II.  VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSION

Choose the one word or phrase - a, b, c or d - that best completes the sentence.
1. There was a report ___________ The Independent __________ this new law.
   a. on / for                            b. in / to                               c. in /about                         d. on / in
2. There is a comedy program __________ between 10:15 and 11:00.
   a. in                                     b. at                                     c. for                                   d. on
3. Were you aware ___________ the regulation against smoking in this area.  
   a. of                                     b. with                                c. on                                    d. to
4. Radio presents information and entertainment ___________ and we receive them through our ears.
   a. orally                               b. visually                          c. aurally                             d. vitually
5. I don’t quite like television ____________. They encourage people to buy things that they don’t need.
   a. commerces                      b. commercial                    c. commercials                   d. commercially

6. You can hear BBC news ____________ all over the world.

   a. shows                               b. announcements              c. receipts                           d. programs

7. Television can make things ___________ because it presents information in an things effective way.

   a. memory                            b. memorial                        c. memorable                      d. memorably

8. Do you understand this _____________ ? “ 200 WOMEN GIVEN WRONG DIAGNOSIS ” .

   a. report                               b. headline                          c. news                               d. advert

9. Children often prefer looking at _____________ to reading books.

       a. newspapers                    b. comics                          c. articles                             d. commercials

10. In Britain, there are some 'terrestrial' ____________ on TV such as BBCI, BBC2, ITV1, …

       a. programs                       b. series                            c. channels                           d. cables

11. 'Is the paper published every day?'. 'No, it ____________ out once a week.'

       a. turns                              b. goes                              c. produces                          d. comes        

12. Editorial ____________ in 'The Guardian' tended to support the government in this matter.

       a. comments                      b. complaints                    c. commands                       d. comedies

13. A ____________ is a film with factual information, often about a problem in society.

       a. series                             b. soap opera                    c. documentary                   d. drama

14. You can ______________ information on the computer through a modem.
a. download                      b. access                          c. scan                                 d. store

15. _____________ is a system connecting millions of computer worldwide.

       a. The television              b. The Internet                c. The media                       d. The phone

II.  VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSION

Choose the one word or phrase - a, b, c or d - that best completes the sentence.
1. There was a report ___________ The Independent __________ this new law.
   a. on / for                            b. in / to                               c. in /about                         d. on / in
2. There is a comedy program __________ between 10:15 and 11:00.
   a. in                                     b. at                                     c. for                                   d. on
3. Were you aware ___________ the regulation against smoking in this area.  
   a. of                                     b. with                                c. on                                    d. to
4. Radio presents information and entertainment ___________ and we receive them through our ears.
   a. orally                               b. visually                          c. aurally                             d. vitually
5. I don’t quite like television ____________. They encourage people to buy things that they don’t need.
   a. commerces                      b. commercial                    c. commercials                   d. commercially

6. You can hear BBC news ____________ all over the world.

   a. shows                               b. announcements              c. receipts                           d. programs

7. Television can make things ___________ because it presents information in an things effective way.

   a. memory                            b. memorial                        c. memorable                      d. memorably

8. Do you understand this _____________ ? “ 200 WOMEN GIVEN WRONG DIAGNOSIS ” .

   a. report                               b. headline                          c. news                               d. advert

9. Children often prefer looking at _____________ to reading books.

       a. newspapers                    b. comics                          c. articles                             d. commercials

10. In Britain, there are some 'terrestrial' ____________ on TV such as BBCI, BBC2, ITV1, …

       a. programs                       b. series                            c. channels                           d. cables

11. 'Is the paper published every day?'. 'No, it ____________ out once a week.'

       a. turns                              b. goes                              c. produces                          d. comes        

12. Editorial ____________ in 'The Guardian' tended to support the government in this matter.

       a. comments                      b. complaints                    c. commands                       d. comedies

13. A ____________ is a film with factual information, often about a problem in society.

       a. series                             b. soap opera                    c. documentary                   d. drama

14. You can ______________ information on the computer through a modem.
a. download                      b. access                          c. scan                                 d. store

15. _____________ is a system connecting millions of computer worldwide.

       a. The television              b. The Internet                c. The media                       d. The phone

British parents are always(1).................that their children spend too much time (2).................... TV and not enough time doing other activities like sports and reading. A(3).....................survey of people free time activities..............(4) that young people spend about 23 hours a week in(5)............. of the television set, that means over 3 hours(6)................

