Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 1

In an essay entitled “Making It in America,” the author Adam Davidson relates a joke from cotton country about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man and a dog. The man is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the machines.”

Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly than ever replacing labor with machines or foreign workers.

In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius. Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra—their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment.

Yes, new technology has been eating jobs forever, and always will. But there’s been an acceleration. As Davidson notes, “In the 10 years ending in 2009, [U.S.] factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years; roughly one out of every three manufacturing jobs—about 6 million in total—disappeared.”

There will always be change—new jobs, new products, new services. But the one thing we know for sure is that with each advance in globalization and the I. T. revolution, the best jobs will require workers to have more and better education to make themselves above average.

In a world where average is officially over, there are many things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education.

21. The joke in Paragraph 1 is used to illustrate

[A]

the impact of technological advances. 

[B]

the alleviation of job pressure. 

[C]

the shrinkage of textile mills. 

[D]

the decline of middle-class incomes. 

22. According to Paragraph 3, to be a successful employee, one has to

[A]

work on cheap software. 

[B]

ask for a moderate salary. 

[C]

adopt an average lifestyle. 

[D]

contribute something unique. 

23. The quotation in Paragraph 4 explains that

[A]

gains of technology have been erased. 

[B]

job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed. 

[C]

factories are making much less money than before. 

[D]

new jobs and services have been offered. 

24. According to the author, to reduce unemployment, the most important is

[A]

to accelerate the I. T. revolution. 

[B]

to ensure more education for people. 

[C]

to advance economic globalization. 

[D]

to pass more bills in the 21st century. 

25. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the text?

[A]

New Law Takes Effect. 

[B]

Technology Goes Cheap. 

[C]

Average Is Over. 

[D]

Recession Is Bad. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

21. [A] the impact of technological advances.
解析：第一段引入了一个关于棉花纺织厂的笑话：工厂只有一个人和一条狗，人喂狗，狗不让人碰机器。这个笑话的前一句明确指出它是为了说明“现代纺织厂已经自动化到了何种程度（how much a modern textile mill has been automated）”。自动化就是技术进步的体现，因此这个笑话是为了说明“技术进步的影响（the impact of technological advances）”，选A。

22. [D] contribute something unique.
解析：第三段讨论了“平庸时代”的终结。段落最后一句得出结论：“因此，每个人都需要找到他们额外的东西——即能够让他们在各自的就业领域中脱颖而出的独特的价值贡献（unique value contribution）。” 这完美对应了选项D“贡献一些独特的东西（contribute something unique）”。

23. [B] job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed.
解析：第四段引用的戴维森的话指出，在截至2009年的10年间，工厂裁员如此之快（shed workers so fast），以至于抹去了过去70年的就业增长，大约三分之一的制造业工作岗位（约600万个）消失了。这整段引语都在强调一个事实：“就业机会正在以很高的速度消失（job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed）”，选B。选项A错在偷换概念，被抹去的是“就业的增长（gains）”，而不是“技术的成果（gains of technology）”。

24. [B] to ensure more education for people.
解析：文章最后一段明确指出：“没有什么比通过21世纪的某种G.I.法案更重要了，该法案要确保每个美国人都有机会接受高中以上的教育（ensures that every American has access to post-high school education）”。这直接对应了选项B“确保人们受到更多教育（to ensure more education for people）”。

25. [C] Average Is Over.
解析：主旨题。文章从自动化的笑话引出技术对普通劳动力市场的冲击，并在第三段（today, average is officially over）和最后一段首句（In a world where average is officially over）两次点明核心论点：在当今世界，平庸已经结束，普通技能不再能保障生活，人们必须变得比普通更好（above average），或拥有独特技能（unique value）。因此，“平庸时代的终结（Average Is Over）”是最恰当的标题，选C。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 同位语从句与并列的原因状语从句：
"Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution..."
【解析】making the point 是现在分词短语作伴随状语；其后的 that 引导同位语从句，解释 point 的具体内容。在这个同位语从句中，表语部分由 because of..., but it is also because of... 构成了两个并列的原因说明，不仅归咎于经济大萧条的需求下降，更归咎于全球化和信息技术革命的进步。

2. So... that... 结果状语从句：
"As Davidson notes, “In the 10 years ending in 2009, [U.S.] factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years...""
【解析】这是一个经典的 so + adv./adj. + that (如此...以至于...) 句型。强调了工厂裁员速度之快，以至于其结果是抹杀了长达70年积累的就业增长。这是解答第23题的关键。

3. 比较级否定结构与定语从句：
"...there are many things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education."
【解析】nothing... more important than... (没有什么比...更重要的了) 是用比较级形式表达最高级含义。其后的 that 引导定语从句修饰 G.I. Bill，在这个定语从句内部，又包含了一个 that 引导的宾语从句（ensures that...），层层递进地指出了解决就业问题的终极方案——教育。