Its not an easy task must mean that high
  schools want students to look for traditional
  jobs.
• Would they tell students about the advantages or
  disadvantages.
• B. Correct.

14
13. According to paragraph 8, Kento Iwasaki ...
(71)

• A. is not interested in being a salaryman.
• B. wants a secure job.
• C. is critical of his friends.
• D. thinks finding a job is hard.
• Line 83 None of my friends want to be
  salarymen. they are totally blank.

• We know his friends dont want to be salarymen.
• He thinks salarymen look blank, so he must agree
  with them.
• A. correct.

15
14. In line 90, dream freeters are people who
... (67)

• A. are not interested in new job opportunities.
• B. spend their time wishing for rather than
  seeking jobs.
• C. cannot find ordinary employment.
• D. are looking for jobs in the entertainment
  field.
• Line 90 dream freeters looking for showbiz or
  related jobs.

• Showbiz entertainment field
• D. correct

16
15. Seiji Satake ... (75)

• A. is classified as a hospital clerk.
• B. does not want to be called a freeter.
• C is attracted by many freeter ideals.
• D. is fighting a legal battle with the authorities

• Line 97 But anyone addressing him as a freeter
  does so at his or her peril. Satake finds the
  label offensive
• If you call him a freeter, he may get mad at you
  because he finds the name freeter insulting.
• B. correct.

17
16. In line 99, a gripe is (49)

• A. an excuse.
• B. an employment status.
• C. a complaint.
• D. an experience.
• Line 99 Satakes gripe is that Japanese
  authorities are ill-prepared, , to deal with
  this new issue. Salaries are low and work
  protection is minimal.

• These are all negative points.
• C. Correct.