大全40

Passage 40 (40/63)

Japanese firms have achieved the highest levels of manufacturing efficiency in the world automobile industry. Some observers of Japan have assumed that Japanese firms use the same manufacturing equipment and techniques as United States firms but have benefited from the unique characteristics of Japanese employees and the Japanese culture. However, if this were true, then one would expect Japanese auto plants in the United States to perform no better than factories run by United States companies. This is not the case; Japanese-run automobile plants located in the United States and staffed by local workers have demonstrated higher levels of productivity when compared with factories owned by United States companies.

Other observers link high Japanese productivity to higher levels of capital investment per worker. But a historical perspective leads to a different conclusion. When the two top Japanese automobile makers matched and then doubled United States productivity levels in the mid-sixties, capital investment per employee was comparable to that of United States firms. Furthermore, by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States.

Since capital investment was not higher in Japan, it had to be other factors that led to higher productivity. A more fruitful explanation may lie with Japanese production techniques. Japanese automobile producers did not simply implement conventional processes more effectively: they made critical changes in United States procedures. For instance, the mass-production philosophy of United States automakers encouraged the production of huge lots of cars in order to utilize fully expensive, component-specific equipment and to occupy fully workers who have been trained to execute one operation efficiently. Japanese automakers chose to make small-lot production feasible by introducing several departures from United States practices, including the use of flexible equipment that could be altered easily to do several different production tasks and the training of workers in multiple jobs. Automakers could schedule the production of different components or models on single machines, thereby eliminating the need to store the buffer stocks of extra components that result when specialized equipment and workers are kept constantly active.

3.     Which of the following statements concerning the productivity levels of automakers can be inferred from the passage?

(A) Prior to the 1960’s, the productivity levels of the top Japanese automakers were exceeded by those of United States automakers.

(B) The culture of a country has a large effect on the productivity levels of its automakers.

(C) During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, productivity levels were comparable in Japan and the United States.

(D) The greater the number of cars that are produced in a single lot, the higher a plant’s productivity level.（A）

(E) The amount of capital investment made by automobile manufacturers in their factories determines the level of productivity.

请问，第3题的A是如何得出来的？

另外第二段红线部分如何解释呢？

多谢

与楼主有一样的问题呢,我是选c的,认为by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States.是说两者需要的fixed assets是一样,所以比较基础一致, productivity level是可以比较的!

我知道自己有点蠢,那位好NN,帮帮我们吧!

不是N.

这题要对,关键是能否理解"When the two top Japanese automobile makers matched and then doubled LACE>United StatesLACE> productivity levels in the mid-sixties, capital investment per employee was comparable to that of LACE>United StatesLACE> firms"中的划线部分. matched and then doubled的意思:小日本赶上老米,然后成为老米的两倍.表明了一种单调向上的趋势;而60年代中是临界点,所以60年代中以前:J比不上U,进而60年代以前J更是比不上U了.

此题还可以用排除法搞定: B) 与第一段观点相反,而且与题干productivity无关.

C) 原文是说需要的资产投入相仿,不是P相仿

D) 与第3段的small-lot prodution效率更高的观点相反

E) 与第二段的观点相悖.

1.     The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) present the major steps of a process

(B) clarify an ambiguity

(C) chronicle a dispute

(D) correct misconceptions（D）

(E) defend an accepted approach

请教为什么B不行呢？

5楼的mm,我也错了这题。

查了下金山词霸。发现原因出在ambiguity的词义上。

Ambiguity: Doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation.

如此看来，整篇都在说一些对japanese firms high productivity misconceptions, not doubt or uncertainty.

不知这样，对你有没有帮助。

我觉得第3题出的非常赞!

3.    错误原因掉进陷阱了并且没有注意到逻辑推理更重要的是根本就理解错误Which of the following statements concerning the productivity levels of automakers can be inferred from the passage?像这样的题要一个一个选项回去核实不要凭自己的直觉做题

这个题还是错在没有根据题干信息去认真定位
            问的你是什么??是productivity那你就去找productivity 首先找到的是productivity和谁有关
            然后往下推理

这个题又考了一个逻辑推理

Other observers
                        link high Japanese productivity to higher levels of capital investment per worker(anticipate后面肯定它还是否定它). But a historical perspective leads to a different conclusion. When the two top Japanese automobile makers matched and then doubled United States productivity levels in the mid-sixties, capital investment per employee was comparable to that of United States firms. Furthermore(对other观点的削弱), by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States.

(A) Prior to the 1960’s(注意时间状语), the productivity levels of the top Japanese automakers were exceeded by those of United States automakers.这句话真的是推出来的，源于那个match文中说两大J公司先是match后double了美国公司
                那么在1960年之前当然是没有match—即小于了

 (B) The culture of a country has a large effect on the productivity levels of its automakers.和文章所说的是相反的

(C) During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s(by the late seventies), productivity levels were comparable in Japan and the United States.考了一个推理:2p开头说high productivity与investment capital per worker有关但是与fixed assests required to produce one vehicle有关吗？文章根本没说啊 所以尽管equivalent也推不出来

Furthermore(对other观点的削弱), by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States.

Furthermore(对other观点的削弱), by the late seventies, the amount of fixed assets required to produce one vehicle was roughly equivalent in Japan and in the United States.

(D) The greater the number of cars that are produced in a single lot, the higher a plant’s productivity level.这是个强迷惑选项
                因为我们用了自己的只是背景去判断了
                文中第三段在描述美国的时候
                明确告诉你For instance, the mass-production philosophy of United States automakers encouraged the production of huge lots of cars in order to utilize fully expensive, component-specific equipment and to occupy fully workers who have been trained to execute one operation efficiently.但这并没有导致美国的效率比日本的高
                    日本还是small lot生产
                    这个选项是推不出来的

(E) The amount of capital investment
                made by automobile manufacturers in their factories determines the level of productivity.强迷惑选项
                因为在第二段有capital investment但是那说的是capital investment per worker而不是made by automobile manufactures

楼上妹妹好牛气

要向你学习 你弄得好扎实的

不过我想问下Q7

7.    Which of the following statements is supported by information stated in the passage?

(A) Japanese and United States automakers differ in their approach to production processes.

(B) Japanese automakers have perfected the use of single-function equipment.

(C) Japanese automakers invest more capital per employee than do United States automakers.

(D) United States-owned factories abroad have higher production levels than do Japanese owned plants in the United States.（A）

(E) Japanese automakers have benefited from the cultural heritage of their workers.

为什么不能选B

J是改良了那些machine，把single-function变成multiple function，所以是perfect the use 为什么不对呢？？