题目内容
Imagine that 7 out of 10 working Americans got fired tomorrow. What would they all do? It’s hard to believe it would happen. But that is what the industrial revolution did to the labor force of the early 19th century.
Two hundred years ago, 70 percent of American workers lived on the farm. Today automation(自动化) has eliminated all but one percent of their jobs, replacing them with machines. But these workers did not sit, doing nothing. Instead, automation created hundreds of millions of jobs in completely new fields. Those who once farmed were then working in factories that produced farm equipment, cars, and other industrial products.
It may be hard to believe, but before the end of this century, 70 percent of today’s jobs will likely be replaced by automation. Yes, dear reader, even you will have your job taken away by machines. In other words, robot replacement is just a matter of time, First, speedy robots being able to lift 150 pounds all day long will carry boxes, sort them, and load them onto trucks. Fruit and vegetable picking will continue to be robotized until no humans pick outside of specialty farms. Next, The work of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots. The trucks will be driven by robots.
We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we can’t do at all. They will do jobs we never imagined even needed to be done, and they will help us discover new jobs for ourselves and new tasks that expand who we are. They will let us focus on becoming more human than we were.
1.What happened in the early 19th century?
A. Some working Americans in factories got fired.
B. Jobless workers had no choice but to sit there doing nothing at all.
C. Many American workers had to leave factories to work on the farm.
D. The industrial revolution caused many Americans to lose their jobs.
2.How does the author support the underlined statement in Paragraph 3?
A. By giving advice.
B. By giving examples.
C. By following the order of time.
D. By explaining cause and effect.
3.How does the author feel about robots taking over our jobs?
A. Afraid. B. Happy. C. Puzzled. D. Angry.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the text ?
A. Why robots should take over our jobs.
B. 70% of working Americans will be jobless.
C. The industrial revolution led to the automation.
D. Robots will do more things for us to live better.
任务型阅读
请阅读下面短文, 并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意: 每个空格只填一个单词。
Whatever your career, and whatever your goals in life are, ideas are going to matter to you. One great idea could change your life. The thing is, you probably don’t have as many great ideas as you’d like. Perhaps you feel unimaginative and unoriginal. You keep hoping that a really good idea will just pop into your head, but that never seems to happen. The good news? Ideas aren’t magic dust sprinkled by the Muses. There’s an awful lot you can do to generate ideas any time you want.
First, you need time to come up with ideas – and quality time, where you’re not worrying about the chores or your emails. Getting quality time ideally means taking a whole day away from your regular responsibilities. Go out to a coffee shop with a notebook, or shut yourself in a room at home without internet access. Get a zoomed-out view of your life: set aside worries about “but what would people think?” and “is it sensible?” and let yourself dream. You’ll be amazed what you come up with.
Ever had an idea which you immediately dismissed? You probably told yourself “That’s stupid,” or “It’s been done before.”When you’re generating ideas and thinking through possibilities, you’ll inevitably come up with a few false starts. Some ideas will be unoriginal, undesirable or unworkable. But that’s not a bad thing. One idea often leads to a whole train of thought – and you might end up with a really good idea from something which seemed, at first glance, unpromising.
Although I’m a bit of an introvert – I like to spend a fair amount of time on my own – I also get a great buzz from being with like-minded people and discussing ideas and projects with them. You’ve probably experienced something similar yourself – maybe in a brainstorming meeting at work, or maybe just at a bar with friends. The energy generated by several people together can spark some brilliant ideas – ones which you’d never have come up with alone. How do you find like-minded people to bounce ideas off? You could try: Local groups, such as evening classes; Getting together with a couple of friends who “get” your dreams; Finding an online forum of people with the same interest or goals as you.
Ideas don’t just appear in a vacuum. They’re formed from all the various input that you take in. Sometimes, a news story might give you the perfect idea for a Christmas present for your sister, or a book that you’re reading might get you thinking about a particular goal in your life.The more widely you read, the more open you’ll be to new ideas cropping up. That might mean reading a magazine or journal article that’s far outside your normal area of expertise, or turning to a biography of someone who you know almost nothing about.A great place to start is online: blogs, news sites, forums and even Twitter and Facebook are all a rich source of ideas, just waiting for you.
How do you come up with great ideas? And is there a particular area of your life where you feel like you’re lacking inspiration?
How to come up with great ideas—all the time | |
1._____quality time to think | Getting ideal quality time means 2.____aside worries about your regular 3.____ such as the housework or your emails and letting yourself dream for some time. |
You may come up with some4.____ideas. | |
Don’t judge your ideas | A(n) 5.____unimportant ideas might 6.____ out to be a really good one. So don’t dismiss any unoriginal, undesirable or unworkable ideas 7.______. |
Talk to other like-minded people | Talking with people who 8.______ the same interest or goals with you can inspire some brilliant ideas. You can find such people at work, at a bar, in evening classes or on an online forum. |
Read widely | Reading widely helps you put forward new ideas and the Internet is a great place 9._____ in ideas. |
Conclusion | Whatever your career, and whatever your goals in life are, ideas are of 10.____ to you. |