[originaltext] Americans suffer from an overdose of work. Regardless of who

Americans suffer from an overdose of work. Regardless of who they are or what they do, Americans spend more time at work than at any time since World War II. In 1950, the US had fewer working hours than any other industrialized countries. Today, it exceeds every country but Japan, where industrial employees load 2,155 hours a year compared with 1,951 in the US and 1,603 in the former West Germany. Between 1969 and 1989, employed Americans added an average of 138 hours to their yearly work schedules. The workweek has remained at about 40 hours, but people are working more weeks each year. Moreover, paid time off—holidays, vacations, sick leave—shrank by 15% in the 1980s. As corporations have experienced stiffer competition and slower growth in productivity, they have pressed employees to work longer. Cost-cutting layoffs in the 1980s reduced the professional and managerial ranks, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower-paid occupations where wages have been reduced, workers have added hours in overtime or extra jobs to preserve their living standard. The government estimates that more than 7 million people hold a second job. For the first time, large numbers of people say they want to cut back on working hours, even if it means earning less money. But most employers are unwilling to let them do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional role as a regulator of work time, should take steps to make shorter hours possible.
    Questions 19 to 22 are based on the recording you have just heard.
    19.In which country do industrial employees work the longest hours?
    20. How do employed Americans manage to work more hours?
    21.Why do corporations press their employees to work longer hours according to the speaker?
    22.What do many Americans prefer to do?