题目
Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates caught people's eye in a recent interview，when he suggested that robots should be taxed in order to help humans keep their jobs.Gates is only one of many people in the tech world who have worried about（1） ____ and its threat to workers. It's easy to see why the tech world is（2） ____ .The rise of machine learning has increased the fear that（3） ____ humans could simply become out of date--（4） ____ ，3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks.Though in the past，technology usually complemented workers（5） ____ replacing them，there's no law of nature （自然法则） saying the technology of the future will work the same.A few economists even claim that cheap automation has already（6） ____ income from workers to company owners. Another（7） ____ is that even if the mass of humanity ultimately does find new ways to add value by complementing new technology-to "race with the machines，" as economist Erik Brynjofsson puts it-this transition could take a long time and hurt a lot of people.As Bloomberg View's Tyler Cowen has noted，wages in Britain fell for four decades at the start of the Industrial Revolution.More（8） ____ ，we've seen very slow and painful adjustment to the impact of globalization.If the machine learning revolution hurts workers for 40 years before ultimately helping them，it might be worth it to（9） ____ that revolution and give them time to adjust. The main argument against taxing the robots is that it might hold back（10） ____ .Growth in rich countries has slowed markedly in the past decade，suggesting that it's getting harder and harder to find new ways of doing things.Stagnating（停滞的） productivity，combined with falling business investment，suggests that（11） ____ of new technology is currently too slow rather than too fast the biggest problem right now isn't too many robots，it's too few.Taxing new technology，however it's done，could make that slowdown worse. The problem with Gate's basic（12） ____ is that it's very hard to tell the difference between new technology that complement humans and new technology that replaces them.This is especially true over the long term.Power looms（织布机）replaced human weavers back in the Industrial Revolution.（13） ____ ，people eventually became more productive，by learning to operate those looms.If taxes had slowed the development of power looms，the eventual （最终的） improvements would have come later. This is a powerful argument（14） ____ the taxation of automation.Gates is right to say that we should start thinking ahead of time about how to use policy to mitigate（缓和）the unintended consequences of automation.But given the importance of sustaining innovation，we should look at（15） ____ policies. （1）A.sanitation B.automation C.meditation D.dedication （2）A.furious B.worried C.intolerant D.thrilling （3）A.few B.several C.many D.any （4）A.in other words B.for example C.of course D.by contrast （5）A.in case of B.because of C.in face of D.instead of （6）A.distracted B.perceived C.prompted D.swallowed （7）A.panic B.empathy C.adjustment D.vision （8）A.possibly B.recently C.primarily D.normally （9）A.slow down B.bring up C.burn out D.light up （10）A.modernism B.succession C.evacuation D.innovation （11）A.persuasion B.adoption C.interruption D.elimination （12）A.proposal B.moral C.gratitude D.misfortune （13）A.However B.Therefore C.onsequently D.Furthermore （14）A.from B.against C.by D.besides （15）A.random B.stimulating C.persistent D.alternative
Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates caught people's eye in a recent interview，when he suggested that robots should be taxed in order to help humans keep their jobs.Gates is only one of many people in the tech world who have worried about（1） ____ and its threat to workers.
It's easy to see why the tech world is（2） ____ .The rise of machine learning has increased the fear that（3） ____ humans could simply become out of date--（4） ____ ，3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks.Though in the past，technology usually complemented workers（5） ____ replacing them，there's no law of nature （自然法则） saying the technology of the future will work the same.A few economists even claim that cheap automation has already（6） ____ income from workers to company owners.
Another（7） ____ is that even if the mass of humanity ultimately does find new ways to add value by complementing new technology-to "race with the machines，" as economist Erik Brynjofsson puts it-this transition could take a long time and hurt a lot of people.As Bloomberg View's Tyler Cowen has noted，wages in Britain fell for four decades at the start of the Industrial Revolution.More（8） ____ ，we've seen very slow and painful adjustment to the impact of globalization.If the machine learning revolution hurts workers for 40 years before ultimately helping them，it might be worth it to（9） ____ that revolution and give them time to adjust.
