专四阅读+详解.docx
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专四阅读+详解
星期4Thursday
Businessisthesalfoflife.事业是人生的第一需要。
学习内容
题材
词数
建议时间
错误统计
做题备忘
TextA
女性职场
430
6分钟
/5
TextB
经济管理
392
5分钟
/5
TextC
自然奥秘
450
6.5分钟
/5
TextD
社会问题
546
7.5分钟
/5
今日练习
TextA
Despitealltheprogresstowardwomen’sequality,womenwhoworkfulltimearestillearningonly75centsonaveragetoeverydollarearnedbymen.
Drivinghomethatpoint,theNationalCommitteeonPayEquityhaschosenApril16thisyear,toremindAmericansthatallwomenwouldneedtoworkatleastanextratwodaysinaworkweektoearnalmostasmuchasallmendoinonenormalworkweek.
Whydoessuchawagegapstillpersist?
Economistsdifferintheirexplanations.Andyetthisincomedisparityisseenasakeyindicatorofhowwomenaretreated—inboththeworkplaceandathome.
Fortunately,thewomen’smovementandcivilrightsenforcementhaveendedmostgenderdiscriminationinsettingwages.Nowadvocatesarefocusedonensuringthatworkingwomenhavefemaleadvisersandrolemodels,whiletheytrytoremovesubtlediscriminationinpromotions—the“glassceiling”(指职业女性在职务提升时遇到的无形阻力)thataccountsforsofewwomenbeingintopmanagement.
Manyeconomists,however,saymanywomenhavelower-payingjobsbecauseofchoicesmadeintheirhomelife,suchastakingtimeouttoraisechildren.Orwomentakepart-time,low-wagejobsfortheflexibility.Whentheydoreentertheworkforcefulltime,they’reoftenbehindtheirworkingpeersinpayandpromotions.
Butasmorewomenfeelempoweredtomakecareerchoices,theirpayrises.
Anotherexplanationisthatwomendon’treallymakethechoicetodropoffthecareerladderortostayatalowerjobrung.Theymay,forexample,accepttheexpectationsofotherstotaketraditionaljobsforwomen,suchasnursing,whichhavelowmarketwages.Theymustoftentakejobsthatdon’taccountfortheunpredictabilityoffamilies.Workingmomsmayfindtheirincomecan’tpayfordaycare,ordaycaredoesn’tsuittheirchild.Iftheyaremarried,theymayrealizetheirhusbandsarenotinclinedtochildrearing(orhousechores),sotheyeitherquitworkorgoparttime.
Soastheirlifechoicesseemtobecomealifeburden,women’sincomeslipsbehindmen’s.
Nomatterwhattheexplanation,muchprogresshasbeenmadeinreducingthepaygap.Whilegovernmentstillhasamajorrole,employerscandomore.Manyhavefoundamarketadvantageinsupportingworkingmothersorputtingwomeninmanagement.Andinthehome,menandwomenaregettingsmarterindefiningtheirmaritalrelationships,oftenbeforetyingtheknot.
Justaswomennowoutnumbermenincollege,perhapssomedaytheiraveragepaywillsurpassmen’s—andthatmaymakeupforlostwages.
1.April16hasbeenchosen
[A]toshowtheorganization’sattitudetowardsequalpay.
[B]todefinethedayaspaydayforwomenwhoarenotequallypaid.
[C]tomakeitclearthatwomenworkingfulltimeareearninglessthanmen.
[D]toremindwomentoworklongerhourstoearnasmuchasmen.
2.Howcanwomenraisetheirsalary?
[A]Bygoingoutforworkinsteadofstayingathome.
[B]Byaskingtheiremployertoraisetheirsalary.
[C]Bysendingtheirchildtothekindergarten.
[D]Byhavingtheabilitytochoosetheirjobs.
3.WhichofthefollowingisNOTatraditionaljobforwomen?
[A]Nurse.[B]Teacher.
[C]Economist.[D]Typist.
4.WhichofthefollowingstatementisNOTtrue?
[A]Wagegapserversasakeyindicatorofhowwomenaretreated.
[B]Manywomenhavelower-payingjobsbecauseofhousechores.
[C]Someworkingmothersearnlessthantheirchildren’sdaycare.
[D]Manyemployershavealreadydoneenoughtosupportworkingmothers.
5.Whoareexpectedtocontributemoretonarrowingthepaygap?
[A]Womenthemselves.
[B]Employers.
[C]Thegovernment.
[D]Men.
TextB
Ifsustainablecompetitiveadvantagedependsuponworkforceskills,Americanfirmshaveaproblem.Human-resourcemanagementisnottraditionallyseenascentraltothecompetitivesurvivalofthefirmintheUnitedStates.Skillacquisitionisconsideredanindividualresponsibility.Laborissimplyanotherfactorofproductiontobehired—rentedatthelowestpossiblecost—muchasonebuysrawmaterialsorequipment.
Thelackofimportanceattachedtohuman-resourcemanagementcanbeseeninthecorporatehierarchy.InanAmericanfirmthechieffinancialofficer(CFO)isalmostalwayssecondincommand.Thepostofheadofhuman-resourcemanagementisusuallyaspecializedjob,offattheedgeofthecorporatehierarchy.TheexecutivewhoholdsitisneverconsultedonmajorstrategicdecisionsandhasnochancetomoveuptoChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO).Bywayofcontrast,inJapantheheadofhuman-resourcemanagementiscentral—usuallythesecondmostimportantexecutive,aftertheCEO,inthefirm’shierarchy.
