Passage Four

Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

The Japanese are fascinated by automata and new inventions. Japanese children are used to friendly robots in their comics, in toys, and in TV animated cartoons. When as adults they join the workforce,robots mean that there is no need to import cheap foreign labor, as happens in many other parts of the world. There is no need for humans to put up with dirty, mind-deadening mechanical work the robot does it all without complaint, around the clock. Robots don’t go on strike over tea breaks they don’t have tea, or any other kind of breaks:they work, day and night, without having to be paid overtime, without making mistakes. Human tasks are subject to human error: robot error seldom or never occurs except as a result of human error!

In Japan, robots are almost respected for their virtues. When a new robot is introduced to a small suburban factory, a Shinto priest is invited to inaugurate it. He inaugurates the robot with words along the lines of “Welcome to our co-worker, we hope you’ll help him settle in.” No one laughs.
FANUC demonstrates the Japanese tendency to conform particularly strikingly. The founder of FANUC, Dr. Inaba, has created an army that makes no distinction between blue-collar, white-collar and steel-collar worker: everyone, including the warlord himself, is dressed in yellow clothing issued free by the company. Perhaps to make up for the boring nature of the work, there are a number of other company perks. Company benefits, including pay, are much higher than in similar companies in Japan. Travel to and from work is provided free in the company’s yellow buses. However, workers are expected to put in demanding unpaid “overtime.” There is a clock in the product development laboratory set to run at ten times the normal speed, the remind everyone that the company is on a war footing.

As we watched Dr. Inaba’s yellow helicopter soar away to Narita airport, we couldn’t help thinking that his dream of world domination in robotics and allied applications might be more elegantly achieved if he had also thought to program his robots to whistle while they work.

36.According to the author, which of the following is not true to the Japanese?

A) Robots mean there is no need to import cheap foreign labor.
B) Robots mean that humans needn’t do dirty and noisy work.
C) Robots mean there are no strikes nor overtimes.
D) Robots mean there is no mistake in any form.

37.What can be inferred form the words “He inaugurates the robot with words along the lines of ‘Welcome to our co-worker, we hope you’ll help him settle in.’No one laughs.”?

A) The Japanese has no sense of humor while at work.
B) The Japanese does not understand the words of the Shinto priest.
C) The Japanese shows a true respect for robots.
D) The Japanese goes too far in their respect for robots.

38.Which of the following is not true about FANUC?
A) Workers receive higher pay for working overtime.
B) Workers enjoy free travel to and from work.
C) Workers are doing boring, sometimes demanding work.
D) Workers are reminded of being on a war footing.

39.What is not implied in the following works “we couldn’t help thinking that his dream of world domination in robotics and allied applications might be more elegantly achieved if he had also thought to program his robots to whistle while they work.”?

A) Our technology is not yet up to the needs of Dr. Inaba’s dream.
B) Dr. Inaba’s dream of world domination in robotics lacks humanity.
C) Dr. Inaba’s dream of allied applications is too practical.
D) The author is in favor of Dr. Inaba’s dream.

40.What does “our co-worker” refer to in the sentence “Welcome to our co-worker, we hope you’ll help him settle in?”

A) Japanese workers who attend the inauguration.
B) The introduced robot.
C) The people who have invented the robot.
D) Japanese workers in general.