French industrial and agricultural production was still inadequate to meet the immediate needs of the people, let alone long-ranged developments. Essential imports had stretched the national credit to the breaking point. Rents were tightly controlled, but the extreme inflation affected general population most severely through the cost of food. Food costs took as much as 80 percent of the workers’ income. Wages, it is true, had risen. Extensive family allowances and benefits were paid by the state, and there was full-time and overtime employment. Taken together, these factors enabled the working class to exist but allowed them no sense of security. In this precarious(不安定的) and discouraging situation, workmen were willing to work overseas for higher wages.

　　The government was reluctant to let workers leave the country. It was feared that this migration of workers would deplete the labor force. The lack of qualified workers might hinder the improvement in the quality of industrial products produced. Qualified workers employed abroad would only increase the quantity of quality goods produced in foreign countries. Also the quantity of quality goods produced in France would not be able to increase as part of its qualified labor force moved to other countries.

31. According to the passage, the French workers were （　　　）.
A. better paid than workers in any other European country
B. able to save more money with the increase in his wages
C. anxious to work abroad
D. often unable to find work in France

32. The French government was reluctant to let the workers leave the country, because （　　　）.
A. it would enlarge the working force
B. it would hinder the improvement of quality in industrial production
C. it would hinder the increase in quantity of exports
D. it would damage the imports

33. Rents in France （　　　）.
A. were extremely high
B. were tightly controlled
C. took as much as 80 percent of the workers’ income
D. had doubled in two years

34. According to the passage, French production （　　　）.
A. was inadequate to meet the needs of the French people
B. was flooding the international market with inferior products
C. emphasized industrial production at the expense of agricultural production
D. was enough for the local market

35. According to the passage the French government （　　　）.
A. prohibited the French workers to work abroad
B. reduced taxes to fight inflation
C. paid family allowances and benefits
D. prohibited the French workers to join labor unions

Passage 2

　　In old days, when a glimpse of stocking was looked upon as something far too shocking to distract the serious work of an office, secretaries were men.

　　Then came the First World War and the male secretaries were replaced by women. A man’s secretary became his personal servant, charged with remembering his wife’s birthday and buying her presents; ta-king his suits to the dry-cleaners; telling lies on the telephone to keep people he did not wish to speak to at bay; and, of course, typing and filling and taking shorthand.