It is (7)...................... that the average adult watch even more: 28 hours a week. Every household in the country a TV set and over half two or more.(8).................... to the survey people do not only watch sitting in their living room, they watch it in the kitchen and in bed as well.

We cannot that talevison also(9)...................... some negative effects especial children,because many films shown on TV contain violence, crime and other bad things. Excessive watching of TV by children has lowered(10).................results in studying at school.

1.a)complain b)complaining c)complains d)complained

2.a)to watch b)watch c)watching d)watched

3.a)recent b)recently c)late d)lately

4.a)show b)to show c)showing d)shows

5.a)back b)front c)side d)behind

6.a)a day b)a week c)a month d)a year

7.a)surprise b)surprised c)surprising d)to surprise

8.a)because b)addtion c)beside d)according

9.a)have b)having c)has d)had

10.a)Its b)their c)his d)her

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

According to anthropologists, people in preindustrial societies spent 3 to 4 hours per day or about 20 hours per week doing the work necessary for life. Modern comparisons of the amount of work performed per week, however, begin with the Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) when 10– to 12–hour workdays with six workdays per week were the norm. Even with extensive time devoted to work, however, both incomes and standards of living were low. As incomes rose near the end of the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly common to treat Saturday afternoons as a half–day holiday. The half holiday had become standard practice in Britain by the 1870's, but did not become common in the United States until the 1920's.

In the United States, the first third of the twentieth century saw the workweek move from 60 hours per week to just under 50 hours by the start of the 1930' s. In 1914, Henry Ford reduced daily work hours at his automobile plants from 9 to 8. In 1926 he announced that henceforth his factories would close for the entire day on Saturday. At the time, Ford received criticism from other firms such as United States Steel and Westinghouse, but the idea was popular with workers.

The Depression years of the 1930's brought with them the notion of job sharing to spread available work around; the workweek dropped to a modem low for the United States of 35 hours. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated a weekly maximum of 40 hours to begin in 1940, and since that time the 8–hour day, 5–day workweek has been the standard in the United States. Adjustments in various places, however, show that this standard is not immutable. In 1987, for example, German metalworkers struck for and received a 37.5–hour workweek; and in 1990 many workers in Britain won a 37–hour week. Since 1989, the Japanese government has moved from a 6– to a 5–day workweek and has set a national target of 1,800 work hours per year for the average worker. The average amount of work per year in Japan in 1989 was 2,088 hours per worker, compared to 1,957 for the United States and 1,646 for France.

What is one reason for the change in the length of the workweek for the average worker in the United States during the 1930's?

