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     Job sharing refers to the situation in which two people divide the responsibility of one full-time job. The

two people willingly act as part-time workers, enough hours between them to fulfill the duties of a full-time

worker. If they each work half the job, for example, they each receive 50 per cent of the job's wages, its

holidays and its other benefits.

     Job sharing differs from conventional (常规的) part-time work in that it occurs mainly in the more highly

skilled and professional areas, which require higher levels of responsibility and employee commitment. Job

sharing should not be confused with the term work sharing, which refers to increasing the number of jobs

by reducing the number of hours of each existing job, thus offering more positions to the growing number

of unemployed people. Job sharing, by contrast, is not designed to address unemployment problems; its

focus, rather, is to provide well-paid work for skilled workers and professionals who want more free time

for other activities.

     As would be expected, most job sharers are women. A survey carded out in 1988 by Britain's Equal

Opportunities Commission showed that 78 per cent of sharers were female, the majority of whom were

between 20 and 40 years of age Subsequent studies have come up with similar results. Many of these

women were re-entering the job market after having had children, but they chose not to seek part-time

work because it would have meant lower status. Job sharing also offered an acceptable shift back into

full-time work after a long absence.

     The necessity of close cooperation when sharing a job with another person makes the actual work

quite different from conventional one-position jobs. However, to ensure a greater chance that the partnership

will succeed, each person needs to know the strengths, weaknesses and preferences of his or her partner

before applying for a position. Moreover, there must be a fair division of both routine tasks and interesting

ones. In sum, for a position to be job-shared well, the two individuals must be well matched and must treat

each other as equals.

1. In what way is work sharing different from job sharing?

A. Work sharing requires more working hours.

B. Work sharing is aimed at creating more jobs.

C. Work sharing provides a more satisfactory salary.

D. Work sharing depends on the employer's decision.

2. According to Paragraph 4, young mothers preferred job sharing to conventional part-time work mainly

    because _____.

A. they sought higher social status

B. they were over ideal working ages

C. they had difficulty finding full-time jobs

D. they had to take care of both work and family

3. In job sharing the partners should _____.

A. enjoy equal social status

B. have similar work experience

C. keep in touch with each other

D. know each other very well

4. The main purpose of the passage is to _____.

A. describe job sharing in general

B. discuss how to provide more jobs

C. recommend job sharing to women

D. compare job sharing with work sharing