The main argument against taxing the robots is that it might hold back（10） ____ .Growth in rich countries has slowed markedly in the past decade，suggesting that it's getting harder and harder to find new ways of doing things.Stagnating（停滞的） productivity，combined with falling business investment，suggests that（11） ____ of new technology is currently too slow rather than too fast the biggest problem right now isn't too many robots，it's too few.Taxing new technology，
however it's done，could make that slowdown worse.
The problem with Gate's basic（12） ____ is that it's very hard to tell the difference between new technology that complement humans and new technology that replaces them.This is especially true over the long term.Power looms（织布机）replaced human weavers back in the Industrial Revolution.（13） ____ ，people eventually became more productive，by learning to operate those looms.If taxes had slowed the development of power looms，the eventual （最终的） improvements would have come later.
This is a powerful argument（14） ____ the taxation of automation.Gates is right to say that we should start thinking ahead of time about how to use policy to mitigate（缓和）the unintended consequences of automation.But given the importance of sustaining innovation，we should look at（15） ____ policies.
It's easy to see why the tech world is（2） ____ .The rise of machine learning has increased the fear that（3） ____ humans could simply become out of date--（4） ____ ，3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks.Though in the past，technology usually complemented workers（5） ____ replacing them，there's no law of nature （自然法则） saying the technology of the future will work the same.A few economists even claim that cheap automation has already（6） ____ income from workers to company owners.
Another（7） ____ is that even if the mass of humanity ultimately does find new ways to add value by complementing new technology-to "race with the machines，" as economist Erik Brynjofsson puts it-this transition could take a long time and hurt a lot of people.As Bloomberg View's Tyler Cowen has noted，wages in Britain fell for four decades at the start of the Industrial Revolution.More（8） ____ ，we've seen very slow and painful adjustment to the impact of globalization.If the machine learning revolution hurts workers for 40 years before ultimately helping them，it might be worth it to（9） ____ that revolution and give them time to adjust.
The main argument against taxing the robots is that it might hold back（10） ____ .Growth in rich countries has slowed markedly in the past decade，suggesting that it's getting harder and harder to find new ways of doing things.Stagnating（停滞的） productivity，combined with falling business investment，suggests that（11） ____ of new technology is currently too slow rather than too fast the biggest problem right now isn't too many robots，it's too few.Taxing new technology，
however it's done，could make that slowdown worse.
The problem with Gate's basic（12） ____ is that it's very hard to tell the difference between new technology that complement humans and new technology that replaces them.This is especially true over the long term.Power looms（织布机）replaced human weavers back in the Industrial Revolution.（13） ____ ，people eventually became more productive，by learning to operate those looms.If taxes had slowed the development of power looms，the eventual （最终的） improvements would have come later.
