Robots are getting better at doing human jobs. That's probably good for the economy—but there are some serious downsides, too.
Machines are expected to displace about 20 million manufacturing jobs across the world over the next decade, according to a report released by Oxford Economics, a global forecasting and quantitative analysis firm.
That means about 8.5% of the global manufacturing workforce could be displaced by robots. The report also notes that the move to robots tends to create new jobs as fast as it automates them; however, it could contribute to income inequality. The use of robots is on the rise: at this point, every new robot that is installed (安装) displaces 1.6 manufacturing workers on average, according to the Oxford Economic model.
Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers, in part because of the falling costs of machines. And they are increasingly capable of functioning in more complex processes and varied contexts. On top of that, the demand for manufactured goods is rising.
One potential downsize to the robot revolution: automation could increase income inequality. "This great displacement will not be evenly distributed around the world, or within countries," according to the report. "Our research shows that the negative effects of robotization are disproportionately (不成比例地) felt in the lower-income regions compared with higher-income regions of the same country."
The workers who drive knowledge and innovation within the manufacturing industry tend to be concentrated in larger cities, and those skills are harder to automate. That's why urban areas will deal better with the increased automation, according to the report.
On the whole, the increased use of automation will likely create new jobs at a pace comparable to the jobs that will be lost, which cancels out fears about permanent job destruction, according to the Oxford study. That said, the poorer regions that are expected to lose the most jobs will probably not benefit equally from this new job creation due to a gap in skills. That will lead to increased income inequality between cities and rural areas, as well as between regions.
1．What "downside" does the author mainly discuss?
A．People will not be able to find jobs in the future.
B．Robots will finally take the place of people.
C．Displacement by robots will increase income inequality.
D．Robots are becoming cheaper than many human workers.
2．What do the workers need to do to compete with robots in the future?
A．To make robots help them with the harder work.
B．To improve their innovative ability and knowledge.
C．To move to larger cities or more developed countries.
D．To make their skills faster and easier to be automated.
3．What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A．The increased use of automation will create more jobs.
B．People needn't worry about permanent job destruction.
C．The poorer countries will not benefit from automation.
D．The income gap between cities and rural regions will widen.
4．What can we conclude from the passage?
A．Robots should be banned in the future because of the disadvantages.
B．Robots can do more and better than humans in complicated processes.
C．The increasing need for manufactured goods partly contributes to robotization.
D．The negative effects of robotization will be evenly distributed around the world.
【答案】
1．C
2．B
3．D
4．C
【分析】
这是一篇议论文。文章主要讲述了机器人越来越擅长做人类的工作。这可能对经济有好处，但也有一些严重的负面影响。
1．
细节理解题。根据文章第五段“One potential downsize to the robot revolution: automation could increase income inequality.”（机器人革命的一个潜在缩减:自动化可能会加剧收入不平等。）可知，机器人的替代将加剧收入不平等。故选C。
2．
细节理解题。根据文章第六段“The workers who drive knowledge and innovation within the manufacturing industry tend to be concentrated in larger cities, and those skills are harder to automate. That's why urban areas will deal better with the increased automation, according to the report.”（在制造业中推动知识和创新的工人往往集中在较大的城市，而这些技能更难实现自动化。报告称，这就是为什么城市地区将更好地应对自动化程度提高的原因。）可知，工人需要提高他们的创新能力和知识，以在未来与机器人竞争。故选B。
3．
主旨大意题。根据文章最后一段“That will lead to increased income inequality between cities and rural areas, as well as between regions.”（这将导致城市和农村以及地区之间的收入不平等加剧。）可知，最后一段主要讲述了城乡收入差距进一步扩大。故选D。
4．
推理判断题。根据文章第四段“On top of that, the demand for manufactured goods is rising.”（除此之外，对制成品的需求也在上升。）可推知，对制成品日益增长的需求在一定程度上推动了机器人化。故选C。
