In our society the razor of necessity cuts close. You must make a buck to survive the day. You must work to make a buck. The job is often a chore, rarely a delight. No matter how demeaning the task, no matter how it dulls the senses or breaks the spirit, one must work. Lately there has been a questioning of this "work ethic", especially by the young. Strangely enough, it has touched off profound grievances in others hitherto silent and anonymous.

Unexpected precincts are being heard from in a show of discontent by blue collar and white. On the evening bus the tense, pinched faces of young file clerks and elderly secretaries tell us more than we care to know. On the expressways middle-management men pose without grace behind their wheels, as they flee city and job.

In all, there is more than a slight ache. And there dangles the impertinent question: Should there not be another increment, earned though not yet received, to one's daily work—an acknowledgment of a man's being? In fact, what all of us are looking for is a calling, not just a job. Jobs alone are not being enough for people.

1."In our society the razor of necessity cuts close" in the first line means _______.

A.there is a shortage of daily necessities　B.people fight each other for necessities

C.most people feel the financial pressure　D.everyone lives a hard life

2.The "work ethic" in the first paragraph can be interpreted as _______.

A.one works mainly to keep body and soul together

B.one must work not only for money, but also for delight

C.one must understand that jobs as chores

D.one should earn as much money a day as possible

3.Middle-management men flee city and job because _______.

A.they have lost their grace

B.they are tired by the long day's work

C.they don't want to see the tense and pinched faces of their clerks and secretaries

D.they are frightened by the profound grievances shown by the young people

4.The phrase "increment, earned though not received" in the third paragraph means _______.

A.money one has earned and will be paid later

B.money one has earned, but will not be paid to him/her

C.something that one earns through a job, but is not counted in terms of pay

D.something that one earns that has nothing to do with his or her job

5.The main idea of this passage is _______.

A.in modern society people are under great work pressure

B.nowadays people want to enjoy life more than do hard work

C.work should be to people more than just a means to survive

D.more jobs of delight should be created for people

答案解析：

1. "In our society the razor of necessity cuts close" in the first line means _______.

C. most people feel the financial pressure

• 这句话的意思是“在我们的社会中，生存的压力非常大”。“razor of necessity”指的是生存的必要性，意思是许多人都感受到生存的经济压力，需要努力工作才能维持生活。

2. The "work ethic" in the first paragraph can be interpreted as _______.

A. one works mainly to keep body and soul together

• “work ethic”指的是人们对工作的态度。文中提到“你必须工作来赚钱”，这是对工作的基本理解，即人们工作主要是为了生存（维持生活需要）。

3. Middle-management men flee city and job because _______.

B. they are tired by the long day's work

• 中层管理者逃离城市和工作，是因为他们已经对繁重的工作感到疲惫。文中提到“他们逃离城市和工作”并且“没有优雅地驾车”，这暗示了他们对日常工作的厌倦。

4. The phrase "increment, earned though not received" in the third paragraph means _______.

C. something that one earns through a job, but is not counted in terms of pay

• 这里的“increment”指的是通过工作赚得的某种东西，但并未体现在工资上。文中提到，这种“增量”是指工作所应得的某种认可或满足感，但它并不总是通过金钱体现。

5. The main idea of this passage is _______.

C. work should be to people more than just a means to survive

• 这篇文章的主要观点是：工作应该不仅仅是生存的手段，而是人们寻求的“使命”或“归属感”。文章提到，人们不仅仅想要一份工作，他们需要的是一种“使命感”，这表明工作应当提供更多的意义和满足感，而不仅仅是为了生计。

学生如何快速准确地进行阅读答题：

1. 抓住关键词：文章中的关键词、短语往往能帮助我们理解文章的主要思想。比如“razor of necessity”、“work ethic”等。

2. 理解段落主旨：在阅读每一段时，先了解段落的大意，找出作者的观点。

3. 结合上下文推测：遇到生词或不理解的短语时，可以通过上下文来推测其含义。

4. 排除干扰选项：理解每个选项，并排除那些明显不符合文章内容的干扰选项。