A. Several people sometimes shared a single job.

B. Labor strikes in several countries influenced labor policy in the United States.

C. Several corporations increased the length of the workweek.

D. The United States government instituted a 35–hour workweek.

1. A. both B. teeth C. smooth D. fourth
2. A. weather B. wealthy C. clothing D. bathing
3. A. though B. thank C. throw D. thin
4. A. idea B. appear C. wear D. fear
5. A. schedule B. when C. red D. comedy
6. A. ear B. bear C. near D. hear
7. A. badminton B. volleyball C. basketball D. gymnastics
8. A. judo B. marathon C. pole D. most
9. A. regard B. jacket C. athletics D. racket
10. A. skiing B. ring C. tennis D. fighting
II. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences
11. A ............... is a short funny film with drawn characters.
A. documentary B. honor C. cartoon D. news
12. My family and I often spend time ............... TV in the evening.
A. seeing B. watching C. looking D. viewing
13. The comedy was so interesting that all ............... clapped their hands.
A. audiences B. viewers C. people D. students
14. What’s going to be ............... TV tonight?
A. in B. of C. at D. on
15. The reporter is talking about the ............... for the fire.
A. reason B. manner C. series D. event
16. Children should watch ............... programs.
A. remote B. national C. educational D. clumsy
17. The weatherman will ............... tomorrow’s weather on TV at 7:30 tonight.
A. announces B. announce C. says D. say
18. We will go to the cinema to see a ................
A. game B. film C. show D. racing
19. His mother enjoys ……………….. this series on TV.
A. watching B. going C. doing D. having
20. We check the schedule ............... we want to see the time of the game show.
A. so B. because C. but D. although
21. The cartoon has ............... characters.
A. musical B. fine C. high D. cute
22. Which ............... is the documentary on?
A. channel B. universe C. manner D. character
2
23. It’s funny ............... the comedy.
A. watch B. watching C. to watch D. watched
24. Last weekend, my friends and I ............... a football match.
A. watch B. watching C. watched D. watches
25. My ............... sports are badminton a nd basketball.
A. fantastic B. favorite C. exhausted D. sporty
26. You should buy a new ............... to play badminton.
A. pedal B. table C. racket D. shoe
27. ............... is a running race of over 26 miles.
A. Marathon B. Weightlifting C. Boxing D. Athletics
28. Annie loves doing sports. She’s ...............
A. hungry B. happy C. funny D. sporty
29. It’s fantastic to ............... gymnastics.
A. have B. make C. get D. do
30. The sports ............... lasted for 2 weeks in London.
A. compete B. competition C. competing D. competitive
31. - What ............... do we need to go swimming?/ - A swimsuit and goggles.
A. equipment B. skateboard C. baseball D. regatta
32. ............... game such as chess is a good exercise for our brain.
A. indoor B. outdoor C. healthy D. easy
33. Yesterday, he ............... judo for 3 hours.
A. wend B. did C. got D. played
34. Please stop ............... noise.
A. make B. made C. making D. to make
35. Playing sports is ............... good way to stay away from stress.
A. a B. an C. the D. X
III. Read the passage and answer the following questions.
Hi, my name is David and my favorite activity is watching television. I often watch cartoon on
Disney channel. My grandmother and mother enjoy watching craft programs. My daddy and brother
love watching football matches on the sport channel. I usually spend about 2 hours a day watching TV.
In the evening, all the family gather and watch the news and weather forecast. Today, the weatherman
announces that it will rain tomorrow. I think you should bring along a raincoat before going out.
36. What is David’s hobby?
A. dancing tango B. playing football C. watching TV D. doing homework
37. What does he often watch on Disney channel?
A. news B. cartoon C. craft D. sports
38. Who loves watching football matches?
A. His brother B. His father C. His mother D. Both A & B
39. How many hours a day does David spend watching TV?
A. one B. two C. three D. four
40. Will it rain tomorrow?
3
A. Yes, it will B. Yes, it is C. No, it won’t D. No, it isn’t
This is Alex. He is twenty years old. He is a weight-lifter. He is tall and strong. He
spends 2 hours practicing weight-lifting every day. Weightlifting is a hard and dangerous
sports to play. Sometimes, Alex hurts himself while doing the sport. But he never gives up.
He wants to be a champion in the future. All the family members are proud of him. He will
take part in a sport competition next week. Would you want to come along and watch the
match?
41. How old is Alex?
A. 12 B. 20 C. 22 D. 21
42. What is his job?
A. boxer B. footballer C. weight-lifter D. student
43. How often does he practice weight-lifting?
A. 2 days a week B. 2 hours a day C. 2 minutes D. 2 months
44. Are family members proud of him?
A. Yes, they is B. No, they aren’t’ C. Yes, they are D. No, they isn’t
45. When will he take part in a sport competition?
A. next week B. next month C. next year D. next day
IV. Read the passage and choose the suitable words to fill in the blanks.
Football is perhaps _______ (46) popular game in the world. A football match often
_________ (47) about ninety minutes. There are two teams play against each other. Each
team has eleven members. The players kick the ball ___________ (48) goals. There is a
goalkeeper to keep the goal safe. The goal-keeper is allowed to touch the ball _________ (49)
hand, while others are not. The team, which scores more goals, is declared the winner. The
referee is there to make sure that the game is fair. It’s _________ (50) to watch a football
match.
46. A. the most B. most C. more D. the more
47. A. last B. lasts C. lasted D. will last
48. A. scoring B. to score C. to score D. score
49. A. by B. in C. to D. for
50. A. interesting B. clumsy C. musical D. exhausted
V. Complete the sentences with the given words.
51. Television/ a tool/ gain/ education/ information.
A. Television is a tool to gain education and information.
B. Television is a tool gaining education and information.
C. Television are a tool to gain education and information.
D. Television are a tool gaining education and information.
52. Question 2: Why/ lot of/ people/ watch television/ every day?
A. Why does a lot of people watch television every day?
