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

Josephwasverylucky（）withhislife;healmostdidnotgetoutoftheroom.

Ininternationalmatches,prestigeissoimportantthattheonlythingthatmattersistoavoid_____.

PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION

Inthissectiontherearefourpassagesfollowedbyquestionsorunfinishedstatements,eachwithfoursuggestedanswersmarkedA,B,CandD.Choosetheonethatyouthinkisthebestanswer.

TEXTA

Racket,dinclamor,noise,whateveryouwanttocallit,unwantedsoundisAmerica'smostwidespread

nuisance.Butnoiseismorethanjustanuisance.Itconstitutesarealandpresentdangertopeople'shealth.Day

andnight,athome,atwork,andatplay,noisecanproduceseriousphysicalandpsychologicalstress.Nooneis

immunetothisstress.Thoughweseemtoadjusttonoisebyignoringit,theear,infact,neverclosesandthe

bodystillresponds—sometimeswithextremetension,astoastrangesoundinthenight.

Theannoyancewefeelwhenfacedwithnoiseisthemostcommonoutwardsymptomofthestressbuilding

upinsideus.Indeed,becauseirritabilityissoapparent,legislatorshavemadepublicannoyancethebasisof

manynoiseabatementprograms.Themoresubtleandmoreserioushealthhazardsassociatedwithstress

causedbynoisetraditionallyhavebeengivenmuchlessattention.Nevertheless,whenweareannoyedormade

irritablebynoise,weshouldconsiderthesesymptomsfairwarningthatotherthingmaybehappeningtous,

someofwhichmaybedamagingtoourhealth.

Ofmanyhealthhazardstonoise,hearinglossisthemostclearlyobservableandmeasurablebyhealth

professionals.Theotherhazardsarehardertopindown.Formanyofus,theremaybeariskthatexposuretothe

stressofnoiseincreasessusceptibilitytodiseaseandinfection.Themoresusceptibleamongusmayexperience

noiseasacomplicatingfactorinheartproblemsandotherdiseases.Noisethatcausesannoyanceandirritability

inhealthpersonsmayhaveseriousconsequencesforthesealreadyillinmindorbody.

Noiseaffectsusthroughoutourlives.Forexample,thereareindicationsofeffectsontheunbornchildwhen

mothersareexposedtoindustrialandenvironmentalnoise.Duringinfancyandchildhood,youngstersexposed

tohighnoiselevelsmayhavetroublefallingasleepandobtainingnecessaryamountsofrest.

Why,then,istherenotgreateralarmaboutthesedangers?Perhapsitisbecausethelinkbetweennoiseand

manydisabilitiesordiseaseshasnotyetbeenconclusivelydemonstrated.Perhapsitisbecausewetendto

dismissannoyanceasapricetopayforlivinginthemodernworld.Itmayalsobebecausewestillthinkof

hearinglossasonlyanoccupationalhazard.

1.InParagraph1,thephrase"immuneto"areusedtomean___.

A.unaffectedby

B.hurtby

C.unlikelytobeseenby

D.unknownby

2.Theauthor'sattitudetowardnoisewouldbestbedescribedas___.

A.unrealistic

B.traditional

C.concerned

D.hysterical

3.Whichofthefollowingbeststatesthemainideaofthepassage?

A.Noiseisamajorproblem;mostpeoplerecognizeitsimportance.

B.Althoughnoisecanbeannoying,itisnotamajorproblem.

C.Noiseisamajorproblemandhasnotyetbeenrecognizedassuch.

D.Noiseisamajorproblemaboutwhichnothingcanbedone.

4.Theauthorcondemnsnoiseessentiallybecauseit___.

A.isagainstthelaw

B.canmakesomepeopleirritable

C.isanuisance

D.inagangertopeople'shealth

5.Theauthorwouldprobablyconsiderresearchabouttheeffectsnoisehasonpeopletobe___.

A.unimportant

B.impossible.

C.awasteofmoney

D.essential

Whentheideaofwinninginsportsiscarriedtoexcess,____competitioncanturnintodisorderandviolence.