Question

From bankers to factory staff, employees in the west face the bleak prospect (暗淡的前景) of losing their jobs as a global recession (衰退) 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 keep jobs in difficult times, which will stop 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 Western shift to Eastern flexibility.

“In the Confucian (儒家的) attitude, the right thing to do is to share the burden. There is the sense of collective responsibility whereas (然而) in the West, it’s more about the individual survival,” said Michael Benotlel, associated professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University.

Steven Pang, Asian Regional Director for Aquent, a headhunting firm, said in many East Asian companies there was a responsibility “ to take care of the members of the family and go through the pain together” even if that meant causing losses.

US firms from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousand. 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 (对手) from abroad.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)

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

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

3.Firms in the west would lay off workers when facing a bleak prospect because of ______.

4.______ will make the differences in East and West less noticeable.

Answer

1.The cultural differences between the East and the West.

2.Because they needn’t rehire or train new staff. / Because they won’t / don’t need to rehire or train new staff.

3.the individual survival.

4.More firms becoming more multinational and competition

【解析】

试题分析：

1.细节题：从第二段的句子：Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian firms try harder to keep jobs in difficult times, 可知东西方的文化差异导致东西方的公司在面对全球衰退的时候的差异。The cultural differences between the East and the West.

2.细节题：从第三段的句子：they will not need to rehire or train new staff, leaving some experts predicting Western shift to Eastern flexibility.可知东亚的公司更容易从经济衰退中恢复是因为它们不要重新训练职员。Because they needn’t rehire or train new staff. / Because they won’t / don’t need to rehire or train new staff.

3.细节题：从第三段的句子：There is the sense of collective responsibility whereas (然而) in the West, it’s more about the individual survival,”可知答案是the individual survival.

4.细节题：从最后一段的句子the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals (对手) from abroad.可知更多的公司会变成多国化更有竞争力。选 More firms becoming more multinational and competition

考点：考查阅读表达