The 1980s are likely to be considered as a more than somewhat interesting decade
for the United Kingdom and indeed for other industrialized countries. The
political, social and economic autonomic reflexes in operation for the greater
part of this century will have to give way to the new as conditions change.
Paramount amongst these changes is the advent of microelectronics with their
ability to increase productivity and the end of cheap, easily manipulated
sources of energy. Together these will undoubtedly change the pattern of
industrialization and industrialized life in a radical manner not seen in the UK
since the early 19th century. Most technological changes are
somewhat less than fundamental. Many act on an individual process of industry
and so their effects on the general economy can be boxed off. Others act on the
demand side with new products, often for new markets. Microelectronics, though,
are different. It is difficult to think of parts of the economy on which they
will not have an impact; it is especially very difficult to think of the many
new consumer products that will evolve. It is already being used, in productive
processes through robotics, in production planning through cheap computers, as
cheap and easy to maintain components, and through telecommunications, teletext
systems and word processing to provide, transmit and store
information. The resulting large increases in productivity will
mean that increased levels of output will be produced using fewer resources of
manpower, raw materials and energy. On the face of it this has to be a good
thing, it opens vistas that were previously closed. The cost, however, is
measured in terms of the resulting job losses, job changes and lack of new jobs.
If we sit back and allow the market to work allocating wealth and jobs, in other
words continue as we are at present, either the technologies will not be
introduced at all or there will be social confrontation on a massive
scale. This new technology improves productivity at precisely
the time world trade growth is declining, and this is likely to diminish even
further given the responses to the shortage of energy sources. This will almost
certainly mean that our ability to supply will outstrip (超过) our ability to
demand, giving a classic high unemployment.
单选题
The most important changes in the 1980s
A. are affecting individual industries
B. ate not evident in the UK
C. concern microelectronics and energy
D. are being caused by changes of attitudes
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第一段第三句话“Paramount amongst these changes(最显著的变化)is the advent of microelectronics…and the end of...sources of energy．”所以C正确。A错在第一段根本没有提到individual industry，这个词组是第二段出现的，指的是大多数技术变革而不是最重要的这次微电子和能源变革。B错在与原文意思正好相反，文中出现的paramount，undoubtedly，radical等词均表明这一变革是evident，而不是not evident。D错在这一变革不是由态度的改变引起的，文中也没有提到态度。
单选题
According to the text, developments in technology usually ______.
A. have far-reaching effects in a wide range of industries
B. increase unemployment significantly
C. affect only limited areas of the economy
D. affect the general economy considerably
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第二段一开始就说明了大部分技术变革并不是根本性的，且只对单一领域有所影响，因此C正确。而A和C的内容正好互为矛盾，则A错误。B中失业只是微电子变革带来的影响，而不是所有技术变革的影响，因此错误。从原文中“and so their effects on the general economy can be boxed off” 可知，其对总体经济的影响几乎可以忽略不计，当然就不可能是considerably了，所以D错误。
单选题
The large increase in productivity as a result of microelectronics
______.
A. will help to reduce social inequality
B. will mean a corresponding increase in job opportunities
C. will have positive and negative consequences
D. will create greater prosperity
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 第三段的二三句分别讲述了优缺点，其中的however提示前后相反。A选项内容文中并没有提及；文中提到的是将引起lack of new jobs，而不是B选项所说的increase job opportunities该段最后一句说明最后的结果不是无法产生新技术就是引发社会冲突，与D中所描述的“带来更大的繁荣”正好相反。
单选题
According to tile writer, what will happen if we allow market forces
alone to allocate wealth and jobs?
A. World trade will immediately start to decline.
B. The new technological developments may not be brought into the best
possible way.
C. Resources will be allocated in the best possible way.