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While there is no fixed model for lowering costs and increasing efficiency in different businesses, automation is one choice that has proved successful in the United States. In industries well suited for automation – ranging from retail and banking to semiconductor and auto manufacturing – the gains in efficiency from switching from traditional to automated manufacturing and automated processes have been remarkable. Consider the situation today for a bank dispersing cash: forty years ago it actually cost the bank to distribute money all day to customers; today those same banks reap millions in ATM fees from machines that cost very little to operate. Likewise, consider the time and cost to produce one Ford automobile before the implementation of robotic assembly lines compared to the time and cost today.
Automation has not only lowered operation costs through decreased labor expenses, but also increased efficiency in almost every aspect of production. At companies like Amazon, the handling time for packaging and shipping products has been reduced by over 40%. At GE Medical, which manufactures products that require high levels of precision, errors in manufacturing that were common in the days of mostly human production are now virtually non-existent. In industries that require work in dangerous environments, the time to complete a particular job has decreased by up to 60%, since time-consuming (and expensive) safety processes can be avoided. While most of this improved efficiency has come about because of gains from the actual robotic machinery, the employees themselves have accounted for some of this improvement. In tasks that require particularly difficult or monotonous work, robots free up workers to focus on higher-level oversight jobs for which they get greater satisfaction. This leads to a more productive and efficient workforce, adding to the gains from the automation itself.
Because of examples like these, some business analysts have suggested that widespread automation across all industries would provide a needed acceleration to the struggling productivity numbers in the U.S. Yet they miss the important wisdom of John Kenneth Galbraith: “it is a wise economist who recognizes the scope of his own generalizations.” While automation is the right solution for many businesses, there remains a necessity for human insight and flexible decision-making in many types of manufacturing businesses for which automation has been recommended. Automation is often the correct choice, but it might actually yield a further decline in productivity numbers if not implemented selectively and appropriately.
Q1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about automation in manufacturing and other processes?
(A) It is an essential element for success in a majority of businesses.
(B) it fits in its most general form to John Kenneth Galbraith’s views for improving efficiency.
(C) It was first used in banking and automotive industries.
(D) It has been more successful than other methods for lowering costs and improving efficiency.
(E) It is taking place more slowly than some business analysts believe is necessary.
Q2. Which of the following best describes the role of the 2nd paragraph in the passage above?
a) To provide additional examples to support the main idea presented in the 1st paragraph
b) To present specific evidence to support the opinion outlined in the 3rd paragraph.
c) To give several examples that contradict the position presented in the 3rd paragraph.
d) To shift the direction of the passage by presenting evidence to support an alternative position
e) To exemplify the main position of the author with several particular cases.
Q3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage above?
a) Automation is more likely to increase efficiency and lower costs in businesses that involve dangerous work environments than in those that do not.
b) Errors in manufacturing occur more frequently in businesses that require high levels of precision than in those that do not.
c) Some types of business will benefit more from automation of their manufacturing and processes than will other types.
d) Businesses involving packaging and shipping receive greater benefits in efficiency and lowered costs from automation than do other types of businesses.
e) Businesses involving high technology and complicated manufacturing are more suited to automation than those involving low-level technology and simple manufacturing.
Q4.The quote highlighted in the 3rd paragraph is most likely used to:
a) counter an opinion that the author believes is incorrect.
b) support the author’s belief in automation for increasing efficiency.
c) point out how poorly the author’s opponents have supported their position.
d) point out an inconsistency in a highly debatable viewpoint.
e) challenge the principle introduced in the 3rd paragraph.
Q5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about errors in manufacturing?
(A) They are an unavoidable problem in traditional manufacturing systems.
(B) They are the most important problem to fix through automation.
(C) They are an essential element for success when switching to automation from traditional manufacturing.
(D) They are a phenomenon found more often in traditional manufacturing than in automated manufacturing.
(E) They are an obstacle to increased efficiency and lower costs in traditional production.
参考答案： EACAE
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发表于 2021-6-14 08:30:57
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