21. The joke in Paragraph 1 is used to illustrate.
- A. the impact of technological advances
- B. the alleviation of job pressure
- C. the shrinkage of textile mills
- D. the decline of middle-class incomes
答案：A
答案句：In an essay entitled “Making It in America,” the author Adam Davidson relates a joke from cotton country about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated: The average mill has only two employees today, “a man and a dog. The man is there to feed the dog, and the dog is there to keep the man away from the machines.” … Davidson’s article is one of a number of pieces that have recently appeared making the point that the reason we have such stubbornly high unemployment and declining middle-class incomes today is largely because of the big drop in demand because of the Great Recession, but it is also because of the advances in both globalization and the information technology revolution, which are more rapidly than ever replacing labor with machines or foreign workers.
参考译文：在一篇题为《在美国成功》的文章中，作者亚当·戴维森讲述了棉花之乡的一个笑话，关于现代纺织厂自动化程度有多高：如今普通工厂只有两名员工，“一个人和一条狗。人负责喂狗，狗负责不让人靠近机器。”……戴维森的文章是最近出现的众多文章之一，这些文章指出，我们今天失业率居高不下、中产阶级收入下降的原因，很大程度上是大衰退导致需求大幅下降，但也因为全球化和信息技术革命的进步，这些进步比以往任何时候都更快地用机器或外国工人取代劳动力。
定位线索：题干“The joke in Paragraph 1 is used to illustrate”定位到第1段笑话；文中“how much a modern textile mill has been automated”对应选项A“the impact of technological advances”；文中“replacing labor with machines”进一步印证技术影响。
解析：本题为例证题。笑话本身（只有人和狗的工厂）是例子，其前文“about just how much a modern textile mill has been automated”点明例子说明自动化程度，后文观点句“advances in ... information technology revolution ... replacing labor with machines”进一步说明技术影响。正确选项A是对此的同义转述。B“缓解就业压力”与原文“失业率高”相反；C“纺织厂缩减”是例子表面现象，非观点；D“中产阶级收入下降”是背景之一，但笑话直接说明技术影响，而非收入下降。
22. According to Paragraph 3, to be a successful employee, one has to.
- A. work on cheap software
- B. ask for a moderate salary
- C. adopt an average lifestyle
- D. contribute something unique
答案：D
答案句：Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra – their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment.
参考译文：因此，每个人都需要找到自己的额外价值——即他们独特的价值贡献，使他们在任何就业领域中脱颖而出。
定位线索：题干“According to Paragraph 3, to be a successful employee”定位到第3段；文中“find their extra – their unique value contribution”对应选项D“contribute something unique”；“stand out”表示成功。
解析：题干问成功员工需要做什么，答案句直接说“每个人需要找到自己的额外价值——独特的价值贡献”，与选项D“贡献独特的东西”完全对应。A“使用廉价软件”是雇主利用的，非员工行为；B“要求中等薪水”无中生有；C“采取平均生活方式”与原文“average is over”相悖。
23. The quotation in Paragraph 4 explains that.
- A. gains of technology have been erased
- B. job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed
- C. factories are making much less money than before
- D. new jobs and services have been offered
答案：B
答案句：But there’s been an acceleration. As Davidson notes, “In the 10 years ending in 2009, [U.S.] factories shed workers so fast that they erased almost all the gains of the previous 70 years; roughly one out of every three manufacturing jobs – about 6 million in total – disappeared.”
参考译文：但速度加快了。正如戴维森所指出的，“在截至2009年的10年里，[美国]工厂裁员速度之快，几乎抹去了之前70年的所有增长；大约每三个制造业工作岗位中就有一个——总计约600万个——消失了。”
定位线索：题干“The quotation in Paragraph 4 explains that”定位到第4段引文；文中“shed workers so fast”和“disappeared”对应选项B“job opportunities are disappearing at a high speed”；“acceleration”强调速度。
解析：本题为例证题。引文本身（工厂裁员数据）是例子，其前一句“But there’s been an acceleration”是观点句，说明裁员速度加快，引文数据证明此观点。选项B“工作机会正高速消失”是对观点和数据的概括。A“技术收益被抹去”是引文细节，非核心观点；C“工厂赚钱少”无中生有；D“提供新工作和服务”与引文相反。
24. According to the author, to reduce unemployment, the most important is
- A. to accelerate the I. T. revolution
- B. to ensure more education for people
- C. to advance economic globalization
- D. to pass more bills in the 21st century
答案：B
答案句：In a world where average is officially over, there are many things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education.
参考译文：在一个“平均”正式终结的世界里，我们需要做很多事情来支持就业，但没有什么比通过某种21世纪的《退伍军人权利法案》更重要，该法案确保每个美国人都能接受高中后教育。
定位线索：题干“According to the author, to reduce unemployment, the most important is”定位到末段；文中“nothing would be more important than ... ensures that every American has access to post-high school education”对应选项B“to ensure more education for people”；“post-high school education”即高等教育。
解析：题干问减少失业最重要的事，答案句明确说“没有什么比通过法案确保每个人接受高中后教育更重要”，即教育最重要，对应选项B。A“加速IT革命”和C“推进全球化”是导致失业的因素，非解决方案；D“通过更多法案”偷换概念，原文特指教育法案，非所有法案。
25. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the text?
- A. New Law Takes Effect.
- B. Technology Goes Cheap.
- C. Average Is Over.
- D. Recession Is Bad.
答案：C
答案句：But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. … Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra – their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment. … In a world where average is officially over, there are many things we need to do to support employment, but nothing would be more important than passing some kind of G. I. Bill for the 21st century that ensures that every American has access to post-high school education.
参考译文：但是，今天，“平均”正式终结了。平庸不再能让你获得过去的收入。……因此，每个人都需要找到自己的额外价值——即他们独特的价值贡献，使他们在任何就业领域中脱颖而出。……在一个“平均”正式终结的世界里，我们需要做很多事情来支持就业，但没有什么比通过某种21世纪的《退伍军人权利法案》更重要，该法案确保每个美国人都能接受高中后教育。
定位线索：题干“most appropriate title”需概括全文主旨；文中“average is officially over”反复出现，是核心主题；对应选项C“Average Is Over”；文中“find their extra”和“post-high school education”是应对措施。
解析：全文围绕“平均已终结”展开：第3段提出“average is officially over”，第5段强调教育重要性，末段再次呼应。选项C“Average Is Over”直接概括主旨。A“新法律生效”是末段细节，非全文；B“技术变廉价”是背景之一；D“衰退不好”是原因之一，均非核心。