本文选自美国新闻，也是2021年12月CET6级的阅读真题

学长建议

1. 在语境中学习表达用法；

2. 着重把握学长标注的内容；

3. 带着问题去阅读文章，尝试完成6级真题（答案见最文章最下面）；

4. 四六级真题下载（微信公众号：二宝学长）

Reading Comprehension

1.What can we observe from the author's description of our communities？

A) The growing passion for automation.

B) The shift from manual jobs to IT ones.

C) Their changing views on employment.

D) Their fading employment opportunities.

2.What do we learn from a recent report?

A) The manufacturing sector is declining at a fast rate.

B) The concerns about the effect of trade are exaggerated.

C) The fears about trade have been spreading far and wide.

D) The impact of trade on employment has been staggering.

3.What does the passage tell us about American workers in an era of transformation?

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.

4. What does the author think of automation?

A) lt will have the same impact as industrialization.

B) It provides sensible companies with alternatives.

C) Its alleged positive effects are doubtful.

D) Its detrimental effects are unavoidable.

5.What should we attach importance to when dealing with automation?

A) College graduates job prospects.

B) Women's access to employment.

C) People?s economic security.

D) People's social mobility

Save Jobs, Address Automation

“

Automation, not trade, is causing job losses and economists must address it.

In recent months, the subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in our discourse. As anyone who has visited Youngstown, Ohio or Buffalo, New York could tell you, automation has already taken its toll on the American middle class. 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 evidence. From automated warehouses to touchscreen fast food restaurants, from Amazon's new cashier-less grocery stores to neighborhood libraries that offer self-checkout lanes in lieu of employing real people – automation is increasingly replacing jobs and leaving too few good new jobs in its wake.

The statistics in manufacturing are staggering. Despite the prevailing narrative from talking heads on TV, a recent Ball State 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 just one reason more and more people from across the political spectrum are crying foul over 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. But 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 rapidly changing economy. Something transformative is happening in America that is not good for American families. Whether policymakers and politicians are willing to admit it or not, workers spoke loudly and clearly in the last election about their economic insecurity and desire to keep good jobs in America.

So why are the same people who missed what globalization did to America – the same people who missed the rise of Donald Trump – now so insistent on ignoring the perils of automation? Why are the same people who pushed failed trickle down economics and deregulation now missing what's happening in our communities? As Barclays' Stephen Berkenfeld put it, ""Economists are expected to look backwards, predicting the future by what's happened in the past and debating whether we are measuring the right things. But now, more than ever, we need to be looking ahead and to be thinking about what we should be doing about it."

That's not to say we should swim against the tide – automation is as inevitable as industrialization was before it. I sincerely hope the economists are right that automation will make us more effective and pave the way for new occupations. But, 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.

Just look at what's happened to the labor force. According to economic research by Nicholas Eberstadt, one in six working-age men, 25-54, doesn't have a job. Fifty years ago, nearly 100 percent of those men ages were working. Women's labor force participation has slipped back to the level it was at in the late 1980s.

Automation is not only transforming the kinds of jobs available to working people today, but new innovation from robots to software to artificial intelligence will further uproot the labor market.

Smart people and economists alike have already recognized that automation is a problem for the American worker. Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz said that automation would lead to "more inequality and lower wages." Elon Musk thinks that universal basic income will become necessary to alleviate economic distress from automation. Economist Angus Deaton supports governments creating basic income grants, and Bill Gates supports a robot tax.

It's no wonder President Obama, while still in office, acknowledged that artificial intelligence "has some downsides that we're going to have to figure out in terms of not eliminating jobs."

American families and prominent business leaders get that there's a big problem with automation – so why don't our current elected officials do something about it? President Donald Trump claims he's going to lead a party of the working people, yet to date few too many leaders are moving toward creating policy that will tackle automation's effect on the everyday worker.

The great American escalator is broken. 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 our economists to get out of their bubble and thinking about how we can rightfully address automation.

全文翻译

Automation, not trade, is causing job losses and economists must address it.

自动化，而不是贸易，正在造成就业损失，经济学家必须解决这个问题。

In recent months, the subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in our discourse. As anyone who has visited Youngstown, Ohio or Buffalo, New York could tell you, automation has already taken its toll on the American middle class. 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.

最近几个月，自动化及其在我们的经济中的作用这一主题已经在我们的讨论中占据了主导地位。任何去过俄亥俄州扬斯敦或纽约州水牛城的人都可以告诉你，自动化已经对美国中产阶级造成了损失。广义的技术和具体的自动化正在极大地重塑我们的工作方式。我们需要为即将到来的事情制定一个计划。

We don't have to look further than our own communities to see the evidence. From automated warehouses to touchscreen fast food restaurants, from Amazon's new cashier-less grocery stores to neighborhood libraries that offer self-checkout lanes in lieu of employing real people – automation is increasingly replacing jobs and leaving too few good new jobs in its wake.

我们不必再去看我们自己的社区，就能看到证据。从自动化仓库到触摸屏快餐店，从亚马逊的新的无收银员杂货店到提供自助结账通道而不是雇用真正的人的社区图书馆--自动化正在越来越多地取代工作，并在其之后留下太少的好工作。

The statistics in manufacturing are staggering. Despite the prevailing narrative from talking heads on TV, a recent Ball State 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.

