In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-ventilated factories and piped music, and by psychologists and "human-relations" experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and that he is bored with it. In fact, the blue- and white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.
The worker and employee are anxious, not only because they might find themselves out of a job; they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.
Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the tight mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one's fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.
Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century"free enterprise" capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities — those of love and of reason — are the aims of all social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.
1.By "a well-oiled cog in the machinery" the author intends to render the idea that man is_______.
A.a necessary part of the society though each individual's function is negligible
B.working in complete harmony with the rest of the society
C.an unimportant part in comparison with the rest of the society, though functioning smoothly
D.a humble component of the society, especially when working smoothly
2.The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employees is that_______.
A.they are likely to lose their jobs
B.they have no genuine satisfaction or interest in life
C.they are faced with the fundamental realities of human existence
D.they are deprived of their individuality and independence
3.From the passage we can infer that real happiness of life belongs to those_______.
A.who are at the bottom of the society
B.who are higher up in their social status
C.who prove better than their fellow-competitors
D.who could keep far away from this competitive world
4.To solve the present social problems the author suggests that we should_______.
A.resort to the production mode of our ancestors
B.offer higher wages to the workers and employees
C.enable man to fully develop his potentialities
D.take the fundamental realities for granted
5.The author's attitude towards industrialism might best be summarized as one of_______.
A.approval B.dissatisfaction C.suspicion D.tolerance
长难例句分析
［长难例句］In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery.
［结构分析］本句的主干是our society is becoming one of giant enterprises。句首的In general作状语。directed... 是过去分词引导的状语，其中的in which...是限定性定语从句。
［参考译文］总的看来，我们的社会正变成一个由官僚主义管理方式所控制的巨大企业。在这个企业中，人成为机器中润滑良好的小齿轮。
全文参考译文
总的看来，我们的社会正变成一个由官僚主义管理方式所控制的巨大企业。在这个企业中，人成为机器中润滑良好的小齿轮。齿轮的润滑是通过高薪、通风良好的工厂和管弦乐以及心理学家和研究人际关系的专家进行的，但整个润滑并没有改变这样一个事实：人类已变得力不从心；他不能全身心地投入他的工作，他已厌烦他的工作。实际上，蓝领和白领工人已变成伴随着自动化机器和官僚主义管理节奏起舞的经济木偶。
工人和雇员不仅由于担心自己失业而忧虑，他们也因为不能在生活中找到任何真正的满足和兴趣而犯愁。他们从生到死甚至不能作为一个情感上、智力上独立，并能自由发挥创造力的人去面对人类生存的基本现实。
那些处于社会高层的人也不乏忧虑。他们的生活同他们的下属一样空虚。在某些方面他们甚至更加不安全。他们处于高度竞争的境地。得到提升或降职不是工资的问题，更是一个有关自尊的问题。当他们应聘他们的第一份工作时，他们的服从性和独立性的综合表现以及智力都要受到测试。从那时开始，他们一次又一次地被心理学家和他们的上司测试。对心理学家而言，测试是他们的重要工作；上司则通过测试判断他们的处事能力、社交能力和与他人相处能力等等。这种不断地用来证明一个人同他的竞争对手水平相当或强于对手的需要产生了不断的忧虑和压力，也导致了不愉快和疾病。
我是否在建议我们应回到工业化前的生产模式或19世纪的“自由资本”资本主义时期？当然不是。问题决不能通过回到过去的方式来解决。我建议转变我们的社会生产体制，从以追求最大限度的生产和消费为目的的官僚主义管理方式的工业体制转变为一个以充分发挥人的潜能（如爱与理性）为目的的人性化工业体制。生产和消费应仅作为达到这个目的的方式，且应防止其控制人类。
题目答案与解析
1.作者通过“a well-oiled cog in the machinery”来试图表达_________。
A.尽管每个人的作用微不足道，人仍然是社会不可分割的一部分
B.人与社会的其余部分完全和睦相处
C.尽管平稳地发挥着作用，人与社会其余部分相比并不重要
D.人是社会中一个地位卑贱的零件，特别是工作顺利的时候
【答案】C
【解析】a well-oiled cog in the machinery：机器中润滑良好的齿轮，指人在社会中所发挥的作用是微不足道的。C项正好与之相一致。
2.工人和雇员忧虑的真正的原因是_________。
A.他们可能失业 B.他们在生活中不能得到真正的满足和兴趣
C.他们面对着人类生存的基本现实 D.他们被剥夺了个性和独立性
【答案】D
【解析】从文章第二段可以得出答案。工人和雇员忧虑的原因是可能失业（out of a job）；生活不能得到真正的满足和兴趣；被剥夺了个性和独立性。D项正好进行了很好的概括。
3.从文中我们可以推出生活中真正的幸福属于_________。
A.处于社会底层的人 B.社会地位高的人
C.证明比竞争者优秀的人 D.远离竞争世界的人
【答案】D
【解析】本题是细节题。从第三段最后一句“这种不断证明自己与竞争对手同样优秀或者超过对手的需要产生不断的忧虑和压力，这正是不愉快和疾病的起因”可知，D项为正确答案。
4.为解决目前的社会问题，作者建议我们应该_________。
A.采用祖先的生产方式 B.付给工人和雇员更高的工资
C.使人能充分发挥自己的潜能 D.认为基础现实是正确的
【答案】C
【解析】第四段第四句指出，“我建议转变我们的社会生产体制，从以追求最大限度的生产和消费为目的的官僚主义管理方式的工业体制转变为一个以充分发挥人的潜能（如爱与理性）为目的的人性化工业体制。”C项为正确答案。
5.作者对产业主义的态度的最好概括是_________。
A.赞许 B.不满 C.怀疑 D.容忍
【答案】B
【解析】本题问作者对工业体制的态度。本文作者指出了现代工业社会的种种弊端；第一段指出人的地位微不足道；第二段指出工人与雇员都感到忧虑；第三段指出上层社会的人们也感到忧虑。最后作者提出了改变这种社会体制的建议。因此不难得出，作者认为现行的产业主义不好。所以他对其态度不是A、D、C三项。而是B项。