WhileAmericanfirmsoftentalkaboutthevastamountstheyspendintrainingtheirworkforces,infact,theyinvestlessintheskillsoftheiremployeesthandoeitherJapaneseorGermanfirms.Themoneytheydoinvestisalsomorehighlyconcentratedonprofessionalandmanagerialemployees.Andthelimitedinvestmentsthataremadeintrainingworkersarealsomuchmorenarrowlyfocusedonthespecificskillsnecessaryforthenextjobratherthanonthebasicbackgroundskillsthatmakeitpossibletoabsorbnewtechnologies.
Asaresult,problemsemergewhennewbreakthroughtechnologiesarrive.IfAmericanworkers,forexample,takemuchlongertolearnhowtooperatenewflexiblemanufacturingstationsthaninGermany(astheydo),theeffectivecostofthosestationsislowerinGermanythanitisintheUnitedStates.Moretimeisrequiredbeforeequipmentisupandrunningatcapacity,andtheneedforextensiveretraininggeneratescostsandcreatesbottlenecksthatlimitthespeedwithwhichnewequipmentcanbeemployed.Theresultisaslowerpaceoftechnologicalchange.Andintheendtheskillsofthebottomhalfofthepopulationaffectthewagesofthetophalf.Ifthebottomhalfcan’teffectivelystarttheprocessesthathavetobeoperated,themanagementandprofessionaljobsthatgowiththeseprocesseswilldisappear.
6.InanAmericanfirm,theexecutiveofhuman-resourcemanagement
[A]hasapositiondirectlyunderthechieffinancialexecutive.
[B]isoneofthemostimportantexecutivesofthefirm.
[C]hasnosayinmakingimportantdecisionsofthefirm.
[D]isunimportantwhennewtechnologieshavebeenintroduced.
7.ThemoneymostAmericanfirmsputinworkforcetrainingmainlygoeson
[A]technologicalandmanagerialstaff.
[B]workerswhowillrunnewequipment.
[C]workerswholackbasicbackgroundskills.
[D]topexecutives.
8.TechnologicalchangeinAmericanfirmsisslowerbecause
[A]newequipmentinAmericaismoreexpensive.
[B]theydon’tpayenoughattentiontothejobtrainingoftheirworkers.
[C]theyarelessresponsivetotechnologicalchanges.
[D]theirprofessionalstaffarelesspaidandsolesscreative.
9.WhichofthefollowingappliestothemanagementofhumanresourcesinAmericancompanies?
[A]Theyhirepeopleatthelowestcostregardlessoftheirskills.
[B]Theyseethegainingofskillsastheiremployees’ownbusiness.
[C]Theyattachmoreimportancetoworkersthanequipment.
[D]Theyonlyhireskilledworkersbecauseofkeencompetition.
10.Accordingtothepassage,thedecisivefactorinmaintainingafirm’scompetitiveadvantageis
[A]theintroductionofnewtechnologies.
[B]theimprovementofworker’sbasicskills.
[C]therationalcompositionofprofessionalandmanagerialemployees.
[D]theattachmentofimportancetothebottomhalfoftheemployees.
TextC
Despitethefactthatcometsareprobablythemostnumerousastronomicalbodiesinthesolarsystemasidefromsmallmeteor(流星)fragmentsandtheasteroids(小行星),theyarelargelyamystery.Scientistsdon’tknowexactlywhatcometsareorwheretheycomefrom.Educatedguessesarethebestwehaveinhand.
Consideringtheroleofcometsinlore,legend,andthememoryofman,itisremarkablethatwestillknowsolittle,relatively,aboutthem.Themostfamouscometofall,Halley’sComet(namedforthemanwhopredicteditsreturn),wasfirstsightedbytheChinesein240B.C.,andithasreturnedtoterrifythepeopleoftheworldonaregularbasiseversincethen(lastscheduledreturn:
1986).Theancientsconsidereditanobjectofillomen.Bymysteriouscoincidence,thearrivalofHalley’sCometcoincidedwithsucheventsasthebattleofHastingsin1066,theJewishrevoltof66A.D.,andthelastbattleofAttilatheHunagainsttheRomans.Norisittheonlycomettofillmanwithawe,butmerelythemostfamousinaricharistocracyofblood-freezers.
Cometsareevenmorefascinatingtoamateurastronomersthantoprofessionals,becausethisisoneareawhereamateurscan(anddo)makemajordiscoveries.CometIkeyaSeki,oneofthebrightestcometstoappearinlastcenturywasdiscoveredin1965byapairofJapaneseamateurs,IkeyaandSeki.Thepersonwhodiscoversanewcometgetshis(orher)nameputonit.Andamateurshaveaheadstartintheracetodiscovernewcomets;theshorterfocallengthsontheirsmallertelescopesgivethemapositiveadvantageoverthehugetelescopesuchasMountWilsonwhichisbuilttoscanforgalaxies,notcomparativelyofshortdistances.
MostscientiststendtoagreewiththeastronomerFredT.Whipplethatacometisreallyalargemushysnowballoffrozenicesandgases(ammonia,methane,possiblycarbondioxide)withafewbitsofsolidparticlesstuckinside.Butnooneissurehowcometsarecreatedinthefirstplace.
Scientistsbelievethatcometsdon’texhibittheircharacteristicta