B. Why does a lot of people watching television every day?
C. Why do a lot of people watch television every day?
4
D. Why do a lot of people watching television every day?
53. We/ watch/ documentary/ know more/ historical events.
A. We watches documentary to know more about historical events.
B. We watch documentary to know more of historical events.
C. We watches documentary to know more of historical events.
D. We watch documentary to know more about historical events.
54. You/ can/ watch/ The Pig Race/ this/ channel.
A. You can watch The Pig Race in this channel.
B. You can watching The Pig Race in this channel.
C. You can watch The Pig Race on this channel.
D. You can watching The Pig Race on this channel.
55. I/ love/ films/ I/ don't like/ watch/ them/ television.
A. I love films but I don't like watch them in television.
B. I love films but I don't like watching them on television.
C. I love films because I don't like watch them in television.
D. I love films because I don't like watching them on television.
56. The first/ sport competition/ held/ Greece/ 776 B.C.
A. The first sport competition is held in Greece in 776 B.C.
B. The first sport competition was held in Greece in 776 B.C.
C. The first sport competition is held on Greece in 776 B.C.
D. The first sport competition was held on Greece in 776 B.C.
57. Playing/ volleyball/ interesting.
A. Playing volleyball are interesting.
B. Playing the volleyball is interesting.
C. Playing volleyball is interesting.
D. Playing the volleyball are interesting.
58. In/ first half/ the match/ our team/ score/ goal.
A. In the first half of the match, our team score a goal.
B. In the first half of the match, our team scored a goal.
C. In the first half on the match, our team scored a goal.
D. In the first half on the match, our team score a goal.
59. Students/ do/ lot of/ outdoor/ activity.
A. Students do a lot of outdoor activities.
B. Students does a lot of outdoor activities.
C. Students doing a lot of outdoor activities.
D. Students did a lot of outdoor activities.
60. I/ more/ interested/ go swimming/ my sister.
A. I more interested at going swimming than my sister.
B. I’m more interested at going swimming than my sister.
C. I more interested in going swimming than my sister.
D. I’m more interested in going swimming than my sister.
5
VI. Rearrange the sentences to make meaningful sentences
61. favorite/ TV/ comedy/ My/ is/ program.
A. My favorite TV program is comedy.
B. My favorite TV program comedy is.
C. My favorite comedy TV program is.
D. My favorite comedy is TV program.
62. time/ is/ TV/ a/ waste/ Watching/ of
A. Watching TV is a time waste of.
B. Watching time is a waste of TV.
C. Watching TV is time of a waste.
D. Watching TV is a waste of time.
63. on/ The/ is/ at 20:00/ Saturday/ program/ on.
A. The program is on at 20:00 on Saturday.
B. The program is at 20:00 on Saturday on.
C. The program on is at 20:00 on Saturday.
D. The program on is on at 20:00 Saturday.
64. watch/ you/ How often/ TV/ do?
A. How often watch do you TV?
B. How often do you watch TV?
C. How often you do watch TV?
D. How often TV do you watch?
65. in/ I’m/ game shows/ interested/ watching.
A. I’m watching in interested game shows.
B. I’m game shows interested watching in.
C. I’m interested in watching game shows.
D. I’m in watching interested game shows.
66. racket/ We/ badminton/ need/ play/ to/ a.
A. We racket to need a play badminton.
B. We racket to play need a badminton.
C. We need a racket to play badminton.
D. We to need a racket play badminton.
67. play/ out/ and/ Go/ with/ friends/ your.
A. Go and play out with your friend.
B. Go out and play with your friend.
C. Go play with out and your friend.
D. Go with your friend and play out.
68. school/ won/ the/ at/ Who/ marathon?
A. Who the marathon won at school?
6
B. Who won at the marathon school?
C. Who won at the school marathon?
D. Who won the marathon at school?
69. What/ sports/ you/ like/ do?
A. What sports do you like?
B. What do you like sport?
C. What like do sport you?
D. What do like you sport?
70. exercise/ I/ twice/ do/ a/ week.
A. I exercise do twice a week.
B. I twice a do exercise week.
C. I do twice exercise a week.
D. I do exercise twice a week.
VII. Rewrite sentences without changing the meaning
71. Although The Haunted Theatre is frightening, children love it.
A. The Haunted Theatre is frightening, but children love it.
B. The Haunted Theatre is frightening, because children love it.
C. The Haunted Theatre is frightening, so children love it.
D. The Haunted Theatre is frightening, for children love it.
72. The film is not exciting enough for me to see.
A. The film is not boring enough for me to see.
B. The film is so exciting that I don’t want to see.
C. The film is too boring for me to see.
D. The film is such an exciting one that I don’t want to see.
73. I have to do homework so I won’t watch TV tonight.
A. I won’t watch TV tonight because I have to do homework.
B. I won’t watch TV tonight but I have to do homework.
C. I won’t watch TV tonight and I have to do homework.
D. I won’t watch TV tonight or I have to do homework.
74. This program is more funny than that program.
A. This program is more boring than that program.
B. This program is not as funny than that program.
C. That program is more funny than this program.
D. That program is more boring than this program.
75. It’s educational to watch this channel.
A. Watching this channel is educational.
B. It’s musical to watch this channel.
C. To watch this channel is funny.
D. This channel is boring to watch.
7
76. Helen's favorite sport is table tennis.
A. Helen hates playing table tennis.
B. Helen hates playing sports table tennis.
C. Helen enjoys playing table tennis.
D. Helen enjoys playing sports table tennis.
77. I like watching sports more than playing sports.
A. I prefer watching sports to playing sports.
B. I enjoy playing sports.
C. My favorite sports is tennis.
D. The most interesting sports is tennis.
78. I do judo every Tuesday and Thursday.
A. I do judo three times a week.
B. I do judo once a week.
C. I do judo twice a week.
D. I do judo four times a week.
79. He is a good football player.
A. He can’t play football
B. He isn’t good at football.
C. He love playing football.
D. He plays football well.
80. My brother is a fast runner.
A. My brother runs fast.
B. My brother runs fastly.
C. My brother ran fast.
D. My brother ran fastly

