34. After 1972 workers’ compensation insurance in the U.S. became more favorable to workers so that _______.
(A) the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically
(B) there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims
(C) the number of workers suing for damages increased
(D) more money was allocated to their compensation system

30. According to the passage, the closing of the schools developed into a crisis because of ______. (A) the complexity of the problem (B) the political motives on the part of the educators (C) the weak response of the state officials (D) the strong protest on the part of the students’ parents

31. The world’s first workers’ compensation law was introduced by Bismarck _______. (A) to make industrial production safer (B) to speed up the pace of industrialization (C) out of religious and political considerations (D) for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement

32. We learn from the passage that the process of industrialization in Europe _______. (A) was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents (B) resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs (C) required workers to be aware of the potential dangers at the workplace (D) met growing resistance from laborers working at machines

33. One of the problems the American injured workers faced in getting compensation in the early 19th century was that ______. (A) they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law (B) different sums in the U.S. had totally different compensation programs (C) America’s average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living (D) they had to produce evidence that their employers were responsible for the accident

35. The author ends the passage with the implication that ______. (A) compensation benefits in America are soaring to new heights (B) the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system (C) people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system (D) money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U.S. economy

36. The emergence of the affluent society after World War II ________. (A) gave birth to a new generation of upper class consumers (B) gave rise to the dominance of the new egoism (C) led to the reform of the retailing system (D) resulted in the worship of consumerism

37. Apart from enormous productivity, another important impetus to high consumption is _______. (A) the conversion of the sale of goods into rituals (B) the people’s desire for a rise in their living standards (C) the imbalance that has existed between production and consumption (D) the concept that one’s success is measured by how much they consume

38. Why does the author say high consumption is a mixed blessing? (A) Because poverty still exists in an affluent society. (B) Because moral values are sacrificed in pursuit of material satisfaction. (C) Because overconsumption won’t last long due to unrestricted population growth. (D) Because traditional rituals are often neglected in the process of modernization.

39. According to the passage, consumerist culture ________. (A) cannot thrive on a fragile economy (B) will not aggravate environmental problems (C) cannot satisfy human spiritual needs (D) will not alleviate poverty in wealthy countries

40. It can be inferred from the passage that _______. (A) human spiritual needs should match material affluence (B) there is never an end to satisfying people’s material needs (C) whether high consumption should be encouraged is still an issue (D) how to keep consumption at a reasonable level remains a problem