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  3. The subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in American public discourse. Technology broadly and automa

The subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in American public discourse. Technology broadly and automa

admin2022-03-24  31
问题     The subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in American public discourse. Technology broadly and automation specifically are dramatically reshaping the way we work. And we need to have a plan for what’s still to come.
    We don’t have to look further than our own communities to see the devastating impact of automation. From automated warehouses to cashierless grocery stores to neighborhood libraries that offer self-checkout lanes instead of employing real people—automation is increasingly replacing jobs and leaving too few good new jobs behind.
    The statistics in manufacturing are staggering. Despite the widespread fears about trade, a recent report showed that just 13 percent of jobs lost in manufacturing are due to trade—the rest of the losses have been due to advances in technology.
    That is why more people are criticizing the ever-increasing role of technology in our economy. Our country is manufacturing more than ever before, but we are doing it with fewer workers. However, it’s not just factories that are seeing losses—software and information technology are also having a dramatic impact on jobs most people think are secure from the forces of a rapidly-changing economy. Something transformative is happening in America that is having an adverse effect on American families. Whether policymakers and politicians admit it or not, workers have made clear their feelings about their economic insecurity and desire to keep good jobs in America.
    So why are people so insistent on ignoring the perils of automation? They are failing to look ahead at a time when planning for the future is more important than ever. Resisting automation is futile: it is as inevitable as industrialization was before it. I sincerely hope that those who assert that automation will make us more effective and pave the way for new occupations are right, but the reality of automation’s detrimental effects on workers makes me skeptical. No one can currently say where the new jobs are coming from or when, and any sensible company or country should prepare for all alternatives.
    I’m not overstating the danger: look at what’s happened to the labor force. According to economic research, one in six working-age men, 25-54, doesn’t have a job. Fifty years ago, nearly 100 percent of men that age were working. Women’s labor force participation, meanwhile, has slipped back to the level it was at in the late 1980s.
    American families and prominent business leaders are aware that there’s a big problem with automation. The value of a college degree is diminishing, and our upward mobility is declining. If we want an economy that allows everyone to be economically secure, we need to start thinking about how we can rightfully address automation.
What does the passage tell us about American workers in an era of transformation?
选项 A、They feel ignored by politicians.
B、They feel increasingly vulnerable.
C、They keep adapting to the changes.
D、They keep complaining but to no avail.
答案B
解析 根据题干中的信息词American workers，答案线索可以定位至第四段最后一句。第四段最后一句指出，不管政策制定者和政客承认与否，工人们已经明确表达出了他们对经济的不安全感和想把好工作留在美国的愿望。选项B中的Vulnerable是对原文their feelings about their economic insecurity and desire to keep good jobs in America的概括，故本题选B。选项A是对该段中的politicians和下段开头的ignoring设置的干扰项，原文并没有政客忽视工人的信息，故排除。C、D两项文中均未提及，故排除。
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