单选题 Over two hundred years ago, Adam Smith introduced some ideas which brought about a world revolution. If we enjoy a high standard of living in modern society, we owe much to this Scottish economist and philosopher. If we enjoy driving in beautiful ears, wearing fashionable shoes, or flying away to distant places for exciting holidays, we should perhaps pay thanks to the man who made it all possible.
What was Adam Smith's contribution? Like so many ideas which have surprising effects, his was a simple one. He watched workers practising their craft of pin making. One man would heat the strip of metal, stretch it out, cut off an appropriate length, shape it, cool it and finally smooth and shine it. Smith drew attention to the advantages which could be gained if these various tasks were performed by different workers. Let one be responsible for preparing the metal. Another for Stretching and cutting. Another for shaping. Another for finishing. He described the technique as the Division of Labour, in this way workers re- peat the same actions again and again. Smith convinced the world that specialisation could solve the problem of poverty and want.
What was the result? The Industrial Revolution. Productivity was greatly increased. For Britain, where the revolution started, there was a prosperity which made it the richest country in the nineteenth century. British trains and railway lines spread out like a spider's web across the world. British ships were used to carry the new cargoes from one corner of the world to another.
The revolution is not over. It is still with us, but now it is a worldwide phenomenon. Everywhere, factories are producing large numbers of similar products, and are in continuous production. What were called mass-production lines yesterday are called robotic productions today. The pace of change is increasing. And if these techniques have brought us prosperity, they have also brought us a little misery in overcrowded towns, boring jobs and, most of all, unemployment.

单选题 We should be grateful to Adam Smith because______.
A. his ideas made it possible for people to improve their lives
B. he invented a more efficient way of pin making
C. he started the industrial revolution
D. he brought to people a high standard of living.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】此题为推理题。
通过第一段的论述，点出“亚当·斯密提出的一些观点引起了世界革命(即下文提到的工业革命)，从而对人类幸福生活做出巨大贡献”，这正是人们应感谢他的原因。而A项是说“他的观点引起的工业革命使得人们的生活水平提高了”符合文段内容。

单选题 Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The Division of Labour makes work more interesting.
B. Specialisation could solve the problem of unemployment.
C. Adam Smith put forward the idea of the Division of Labour.
D. Adam Smith insisted that each worker be better paid.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】本题是细节题。
文中最后一句提到“这些技术也带来了令人厌倦的工作和失业”，与A项和B项意义恰好相反。D项是无关项。

单选题 From the passage we know that the Industrial Revolution
A. let to Adam Smith's idea of specialisation
B. was finished in the nineteenth century
C. also has its side-effects in society
D. put an end to poverty in the world

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】此题为推理题，考查对原文内容的理解。
A项本末倒置，B项和原文不符，文中最后一段第一句“工业革命尚未结束”；C 与文中最后一句表述的含义相吻合，“工业革命在带来繁荣的同时，也带来了拥挤的城镇，枯燥的工作，和失业问题”，即C 项表述的“对社会有负面影响”；D 项文中未提，而且这种过于绝对的答案多数是不正确的。

单选题 According to the passage, the Industrial Revolution is responsible for the following results except
A. prosperity B. crime
C. unemploymentD. overcrowdedness

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题是细节题。
参看第四段最后一句，提到了“繁荣”、“失业”、“过度拥挤”等工业革命的产物，只有B项未提及。

单选题 What is the best title for this passage?
A. The Theory of Division of Labour and Its Significance
B. The Industrial Revolution and Its Significance
C. The Causes of Industrial Revolution
D. Adam Smith, the Economist and Philosopher

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】此题考查对文章主旨的把握。
全文围绕分工理论的产生、影响展开，介绍了亚当·斯密是如何发明这一理论，这一理论又是如何带来工业革命的变革，影响人们生活至今。