21. Who will be most threatened by automation?
- A. Leading politicians.
- B. Low-wage laborers.
- C. Robot owners.
- D. Middle-class workers.
答案：D
答案句：About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. … But many middle-class occupations – trucking, financial advice, software engineering – have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.
参考译文：根据牛津大学的一项研究，美国约有一半的工作面临被自动化的高风险，其中中产阶级受到不成比例的挤压。……但许多中产阶级职业——卡车运输、金融咨询、软件工程——已经引起了机器人的兴趣，或者很快会如此。富人拥有机器人，所以他们会没事。
定位线索：题干“Who will be most threatened by automation”→答案句取自第1段“with the middle class disproportionately squeezed”；文中“middle class”对应选项D“Middle-class workers”。
解析：题干问谁受自动化威胁最大，答案句直接指出中产阶级被不成比例地挤压，且列举中产阶级职业如卡车运输等，明确对应选项D。选项A“Leading politicians”、C“Robot owners”在文中分别被提及为无关或安全群体，B“Low-wage laborers”虽被提及但文中说低收入工作不吸引机器人，故排除。
22. Which of the following best represents the author’s view?
- A. Worries about automation are in fact groundless.
- B. Optimists’ opinions on new tech find little support.
- C. Issues arising from automation need to be tackled.
- D. Negative consequences of new tech can be avoided.
答案：C
答案句：But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting. … Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. … But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.
参考译文：但在中期，中产阶级工人可能需要大量帮助来适应。… 最后，由于自动化有可能扩大资本收入和劳动收入之间的差距，税收和安全网将不得不重新考虑。… 但帮助工人适应的政策将是必不可少的。
定位线索：题干“author's view”→答案句取自全文多处“But in the medium term...”“Finally...”“But policies...”；文中“need a lot of help adjusting”“have to be rethought”“will be indispensable”对应选项C“need to be tackled”。
解析：题干问作者观点，答案句多处体现作者认为自动化带来的问题需要解决：“middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting”、“taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought”、“policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable”，均表明问题存在且需应对，对应C项“Issues arising from automation need to be tackled”。A项“担忧毫无根据”与文中“Don't dismiss that possibility entirely”矛盾；B项“乐观者观点缺乏支持”文中未否定乐观者，且作者承认“technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past”；D项“负面后果可避免”文中强调“threatens to widen the gap”，未说可避免。
23. Education in the age of automation should put more emphasis on
- A. creative potential.
- B. job-hunting skills.
- C. individual needs.
- D. cooperative spirit.
答案：A
答案句：Curriculums – from grammar school to college – should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication.
参考译文：从文法学校到大学的课程应该演变，少关注记忆事实，多关注创造力和复杂沟通。
定位线索：题干“Education in the age of automation should put more emphasis on”→答案句取自第4段“focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity”；文中“creativity”对应选项A“creative potential”。
解析：答案句明确说教育应少关注记忆、多关注创造力，直接对应选项A。选项B“job-hunting skills”、C“individual needs”、D“cooperative spirit”在文中未提及或非重点，故排除。
24. The author suggests that tax policies be aimed at
- A. encouraging the development of automation.
- B. increasing the return on capital investment.
- C. easing the hostility between rich and poor.
- D. preventing the income gap from widening.
答案：D
答案句：Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. … Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.
参考译文：最后，因为自动化威胁要扩大资本收入和劳动收入之间的差距，税收和安全网将不得不重新考虑。……需要削减低工资劳动的税收，并扩大劳动所得税抵免等工资补贴：这将提高收入，鼓励工作，奖励公司创造就业，并减少不平等。
定位线索：题干“tax policies be aimed at”→答案句取自末段“automation threatens to widen the gap”和“reduce inequality”；文中“widen the gap”和“reduce inequality”对应选项D“preventing the income gap from widening”。
解析：答案句指出自动化威胁扩大收入差距，税收政策旨在减少不平等，即防止差距扩大，对应选项D。选项A“encouraging automation”、B“increasing return on capital”与原文相反或无关，C“easing hostility between rich and poor”文中未提，均排除。
25. In this text, the author presents a problem with
- A. opposing views on it.
- B. possible solutions to it.
- C. its alarming impacts.
- D. its major variations.
答案：B
答案句：The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. … The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. … Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought.
参考译文：第一步，正如埃里克·布林约尔松和安德鲁·麦卡菲在《第二次机器时代》中所说，应该是重新思考教育和职业培训。……应对自动化的挑战凸显了美国重振其衰退的商业活力的必要性：创办新公司必须更容易。……最后，因为自动化威胁要扩大资本收入和劳动收入之间的差距，税收和安全网将不得不重新考虑。
定位线索：题干“presents a problem with”→答案句取自第4段“The first step...should be rethinking education”、第5段“The challenge...underlines the need”、末段“taxes...will have to be rethought”；文中“first step”“need”“rethought”对应选项B“possible solutions to it”。
解析：文章先提出自动化问题，随后各段给出教育、创业、税收等解决方案，结构为问题-解决，对应选项B。选项A“opposing views”、C“alarming impacts”、D“major variations”均非文章主线，故排除。