The labour situation in China

1. The labour situation in China Reading RLS 2006

2. visitors to Guangdong Province can expect to see colourful banners everywhere. Guangdong Province is a manufacturer of speakers and mobile phones. there is a serious shortage of workers in Guangdong Province. workers are required for certain jobs only in Guangdong Province. The paragraphs talk about “labour shortages”, “vacancies”, a company needing “unskilled workers as well as glass technicians, supervisors and quality controllers”, “an acute shortage of workers”, one million workers being needed and 70% of companies “having difficulties recruiting workers”. Answer = C 1. The main idea expressed in paragraphs 1 and 2 is that...(96%)

3. they are good atusing their hands and are co­operative. they are prepared to work overtime without extra payment. they do not require accommodation. they accept lower wages than men. These women are described as … “more dexterous” (good with their hands) “less troublesome” (co-operative) “willing to work longer hours”/ “ready to work overtime” “live in dormitories” (accommodation) Answer = A 2. According to paragraph 3, many factories in China prefer to employ unmarried migrant women because ... (54%)

4. staff who are willing to work overtime. young, unmarried women. workers recruited from Guangdong Province. workers willing to accept less than the minimum wage. The whole paragraph describes the kind of worker most employers prefer: young, unmarried women. B= Correct 3. In line 28, "this supply of desired labour" refers to ... (78%)

5. The number of people using mobile phones to talk to friends at work has increased. Mobile phones make it easier for workers to warn others about bad conditions. Lawyers are suing employers using mobile phones. The increased availability of mobile phones has made it easier for workers to find jobs. Line 33: “Also, more people are telling friends about poor working conditions, something that has become easier with cellphones.” Since this is a reason for the labour shortage, we can assume that people are warning others about bad conditions. B=Correct 4. According to paragraph 4, how have mobile phones contributed to the problem in the labour market? (86%)

6. there has been a general increase in wages during the past ten years. the workers and their bosses agree with government officials. many workers work long hours and receive low wages. farmers in China want to look for work in the city. “The reality is that wages have barely increased over the last decade …” “official enforcement of it (minimum wage) … cannot be guaranteed.” “… for workers toil ten hours or more a day, six or seven days a week.” “… there is not much incentive for farm workers to find jobs in the city.” Only one option explains the labour shortage. C= Correct 5. According to paragraph 5, ... (85%)

7. The government always tries to guarantee the minimum wage. The government is too slow to introduce the minimum wage. The government forces employers to pay the minimum wage. The government does not always enforce the minimum wage. “…official enforcement of it (minimum wage) is sporadic and cannot be guaranteed.” “A” doesn’t make sense. If you’re discussing enforcing something, we can assume it’s been introduced. “C” doesn’t make sense. It cannot be guaranteed because it doesn’t always enforce it. D = Correct 6. In line 41, what does the author mean when he says "official enforcement of it is sporadic"? (71%)

8. there are many causes of China's labour shortage problem. workers agree with bosses that the minimum wage is too low. workers who come from far-off provinces receive low wages. wages are not sufficiently attractive for workers from far-off provinces. The sentence tells us that farmers do not have much incentive to move to cities. “coupled with the fact that” tells us that there are two reasons. One is that the conditions of farmers have improved (subsidies + food prices) “This” refers to the previous sentence, which mentioned that they (wages) are too low to lure workers…” “C” and “D” are similar but the paragraph is explaining why farmers are not moving to cities. D=Correct 7. Inline 48, "This" refers to the fact that... (64%)

9. one of the lowest in China. higher than that in Guangzhou. the second highest in China. higher than it was in 2003. Line 59: “This is the highest rate in China, followed by Shanghai…” C=Correct 8. According to paragraph 6, the minimum wage in Shanghai is ...(90%)

10. Most of the employers there are European and American companies. Working conditions and wages there are superior to those in the Pearl River Delta. There is no labour shortage. Companies from Taiwan and Hong Kong have invested heavily in the area. “…those (firms/ companies) in the Yangtze Rive Delta, especially the European and North American companies, pay substantially above the minimum wage and provide better conditions.” “Especially” tells us that these firms usually pay better, not that they outnumber other firms. B=Correct 9. According to paragraph 7, which of the following statements best describes the labour situation in the Yangtze River Delta? (83%)

11. confirms a theory. provides dramatic new evidence. disproves a widely held belief. destroys a dream. “… the labour situation in this part of the world … explodes the myth, …, that China has a bottomless pool of people who will work anywhere at any price.” Most people believe that China has a huge pool of labour that is willing to work for low wages. This passage tells us that this is not true. C=Correct 10. Inline 78, the expression "explodes the myth" means ... (47%)

12. China has a population problem. China has a larger population than Europe and the USA. China has a lot of very deep pools. China has an unlimited supply of workers. “…bottomless pool of people who will work anywhere at any price.” It is very clear that this sentence is describing people working. D=Correct 11. In lines 79 and 80, "China has a bottomless pool of people" means that ... (82%)

13. the company provides workers with a room and a hard bed. the company offers good wages and career opportunities. the company offers a spacious and pleasant working environment. the company provides accommodation and food. “We have orders and we need workers. We offer room and board. Enjoy our excellent canteen.” Room obviously refers to accommodation. What do you buy at a canteen? D=Correct 12. In lines 88 and 89, "We offer room and board" means that ... (48%)

14. smelly. faulty. faded. shiny. “He sat on a bridge about a fetid, murky and blackened waterway, …” “Fetid” is obviously an adjective describing the waterway (river). If the waterway is murky and blackened, it’s probably polluted. A=Correct 13. Inline 94, "fetid" means ... (74%)

15. the employers are not offering enough jobs. he believes he can find a better-paid job. he already holds a job paying 1,500 yuan. he prefers to bargain for a job in Jiangxi. “Why was he not interested in taking a job from them? ‘They’re not offering enough,’ he said. He was holding out for 1,500 yuan,…”. He only needs one job. He hasn’t accepted any job offer. He is from Jianxi and came to Guangzhou to work. B = Correct 14. According to paragraph 9, Wang Kong has not accepted any job offer because ... (79%)

16. offer higher salaries to the workers. encourage more investment from European and American companies. improve communication between employers and workers. expand the Pearl River Delta further. Wang Kong’s willingness to wait on the bridge until someone pays him enough proves that the solutions is … A = Correct 15. According to the article, one solution to the labour situation in China is to ... (87%)

17. The workers will work anywhere at any price. Farmers are less willing to move to cities for work. Companies need to rely less on cheap labour. Many employers ignore the minimum wage. A – See question 10. B – See question 5. C –Line 63: “…manufacturers my not be able to rely solely on paying workers the minimum wage…” D – See question 5. A=Correct 16. According to the article, which one of the following statements about China's labour shortage is FALSE? (55%)