Inthelast12yearstotalemploymentintheUnitedStatesgrewfasterthanatanytimeinthepeacetimehistoryofanycountry–from82to110millionbetween1973and1985–thatis,byafullonethird.Theentiregrowth,however,wasinmanufacturing,andespeciallyinno–blue-collarjobs…
Thistrendisthesameinalldevelopedcountries,andis,indeed,evenmorepronouncedinJapan.Itisthereforehighlyprobablethatin25yearsdevelopedcountriessuchastheUnitedStatesandJapanwillemploynolargeraproportionofthelaborforceInmanufacturingthandevelopedcountriesnowemployinfarming–atmost,10percent.TodaytheUnitedStatesemploysaround18millionpeopleinblue-collarjobsinmanufacturingindustries.By2010,thenumberislikelytobenomorethan12million.Insomemajorindustriesthedropwillbeevensharper.Itisquiteunrealistic,forinstance,toexpectthattheAmericanautomobileindustrywillemploymorethanone–thirdofitspresentblue-collarforce25yearshence,eventhoughproductionmightbe50percenthigher.
Ifacompany,anindustryoracountrydoesnotinthenextquartercenturysharplyincreasemanufacturingproductionandatthesametimesharplyreducetheblue-collarworkforce,itcannothopetoremaincompetitive–oreventoremain“developed.”Theattempttopreservesuchblue–collarjobsisactuallyaprescriptionforunemployment…
ThisisnotaconclusionthatAmericanpoliticians,laborleadersorindeedthegeneralpubliccaneasilyunderstandoraccept.WhatconfusestheissueevenmoreitthattheUnitedStatesisexperiencingseveralseparateanddifferentshiftsinthemanufacturingeconomy.Oneistheaccelerationofthesubstitutionofknowledgeandcapitalformanuallabor.Wherewespokeofmechanizationafewdecadesago,wenowspeakof“robotization“or“automation.”Thisisactuallymoreachangeinterminologythanachangeinreality.WhenHenryFordintroducedtheassemblylinein1909,hecutthenumberofman–hoursrequiredtoproduceamotorcarbysome80percentintwoorthreeyears–farmorethananyoneexpectstoresultfromeventhemostcompleterobotization.Butthereisnodoubtthatwearefacinganew,sharpaccelerationinthereplacementofmanualworkersbymachines–thatis,bytheproductsofknowledge.
1.Accordingtotheauthor,theshrinkageinthemanufacturinglaborforcedemonstrates______.
A.thedegreetowhichacountry’sproductionisrobotized
B.areductioninacountry’smanufacturingindustries
C.aworseningrelationshipbetweenlaborandmanagement
D.thedifferencebetweenadevelopedcountryandadevelopingcountry
2.Accordingtotheauthor,incoming25years,adevelopedcountryorindustry,inordertremaincompetitive,oughtto______.
A.reducethepercentageoftheblue-collarworkforce
B.preserveblue–collarjobsforinternationalcompetition
C.acceleratemotor–canmanufacturinginHenryFord’sstyle
D.solvetheproblemofunemployment
3.Americanpoliticiansandlaborleaderstendtodislike_____.
A.confusioninmanufacturingeconomy
B.anincreaseinblue–collarworkforce
C.internalcompetitioninmanufacturingproduction
D.adropintheblue–collarjobopportunities
4.Theword“prescription”in“aprescriptionforunemployment”maybetheequivalentto______
A.somethingrecommendedasmedicaltreatment
B.awaysuggestedtoovercomesomedifficulty
C.somemeasurestakeninadvance
D.adevicetodire
5.Thispassagemayhavebeenexceptedfrom________
A.amagazineaboutcapitalinvestment
B.anarticleonautomation
C.amotor-carmagazine
D.anarticleonglobaleconomy
AADCD
暫無解析
Passage3
Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
UnliketheirAmericanorEuropeancounterparts,carsalesmeninJapanworkhardtogetabuyer.Insteadoflyinglazilyaroundshowroomswaitingforcustomerstodropby,manyJapanesecarsalesmenstillgoouttogetthem.Theywalkwearilyalongthestreetscarsdoor-to-door.Newcustomersarehuntedwithfruitandcakesontheirbirthdays.Butlifeisgettingtough,andnotjustbecausenew-carsalesarefalling.
WithmoreJapanesewomen(whooftencontrolthehouseholdbudget)goingouttowork,thesalesmenincreasinglyfindnobodyathomewhentheycall.Thatmeansanothervisitintheeveningortheweekend.Thentheyfaceanextraproblem:morepeople,especiallytheyoung,prefertochooseanewcarfromashowroomwheretheycancomparedifferentmodels.
Evenaslateasthemid-1980ssome90%ofnewcarsweresolddoor-to-door.Insomeruralareasmostnewcarsarestillsoldthisway.Butinthebigcitiesmorethanhalfthenewcarsarenowsoldfromshowrooms.
AlthoughinvestinginshowroomsisexpensivebecauseofthehighcostofJapaneseland,dealershavelittlechoice.AlaborshortageandhigheramongJapan’sworkforcearemakingitdifficulttohiredoor-to-doorsalesmen.MostofaJapanesecarsalesman’sworkingdayisspentdoingfavorsforcustomers,likearranginginsuranceorpickingupvehiclesforservicing,ratherthanactuallyselling.
Japan’sdoorstepcarsalesmenarenotabouttovanish.Thepersonalservicetheyprovideissodeep-rootedinJapanthattheyarelikelytooperatealongsidetheglitteringnewshowrooms.Thetwosystemsevencomplementeachother.Whatincreasinglyhappensisthattheshowroomattractstheinterestofapotentialbuyer,givingthefootsoresalesmenafirmleadtofollowupwithahomevisit.
11.Japanesecarsalesusuallydonotwaitatshowroomsforcustomerstodropby;instead,.
A.theysellcarsdoor-to-door
B.theybuypresentsfortheircustomers
C.theyenjoythemselvesinrecreationcenters
D.theygoouttodomarketresearches
12.Impliedbutstated:thecompetitionincarmarketis.
A.lightB.moderateC.fierceD.unfair
13.Youngpeopleliketobuyanewcar.
A.athomeB.fromashowroom
C.madeintheU.S.A.D.madeinJapan
14.ThesquadronofJapanesecarsalesmenisreducingbecauseof.
A.alaborshortage
B.higherexpectationsamongJapan’sworkforce
C.highcostland
D.bothAandB
15.Japanesecarsalesmentotheircustomersmanyfavorssuchas.
A.showingthemaroundinanexhibition
B.arranginginsurance
C.payingthemavisitonweekends
D.sellingolecarsforthem
Onereasonwhycollegesincreasetuitionandfeesisthatthestatesupportisshrinking.
Thebesttitleforthepassagewouldbe________.
Lifeistooshort________________(不可每天將時間浪費在看電視上).
翻譯：
Bymakingvehicleslighterinweightaluminumhasgreatlyreducedtheamountoffuelneededtomovethem,(PassageTwo)
