大学英语泛读期末考试试题及答案1(1)(1)George'scaseisnotunique.Inthelastfifteenortwentyyears,quiteanumberofmenandwomenhavechosentodropoutoftheworkingworldtotryadifferentkindoflife.Mostofthemareintheirthirtiesandforties,oftenwelleducated,althoughallagesandbackgroundscanbefoundamongthem.Avarietyofreasonshaveledthemtogiveuptheirworkandthesecurityitprovided.Some,likeGeorge,havegivenupacareerthatwasdemandingtoomuchfromthem.Otherscouldn'tstandthepressureandthecompetition.Athirty-five-year-oldwoman,whohadahighpositioninhercompany,decidedtoleavewhenshefoundherselfsufferingfromallergiesthatmadeherlifemiserable.Shehadtwochildrenandnosavings;butevenheranxietyaboutthefuturecouldn'tspoilherfeelingofreliefandhernewpeaceofmind.Herhealthimproved.Shemayneverworkagain;ifshedoes,shesaysthatshewilltakesmalltemporaryjobs.Somepeople,onthecontrary,havequitjobsthatwereboringormeaninglesstothem.Anofficeemployeewhohasbeenpushingpapers(hasbeendoingpaperwork)foryearsmaystartwonderingwhetherthosepapersareachievinganything.Anengineerinalargecompany,awarethathecouldbereplacedbyanymanwiththesametraining,maycometofeelunimportantasanindividual.Suchpeopleleavetheirworkinthehopeoffindingstrongerinterestsandasenseofpersonalworth.Therearealsopeoplewholeavetheirworktofulfillanolddream,suchaswritingbooks,painting,sailingtoremoteislands,orgrowingfruittrees.Anarmyofficerlefttheserviceatthirty-eighttobuilddollhouses,andanotherone,whohadalwaysbeeninterestedinarchaeology,（考古学）didthesameatforty-fivetodigancientIndiansites.Hiswifewasdelighted-insteadofkeepinghouse,shewasgoingtosatisfyherowndreamoflearningtomakepaper.Butmostofthemenandwomenwhodropoutoftheworkingworldhavenospecialinterestandnodesiretotakeupanyoccupation.Theywantonlytoenjoytheirfreedom,theirindependence,andtheirleisure.Nomorerushingtocatchamorningtrain,nomorecommuter（通勤者）traffic,nomoreanxietytopleaseaboss,nomoremeetings,nomoreobligationstobehaveanddressaccordingtotherules.Thisendlessvacationdoesnotnecessarilybringhappiness;manyofthosewhohavechosenitasastyleoflifeadmitthatleisure,too,canbecomeboring.Buttheystillpreferittotheirformerexistence(Buttheylikeitmorethanworkingforaliving).Themainproblemremainsthelackoffinancialsecurity,for,withfewexceptions,the"dropouts"（退出世俗社会的人）arenotwealthy.Andsotheysurvivebysellingtheirpossessions,byborrowingfromfriendsandfamily,andbytakinganoddjob(asmalltemporaryjob)nowandthenforashorttimewhenitbecomesabsolutelynecessary.Samwouldneverhaveunderstoodtheirattitude.Inthefirstplace,hehadneverbeenunhappywithhisoccupation,andhehadneverfeltanyconflictbetweenhisworkandhispersonallife.NeitherhadheeverdreamedofdoinganythingbutsellinggroceriesandchattingwithFred.Andtherewasyetanotherfactor.Today'sdropoutscanalwaysfindsomesmalljobtodowhentheyareinneedofmoney,orperhapstheycangetunemploymentcompensation（补偿）fromthegovernmentforawhile.ButSamhadlivedthroughthe1930s,whenworkofanytypewasalmostimpossibletofind.Inthosedaysajob,nomatterhowunpleasantorpoorlypaid,wasaman'smostpreciouspossession.Losingitwasadisaster;notlookingforanotherone,ashame.Asfornotwantingtoworkatall,itwasunthinkable,forsocietywasnotusedtoloafers（流浪者）then.Anonworkingfamilymanwouldhavelosttherespectofhisfriendsandhisplaceinthecommunityofresponsiblemen.Georgemighthavetriedtoexplaintohisfatherthenewpointofview,totellhimthatpeoplehavearighttobefree,inde...