制造业的统计数据是惊人的。尽管电视上的谈话者普遍认为，最近鲍尔州立大学的一份报告显示，制造业损失的工作只有13%是由于贸易造成的——其余的损失都是由于技术的进步。

That is just one reason more and more people from across the political spectrum are crying foul over 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. But 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 rapidly changing economy. Something transformative is happening in America that is not good for American families. Whether policymakers and politicians are willing to admit it or not, workers spoke loudly and clearly in the last election about their economic insecurity and desire to keep good jobs in America.

这只是一个原因，越来越多来自不同政治派别的人对技术在我们经济中不断增加的作用表示不满。我们国家的制造业比以往任何时候都多，但我们用更少的工人来做这件事。但是，看到损失的不仅仅是工厂——软件和信息技术也对大多数人认为在快速变化的经济力量下安全的工作产生了巨大的影响。美国正在发生一些对美国家庭不利的变革。无论政策制定者和政治家们是否愿意承认，工人们在上次选举中大声清楚地表达了他们的经济不安全感和将好工作留在美国的愿望。

So why are the same people who missed what globalization did to America – the same people who missed the rise of Donald Trump – now so insistent on ignoring the perils of automation? Why are the same people who pushed failed trickle down economics and deregulation now missing what's happening in our communities? As Barclays' Stephen Berkenfeld put it, "Economists are expected to look backwards, predicting the future by what's happened in the past and debating whether we are measuring the right things. But now, more than ever, we need to be looking ahead and to be thinking about what we should be doing about it."

那么，为什么那些错过了全球化对美国的影响的人——那些错过了唐纳德-特朗普的崛起的人——现在却如此坚持忽视自动化的危险？为什么那些推动失败的涓滴经济和放松管制的人现在却忽视了我们社区正在发生的事情？正如巴克莱银行的Stephen Berkenfeld所说，人们期望经济学家向后看，通过过去发生的事情来预测未来，并争论我们是否在衡量正确的事情。但现在，我们比以往任何时候都更需要向前看，并思考我们应该做些什么。"

That's not to say we should swim against the tide – automation is as inevitable as industrialization was before it. I sincerely hope the economists are right that automation will make us more effective and pave the way for new occupations. But, 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.

这并不是说我们应该逆流而上——自动化就像之前的工业化一样是不可避免的。我真诚地希望经济学家们是对的，自动化将使我们更有效率，并为新的职业铺平道路。但是，目前没有人可以说新的工作岗位来自哪里或何时，任何明智的公司或国家都应该为所有的替代品做好准备。

Just look at what's happened to the labor force. According to economic research by Nicholas Eberstadt, one in six working-age men, 25-54, doesn't have a job. Fifty years ago, nearly 100 percent of those men ages were working. Women's labor force participation has slipped back to the level it was at in the late 1980s.

只要看看劳动力发生了什么。根据Nicholas Eberstadt的经济研究，每六个25-54岁的工作年龄的男性中就有一个没有工作。五十年前，这些年龄段的男性几乎百分之百都在工作。妇女的劳动力参与已经滑落到20世纪80年代末的水平。

Automation is not only transforming the kinds of jobs available to working people today, but new innovation from robots to software to artificial intelligence will further uproot the labor market.

自动化不仅改变了今天劳动人民可获得的工作种类，而且从机器人到软件到人工智能的新创新将进一步拔除劳动力市场。

Smart people and economists alike have already recognized that automation is a problem for the American worker. Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz said that automation would lead to "more inequality and lower wages." Elon Musk thinks that universal basic income will become necessary to alleviate economic distress from automation. Economist Angus Deaton supports governments creating basic income grants, and Bill Gates supports a robot tax.

聪明人和经济学家都已经认识到，自动化是美国工人的一个问题。诺贝尔奖得主约瑟夫-斯蒂格利茨说，自动化将导致 "更多的不平等和更低的工资"。埃隆-马斯克认为，为了缓解自动化带来的经济困境，全民基本收入将成为必要。经济学家安格斯-迪顿支持政府设立基本收入补助金，比尔-盖茨支持征收机器人税。

It's no wonder President Obama, while still in office, acknowledged that artificial intelligence "has some downsides that we're going to have to figure out in terms of not eliminating jobs."

难怪奥巴马总统在任时承认，人工智能 "有一些弊端，我们必须在不消除工作岗位方面弄清楚"。

American families and prominent business leaders get that there's a big problem with automation – so why don't our current elected officials do something about it? President Donald Trump claims he's going to lead a party of the working people, yet to date few too many leaders are moving toward creating policy that will tackle automation's effect on the everyday worker.

美国家庭和杰出的商业领袖都明白，自动化有一个很大的问题--那么为什么我们现在的民选官员不做点什么呢？唐纳德-特朗普总统声称他将领导一个劳动人民的政党，然而到目前为止，很少有领导人朝着制定政策，解决自动化对普通工人的影响。

The great American escalator is broken. 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 our economists to get out of their bubble and thinking about how we can rightfully address automation.

伟大的美国扶梯被打破了。大学学位的价值正在减少，我们的上升空间正在下降。如果我们想要一个让每个人都有经济保障的经济，我们需要我们的经济学家走出他们的泡沫，思考我们如何能够正确地解决自动化问题。

答案

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