2017年MBA考研英語(yǔ)二閱讀理解真題及答案解析

2017年全國(guó)碩士研究生入學(xué)統(tǒng)一考試英語(yǔ)（二）

Section II Reading Comprehension

Part A

Directions：

Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. （40 points）

Text 1

Every Saturday morning, at 9 a.m., more than 50,000 runners set off to run 5km around their local park. The Parkrun phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400 events in the UK and more abroad. Events are free, staffed by thousands of volunteers. Runners range from four years old to grandparents; their times range from Andrew Baddeley's world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.

Parkrun is succeeding where London's Olympic “l(fā)egacy” is failing. Ten years ago on Monday, it was announced that the Games of the 30th Olympiad would be in London. Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be to level a nation of sport lovers away from their couches. The population would be fitter, healthier and produce more winners. It has not happened. The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise, by nearly 2 million in the run－up to 2012－but the general population was growing faster. Worse, the numbers are now falling at an accelerating rate. The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two hours of sport a week have nearly halved. Obesity has risen among adults and children. Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012 failed to “inspire a generation.” The success of Parkrun offers answers.

Parkun is not a race but a time trial: Your only competitor is the clock. The ethos welcomes anybody. There is as much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over the line as there is about top talent shining. The Olympic bidders, by contrast, wanted to get more people doing sports and to produce more elite athletes. The dual aim was mixed up: The stress on success over taking part was intimidating for newcomers.

Indeed, there is something a little absurd in the state getting involved in the planning of such a fundamentally “grassroots”, concept as community sports associations. If there is a role for government, it should really be getting involved in providing common goods－making sure there is space for playing fields and the money to pave tennis and netball courts, and encouraging the provision of all these activities in schools. But successive governments have presided over selling green spaces, squeezing money from local authorities and declining attention on sport in education. Instead of wordy, worthy strategies, future governments need to do more to provide the conditions for sport to thrive. Or at least not make them worse.

21. According to Paragraph1, Parkrun has_____.

A．gained great popularityB．created many jobs

C．strengthened community tiesD．become an official festival 22. The author believes that London's Olympic "legacy" has failed to_____.

A．boost population growthB．promote sport participation

C．improve the city's imageD．increase sport hours in schools

23. Parkrun is different from Olympic games in that it_____.

A．a(chǎn)ims at discovering talentsB．focuses on mass competition

C．does not emphasize elitismD．does not attract first-timers 

24. With regard to mass sport, the author holds that governments should_____.

A．organize "grassroots" sports eventsB．supervise local sports associations

C．increase funds for sports clubsD．invest in public sports facilities 

25. The author's attitude to what UK governments have done for sports is_____.

A．Tolerant   B．Critical    C．Uncertain    D．sympathetic                                          

【答案解析】

21.[答案][A]gained great popularity

[解析]通過(guò)題干可以定位在第一段，可以通過(guò)，每天超過(guò)五萬(wàn)人跑步、引發(fā)了400場(chǎng)運(yùn)動(dòng)在英國(guó)和在國(guó)外等信息得知，公園跑很受歡迎。

22.[答案][B]promote sport participation

[解析]通過(guò)題干倫敦和奧林匹克遺產(chǎn)可以定位到第二段，題目問(wèn)的是倫敦奧運(yùn)會(huì)的遺產(chǎn)沒(méi)有做成什么事，題干中的failed to可以對(duì)應(yīng)第二段即使看到了failing，但并沒(méi)有答案。再往下看，倫敦奧運(yùn)會(huì)承諾，人口將會(huì)更健康、更多冠軍，但這并沒(méi)有發(fā)生，not happed才真正對(duì)應(yīng)failed to.

23.[答案][C]does not emphasize elitism

[解析]這道題定位在第三段的中間，奧林匹克的倡導(dǎo)者相反，想要更多的參與運(yùn)動(dòng)創(chuàng)造更多的精英。

24.[答案][D]invest in public sports facilities

[解析]提到大眾體育，作者認(rèn)為政府應(yīng)該投資公共的體育設(shè)施。政府在第四段的中間，講到政府應(yīng)該訓(xùn)練的空間、用錢去鋪設(shè)網(wǎng)球場(chǎng)。這里是答案的同意轉(zhuǎn)換。

25.[答案][B]Critical

[解析]答案為B。最后一段but轉(zhuǎn)折后說(shuō)，繼任的政府賣綠地、減少本地政府的預(yù)算同時(shí)減少在體育方面的關(guān)注度，所以持批判態(tài)度。

Text 2

With so much focus on children’s use of screens, it's easy for parents to forget about their own screen use. “Tech is designed to really suck on you in,” says Jenny Radesky in her study of digital play, "and digital products are there to promote maximal engagement. It makes it hard to disengage, and leads to a lot of bleed-over into the family routine.”

