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

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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

By saying "the growth of the proportion...to younger generations." (Line2, Para. 5), Anthea Tinker really means that ________.

A、currentlywealthflowsfromoldgenerationtoyoungergeneration
B、traditionallywealthflowsfromyoungergenerationtooldgeneration
C、withtheincreasinglybigpopulationofover50,thetrendarisesthatwealthflowsfromyoungergenerationtooldgeneration
D、withmoreandmorepeopleofover50,traditionshavebeenreversed

Passage 2

Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:

When aluminum was first produced about a hundred and fifty years ago, it was so difficult to separate form the ores in which it was found that its price was higher than that of gold. The price remained high until a new process was discovered for refining the metal with the aid of electricity approximately three quarters of a century later. The new method was so much cheaper that aluminum because practical for many purposes, one of which was making pots and pans.

Aluminum is lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms. By mixing it with other metals, scientists have been able to produce a variety of alloys, some of which have the strength of steel but weigh only one third as much.

Today, the uses of aluminum are innumerable. Perhaps its most important use is in transportation. Aluminum is found in the engine of automobiles, in the hulls of boats. It is also used in many parts of airplanes. In fact, the huge “airbus” planes would probably never have been produced if aluminum did not exist. By making vehicles lighter in weight aluminum has greatly reduced the amount of fuel needed to move them, Aluminum is also being used extensively in the building industry in some countries.

Since aluminum is such a versatile (多用的) metal, it is fortunate that bauxite (铝土矿), which is one of its chief sources, is also one of the earth’s most plentiful substances. As the source of aluminum is almost inexhaustible, we can expect that more and more uses will be found for this versatile metal.

6. The price of aluminum was sharply reduced when people discovered a new refining process with the aid of .

A. wind B. solar energy C. hydraulic power D. electricity

7. Aluminum is .

A. lightweight, rustproof but not easily shaped into different forms

B. heavyweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

C. lightweight, rustproof and easily shaped into different forms

D. lightweight and easily shaped into different forms but it is easy to become rusty

8. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Aluminum is widely used in transportation.

B. Aluminum is also used in many parts of airplanes.

C. Aluminum is being used extensively in the building industry.

D. Aluminum is not used in its pure form.

9. Aluminum is found on earth mostly in the form of .

A. pure metal B. bauxite C. gold D. liquid

10. What is the passage talking about?

A. The features of aluminum and its functions. B. The process of aluminum.

C. The discovery of aluminum. D. The promising future of aluminum.

翻译训练:

酒和饮酒文化在中国的历史中占据着重要地位。从宋代开始,白酒(whiteliquor)成为中国人饮用的主要酒类。中国白酒制作工艺复杂,原料丰富多样,是世界著名的六大蒸馏酒(distilledliquor)之一。中国有很多优秀的白酒品牌,受到不同人群的喜爱。在当代社会,饮酒文化得到了前所未有的丰富和发展。不同地区和场合的饮酒习俗和礼仪已成为中国人日常生活中重要的部分。在几千年的文明史中,酒几乎渗透到社会生活中的各个领域,如文学创作、饮食保健等。

Part IV Translation

Satellite massagers have the same global coverage as satellite telephones, but carry text alone, which could be useful for those with laptop computers.(Passage Four)

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