天山-3-33

xionghuixh

Whereas United States eco-
nomic productivity grew at an annual
rate of 3 percent from 1945 to 1965,
Line it has grown at an annual rate of
(5) only about 1 percent since the early
1970’s. What might be preventing
higher productivity growth? Clearly,
the manufacturing sector of the
economy cannot be blamed. Since
(10) 1980, productivity improvements
in manufacturing have moved the
United States from a position of
acute decline in manufacturing
to one of world prominence.
(15) Manufacturing, however, consti-
tutes a relatively small proportion
of the economy. In 1992, goods-
producing businesses employed
only 19.1 percent of American
(20) workers, whereas service-producing
businesses employed 70 percent.
Although the service sector has
grown since the late 1970’s, its
productivity growth has declined.
(25) Several explanations have been
offered for this decline and for the
discrepancy in productivity growth
between the manufacturing and
service sectors. One is that tra-
(30) ditional measures fail to reflect
service-sector productivity growth
because ii it  has been concentrated

in improved quality of services.
Yet traditional measures of manu-
(35) facturing productivity have shown
significant increases despite the
undermeasurement of quality,
whereas service productivity has
continued to stagnate. Others argue
(40) that since the 1970’s, manufacturing
workers, faced with strong foreign
competition, have learned to work
more efficiently in order to keep their
jobs in the United States, but serviceworkers, who are typically under
less global competitive pressure,
have not. However, the pressure on
manufacturing workers in the United
States to work more efficiently has
(50) generally been overstated, often
for political reasons. In fact, while
some manufacturing jobs have been
lost due to foreign competition, many
more have been lost simply because
(55) of slow growth in demand for manu-
factured goods.
Yet another explanation blames
the federal budget deficit: if it were
lower, interest rates would be lower
(60) too, thereby increasing investment
in the development of new technol-
ogies, which would spur productivity
growth in the service sector. There
is, however, no dearth of techno-
(65) logical resources; rather, managers
in the service sector fail to take
advantage of widely available skills
and machines. High productivity
growth levels attained by leading-
(70) edge service companies indicate
that service-sector managers
who wisely implement available
technology and choose skillful
workers can significantly improve
(75) their companies’ productivity.
The culprits for service-sector
productivity stagnation are the
forces—such as corporate
takeovers and unnecessary
(80) governmental regulation—that
distract managers from the task
of making optimal use of available
resources.
--------------

问:-it  has been concentrated

中it 是指什么?逻辑上好像是指measures, 可是语法上却不一致????????-----------------------------------------------------------------

helenefz

难道是ETS出错了?

helenefz

我顺道来问第33题。

Q33:

Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the budget-deficit explanation for the iscrepancy mentioned in line 27?

A. Research shows that the federal budget deficit has traditionally caused service

companies to invest less money in research and development of new technologies.

B. New technologies have been shown to play a significant role in companies that

have been able to increase their service productivity.

C. In both the service sector and manufacturing, productivity improvements are

concentrated in gains in quality.

D. The service sector typically requires larger investments in new technology in

order to maintain productivity growth than dose manufacturing.

E. High interest rates tend to slow the growth of manufacturing productivity as much

as they slow the growth of service-sector productivity in the United States.

答案选E。

Yet another explanation blames
the federal budget deficit: if it were
lower, interest rates would be lower
(60) too, thereby increasing investment
in the development of new technol-
ogies, which would spur productivity
growth in the service sector.

文章说budget deficit lower导致interest rates lower,最后productivity growth in the service sector。E从哪里weaken,我觉得倒像加强。

hotdog55

The discrepancy mentioned in Line 27: In 1992, goods-producing businesses employed only 19.1 percent of American (20) workers, whereas service-producing businesses employed 70 percent.


E. High interest rates tend to slow the growth of manufacturing productivity as much asthey slow the growth of service-sector productivity in the UnitedStates. => Since high interest rates affect both menufacturing andservice sectors, it does not explain the discrepancy.

helenefz

thank you

longvacation

Q35:

It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of the United

States manufacturing sector in the years immediately prior to 1980?

A. It was performing relatively poorly.

B. It was in a position of world prominence.

C. It was increasing its productivity at an annual rate of 3 percent.

D. It was increasing its productivity at an annual rate of 1 percent.

E. Its level of productivity was higher than afterward.

Answer:a

why not e?

ddmm2002

以下是引用longvacation在2005-2-22 14:15:00的发言：

Q35:

It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following was true of the United

States manufacturing sector in the years immediately prior to 1980?

A. It was performing relatively poorly.

B. It was in a position of world prominence.

C. It was increasing its productivity at an annual rate of 3 percent.

D. It was increasing its productivity at an annual rate of 1 percent.

E. Its level of productivity was higher than afterward.

Answer:a

why not e?

Since

(10) 1980, productivity improvements

in manufacturing have moved the

United States from a position of

acute decline in manufacturing

to one of world prominence.

l18david

Q36

The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following

statements about productivity improvements in United States service companies?

A. Such improvements would be largely attributable to efficiencies resulting from

corporate takeovers.

B. Such improvements would depend more on wise implementation of technology

than on mangers’ choice of skilled workers.

C. Such improvements would be more easily accomplished if there were fewer

governmental regulations of the service sector.

D. Such improvements would require companies to invest heavily in the

development of new technologies.

E. Such improvements would be attributable primarily to companies’ facing global

competitive pressure.

Answer: C

我选B

文章中似乎没提到regulations耶~

zhbeaner

以下是引用l18david在2005-3-27 22:01:00的发言：
Q36

The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following

statements about productivity improvements in United States service companies?

A. Such improvements would be largely attributable to efficiencies resulting from

corporate takeovers.

B. Such improvements would depend more on wise implementation of technology

than on mangers’ choice of skilled workers.

C. Such improvements would be more easily accomplished if there were fewer

governmental regulations of the service sector.

D. Such improvements would require companies to invest heavily in the

development of new technologies.

E. Such improvements would be attributable primarily to companies’ facing global

competitive pressure.

Answer: C

我选B

文章中似乎没提到regulations耶~

这个偶一开始也选错了，直接就把Ｃ排除了．唉！

The culprits for service-sector
productivity stagnation are the
forces—such as corporate
takeovers and unnecessary
(80) governmental regulation—that
distract managers from the task
of making optimal use of available
resources.

blurb

Q36

The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following

statements about productivity improvements in United States service companies?

A. Such improvements would be largely attributable to efficiencies resulting from

corporate takeovers.

B. Such improvements would depend more on wise implementation of technology

than on mangers’ choice of skilled workers.

C. Such improvements would be more easily accomplished if there were fewer

governmental regulations of the service sector.

D. Such improvements would require companies to invest heavily in the

development of new technologies.

E. Such improvements would be attributable primarily to companies’ facing global

competitive pressure.

Answer: C
then why not "D", at the beginnig of 2nd paragraph, it's said

Yet another explanation blames
the federal budget deficit: if it were
lower, interest rates would be lower
(60) too, thereby increasing investment
in the development of new technol-
ogies, which would spur productivity
growth in the service sector.