Radesky has studied the use of mobile phones and tablets at mealtimes by giving mother-child pairs a food-testing exercise. She found that mothers who sued devices during the exercise started 20 percent fewer verbal and 39 percent fewer nonverbal interactions with their children. During a separate observation, she saw that phones became a source of tension in the family. Parents would be looking at their emails while the children would be making excited bids for their attention.

Infants are wired to look at parents’ faces to try to understand their world, and if those faces are blank and unresponsive—as they often are when absorbed in a device－it can be extremely disconcerting foe the children. Radesky cites the “still face experiment” devised by developmental psychologist Ed Tronick in the 1970s. In it, a mother is asked to interact with her child in a normal way before putting on a blank expression and not giving them any visual social feedback; The child becomes increasingly distressed as she tries to capture her mother’s attention. “Parents don't have to be exquisitely parents at all times, but there needs to be a balance and parents need to be responsive and sensitive to a child’s verbal or nonverbal expressions of an emotional need,” says Radesky.

On the other hand, Tronick himself is concerned that the worries about kids' use of screens are born out of an “oppressive ideology that demands that parents should always be interacting” with their children: “It’s based on a somewhat fantasized, very white, very upper-middle-class ideology that says if you’re failing to expose your child to 30,000 words you are neglecting them.” Tronick believes that just because a child isn’t learning from the screen doesn’t mean there’s no value to it－particularly if it gives parents time to have a shower, do housework or simply have a break from their child. Parents, he says, can get a lot out of using their devices to speak to a friend or get some work out of the way. This can make them feel happier, which lets then be more available to their child the rest of the time.

26. According to Jenny Radesky, digital products are designed to ______.

A．simplify routine mattersB．a(chǎn)bsorb user attention

C．better interpersonal relationsD．increase work efficiency 

27. Radesky’s food-testing exercise shows that mothers’ use of devices ______.

A．takes away babies’ appetiteB．distracts children’s attention

C．slows down babies’ verbal developmentD．reduces mother-child communication 

28. Radesky’s cites the “still face experiment” to show that _______.

A．it is easy for children to get used to blank expressions

B．verbal expressions are unnecessary for emotional exchange

C．children are insensitive to changes in their parents’ mood

D．parents need to respond to children's emotional needs 

29. The oppressive ideology mentioned by Tronick requires parents to_______.

A．protect kids from exposure to wild fantasiesB．teach their kids at least 30,000 words a year

C．ensure constant interaction with their childrenD．remain concerned about kid's use of screens 

30. According to Tronick, kid’s use of screens may_______.

A．give their parents some free timeB．make their parents more creative

C．help them with their homeworkD．help them become more attentive

【答案解析】

26.【答案】[B]absorb user attention

【解析】由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞Jenny Radesky, 可以快速的定位到文中提到此人物的第一段第二行，接著題干中說(shuō)digital products are designed to..可以知道，考查的是數(shù)碼產(chǎn)品的目的，回歸到文中第一段第二行，可知Jenny Radesky說(shuō)了這樣一句話：Tech is designed to really suck on you in, and digital products are there to promote maximal engagement....電子產(chǎn)品就是為了促進(jìn)最大程度的參與性，由此可以得出答案B為了吸引用戶的注意力。其余選項(xiàng)在Jenny Radesky的話中都沒(méi)有體現(xiàn)。

27.【答案】[D]reduces mother-child communication 

【解析】由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞food-testing exercise, mother’s use of devices. 可以快速的定位到第二段第二行:She found that mothers who sued devices during the exercise started 20 percent fewer verbal and 39 percent fewer nonverbal interactions with their children. 從這里可以知道，母親使用手機(jī)會(huì)減少20%的語(yǔ)言交流機(jī)會(huì)，39%的非語(yǔ)言交流。由此可以得出答案為D.減少了母親和孩子之間的交流。