giúp mk vs

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

According to anthropologists, people in preindustrial societies spent 3 to 4 hours per day or about 20 hours per week doing the work necessary for life. Modern comparisons of the amount of work performed per week, however, begin with the Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) when 10– to 12–hour workdays with six workdays per week were the norm. Even with extensive time devoted to work, however, both incomes and standards of living were low. As incomes rose near the end of the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly common to treat Saturday afternoons as a half–day holiday. The half holiday had become standard practice in Britain by the 1870's, but did not become common in the United States until the 1920's.

In the United States, the first third of the twentieth century saw the workweek move from 60 hours per week to just under 50 hours by the start of the 1930' s. In 1914, Henry Ford reduced daily work hours at his automobile plants from 9 to 8. In 1926 he announced that henceforth his factories would close for the entire day on Saturday. At the time, Ford received criticism from other firms such as United States Steel and Westinghouse, but the idea was popular with workers.

The Depression years of the 1930's brought with them the notion of job sharing to spread available work around; the workweek dropped to a modem low for the United States of 35 hours. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated a weekly maximum of 40 hours to begin in 1940, and since that time the 8–hour day, 5–day workweek has been the standard in the United States. Adjustments in various places, however, show that this standard is not immutable. In 1987, for example, German metalworkers struck for and received a 37.5–hour workweek; and in 1990 many workers in Britain won a 37–hour week. Since 1989, the Japanese government has moved from a 6– to a 5–day workweek and has set a national target of 1,800 work hours per year for the average worker. The average amount of work per year in Japan in 1989 was 2,088 hours per worker, compared to 1,957 for the United States and 1,646 for France.

Compared to preindustrial times, the number of hours in the workweek in the nineteenth century______.

A. remained constant

B. decreased slightly

C. decreased significantly

D. increased significantly

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

According to anthropologists, people in preindustrial societies spent 3 to 4 hours per day or about 20 hours per week doing the work necessary for life. Modern comparisons of the amount of work performed per week, however, begin with the Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) when 10– to 12–hour workdays with six workdays per week were the norm. Even with extensive time devoted to work, however, both incomes and standards of living were low. As incomes rose near the end of the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly common to treat Saturday afternoons as a half–day holiday. The half holiday had become standard practice in Britain by the 1870's, but did not become common in the United States until the 1920's.

In the United States, the first third of the twentieth century saw the workweek move from 60 hours per week to just under 50 hours by the start of the 1930' s. In 1914, Henry Ford reduced daily work hours at his automobile plants from 9 to 8. In 1926 he announced that henceforth his factories would close for the entire day on Saturday. At the time, Ford received criticism from other firms such as United States Steel and Westinghouse, but the idea was popular with workers.

