2014硕士研究生英语二Text3

The concept of man versus【prep. 对；与…相对；对抗 eg:A versus B A对B】 machine is at least as old as the industrial revolution,but this phenomenon tends to be most acutely felt during economic downturns【n. （商业经济的）衰退】 andfragile recoveries. And yet, it would be a mistake to think we are right now simply experiencing the painful side of a boom and bust cycle. Certain jobs have gone away for good, outmoded by machines. Since technology has such an insatiable appetite for eating up human jobs, this phenomenon will continue to restructure our economy in ways we can’t immediately foresee.

When there is exponential improvement in the price and performance of technology, jobs that were once thought to be immune from automation suddenly become threatened. This argument has attracted a lot of attention, via the success of the book Race Against the Machine, by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, who both hail from MIT’s Center for Digital Business.

This is a powerful argument, and a scary one. And yet, John Hagel, author of The Power of Pull and other books, says Brynjolfsson and McAfee miss the reason why these jobs are so vulnerable to technology in the first place.

Hagel says we have designed jobs in the U.S. that tend to be “tightly scripted” and “highly standardized” ones that leave no room for “individual initiative or creativity.” In short, these are the types of jobs that machines can perform much better at than human beings. That is how we have put a giant target sign on the backs of American workers, Hagel says.

It's time to reinvent the formula for how work is conducted, since we are still relying on a very 20th century notion of work, Hagel says. In our rapidly changing economy, we more than ever need people in the workplace who can take initiative and exercise their imagination “to respond to unexpected events.” That’s not something machines are good at. They are designed to perform very predictable activities.

As Hagel notes, Brynjolfsson and McAfee indeed touched on this point in their book. We need to reframe race against the machine as race with the machine. In other words, we need to look at the ways in which machines can augment human labor rather  than replace it. So then the problem is not really about technology, but rather, “how do we innovate our institutions and our work practices?”

【题目】

31. According to the first paragraph, economic downturns would _____B_____.

[A]ease the competition of man vs. machine

[B]highlight machines’ threat to human jobs

[C]provoke a painful technological revolution

[D]outmode our current economic structure

32. The authors of Race Against the Machine argue that _____A_____ .

[A]technology is diminishing man's job opportunities

[B]automation is accelerating technological development

[C]certain jobs will remain intact after automation

[D]man will finally win the race against machine

33. Hagel argues that jobs in the U.S. are often ____D______ .

[A]performed by innovative minds

[B]scripted with an individual style

[C]standardized without a clear target

[D]designed against human creativity

34. According to the last paragraph, Brynjolfsson and McAfee discussed ___B_______ .

[A]the predictability of machine behavior in practice

[B]the formula for how work is conducted efficiently

[C]the ways machines replace human labor in modern times

[D]the necessity of human involvement in the workplace

35. Which of the following could be the most appropriate title for the text _____C_____?

[A]How to Innovate Our Work Practices

[B]Machines will Replace Human Labor

[C]Can We Win the Race Against Machines

[D]Economic Downturns Stimulate Innovations

词汇：
ease:n. 容易，方便；舒适，安逸 v. 减轻，缓和
highlight：v. 突出, 强调, 将（文本的某部分）用彩笔做标记 n. 最好（或最精彩、最激动人心）的部分, 挑染的头发
outmode：vt. 使不流行，过时的
structure：n. 结构, 构造, 体系, 结构体v. 使形成体系, 系统安排, 精心组织
automation：n. 自动化
accelerating：v. 加速，增速
intact：adj. 完整的, 完好无损的，未受损伤的
certain：adj. 肯定的, 确定的, 确信的, 无疑的; 肯定会发生的，必然的，确实的 pron. （不提及人或事物的名称时用）某些
scripted：adj. 照书面稿念的v. “script”的过去式和过去分词
performed by：由……执行；由……表演
innovative：adj. 引进新思想的, 采用新方法的, 革新的, 创新的
practice：n. 训练, 练习; 实践; 惯例, 通常的做法; 习惯v. <美>(同practise)练习; 养成…习惯; 从事, 执业
predictability：n. 可预报性, 可预测性, 可预计性, 可预言
formula：n. 公式; 方程式; 准则, 法则; 方案; 配方; 配方奶; 惯用语句
conducted：v. 进行; 组织, 实施; 处理; 管理; 表现, 为人; 指挥; 导电, 传热; 给…做向导, 陪同n. 举止; 行为; 处理(方式); 管理(方式)
involvement ：n. 参与, 投入, 加入, 插手
Innovate：v. 创新, 引入（新事物、思想或方法）, 改革
Stimulate：v. 刺激, 激励; 促使, 引起; 促进(身体或身体部位的)功能

考研资料大全：https://www.onekbit.com/dwz/254