Obesity can be considered a disability if it prevents job performance, the European Court of Justice ruled Thursday in a case with broad effects for employers across the 28-nation European Union. 

Although no EU law specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of weight, obesity could be considered a physical disability in need of accommodation by the employer if it “prevents the full and effective participation of the person concerned in professional life on an equal basis with other workers,” the Luxembourg-based high court ruled.

The case was brought by a Danish child-care worker, Karsten Kaltoft, who weighed more than 350 pounds during his 15 years of employment with the city of Billund. He filed suit against the local government saying he was discriminated against because of his size, although the child-care agency said his dismissal was necessary because of a drop in the number of children enrolled in its program.

By classifying obesity as a disability in certain conditions, the court whose rulings are binding for all European Union countries raised the prospect of employers being obligated to make available larger desks, wider doorways and closer parking spaces to accommodate those whose weight limits their mobility and comfortable work environment, labor law experts told European media.

“This has opened a can of worms for all employers in this country,” Tam Fry, spokesman for Britain’s National Obesity Forum, a healthcare group, told the Daily Mail. He said it would require furniture and facilities adjustments to accommodate obese workers and could lead to “friction in the workplace between obese people and other workers.” 

World Health Organizations figures suggest about 20% of European men and 23% of women are obese, posing a considerable burden on employers to invest in disability accommodations. The ruling was expected to be challenged by some European Union member states.

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1.In what way is obesity taken as a physical disability?

A The fat person has no place to live when he works while others have.

B Obesity prevents one doing his job as well as other workers.

C One is not treated equally as other workers because of obesity.

D One can’t have a profession to participate in because of his obesity.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。文章第2段给肥胖被视为残疾提出了条件if it “prevents the full and effective participation of the person concerned in professional life on an equal basis with other workers，即当肥胖影响一个人的工作能力的充分发挥，不能像其他工人一样有效工作的时候，应被视为残疾。

2.What caused Karsten Kaltoft to sue the local government?

A He was fat but he didn’t like to be fired from his position.

B He was dismissed in order to keep on the enrolling program.

C He was accused of causing a fall in the children enrollment.

D The agency discriminated against him and dismissed him.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第3段…he was discriminated against…his dismissal was necessary可知，他被歧视，而且遭到解雇，这是他起诉当地政府的原因。

3.What does the underlined sentence mean in the passage?

A It has caused many problems for all the employers.

B It has let the trouble-making worms out of the can.

C Every employer has been given a can of worms.

D It has brought conflicts between fat people and others.

解析：选A。A 句意猜测题。综合文章第4段raised the prospect of employers being obligated to make available larger desks, …and comfortable work environment可知，这种裁决对于雇主来说，给他们带来了很多麻烦，因为一旦成立，他们就得改善工作环境，如加宽过道等。由此判断，该句意为“这项裁决给雇主们带来了棘手的问题”。

4.What’s Tam Fry’s attitude towards the classifying of obesity as a disability?

A Supportive.

B Pessimistic.

C Doubtful.

D Concerned.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据文章第5段…could lead to “friction in the workplace between obese people and other workers.”可知，这项裁决有可能造成肥胖雇员与其他雇员的摩擦和冲突，由此判断，作者对于该裁定是持担忧态度的。

5.What is implied in the last paragraph?

A More than half of the employees in the EU countries are overweight.

B The companies were not willing to spend on disability accommodation.

C It was not easy to carry out the ruling within European Union.

D The disability accommodations require big investment.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段…posing a considerable burden on employers …The ruling was expected to be challenged by some European Union member states可知，这项裁定将加大雇主的投资负担，会遭到一些成员国的抵制。由此判断，要在欧盟各国推行这项裁定并不容易。