Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsaftereachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersontheANSWERSHEET.(40points)
Text1
Amongtheannoyingchallengesfacingthemiddleclassisonethatwillprobablygounmentionedinthenextpresidentialcampaign:Whathappenswhentherobotscomefortheirjobs
Don'tdismissthatpossibilityentirely.
AbouthalfofU.S.jobsareathighriskofbeingautomated,accordingtoaUniversityofOxfordstudy,withthemiddleclassdisproportionatelysqueezed.
Lower-incomejobslikegardeningordaycaredon'tappealtorobots.
Butmanymiddle-classoccupations—trucking,financialadvice,softwareengineering—havearousedtheirinterest,orsoonwill.
Therichowntherobots,sotheywillbefine.
Thisisn'ttobealarmist.
Optimistspointoutthattechnologicalupheavalhasbenefitedworkersinthepast.
TheIndustrialRevolutiondidn'tgosowellforLudditeswhosejobsweredisplacedbymechanizedlooms,butiteventuallyraisedlivingstandardsandcreatedmorejobsthanitdestroyed.
Likewise,automationshouldeventuallyboostproductivity,stimulatedemandbydrivingdownprices,andfreeworkersfromhard,boringwork.
Butinthemediumterm,middle-classworkersmayneedalotofhelpadjusting.
Thefirststep,asErikBrynjolfssonandAndrewMcAfeeargueinTheSecondMachineAge,shouldberethinkingeducationandjobtraining.
Curriculums—fromgrammarschooltocollege,shouldevolvetofocuslessonmemorizingfactsandmoreoncreativityandcomplexcommunication.
Vocationalschoolsshoulddoabetterjoboffosteringproblem-solvingskillsandhelpstudentsworkalongsiderobots.
Onlineeducationcansupplementthetraditionalkind.Itcouldmakeextratrainingandinstructionaffordable.
Professionalstryingtoacquirenewskillswillbeabletodosowithoutgoingintodebt.
ThechallengeofcopingwithautomationunderlinestheneedfortheU.S.toreviveitsfadingbusinessdynamism:Startingnewcompaniesmustbemadeeasier.
Inpreviouserasofdrastictechnologicalchange,entrepreneurssmoothedthetransitionbydreamingupwaystocombinelaborandmachines.
Thebestusesof3Dprintersandvirtualrealityhaven'tbeeninventedyet.
TheU.S.needsthenewcompaniesthatwillinventthem.
Finally,becauseautomationthreatenstowidenthegapbetweencapitalincomeandlaborincome,taxesandthesafetynetwillhavetoberethought.
Taxesonlow-wagelaborneedtobecut,andwagesubsidiessuchastheearnedincometaxcreditshouldbeexpanded:
Thiswouldboostincomes,encouragework,rewardcompaniesforjobcreation,andreduceinequality.
Technologywillimprovesocietyinwaysbigandsmalloverthenextfewyears,yetthiswillbelittlecomforttothosewhofindtheirlivesandcareersupendedbyautomation.
Destroyingthemachinesthatarecomingforourjobswouldbenuts.
Butpoliciestohelpworkersadaptwillbeindispensable.
21.Whowillbemostthreatenedbyautomation
[A]Leadingpoliticians.
[B]Low-wagelaborers.
[C]Robotowners.
[D]Middle-classworkers.
22.Whichofthefollowingbestrepresenttheauthor'sview
[A]Worriesaboutautomationareinfactgroundless.
[B]Optimists'opinionsonnewtechfindlittlesupport.
[C]Issuesarisingfromautomationneedtobetackled.
[D]Negativeconsequencesofnewtechcanbeavoided.
23.Educationintheageofautomationshouldputmoreemphasison