1.        
GWD-8-Q25-Q28

Jon Clark’s study of the effect of

the modernization of a telephone

exchange on exchange maintenance

Line      work and workers is a
solid contribution

(5)        to a debate that
encompasses two

lively issues in the history and social-

ogy of technology: technological

determinism and social constructivism.

Clark makes the
point that the char-

(10)      acteristics of a
technology have a

decisive influence on job skills and

work organization. Put more strongly,

technology can be a primary determi-

nant of
social and managerial organ-

(15)      ization. Clark believes this possibility

has been obscured by the recent soci-

ological fashion, exemplified by

Braverman’s analysis, that emphasizes

the way machinery reflects social

(20)      choices. For Braverman,
the shape of

a technological system is subordinate

to the manager’s desire to wrest control

of the labor process from the

workers. Technological change is

(25)      construed as the outcome
of negotiations

among interested parties who

seek to incorporate their own interests

into the design and configuration of the

machinery. This position represents

(30)      the new mainstream
called social con-

structivism.

The constructivists gain acceptance

by misrepresenting technological deter-

minism: technological determinists are

(35)      supposed to believe, for
example, that

machinery imposes appropriate forms

of order on society. The alternative to

constructivism, in other words, is to

view technology as existing outside

(40)      society, capable of
directly influencing

skills and work organization.

Clark refutes the
extremes of the

constructivists by both theoretical and

empirical arguments. Theoretically he

(45)      defines “technology” in
terms of relationships

between social and technical

variables. Attempts to reduce the

meaning of technology to cold, hard

metal are bound to fail, for machinery

(50)      is just scrap unless it
is organized

functionally and supported by approp-

riate systems of operation and main-

tenance. At the empirical level Clark

shows how a change at the telephone

(55)      exchange from
maintenance-intensive

electromechanical switches to semi-

electronic switching systems altered

work tasks, skills, training opportunities,

administration, and organization of

(60)      workers. Some changes Clark attri-

butes to the particular way management

and labor unions negotiated the intro-

duction of the technology, whereas

others are seen as arising from the

(65)      capabilities and nature
of the technol-

ogy itself. Thus Clark helps
answer

the question: “When is social choice

decisive and when are the concrete

characteristics of technology more

important?”

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GWD-8-Q25 :

The primary purpose of
the passage is to

1. advocate a more positive attitude toward
        technological change
2. discuss the implications for employees
        of the modernization of a telephone exchange
3. consider a successful challenge to the
        constructivist view of technological change
4. challenge the position of advocates of
        technological determinism
5. suggest that the social causes of
        technological change should be studied in real situations

大家讨论的答案是C, 我选A，理由如下：本文主要在讨论技术变革，有两派的观点，一派以Jon Clark为首的technological determinism观点，一派以Braverman为首的social constructivism观点。作者完全以客观的角度讨论这两派观点吗？不尽然，从文章的字里行间可以看出作者对于Jon Clark的观点是advocate.证据如下：

line 32-33: misrepresenting

line 44-60 作者在描述Jon Clark 是如何从理论和实践两方面来反驳social constructivism的观点的

 紧跟着作者总结了一下Clark的反驳，没有任何的否定，或者指出Jon Clark的反驳不是很充分什么的，             

             Some changes Clark attri-
    

butes to the particular way management

and labor unions negotiated the intro-

duction of the technology, whereas

others are seen as arising from the

(65)      capabilities and nature
of the technol-

ogy itself.

如果你认为上句话不能说明什么，最后一句话很重要

Thus Clark helps
answer

the question: “When is social choice

decisive and when are the concrete

characteristics of technology more

important?”

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GWD-8-Q26 :

The information in the
passage suggests that Clark believes that
which of the following would be true if social constructivism had not gained
widespread acceptance?

1. Businesses would be more likely to
        modernize without considering the social consequences of their actions.
2. There would be greater understanding of
        the role played by technology in producing social change.
3. Businesses would be less likely to
        understand the attitudes of employees affected by modernization.
4. Modernization would have occurred at a
        slower rate.
5. Technology would have played a greater
        part in determining the role of business in society.

此题同意大家的B

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GWD-8-Q27 :

The author of the
passage uses the expression “are supposed to” in lines 34-35 primarily in order
to

1. suggest that a contention made by
        constructivists regarding determinists is Inaccurate
2. define the generally accepted position
        of determinists regarding the implementation of technology
3. engage in speculation about the
        motivations of determinists
4. lend support to a comment critical of
        the position of determinists
5. contrast the historical position of
        determinists with their position regarding the exchange modernization

很多朋友选A,我选择B,理由是

The constructivists gain acceptance

by misrepresenting technological deter-

minism: technological determinists are

(35)      supposed to believe, for
example, that

machinery imposes appropriate forms

of order on society. （正确的定义）The alternative to

constructivism, in other words, is to

view technology as existing outside

(40)      society, capable of
directly influencing

skills and work organization.（此处为constructivism的定义）

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GWD-8-Q28 :

Which of the following
statements about the modernization of the telephone exchange is supported by
information in the passage?

1. The new technology reduced the role of
        managers in labor negotiations.
2. The modernization was implemented
        without the consent of the employees directly affected by it.
3. The modernization had an impact that
        went significantly beyond maintenance routines.
4. Some of the maintenance workers felt
        victimized by the new technology.
5. The modernization gave credence to the
        view of advocates of social constructivism.
6. 此题答案和大家的一样 C