Changes to the Soviet Union's Working Week: Reading answers

The passage opens

Answers 27–40

1. 27

   Paragraph 27

   ix: Optimism about transforming the country Matching headings

   The heading “Optimism about transforming the country” paraphrases the passage’s “Unlimited enthusiasm” and belief in bringing about “a new world.”

   “Unlimited enthusiasm was the mood of the day, with the Communists believing that iron will and hard-working manpower alone would bring about a new world.”

2. 28

   Paragraph 28

   vii: Inspiration from abroad Matching headings

   “Inspiration from abroad” fits the influence of Taylor, an American management expert, and the passage also mentions admiration for Ford’s assembly lines and tractors.

   “Stalin's predecessor Lenin had already been intrigued by the ideas of Taylor, the American management expert whose time and motion studies had discovered ways of streamlining effort”

3. 29

   Paragraph 29

   iii: An attempt to create better working conditions? Matching headings

   The shorter working day was presented as an attempt to improve workers’ conditions. Although it was also part of a production scheme, this paragraph describes a measure intended to benefit the proletariat.

4. 30

   Paragraph 30

   i: A decision for factories to operate seven days a week Matching headings

   The heading matches the proposal to eliminate Sunday as a day off so that machines could operate every day.

   “Why not abolish that wasted day by instituting a continuous working week so that the machines could operate to their full capacity every day of the week?”

5. 31

   Paragraph 31

   vi: How the continuous working week was organised Matching headings

   This paragraph explains how the continuous week was organised: workers were divided into five groups, with rotating rest days and colour-coded calendars.

   “Workers in each establishment were divided into five groups, each assigned a colour which appeared on the new calendars distributed all over the country.”

6. 32

   Paragraph 32

   xi: Pros and cons of the continuous working week Matching headings

   The paragraph outlines the claimed benefits, then gives a drawback concerning family schedules. This presents both pros and cons of the continuous working week.

7. 33

   Paragraph 33

   iv: Not consistently introduced everywhere Matching headings

   “Not consistently introduced everywhere” paraphrases the haphazard implementation and the simultaneous use of different workweek schedules.

   “the new plan was implemented haphazardly, with some factories operating five-, six- and seven-day weeks at the same time”

8. 34

   Paragraph 34

   x: The failure of factories to achieve expected improvements Matching headings

   The heading matches the passage’s statement that the new schedule failed to produce the expected improvements in production.

   “Furthermore, the new week was far from having the vaunted effect on production.”

9. 35

   Which aspect of American business was admired?

   C: the methods of increasing productivity Multiple choice

   “Methods of increasing productivity” paraphrases Taylor’s time-and-motion studies, which streamlined work so each worker could produce the maximum.

   “whose time and motion studies had discovered ways of streamlining effort so that every worker could produce the maximum.”

10. 36

    The continuous working week was intended to ensure that

    B: machinery was in continuous use. . Multiple choice

    The continuous working week was intended to keep machinery operating every day, which matches option B.

    “Why not abolish that wasted day by instituting a continuous working week so that the machines could operate to their full capacity every day of the week?”

11. 37

    Which of the following was thought unlikely to improve as a result of the continuous workingweek?

    A: family life Multiple choice

    The passage identifies family life as the objection; by contrast, it says employment, shopping and leisure were expected to benefit.

    “The only objection concerned the family, where normally more than one member was working”

12. 38

    Taylor Note completion

    The question asks whose theories inspired efforts to increase efficiency. The passage names Taylor and describes his time-and-motion studies.

    “Taylor, the American management expert”

13. 39

    Larin Note completion

    The passage names Larin as the person who proposed the idea for greater efficiency that became the continuous working week.

14. 40

    colour-coding Note completion

    The calendars used colour-coding to identify the different worker groups.

    “This colour-coding was a valuable device”

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