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  3. Microelectronics Revolution The 1980s are likely to be considered as a more than somewhat interesting decade for the United

Microelectronics Revolution The 1980s are likely to be considered as a more than somewhat interesting decade for the United

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问题                     Microelectronics Revolution
    The 1980s are likely to be considered as a more than somewhat interesting decade for the United Kingdom and indeed for other industrialized countries. The political, social and economic autonomic reflexes in operation for the greater part of this century will have to give way to the new as conditions change. Paramount amongst these changes is the advent of microelectronics with their ability to increase productivity and the end of cheap, easily manipulated sources of energy. Together these will undoubtedly change the pattern of industrialization and industrialized life in a radical manner not seen in the UK since the early 19th century.
    Most technological changes are somewhat less than fundamental. Many act on an individual process of industry and so their effects on the general economy can be boxed off. Others act on the demand side with new products, often for new markets. Microelectronics, though, are different. It is difficult to think of parts of the economy on which they will not have an impact; it is especially very difficult to think of the many new consumer products that will evolve. It is already being used, in productive processes through robotics, in production planning through cheap computers, as cheap and easy to maintain components, and through telecommunications, teletext systems and word processing to provide, transmit and store information.
    The resulting large increases in productivity will mean that increased levels of output will be produced using fewer resources of manpower, raw materials and energy. On the face of it this has to be a good thing, it opens vistas that were previously closed. The cost, however, is measured in terms of the resulting job losses, job changes and lack of new jobs. If we sit back and allow the market to work allocating wealth and jobs-in other words-continue as we are at present, either the technologies will not be introduced at all or there will be social confrontation on a massive scale.
    This new technology improves productivity at precisely the time world trade growth is declining, and this is likely to diminish even further given the responses to the shortage of energy sources. This will almost certainly mean that our ability to supply will outstrip(超过)our ability to demand, giving a classic high unemployment.
What does "box off" mean in the second paragraph?
选项 A、separate
B、confine
C、put away
D、shut up
答案A
解析 句子意思是：许多变化只发生在某一单一过程或行业中，对总体经济的影响几乎全被隔离开了。只有A符合题意。separate分隔；confine限制；put away把收……起来；shut up监禁。
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