OG2020每日閱讀訓練練習D13

Pistachio_lin

Hi 大家好, 閱讀打卡訓練第13天。

Materials/sources: OG2020

Passage:

    According to many analysts, labor-management relations in the United States are undergoing a fundamental change: traditional adversarialism is giving way to a new cooperative relationship between the two sides and even to concessions from labor. These analysts say the twin shocks of nonunion competition in this country and low-cost, high-quality imports from abroad are forcing unions to look more favorably at a variety of management demands: the need for wage restraint and reduced benefits as well as the abolition of “rigid” work rules, seniority rights, and job classifications.

    Sophisticated proponents of these new developments cast their observations in a prolabor light. In return for their concessions, they point out, some unions have bargained for profit sharing, retraining rights, and job¬-security guarantees. Unions can also trade concessions for more say on the shop floor, where techniques such as quality circles and quality-of-work-life programs promise workers greater control over their own jobs. Unions may even win a voice in investment and pricing strategy, plant location, and other major corporate policy decisions previously reserved to management.

    Opponents of these concessions from labor argue that such concessions do not save jobs, but either prolong the agony of dying plants or finance the plant relocations that employers had intended anyway. Companies make investment decisions to fit their strategic plans and their profit objectives, opponents point out, and labor costs are usually just a small factor in the equation. Moreover, unrestrained by either loyalty to their work force or political or legislative constraints on their mobility, the companies eventually cut and run, concessions or no concessions.

    Wage-related concessions have come under particular attack, since opponents believe that high union wages underlay much of the success of United States industry in this century. They point out that a long-standing principle, shared by both management and labor, has been that workers should earn wages that give them the income they need to buy what they make. Moreover, high wages have given workers the buying power to propel the economy forward. If proposals for pay cuts, two-tier wage systems, and subminimum wages for young workers continue to gain credence, opponents believe the U.S. social structure will move toward that of a less-developed nation: a small group of wealthy investors, a sizable but still minority bloc of elite professionals and highly skilled employees, and a huge mass of marginal workers and unskilled laborers. Further, they argue that if unions willingly engage in concession bargaining on the false grounds that labor costs are the source of a company's problems, unions will find themselves competing with Third World pay levels—a competition they cannot win.

簡化/思路:

    According to many analysts, labor-management relations in the United States are undergoing a fundamental change: traditional adversarialism is giving way to a new cooperative relationship between the two sides and even to concessions from labor. (說明有個轉變: 舊時代的對抗主義 -> 新合作關係與甚至勞工讓步)

    These analysts say the twin shocks of nonunion competition in this country and low-cost, high-quality imports from abroad are forcing unions to look more favorably at a variety of management demands: the need for wage restraint and reduced benefits as well as the abolition of “rigid” work rules, seniority rights, and job classifications. (轉變帶來什麼樣的變化: wage restraint, reduced benefits as well as the abolition of rigid work rules....)

    Sophisticated proponents of these new developments cast their observations in a prolabor light. (說明支持這樣的轉變的人)
    In return for their concessions, they point out, some unions have bargained for profit sharing, retraining rights, and job¬-security guarantees. Unions can also trade concessions for more say on the shop floor, where techniques such as quality circles and quality-of-work-life programs promise workers greater control over their own jobs. Unions may even win a voice in investment and pricing strategy, plant location, and other major corporate policy decisions previously reserved to management. (支持的原因, 好處)


    Opponents of these concessions from labor argue that such concessions do not save jobs, but either prolong the agony of dying plants or finance the plant relocations that employers had intended anyway. (引入反論, 原因, <不會secure job>, 只會讓要死的工廠延長痛苦與促進老闆去做他一直想做的遷廠)


    Companies make investment decisions to fit their strategic plans and their profit objectives, opponents point out, and labor costs are usually just a small factor in the equation. (資方做的任何事情都是去滿足對他們最有利的事情而且勞工薪水只是在資方算出最佳利益時的一個小因素)
    Moreover, unrestrained by either loyalty to their work force or political or legislative constraints on their mobility, the companies eventually cut and run, concessions or no concessions. (更具體的細節，說明上一句的邏輯: 不管怎麼樣，這公司都會砍掉員工繼續經營, 不論是否有勞工讓步)


    Wage-related concessions have come under particular attack, since opponents believe that high union wages underlay much of the success of United States industry in this century. (反對concession的人, 特別反對跟薪水有關的讓步; 並且說明原因)
    They point out that a long-standing principle, shared by both management and labor, has been that workers should earn wages that give them the income they need to buy what they make. Moreover, high wages have given workers the buying power to propel the economy forward. (這兩句用於支持前面那一句話-> opponent覺得薪水一旦下講了會讓United States industry得成功消失)

   If proposals for pay cuts, two-tier wage systems, and subminimum wages for young workers continue to gain credence, opponents believe the US social structure will move toward that of a less-developed nation: a small group of wealthy investors, a sizable but still minority bloc of elite professionals and highly skilled employees, and a huge mass of marginal workers and unskilled laborers.
(有個因果關係: 如果pay cuts continue to get credence, US social structure....)

