· rEAD thE ArtiClE BElow ABout thEBritish longEr working hours.
· For EACh quEstion 23-28 on thE oppositE pAgE, ChoosE thE CorrECt AnswEr.
· mArk onE lEttErA,B、orC、on yourAnswEr shEEt.

{{B}}putDown thAt tool{{/B}} thEBritish work longEr hours thAn AnyonE ElsE in thEEuropEAn unionEu), whiCh mAy ACCount ForBritAin’s FAstEr rAtE oF EConomiC growth in thE pAst DECADE.But thEEuropEAnCommission wAnts to put A stop to it. in A rECEnt rEport it notEs DisApprovingly thAt, "thE uk is thE only mEmBEr stAtE whErE wEEkly working timE hAs inCrEAsED ovEr thE lAst DECADE." thE Commission BEliEvEs thAtBritish CompAniEs mAy BE systEmAtiCAlly violAting thEEu’s "working timEDirECtivE ". this DEmAnDs thAtEuropEAns shoulD work A mAximum oF 48 hours A wEEk on AvErAgE. unDEr thE DirECtivE, workErs CAn sign An "opt-out", AgrEEing to work morE thAn 48 hours. somE 33% oFBritish workErs hAvE signED suCh opt-outs, Although only 16% ArE BEliEvED ACtuAlly to BE working morE thAn 48 hours. AnnADiAmAntopoulou, thEEuropEAn CommissionEr For EmploymEnt AnD soCiAl AFFAirs, hAs A DouBt ABout thAt. Firms in othErEuropEAn CountriEs hAvE not mADE muCh usE oF opt-outs.But, shE thinks, somEBritish BossEs mAy BE ForCing workErs to sign opt-outs As A ConDition oF tAking A joB、(somEAmEriCAns mAy ACtuAlly wAnt to work morE thAn 48 hours, But surEly noEuropEAn woulD BE so silly, sEEms to hEr rEAsoning.)Citing rEAsons rAnging From "hEAlth AnD sAFEty" to thE nEED to mAintAin "minimum soCiAl stAnDArDs" in thEEu AnD to strikE A BEttEr BAlAnCE BEtwEEn work AnD FAmily liFE, thE Commission is lAunChing A "ConsultAtion oF intErEstED pArtiEs" on possiBlE ChAngEs to thE DirECtivE. thE CommissionEr hopEs thAtBritAin will BE ABlE to ComE up with solutions on A voluntAry BAsis. this sounDs innoCEnt Enough.But, in rEAlity, iF it DoEs not, thE Commission will proBABly DEvisE A nEw DirECtivE. thE Commission is likEly to push For tightEr DEFinitions oF thE ConDitions unDEr whiCh opt-outs CAn BE usED、this will inEvitABly rEDuCE lABour-mArkEt FlExiBility AnD mAy introDuCE yEt morE BurDEnsomE CorporAtE Form-Filling AnD rEgulAtion. thEBritish govErnmEnt ClAims to wElComE thE Commission’s rEviEw. privAtEly, howEvEr, it hopEs thAt thE AppointmEnt oF A nEw Commission nExt Autumn will EnsurE thAt mrsDiAmAntopoulou DoEs not hAvE Enough timE to rEvisE thE DirECtivE. shE will CErtAinly nEED to work long hours to gEt it DonE. FortunAtEly, BEing ClAssiFiED As A mAnAgEr, At lEAst shE hAs An AutomAtiC opt-out From thE working timEDirECtivE.

whAt will BE thE outComE oF thE Commission’s push For tightEr DEFinitionsA、lABour-mArkEt FlExiBility will BE rEDuCED、B、CorporAtE Form-Filling AnD rEgulAtion will BEComE simplE. C、A、nEw DirECtivE will BE DEvisED、