From bankers to factory staff, employees in the West face the bleak prospect of losing their jobs as a global recession starts to bite. For colleagues in the East, the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut.
       Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian firms try harder to preserve jobs in difficult times, which will stem unemployment and may help keep Asian economies afloat at a time of slowing exports.
　　The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, leaving some experts predicting a Western shift to Eastern flexibility.
　　"In the Confucian mindset, the right thing to do is to share the burden. There's that sense of collective responsibility whereas in the West, it's more about individual survival," said Michael Benoliel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University (SMU).
　　Steven Pang, Asia regional director for Aquent, a headhunting firm, said in many East Asian companies there was an obligation "to take care of members of the family and go through the pain together" even if that meant incurring losses.
　　In contrast, Western counterparts often felt compelled to make dramatic statements to show investors they were serious about cost-cutting, Pang said.
　　US firms from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousands, but at the Asian units of Western multinationals, job cuts will probably be less severe.
　　Japan's jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong's was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January.
　　Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals from abroad.

81.   What caused the different practices of Asian and Western firms facing the global recession?

82.   Why is it easier for the East Asian firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn?

83.   Firms in the west would lay off workers when facing a bleak prospect because of_________.

84.   _______will make the differences in East and West less noticeable.

The problem is how ____ the drug abuse remains in America.

A． regular　　　 B． practical　 C． severe　　 D． obvious

 

Recently I gave my adult students homework．It was to "go to someone you love and tell them you love them．It has to be someone you have　 25　 said those words to before or at least haven't　 26　 those words with for a long time．"

　　　 Since most of the men were over 35 and were raised in the　 27　 of men that were taught　 28　 feelings is not "manly", this was very　 29　 homework for some．

　　　 In our next　 30　 , I asked if someone wanted to share his story with us．I fully　 31 one of the women to volunteer, as was　 32　 the case, but on this evening one of the men raised his hand．As he　 33　 out of his chair （all 1．85 metres of him）, he began by saying, "Dennis, I was quite　 34　 with you last week when you gave us this homework．　 35　 were you to tell me to do something that personal? But as I began driving home my heart started talking to me, telling me that I knew　 36　 who I needed to say 'I love you' to．"

　　　 "My father and I had a severe　 37　 five years ago, and since then we had 38 seeing each other unless we had to at Christmas．But even then, we hardly 　39　 to each other．So last Tuesday I drove to my parents' house after work and said, "Dad, I just 　 40 to tell you that I love you. '"

　　　 "Dad reached out and　 41　 me and said, 'I love you too, son, but I've never been able to say it．' Two days after my visit, my dad had a heart attack and I don't know if he will 42　 it．So, I'm here to tell all of you that my　 43　 in this is: Don't wait to do the things　 44 　 it is too late．Take the time to do what you need to do and do it now!"

25．A．ever　　　　　　　　　 B．a(chǎn)lways　　　　　　　 C．never　　　　　　　　 D．even

26．A．said　　　　　　　　　 B．shared　　　　　　　　 C．talked　　　　　　　　 D．discussed

27．A．year　　　　　　　　　 B．occasion　　　　　　 C．period　　　　　　　　 D．generation

28．A．explaining　　　　　 B．hurting　　　　　　　 C．devoting　　　　　　 D．expressing

29．A．interesting　　　　　 B．threatening　　　　　 C．inspiring　　　　　　 D．exciting

30．A．class　　　　　　　　　 B．term　　　　　　　　　 C．holiday　　　　　　　 D．week

31．A．a(chǎn)sked　　　　　　　　 B．disliked　　　　　　　 C．a(chǎn)dvised　　　　　　　 D．expected

32．A．usually　　　　　　　 B．probably　　　　　　 C．not　　　　　　　　　　 D．seldom

33．A．sat　　　　　　　　　　 B．rose　　　　　　　　　 C．stood　　　　　　　　 D．struggle

34．A．bored　　　　　　　　 B．a(chǎn)mused　　　　　　　 C．curious　　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)ngry

35．A．How　　　　　　　　　 B．Why　　　　　　　　　 C．Who　　　　　　　　　 D．What

36．A．exactly　　　　　　　 B．fully　　　　　　　　　 C．directly　　　　　　　 D．simply

37．A．condition　　　　　　 B．discussion　　　　　 C．disagreement 　　 D．experiment

38．A．hated　　　　　　　　 B．a(chǎn)voided　　　　　　　 C．reduced　　　　　　　 D．continued

39．A．spoke　　　　　　　　 B．smiled　　　　　　　　 C．looked　　　　　　　　 D．turned

40．A．dropped in　　　　　 B．ran across　　　　　 C．came over　　　　　 D．came across

41．A．touched　　　　　　　 B．tested　　　　　　　　 C．inspired　　　　　　　 D．hugged

42．A．get　　　　　　　　　　 B．make　　　　　　　　　 C．deserve　　　　　　　 D．overcome

43．A．sense　　　　　　　　 B．point　　　　　　　　　 C．thought　　　　　　　 D．message

44．A．until　　　　　　　　　 B．when　　　　　　　　 C．before　　　　　　　　 D．a(chǎn)s