28.【答案】[D]parents need to respond to children's emotional needs 

【解析】本題目是具體細(xì)節(jié)題。題干中的關(guān)鍵詞Radesky和still face experiment定位到倒數(shù)第三段大寫R處，題目問(wèn)實(shí)驗(yàn)一定要找實(shí)驗(yàn)結(jié)論，結(jié)論在本段最后一句的but之后，這里提到了parents need be to responsive ...to...emotional need，父母需要對(duì)情感需求做出回應(yīng)。正確答案D是原文的原詞復(fù)現(xiàn)。干擾項(xiàng)A的blank expressions是原文實(shí)驗(yàn)里面的具體內(nèi)容，非實(shí)驗(yàn)表明;選項(xiàng)B是最后一句的個(gè)別詞干擾;選項(xiàng)C偷換概念，不是children are insensitive，而是parents。

29.【答案】[C]ensure constant interaction with their children

【解析】本題目為具體細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干的關(guān)鍵詞oppressive ideology和大寫字母Tronick定位到最后一段的第一句話that之后。本句that后的demands對(duì)應(yīng)題干的requires，說(shuō)道“父母應(yīng)該總是要交流”。正確選項(xiàng)C的constant interaction對(duì)應(yīng)原文的always interacting。干擾項(xiàng)A的fantasies是定位句下一句中的個(gè)別詞干擾;選項(xiàng)B的30000words同樣是定位句之后的句子中提到的，而且是if的一個(gè)條件句;選項(xiàng)D的concerned是末段首句的concerned，但是偷換概念。

30.【答案】[A]give their parents some free time

【解析】本題目為文中人物觀點(diǎn)的細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干中的大寫字母Tronick及關(guān)鍵詞kid定位到最后一段的倒數(shù)第三句，破折號(hào)后面解釋了kid’s use of screens的具體目的?！癷t gives parents time to...”與正確選項(xiàng)A完全一致，屬于原文的原詞復(fù)現(xiàn)。干擾項(xiàng)B的creative并未提及;選項(xiàng)C的homework根據(jù)原文的housework進(jìn)行干擾，原文是父母有時(shí)間做家務(wù)，而選項(xiàng)是幫助孩子做作業(yè);選項(xiàng)D的attentive并未提及。

Text 3

Today, widespread social pressure to immediately go to college in conjunction with increasingly high expectations in a fast-moving world often causes students to completely overlook the possibility of taking a gap year. After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn't it? And after going to school for 12 years, it doesn't feel natural to spend a year doing something that isn’t academic.

But while this may be true, it’s not a good enough reason to condemn gap years. There's always a constant fear of falling behind everyone else on the socially perpetuated “race to the finish line,” whether that be toward graduate school, medical school or lucrative career. But despite common misconceptions, a gap year does not hinder the success of academic pursuits－in fact, it probably enhances it.

Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not. Rather than pulling students back, a gap year pushes them ahead by preparing them for independence, new responsibilities and environmental changes－all things that first-year students often struggle with the most. Gap year experiences can lessen the blow when it comes to adjusting to college and being thrown into a brand new environment, making it easier to focus on academics and activities rather than acclimation blunders.

If you’re not convinced of the inherent value in taking a year off to explore interests, then consider its financial impact on future academic choices. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of college students end up changing their majors at least once. This isn’t surprising, considering the basic mandatory high school curriculum leaves students with a poor understanding of themselves listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but depending on the school, it can be costly to make up credits after switching too late in the game. At Boston College, for example, you would have to complete an extra year were you to switch to the nursing school from another department. Taking a gap year to figure things out initially can help prevent stress and save money later on.

31. One of the reasons for high-school graduates not taking a gap year is that_____.

A．they think it academically misleadingB．they have a lot of fun to expect in college

C．it feels strange to do differently from othersD．it seems worthless to take off-campus courses 

32. Studies from the US and Australia imply that taking a gap year helps_____.

A．keep students from being unrealisticB．lower risks in choosing careers

C．ease freshmen’s financial burdensD．relieve freshmen of pressures

33. The word “acclimation”（Line 8, Para. 3） is closest in meaning to_____.

A．AdaptationB．a(chǎn)pplication

C．MotivationD．competition 

34. A gap year may save money for students by helping them_____.

A．a(chǎn)void academic failuresB．establish long-term goals

C．switch to another collegeD．decide on the right major

35. The most suitable title for this text would be_____.

A．In Favor of the Gap YearB．The ABCs of the Gap Year

C．The Gap Year Comes BackD．The Gap Year: A Dilemma

【答案解析】

31.【答案】[C]it feels strange to do differently from others

【解析】題目問(wèn)的是高中畢業(yè)生不選擇間隔年原因之一是什么。根據(jù)題目中的high-school和gap year和定位到第一段第一句話。這句話后面一句的after all可以知道后面應(yīng)該是解釋理由了，After all, if everyone you know is going to college in the fall, it seems silly to stay back a year, doesn't it?這句話是說(shuō)如果大家秋天都上大學(xué)去了，你要是晚了一年看起來(lái)有點(diǎn)傻。這個(gè)句子等同于C選項(xiàng)中的feel strange to do differently from others，因此選C。

