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  3. Few developments have so greatly affected American life as the automobile. Indeed, it would be hard to overestimate its impact.

Few developments have so greatly affected American life as the automobile. Indeed, it would be hard to overestimate its impact.

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问题     Few developments have so greatly affected American life as the automobile. Indeed, it would be hard to overestimate its impact. Since mass production of the automobile became feasible in the early 20th century, the car has had a significant effect on every facet of American life, including how we work, where we live, and what we believe.
    Interestingly, it was the process of building cars rather than the cars themselves that first brought a sea of change to the American workplace. In 1914, a Ford plant in Highland Park, Michigan, used the first electric conveyor belt, greatly increasing the efficiency of automobile manufacturing. Assembly lines for the production of automobiles were quickly adopted and became highly mechanized, providing a new model for industrial business. In contrast to European manufacturers, which employed a higher percentage of skilled laborers to produce fewer and costlier cars, American companies focused on turning out a large quantity of affordable cars utilizing less-skilled laborers. Assembly line production was a mixed blessing as it enabled higher productivity and more affordable cars but resulted in less-satisfied workers with less-interesting jobs. The value of efficiency was emphasized over personal pride and investment in the work.
    As cars became more popular, their effect on population distribution was likewise profound. Unlike railroads, which helped concentrate the population in cities, the automobile contributed to urban sprawl and, eventually, to the rise of suburbs. People no longer needed to live near public transportation lines or within walking distance of their jobs, so they were drawn to outlying areas with less congestion and lower property taxes. Business districts became less centralized for similar reasons. Sadly, this movement towards suburbs exacerbated social stratification. Since cars were initially affordable only to wealthier people, the upper and middle classes moved out of cities. Many businesses followed, attracted by the educated, well-trained work force. As good jobs also moved out of cities, the people who remained were further disadvantaged and even less able to leave. Though few anticipated it in the early days of suburban growth, by the century’s end cars had helped to further entrench social division in America by making it possible to increase the great physical distances between rich and poor.
    Automobile ownership has also transformed our individual lives and values. Historian James Flink observed that automobiles particularly altered the work patterns and recreational opportunities of farmers and other rural inhabitants by reducing the isolation that had been characteristic of life in the country. Of course, there were also profound changes in the recreational activities of suburban and urban dwellers. For example, the 1950s saw a huge increase in drive-in movie theaters, fast food establishments, supermarkets, and shopping centers - most facets of how we ate, shopped, and played changed to accommodate the car. Family life was also affected: cars changed dating behavior by allowing teenagers more independence from parental supervision and control, and they provided women with more freedom to leave the home. This personal mobility and autonomy afforded by the car has become an integral part of American culture.
The primary difference cited between American and European car manufacturers is that________.
选项 A、European manufacturers were able to produce more cars
B、the European manufacturing process produced cars of higher quality
C、the American manufacturing process focused on efficiency
D、American manufacturers were able to offer cars to poor dwellers
答案C
解析 细节识别。题干的关键信息是difference between American and European…，据此找到第二段的对比标记信息“In contrast to European manufacturers”，继续阅读就找到了二者的区别，即“which employed a higher percentage of skilled laborers to produce fewer and costlier cars，American companies focused on turning out a large quantity of affordable cars utilizing less-skilled laborers”，此处，画线部分与选项C的efficiency相对应，故C为正确选项。
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