This is a powerful argument（14） ____ the taxation of automation.Gates is right to say that we should start thinking ahead of time about how to use policy to mitigate（缓和）the unintended consequences of automation.But given the importance of sustaining innovation，we should look at（15） ____ policies.
| （1）A.sanitation | B.automation | C.meditation | D.dedication |
| （2）A.furious | B.worried | C.intolerant | D.thrilling |
| （3）A.few | B.several | C.many | D.any |
| （4）A.in other words | B.for example | C.of course | D.by contrast |
| （5）A.in case of | B.because of | C.in face of | D.instead of |
| （6）A.distracted | B.perceived | C.prompted | D.swallowed |
| （7）A.panic | B.empathy | C.adjustment | D.vision |
| （8）A.possibly | B.recently | C.primarily | D.normally |
| （9）A.slow down | B.bring up | C.burn out | D.light up |
| （10）A.modernism | B.succession | C.evacuation | D.innovation |
| （11）A.persuasion | B.adoption | C.interruption | D.elimination |
| （12）A.proposal | B.moral | C.gratitude | D.misfortune |
| （13）A.However | B.Therefore | C.onsequently | D.Furthermore |
| （14）A.from | B.against | C.by | D.besides |
| （15）A.random | B.stimulating | C.persistent | D.alternative |
题目解答
答案
（1）B.考查名词及语境理解。A.sanitation环境卫生；B.automation自动化；C.meditation沉思；D.dedication献身。句意：科技界有许多人担心自动化及其对工人的威胁，盖茨只是其中之一。根据上文"when he suggested that robots should be taxed in order to help humans keep their jobs. "可知，盖茨建议对机器人征税是为了保住大家的工作，所以科技界同样有很多人持同样观点，即担心机器自动化（automation）对工人的威胁。故选B项。
（2）B.考查形容词及语境理解。A.furious狂怒地的；B.worried担心的；C.intolerant无法忍受的；D.thrilling可怕的。句意：很容易看出科技界为什么会担心。根据上文" Gates is only one of many people in the tech world who have worried about "可知，这里是指科技界的担忧（worried）。故选B项。
（3）C.考查形容词及语境理解。A.few几乎没有；B.several一些，几个；C.many许多的；D.any任何的。句意：机器学习的兴起增加了人们的担忧，即许多人可能会变得落伍——例如，350万美国卡车司机可能很快就会发现他们的工作受到无人驾驶卡车的威胁。根据下文" 3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks. "可知，这里是指很多（many）人可能都会变得落伍。故选C项。
（4）B.考查介词短语及语境理解。A.in other words换句话说；B.for example例如；C.of course当然；D.by contrast相比之下。句意：机器学习的兴起增加了人们的担忧，即许多人可能会变得落伍——例如，350万美国卡车司机可能很快就会发现他们的工作受到无人驾驶卡车的威胁。根据上文"humans could simply become out of date"和下文"3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks"可知，下文是对上文的举例，空处表示"例如（for example）"。故选B项。
（5）D.考查介词短语及语境理解。A.in case of以防；B.because of因为；C.in face of面对；D.instead of代替。句意：尽管在过去，技术通常是工人的补充，而不是取代他们，没有自然法则说未来的技术会起同样的作用。根据上文"Though in the past，technology usually complemented workers"可知，技术通常是工人的补充，而不是（ instead of）取代他们，前后为转折关系。故选D项。
（6）A.考查动词及语境理解。A.distracted转移，使分散；B.perceived感知，认为；C.prompted提示，引起；D.swallowed吞。句意：一些经济学家甚至声称，廉价的自动化已经将收入从工人转移到了公司所有者身上。根据上文"cheap automation"以及下文" from workers to company owners"可知，便宜的劳动力可以降低工人的收入，因此也就可以讲收入从工人转移（distracted）带公司老板身上。故选A项。
（7）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.panic恐慌；B.empathy共鸣；C.adjustment调整；D.vision视野。句意：另一个恐慌是，即使人类大众最终找到了通过补充新技术来增加价值的新方法——正如经济学家埃里克•布林约夫松（Erik Brynjofsson）所说的"与机器赛跑"——这种转变可能需要很长时间，并伤害很多人。根据上文"A few economists even claim that cheap automation has already （6）income from workers to company owners."可知，这里实在谈另一个廉价自动化给人们到来的恐慌（panic）。故选A项。
（8）B.考查副词及语境理解。A.possibly可能地；B.recently最近地；C.primarily首要地；D.normally正常地。句意：最近，我们看到了对全球化影响的缓慢而痛苦的调整。根据下文"we've seen very slow and painful adjustment to the impact of globalization."可知，空处应填recently，完成时的标志，同时根据句意可知，这是近来（recently）观察到的结果。故选B项。