32.【答案】[D]relieve freshmen of pressures

【解析】根據(jù)題目中的study from the Australia and US可以定位到第三段第一句話Studies from the United States and Australia show that students who take a gap year are generally better prepared for and perform better in college than those who do not.。這句話明確說(shuō)了有間隔年的學(xué)生比沒(méi)有的要好，好在準(zhǔn)備和表現(xiàn)上。所以A：unrealistic和B：choosing career不對(duì)。第二句在表現(xiàn)好的更細(xì)致地方面進(jìn)行了描述：preparing them for independence獨(dú)立性, new responsibilities責(zé)任感 and environmental changes環(huán)境變化。緊隨的破折號(hào)后總結(jié)說(shuō)了這是 first-year students一年級(jí)學(xué)生 often struggle with the most常常有苦惱的。說(shuō)明最受益的是大學(xué)一年級(jí)學(xué)生，而整段都沒(méi)提過(guò)financial burdens，所以C不對(duì)。而D中的pressure是對(duì)前面內(nèi)容的概括性描述，因此答案是D。

33.【答案】[A]adaptation

【解析】這題根據(jù)題干中給的信息，到第三段最后一句中去找答案，Gap year experiences can...when it comes to adjusting to college..., making it easier to...rather than acclimation blunders.這個(gè)句子分兩部分，逗號(hào)+making分詞作狀語(yǔ)，從功能上是解釋補(bǔ)充說(shuō)明前面半句，所以間隔年的好處是能幫助新生調(diào)節(jié)適應(yīng)大學(xué)，而不用擔(dān)心acclimation 問(wèn)題，所以acclimation當(dāng)然就是適應(yīng)的意思了。因此A為正確答案。

34.【答案】[D]decide on the right major

【解析】文章最后一段第一句提到了consider its financial impact on future academic choices。Financial 對(duì)應(yīng)題干中的save money，而academic choices學(xué)術(shù)選擇可以排除A和B。根據(jù)最后一段第三句...students...listing one major on their college applications, but switching to another after taking college classes.所以第一句中的academic choices指的就是轉(zhuǎn)專業(yè)的事兒，因此選D。

35.【答案】[A]In Favor of the Gap Year

【解析】第二段第一句話But while this may be true, it's not a good enough reason to condemn gap years.就用but句說(shuō)明了全文就是想說(shuō)間隔年你值得擁有。而選項(xiàng)中只有A選項(xiàng)in favor of是持正面積極態(tài)度的，因此選A。

Text 4

Though often viewed as a problem for western states, the growing frequency of wildfires is a national concern because of its impact on federal tax dollars, says Professor Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology and management.

In 2015, the US Forest Service for the first time spent more than half of its $5.5 billion annual budget fighting fires－nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 years ago. In effect, fewer federal funds today are going towards the agency's other work－such as forest conservation, watershed and cultural resources management, and infrastructure upkeep－that affect the lives of all Americans.

Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going into construction in fire-prone districts. As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?

“It’s already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the whole country,” he says. We need to take a magnifying glass to that. Like, “Wait a minute, is this OK?”“Do we want instead to redirect those funds to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of the landscape?”

Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire, researchers say.

For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive. Over the past decade, the focus has been on climate change－h(huán)ow the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gases is leading to conditions that worsen fires.

While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the equation.

“The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked, and the interactions go both ways," he says. Failing to recognize that, he notes, leads to "an overly simplified view of what the solutions might be. Our perception of the problem and of what the solution is becomes very limited.”

At the same time, people continue to treat fire as an event that needs to be wholly controlled and unleashed only out of necessity, says Professor Balch at the University of Colorado. But acknowledging fire's inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial to developing the laws, policies, and practices that make it as safe as possible, she says.

“We’ve disconnected ourselves from living with fire,” Balch says. “It is really important to understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today.”

