In the last 12 years total employment in the United States grew faster than at any time in the peacetime history of any country – from 82 to 110 million between 1973 and 1985 – that is, by a full one third. The entire growth, however, was in manufacturing, and especially in no – blue-collar jobs…

This trend is the same in all developed countries, and is, indeed, even more pronounced in Japan. It is therefore highly probable that in 25 years developed countries such as the United States and Japan will employ no larger a proportion of the labor force I n manufacturing than developed countries now employ in farming – at most, 10 percent. Today the United States employs around 18 million people in blue-collar jobs in manufacturing industries. By 2010, the number is likely to be no more than 12 million. In some major industries the drop will be even sharper. It is quite unrealistic, for instance, to expect that the American automobile industry will employ more than one –third of its present blue-collar force 25 years hence, even though production might be 50 percent higher.

If a company, an industry or a country does not in the next quarter century sharply increase manufacturing production and at the same time sharply reduce the blue-collar work force, it cannot hope to remain competitive – or even to remain “developed.” The attempt to preserve such blue – collar jobs is actually a prescription for unemployment…

This is not a conclusion that American politicians, labor leaders or indeed the general public can easily understand or accept. What confuses the issue even more it that the United States is experiencing several separate and different shifts in the manufacturing economy. One is the acceleration of the substitution of knowledge and capital for manual labor. Where we spoke of mechanization a few decades ago, we now speak of “robotization “ or “automation.” This is actually more a change in terminology than a change in reality. When Henry Ford introduced the assembly line in 1909, he cut the number of man – hours required to produce a motor car by some 80 percent in two or three years –far more than anyone expects to result from even the most complete robotization. But there is no doubt that we are facing a new, sharp acceleration in the replacement of manual workers by machines –that is, by the products of knowledge.

1.According to the author, the shrinkage in the manufacturing labor force demonstrates______.

A.the degree to which a country’s production is robotized

B.a reduction in a country’s manufacturing industries

C.a worsening relationship between labor and management

D.the difference between a developed country and a developing country

2.According to the author, in coming 25years, a developed country or industry, in order t remain competitive, ought to ______.

A.reduce the percentage of the blue-collar work force

B.preserve blue – collar jobs for international competition

C.accelerate motor – can manufacturing in Henry Ford’s style

D.solve the problem of unemployment

3.American politicians and labor leaders tend to dislike_____.

A.confusion in manufacturing economy

B.an increase in blue – collar work force

C.internal competition in manufacturing production

D.a drop in the blue – collar job opportunities

4.The word “prescription” in “a prescription for unemployment” may be the equivalent to ______

A.something recommended as medical treatment

B.a way suggested to overcome some difficulty

C.some measures taken in advance

D.a device to dire

5.This passage may have been excepted from ________

A.a magazine about capital investment

B.an article on automation

C.a motor-car magazine

D.an article on global economy

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown tat 40 percent of cancer is related to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures ate more prone to get certain illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, government researchers realized that nitrates and nitrites, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives that we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and poultry, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows. Sometimes similar drugs are administered to animals not for medicinal purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue.

6. How has science done a disservice to mankind?

A. Because of science, most of the foods we eat today are contaminated.

B. It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.

C. As a result of scientific intervention, some potentially harmful substances has been added to our food.

D. The scientists have preserved the color of meats, but not of vegetables.

7. What are nitrates used for?

A. They preserves flavor in packaged foods.

B. They preserve the color of meats.

C. They are the objects of research.

D. They cause the animals to become fatter.

8. The FDA has tried repeatedly to control .

A. the attempt to fatten the animals

B. the attempt to cure sick animals

C. the using of drugs to animals

D. the using of additives to preserve the dolor of food

9. The word “carcinogenic” means most nearly the same as .

A. trouble-making B. color-retaining

C. money-saving D. cancer-causing

10. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons.

B. Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to the living animals.

C. Researchers have known about the potential hazards of the food additives for over thirty-five years.

D. Food may cause forty percent of cancer in the world.

Part IV Translation

The captain realized that the men tried to deceive him so he made them work very hard for the rest of the voyage. (Passage One)

Lifeistooshort________________(不可每天将时间浪费在看电视上).

I meant____ you about it, but I forgot to do so.