The Depression years of the 1930's brought with them the notion of job sharing to spread available work around; the workweek dropped to a modem low for the United States of 35 hours. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated a weekly maximum of 40 hours to begin in 1940, and since that time the 8–hour day, 5–day workweek has been the standard in the United States. Adjustments in various places, however, show that this standard is not immutable. In 1987, for example, German metalworkers struck for and received a 37.5–hour workweek; and in 1990 many workers in Britain won a 37–hour week. Since 1989, the Japanese government has moved from a 6– to a 5–day workweek and has set a national target of 1,800 work hours per year for the average worker. The average amount of work per year in Japan in 1989 was 2,088 hours per worker, compared to 1,957 for the United States and 1,646 for France.

The word "henceforth" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

A. for a brief period.

B. from that time on.

C. in the end.

D. on occasion.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

According to anthropologists, people in preindustrial societies spent 3 to 4 hours per day or about 20 hours per week doing the work necessary for life. Modern comparisons of the amount of work performed per week, however, begin with the Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) when 10– to 12–hour workdays with six workdays per week were the norm. Even with extensive time devoted to work, however, both incomes and standards of living were low. As incomes rose near the end of the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly common to treat Saturday afternoons as a half–day holiday. The half holiday had become standard practice in Britain by the 1870's, but did not become common in the United States until the 1920's.

In the United States, the first third of the twentieth century saw the workweek move from 60 hours per week to just under 50 hours by the start of the 1930' s. In 1914, Henry Ford reduced daily work hours at his automobile plants from 9 to 8. In 1926 he announced that henceforth his factories would close for the entire day on Saturday. At the time, Ford received criticism from other firms such as United States Steel and Westinghouse, but the idea was popular with workers.

The Depression years of the 1930's brought with them the notion of job sharing to spread available work around; the workweek dropped to a modem low for the United States of 35 hours. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated a weekly maximum of 40 hours to begin in 1940, and since that time the 8–hour day, 5–day workweek has been the standard in the United States. Adjustments in various places, however, show that this standard is not immutable. In 1987, for example, German metalworkers struck for and received a 37.5–hour workweek; and in 1990 many workers in Britain won a 37–hour week. Since 1989, the Japanese government has moved from a 6– to a 5–day workweek and has set a national target of 1,800 work hours per year for the average worker. The average amount of work per year in Japan in 1989 was 2,088 hours per worker, compared to 1,957 for the United States and 1,646 for France.

The "idea" mentioned in line 15 refers to______.

A. the criticism of Ford by United States Steel and Westinghouse.

B. the reduction in the workweek at some automobile factories.

C. the reduction in the cost of automobiles.

D. the 60–hour workweek.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

According to anthropologists, people in preindustrial societies spent 3 to 4 hours per day or about 20 hours per week doing the work necessary for life. Modern comparisons of the amount of work performed per week, however, begin with the Industrial Revolution (1760–1840) when 10– to 12–hour workdays with six workdays per week were the norm. Even with extensive time devoted to work, however, both incomes and standards of living were low. As incomes rose near the end of the Industrial Revolution, it became increasingly common to treat Saturday afternoons as a half–day holiday. The half holiday had become standard practice in Britain by the 1870's, but did not become common in the United States until the 1920's.

In the United States, the first third of the twentieth century saw the workweek move from 60 hours per week to just under 50 hours by the start of the 1930' s. In 1914, Henry Ford reduced daily work hours at his automobile plants from 9 to 8. In 1926 he announced that henceforth his factories would close for the entire day on Saturday. At the time, Ford received criticism from other firms such as United States Steel and Westinghouse, but the idea was popular with workers.

The Depression years of the 1930's brought with them the notion of job sharing to spread available work around; the workweek dropped to a modem low for the United States of 35 hours. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act mandated a weekly maximum of 40 hours to begin in 1940, and since that time the 8–hour day, 5–day workweek has been the standard in the United States. Adjustments in various places, however, show that this standard is not immutable. In 1987, for example, German metalworkers struck for and received a 37.5–hour workweek; and in 1990 many workers in Britain won a 37–hour week. Since 1989, the Japanese government has moved from a 6– to a 5–day workweek and has set a national target of 1,800 work hours per year for the average worker. The average amount of work per year in Japan in 1989 was 2,088 hours per worker, compared to 1,957 for the United States and 1,646 for France.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as evidence that the length of the workweek has been declining since the nineteenth century?

A. Henry Ford.

B. German metalworkers

C. The half–day holiday.

D. United States Steel and Westinghouse.