36. More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in 2015 they_____.

A．exhausted unprecedented management effortsB．consumed a record-high percentage of budget

C．severely damaged the ecology of western statesD．caused a huge rise of infrastructure expenditure 

37. Moritz calls for the use of "a magnifying glass" to _____.

A．raise more funds for fire-prone areasB．a(chǎn)void the redirection of federal money

C．find wildfire-free parts of the landscapeD．guarantee safer spending of public funds

38. While admitting that climate is a key element, Moritz notes that _____.

A．public debates have not settled yetB．fire-fighting conditions are improving

C．other factors should not be overlookedD．a(chǎn) shift in the view of fire has taken place 

39. The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing to _____.

A．discover the fundamental makeup of natureB．explore the mechanism of the human systems

C．maximize the role of landscape in human lifeD．understand the interrelations of man and nature 

40. Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should _____.

A．do away withB．come to terms with

C．pay a price forD．keep away from

【答案解析】

36.【答案】[B]consumed a record-high percentage of budget 

【解析】本題目是原因細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干的關(guān)鍵詞wildfires和national concern，以及時(shí)間詞2015，定位到第二段首句。本句提到US花費(fèi)了大量的budget，與選項(xiàng)B中的budget原詞復(fù)現(xiàn)，high是原文more than的同義轉(zhuǎn)化，consume同義替換原文spent。干擾項(xiàng)A的management是首段末句的人物Max Moritz的職位;選項(xiàng)C的western states是首段首句的though從句內(nèi)容，和題干無(wú)關(guān)，屬于答非所問(wèn);選項(xiàng)D的infrastructure是原文末尾的破折號(hào)里such as的內(nèi)容，兩個(gè)破折號(hào)里面一定不選。

37.【答案】[D]guarantee safer spending of public funds 

【解析】本題目為具體細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干的關(guān)鍵詞a magnifying glass和大寫字母Moritz定位到第四段第二句，目的就是最后一句。本句提到“to redirect those funds”，基金重新引導(dǎo)，本段首句也提及a huge problem from...public expenditure。正確答案D的guarantee safer spending是對(duì)這兩句的完全概括，討論公共基金更好的花費(fèi)問(wèn)題。干擾項(xiàng)A提到fund，但未說(shuō)raise more，添加無(wú)關(guān)內(nèi)容;選項(xiàng)B與原文剛好相反，不是avoid避免;選項(xiàng)C是對(duì)原文lower-hazard parts of the landscape的偷換概念。

38.【答案】[C]other factors should not be overlooked 

【解析】本題是文中人物觀點(diǎn)的細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干的關(guān)鍵詞climate is a key element及大寫字母Moritz定位到第7段的內(nèi)容。本句中Moritz提到“should not come at the expense of the equation”，不以平等的代價(jià)而來(lái)。正確答案A中的不應(yīng)該忽視其他因素是對(duì)本句的同義轉(zhuǎn)化與概括。干擾項(xiàng)A的public debates來(lái)自第6段的the focus但未提及settle的話題，也非本題定位句;干擾項(xiàng)B的conditions是第6段的最后一句conditions that worsen fires，偷換動(dòng)詞worsen與improving;選項(xiàng)D的a shift in the view of是出現(xiàn)在第五段，時(shí)態(tài)錯(cuò)誤，原文是would require，選項(xiàng)是has taken place。

39.【答案】[D]understand the interrelations of man and nature 

【解析】本題目為原因細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞simplified view Moritz定位到第8段的首句，“the human systems and the landscapes... are linked and the interactions go both ways”,人類與環(huán)境是相聯(lián)系的，并且是相互作用的。正確答案D的interactions是原文的原詞復(fù)現(xiàn)，man and nature同義替換原文的human... and landscapes。干擾項(xiàng)A原文未提及;選項(xiàng)B的human systems是原詞，但是并無(wú)mechanism偷換概念;選項(xiàng)C的landscape和human是原詞出現(xiàn)，但添加無(wú)關(guān)信息maximize。

40.【答案】[B]come to terms with 

【解析】本題目為文中人物觀點(diǎn)的細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干的大寫字母Professor Balch和fire，man定位到最后一段的最后一句，“important to understand...human connection with fire”，人與火之間的聯(lián)系。正確答案B的意思是達(dá)成協(xié)議，符合原文。干擾項(xiàng)A的do away with是廢除;選項(xiàng)C的pay a price for是付出代價(jià);選項(xiàng)D的keep away from遠(yuǎn)離。

Part B

Directions：

Read the following text and match each of the numbered items in the left column to its corresponding information in the right column. There are two extra choices in the right column. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. （10 points）

The decline in American manufacturing is a common refrain, particularly from Donald Trump. “We don't make anything anymore,” he told Fox News, while defending his own made-in-Mexico clothing line.