    Further, they argue that if unions willingly engage in concession bargaining on the false grounds that labor costs are the source of a company's problems, unions will find themselves competing with Third World pay levels—a competition they cannot win. (同上一句, 繼續發展跟pay cuts有關的事: 如果工會一直覺得員工成本是company's problems. 那工會就會像是跟第三世界的勞工競爭: 一場他們不會贏的競爭)


段落總結:
第一段: 先引入勞資雙方的關係改變 -> 朝向cooperative relationship and concession from labor; 並說明這樣的變化從何而來
第二段: 贊成這樣改變的人, 以及他們贊成的原因
第三段: 反對這樣改變的人, 以及他們反對的原因
第四段: 進一步談反對的人, 他們在意什麼, 以及為什麼在意這個.


1. It can be inferred from the passage that opponents of labor concessions would most likely describe many plant-relocation decisions made by United States companies as

A. capricious

B. self-serving (定位第三段第一句: Opponents of these concessions from labor argue that such concessions do not save jobs, but either prolong the agony of dying plants or finance the plant relocations that employers had intended anyway; 引入反論句)

C. naive

D. impulsive

E. illogical

2. It can be inferred from the passage that, until recently, which of the following has been true of United States industry in the twentieth century?

A. Unions have consistently participated in major corporate policy decisions.

B. Maintaining adequate quality control in manufacturing processes has been a principal problem.

C. Union workers have been paid relatively high wages. (定位第四段: 反論者關注得部分:Wage-related concessions have come under particular attack, since opponents believe that high union wages underlay much of the success of United States industry in this century.)

D. Two-tier wage systems have been the norm.

E. Goods produced have been priced beyond the means of most workers.



3. The passage provides information to answer which of the following questions?

A. What has caused unions to consider wage restraints and reduced benefits?   (定位第一段: 解釋為什麼朝向concession & cooperative relationship:  These analysts say the twin shocks of nonunion competition in this country and low-cost, high-quality imports from abroad are forcing unions to look more favorably at a variety of management demands: the need for wage restraint and reduced benefits as well as the abolition of “rigid” work rules, seniority rights, and job classifications.)

B. Why do analysts study United States labor-management relations?

C. How do job-security guarantees operate?

D. Are investment and pricing strategies effective in combating imports?

E. Do quality circles improve product performance and value?

4. The passage is primarily concerned with the

A. reasons for adversarialism between labor and management

B. importance of cooperative labor-management relations

C. consequences of labor concessions to management (同大意分析: 先是說明了 為什麼贊成: 因為 -----; 接著說明反對: 因為 ------)

D. effects of foreign competition on the United States economy

E. effects of nonunion competition on union bargaining strategies

5. The sentence “If proposals for pay cuts … unskilled laborers” serves primarily to

A. disprove a theory

B. clarify an ambiguity

C. reconcile opposing views

D. present a hypothesis (說明一種如果 "pay cuts continue gain credence, 會發生什麼情況)

E. contradict accepted data


6. It can be inferred from the passage that opponents of labor concessions believe that if concession bargaining continues, then

A. plants will close instead of relocating

B. young workers will need continued job retraining

C. professional workers will outnumber marginal workers

D. wealthy investors will invest in Third World countries instead of the United States

E. the social structure of the United States will be negatively affected (最後一段說明了: opponents believe the US social structure will move toward that of a less-developed nation: a small group of wealthy investors, a sizable but still minority bloc of elite professionals and highly skilled employees, and a huge mass of marginal workers and unskilled laborers. * 同一個if clause出了兩題)

7. According to the author, “Sophisticated proponents” of concessions do which of the following?

A. Support the traditional adversarialism characteristic of labor-management relations.

B. Emphasize the benefits unions can gain by granting concessions. (同第二段分析, 那一段在說明為什麼要concession, concession可以帶給union works什麼好處)

C. Focus on thorough analyses of current economic conditions.

D. Present management's reasons for demanding concessions.

E. Explain domestic economic developments in terms of worldwide trends.




以上分析，希望大大們也能不吝分享意見，謝謝。

DoorbellDong

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