单选题
Office jobs are among the positions hardest hit by
compumation (计算机自动化). Word processors and typists will lose about 93,000 jobs
over the next few years, while 57,000 secretarial jobs will vanish. Blame the
PC: Today, many executives type their own memos and carry their "secretaries" in
the palms of their hands. Time is also hard for stock clerks, whose ranks are
expected to decrease by 68,000. And employees in manufacturing firms and
wholesalers are being replaced with computerized systems. But
not everyone who loses a job will end up in the unemployment line. Many will
shift to growing positions within their own companies. When new technologies
shook up the telecom business, telephone operator Judy Dougherty pursued
retraining. She is now a communications technician, earning about $64,000 per
year. Of course, if you've been a tollbooth collector for the past 30 years, and
you find yourself replaced by an E-ZPass machine, it may be of little
consolation (安慰) to know that the telecom field is booming. And
that's just it: The service economy is fading; welcome to the expertise (专门知识)
economy. To succeed in the new job market, you must be able to handle complex
problems. Indeed, all but one of the 50 highest—paying occupations—air-traffic
controller—demand at least a bachelors degree. For those with
just a high school diploma (毕业证书), it's going to get tougher to find a
well-paying job. Since fewer factory and clerical jobs will be available, what's
left will be the jobs that compumation can't kill: computers can't clean
offices, or care for Alzheimer's patients (老年痴呆病人). But, since most people have
the skills to fill those positions, the wages stay painfully low, meaning
compumation could drive an even deeper wedge (楔子) between the rich and poor. The
best advice now: Never stop learning, and keep up with new technology.
For busy adults, of course, that can be tough. The good news is that the
very technology that's reducing so many jobs is also making it easier to go back
to school—without having to sit in a classroom. So-called Internet distance
learning is hot, with more than three million students currently enrolled, and
it's gaining credibility with employers. Are you at risk of
losing your job to a computer? Check the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics'
Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is available online at bls.Gov.
单选题
From the first Paragraph we can infer that all of the following persons
are easily thrown into unemployment EXCEPT ______.
A. secretaries
B. stock clerks
C. managers
D. wholesalers
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 推理题。题干定位在原文第一段，easily thrown into unemployment在原文没有明显的对应关系，需要分析第一段结构结合选项定位解题。
A选项secretaries对应第二句中的secretarial jobs，vanish对应题干的unemployment，排除A选项。
B选项stock clerks定位在第四句，time is also hard对应题干的unemployment，排除B选项。
C选项managers对应第三句的executives，该句指出多数经理自己写备忘录用掌上电脑作秘书工作，也就是说这些人用计算机取代人工，而这些人是不会失业的。
D选项wholesaler定位在第一段最后一句，replaced对应题干的unemployment，排除D选项。
单选题
In the second paragraph the author mentions the tollbooth collector to
______.
A. mean he will get benefits from the telecom field
B. show he is too old to shift to a new position
C. console him on having been replaced by a machine
D. blame the PC for his unemployment
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 例证题。题干中的tollbooth collector定位在第二段最后一句，tollbooth collector是作者举例，题干用mention...to...也表示该题为例证题。分析原文结构可知，第一、二句为论点指出不是所有人都失业，很多人在公司内部转换了职位。第三句用telecom的例子说明了Judy Dougherty如何成功转变职位的。最后一句用tollbooth collector举例说明还有一些人无法转换到新的岗位。因此答案指向第一、第二句话的论点。
A选项中的get benefits与原文最后一句中的little of consolation to know that telecom field is booming意思相反。
B选项是对论点内容的反向推理，第一、第二句指出有些人能转变岗位，但是还有一些人在同一岗位工作太久而无法转变，而且最后一句用了little of consolation to know that telecom field is booming，表示这人即使知道电信行业有工作机会也得不到安慰，也就是说他们转不了岗位。
C选项中console与最后一句中的little of consolation意思相反。
D选项中的PC偷换了原文的compumation，PC是个人电脑在原文从来没有提及，而例子中的E-ZPass machine都属于compumation的内容。
单选题
By "saying...compumation could drive an even deeper wedge between the
rich and poor" (Line 5, Para. 4) the author means ______.
A. people are getting richer and richer
B. there will be a small gap between rich and poor
C. the gap between rich and poor is getting larger and larger
D. it's time to close up the gap between the rich the poor
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 语义理解题。题干引号内容定位在第四段第三句，该句用了meaning连接了the wages stay painfully low和引号内容，因此前句是对引号内容的解释说明，前句指出工作维持较低水平，合理的推理就是贫富悬殊会扩大，对应C选项。A选项中没有提及poor显然错误。B选项中的a small gap，与deeper wedge意思相反。D选项中的it is time to close up显然是主观臆想，原文没有作者的主观态度。
单选题
What is the author's attitude towards computers?