Without question, manufacturing has taken a significant hit during recent decades, and further trade deals raise questions about whether new shocks could hit manufacturing.

But there is also a different way to look at the data.Across the country, factory owners are now grappling with a new challenge: instead of having too many workers, they may end up with too few. Despite trade competition and outsourcing, American manufacturing still needs to replace tens of thousands of retiring boomers every years. Millennials may not be that interested in taking their place, other industries are recruiting them with similar or better pay.

For factory owners, it all adds up to stiff competition for workers－and upward pressure on wages. “They’re harder to find and they have job offers,” says Jay Dunwell, president of Wolverine Coil Spring, a family-owned firm, “They may be coming [into the workforce], but they've been plucked by other industries that are also doing an well as manufacturing,” Mr. Dunwell has begun bringing high school juniors to the factory so they can get exposed to its culture.

At RoMan Manufacturing, a maker of electrical transformers and welding equipment that his father cofounded in 1980, Robert Roth keep a close eye on the age of his nearly 200 workers, five are retiring this year. Mr. Roth has three community-college students enrolled in a work-placement program, with a starting wage of $13 an hour that rises to $17 after two years.

At a worktable inside the transformer plant, young Jason Stenquist looks flustered by the copper coils he's trying to assemble and the arrival of two visitors. It's his first week on the job. Asked about his choice of career, he says at high school he considered medical school before switching to electrical engineering. "I love working with tools. I love creating." he says.

But to win over these young workers, manufacturers have to clear another major hurdle: parents, who lived through the worst US economic downturn since the Great Depression, telling them to avoid the factory. Millennials "remember their father and mother both were laid off. They blame it on the manufacturing recession," says Birgit Klohs, chief executive of The Right Place, a business development agency for western Michigan.

These concerns aren’t misplaced: Employment in manufacturing has fallen from 17 million in 1970 to 12 million in 2013. When the recovery began, worker shortages first appeared in the high-skilled trades. Now shortages are appearing at the mid-skill levels.

“The gap is between the jobs that take to skills and those that require a lot of skill," says Rob Spohr, a business professor at Montcalm Community College. "There're enough people to fill the jobs at McDonalds and other places where you don't need to have much skill. It's that gap in between, and that's where the problem is.”

Julie Parks of Grand Rapids Community points to another key to luring Millennials into manufacturing: a work/life balance. While their parents were content to work long hours, young people value flexibility. “Overtime is not attractive to this generation. They really want to live their lives,” she says.

【答案解析】

41.【答案】E

【解析】根據(jù)題干人名Jay 定位文中“They’re harder to find and they have job offers,”他們很難發(fā)現(xiàn)他們有工作邀請(qǐng)。harder對(duì)應(yīng)選項(xiàng) stiff(艱難地)。

42.【答案】A

【解析】根據(jù)題干人名Jason Stenquist對(duì)應(yīng)文中“I love working with tools. I love creating,” he says.我愛(ài)與工具打交道，我喜歡創(chuàng)新，tool對(duì)應(yīng)選項(xiàng)tool.

43.【答案】G

【解析】根據(jù)題干人名Birgit Klohs, 定位文中“remember their father and mother both were laid off. They blame it on the manufacturing recession,”記住他們的爸爸媽媽都下崗了，他們歸因于生產(chǎn)蕭條。文中blame對(duì)應(yīng)選項(xiàng)blame.

44.【答案】B

【解析】根據(jù)人名Rob Spohr,對(duì)應(yīng)文中 The gap is between the jobs that take no skills and those that require a lot of skill,” says Rob Spohr, 工作之間的差距是那個(gè)不需要技能，而那些需要很多技能。文中skill對(duì)應(yīng)選項(xiàng)skill(技能)。

45.【答案】F

【解析】題干問(wèn)Julie的觀點(diǎn)，對(duì)應(yīng)文中“We’ve never had so much attention from manufacturers.”我從沒(méi)有得到過(guò)這么多來(lái)自制造商的注意，attraction對(duì)應(yīng)選項(xiàng)attract(吸引)