GWD 5-22

The passage is primarily concerned with

我选C。

文中一开始有theory吗？我们可能找到的那个部分是theory吗？是不是只是一个现象呢？或者整篇是不是在阐述对一个现象的解释呢？文中有opposing的观点吗？我们可能发现的那个部分是不是opposing的观点呢？是不是只是对原观点的一种递进意味的加强呢？

帮楼主顶一下，也请楼主想想上述问题。同时再听听其他人的意见。

中心句不是第一句，而是前两句，讲的是一个现象：一个曾被认为是很有前途的资源－IT，到了90年代初被发现是大投入小产出的，所谓porductivity paradox。后文就是对这个unexpected的现象的解释。

B是错的。本文是对一个现象的解释。这里面除了那个resource－based theory，没有其他的theory。

E是错的。作者的出发点是现象，而不是有关这个现象的评论。我们写文章也会引用别人的观点，但是目的是表达自己对一件事的看法。

选C

Q22 to Q25:

      Most pre-1990 literature on busi-

               nesses’ use of information technology

               (IT)—defined as any form of computer-

Line      based information system—focused on

  (5)      spectacular IT successes and reflected

a general optimism concerning IT’s poten-

tial as a resource for creating competitive

advantage.  But toward the end of the

1980’s, some economists spoke of a

(10)     “productivity paradox”:  despite huge IT

investments, most notably in the service

sectors, productivity stagnated.  In the

retail industry, for example, in which IT

had been widely adopted during the

(15)     1980’s, productivity (average output per

hour) rose at an average annual rate of

1.1 percent between 1973 and 1989, com-

pared with 2.4 percent in the preceding

25-year period.  Proponents of IT argued

(20)     that it takes both time and a critical mass

               of investment for IT to yield benefits, and

               some suggested that growth figures for

the 1990’s proved these benefits were

finally being realized.  They also argued

(25)     that measures of productivity ignore what

would have happened without investments

in IT—productivity gains might have been

even lower.  There were even claims that

IT had improved the performance of the

(30)     service sector significantly, although mac-

roeconomic measures of productivity did

not reflect the improvement.

      But some observers questioned why,

               if IT had conferred economic value, it did

(35)     not produce direct competitive advantages

for individual firms.  Resource-based

theory offers an answer, asserting that,

in general, firms gain competitive advan-

tages by accumulating resources that are

(40)     economically valuable, relatively scarce,

and not easily replicated.  According to

a recent study of retail firms, which con-

firmed that IT has become pervasive

and relatively easy to acquire, IT by

(45)     itself appeared to have conferred little

advantage.  In fact, though little evidence

of any direct effect was found, the fre-

quent negative correlations between IT

and performance suggested that IT had

(50)     probably weakened some firms’ compet-

itive positions. However, firms’ human

resources, in and of themselves, did

explain improved performance, and

some firms gained IT-related advan-

(55)     tages by merging IT with complementary

resources, particularly human resources.

The findings support the notion, founded

in resource-based theory, that competi-

tive advantages do not arise from easily

(60)     replicated resources, no matter how

impressive or economically valuable

they may be, but from complex, intan-

gible resources.

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Q22:

The passage is primarily concerned with

1. describing a resource and indicating various methods used to study it


2. presenting a theory and offering an opposing point of view


3. providing an explanation for unexpected findings


4. demonstrating why a particular theory is unfounded


5. resolving a disagreement regarding the uses of a technology

关于resolving,再贴一篇文章：

Passage 31 (31/63)

The number of women directors appointed to corporate boards in the United States has increased dramatically, but the ratio of female to male directors remains low. Although pressure to recruit women directors, unlike that to employ women in the general work force, does not derive from legislation, it is nevertheless real.

Although small companies were the first to have women directors, large corporations currently have a higher percentage of women on their boards. When the chairs of these large corporations began recruiting women to serve on boards, they initially sought women who were chief executive officers (CEO’s) of large corporations. However, such women CEO’s are still rare. In addition, the ideal of six CEO’s (female or male) serving on the board of each of the largest corporations is realizable only if every CEO serves on six boards. This raises the specter of director over-commitment and the resultant dilution of contribution. Consequently, the chairs next sought women in business who had the equivalent of CEO experience. However, since it is only recently that large numbers of women have begun to rise in management, the chairs began to recruit women of high achievement outside the business world. Many such women are well known for their contributions in government, education, and the nonprofit sector. The fact that the women from these sectors who were appointed were often acquaintances of the boards’ chairs seems quite reasonable: chairs have always considered it important for directors to interact (to act upon one another) comfortably in the boardroom.

Although many successful women from outside the business world are unknown to corporate leaders, these women are particularly qualified to serve on boards because of the changing nature of corporations. Today a company’s ability to be responsive to the concerns of the community and the environment can influence that company’s growth and survival. Women are uniquely positioned to be responsive to some of these concerns. Although conditions have changed, it should be remembered that most directors of both sexes are over fifty years old. Women of that generation were often encouraged to direct their attention toward efforts to improve the community. This fact is reflected in the career development (career development: 职业培训) of most of the outstandingly successful women of the generation now in their fifties, who currently serve on corporate boards: 25 percent are in education and 22 percent are in government, law, and the nonprofit sector.

One organization of women directors is helping business become more responsive to the changing needs of society by raising the level of corporate awareness about social issues, such as problems with the economy, government regulation, the aging population, and the environment. This organization also serves as a resource center of information on accomplished women who are potential candidates for corporate boards.

Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?

(A) A problem is described, and then reasons why various proposed solutions succeeded or failed are discussed.

(B) A problem is described, and then an advantage of resolving it is offered.

(C) A problem is described, and then reasons for its continuing existence are summarized.

(D) The historical origins of a problem are described, and then various measures that have successfully resolved it are discussed.（B）

(E) The causes of a problem are described, and then its effects are discussed.

resolve   
          resolve  resolves  resolving  resolved      
1     To resolve a problem, argument, or difficulty means to find a solution to it. (FORMAL)
  We must find a way to resolve these problems before it's too late...
     VERB: V n  
     
2     If you resolve to do something, you make a firm decision to do it. (FORMAL)
  She resolved to report the matter to the hospital's nursing manager...
  She resolved that, if Mimi forgot this promise, she would remind her.
     VERB: V to-inf, V that  
     
3     Resolve is determination to do what you have decided to do. (FORMAL)
  This will strengthen the American public's resolve to go to war.
     N-VAR: oft N to-inf  
     = determination  
(c) HarperCollins Publishers.

整篇文章是解决一个问题（即使用IT技术见解的不一致），不是解释IT带来的效果不好。用findings的话原文二段后半部分的那个findings（人力资源与IT结合)也很容易让人误解。
还是支持E。

leeon, 不知道你是不是同意前两句是中心句，Most pre-1990 literature on businesses’ use of information technology (IT)—defined as any form of computer-based information system—focused on spectacular IT successes and reflected a general optimism concerning IT’s potential as a resource for creating competitive advantage.  But toward the end of the1980’s, some economists spoke of a “productivity paradox”:  despite huge IT investments, most notably in the service sectors, productivity stagnated.  。

主旨题一定要和中心句合。中心句就是讲现象，而非关于现象的争论。作者解释的不是
IT好不好，而是对（IT曾经被认为会有的前景）和（现实反应出来的情况）之间的差异进行分析。

比如，一个飞机掉下来了。有人说是因为这个，有人说不对是因为那个。作者跳出来说是因为blabla～。那这篇文章的main idea应该是explain the reason of a aircrash, 而不是作者resolve the disagreement.

同意你说的关于中心句的观点。中心句第一句说90年代以前关于IT的著作是说IT给企业带来竞争力的，但是，80年代末期的经济学家提出了一个生产力悖论的观点，把这个否掉了，然后举例说明。接下来列举了支持者的理由，然后二段又用一个理论反驳了支持IT给企业带来竞争力的观点。

我选E不选C的原因主要是c中的那个unexpected findings很模糊,而且一段末尾用了大段的语言阐述了支持IT给企业带来竞争力的观点。anyway，虽然E的答案不是很好，比较起来，选E更加确切一些。

to be discussed.