（9）A.考查动词短语及语境理解。A.slow down减缓；B.bring up提出，养育；C.burn out烧尽；D.light up点亮。句意：如果机器学习革命在最终帮助工人之前对他们造成了40年的伤害，那么放慢这场革命的速度，给它们时间调整或许是值得的。根据下文"and give them time to adjust."可知，给它们时间去调整也就是要放慢（slow down）这场革命的速度。故选A项。
（10）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.modernism现代主义；B.succession继承；C.evacuation撤离，疏散；D.innovation创新。句意：反对机器人征税的主要论点是，这可能会阻碍现代主义。根据下文"Taxing new technology，however it's done，could make that slowdown worse."可知，对新技术征税，不管它是怎么做的，都可能使经济放缓变得更糟，也就是说惠阻碍现代主义（modernism）发展进程。故选A项。
（11）B.考查名词及语境理解。A.persuasion说服；B.adoption采用，领养；C.interruption打断；D.elimination消除，淘汰。句意：生产率停滞不前，加上商业投资下降，表明目前新技术的采用速度太慢，而不是太快----目前最大的问题不是机器人太多，而是太少。根据下文"of new technology is currently too slow rather than too fast"可知，这里是指对新技术的运用或采用（adoption）。故选B项。
（12）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.proposal提出，提议；B.moral道德标准；C.gratitude感激；D.misfortune不幸。句意：盖茨的基本建议的问题在于，很难区分补充人类的新技术和取代人类的新技术之间的区别。根据下文"it's very hard to tell the difference between new technology that complement humans and new technology that replaces them. "可知，这里是一个盖茨提出（proposal）的问题。故选A项。
（13）A.考查副词及语境理解。A.However然而；B.Therefore因此；C.Consequently结果；D.Furthermore而且。句意：然而，通过学习操作织布机，人们最终提高了生产率。根据上句"This is especially true over the long term.Power looms（织布机）replaced human weavers back in the Industrial Revolution. "可知，这里是指，虽然在工业革命时期，电动织机取代了人工织布，但提高了生产率，所以是转折关系，应用However表示。故选A项。
（14）B.考查介词及语境理解。A.from从；B.against反对；C.by通过；D.besides除外。句意：这是反对自动化征税的有力论据。根据上文" If taxes had slowed the development of power looms，the eventual （最终的） improvements would have come later."可知，如果税收减缓了电力织机的发展，最终生产率的改善将会来得更晚，这个例子是反对（against）自动化征税的有利论证。故选B项。
（15）D.考查形容词及语境理解。A.random任意的；B.stimulating使人兴奋的；C.persistent坚持不懈的；D.alternative替代的。句意：但考虑到持续创新的重要性，我们应该考虑替代政策。根据上文"But given the importance of sustaining innovation"可知，考虑到持续创新的重要性，作者是不赞成盖茨的提议，所以希望寻求可替代的（alternative）政策。故选D项。
（2）B.考查形容词及语境理解。A.furious狂怒地的；B.worried担心的；C.intolerant无法忍受的；D.thrilling可怕的。句意：很容易看出科技界为什么会担心。根据上文" Gates is only one of many people in the tech world who have worried about "可知，这里是指科技界的担忧（worried）。故选B项。
（3）C.考查形容词及语境理解。A.few几乎没有；B.several一些，几个；C.many许多的；D.any任何的。句意：机器学习的兴起增加了人们的担忧，即许多人可能会变得落伍——例如，350万美国卡车司机可能很快就会发现他们的工作受到无人驾驶卡车的威胁。根据下文" 3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks. "可知，这里是指很多（many）人可能都会变得落伍。故选C项。
（4）B.考查介词短语及语境理解。A.in other words换句话说；B.for example例如；C.of course当然；D.by contrast相比之下。句意：机器学习的兴起增加了人们的担忧，即许多人可能会变得落伍——例如，350万美国卡车司机可能很快就会发现他们的工作受到无人驾驶卡车的威胁。根据上文"humans could simply become out of date"和下文"3.5 million American truck drivers might soon find their jobs threatened by driverless trucks"可知，下文是对上文的举例，空处表示"例如（for example）"。故选B项。
（5）D.考查介词短语及语境理解。A.in case of以防；B.because of因为；C.in face of面对；D.instead of代替。句意：尽管在过去，技术通常是工人的补充，而不是取代他们，没有自然法则说未来的技术会起同样的作用。根据上文"Though in the past，technology usually complemented workers"可知，技术通常是工人的补充，而不是（ instead of）取代他们，前后为转折关系。故选D项。
（6）A.考查动词及语境理解。A.distracted转移，使分散；B.perceived感知，认为；C.prompted提示，引起；D.swallowed吞。句意：一些经济学家甚至声称，廉价的自动化已经将收入从工人转移到了公司所有者身上。根据上文"cheap automation"以及下文" from workers to company owners"可知，便宜的劳动力可以降低工人的收入，因此也就可以讲收入从工人转移（distracted）带公司老板身上。故选A项。
（7）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.panic恐慌；B.empathy共鸣；C.adjustment调整；D.vision视野。句意：另一个恐慌是，即使人类大众最终找到了通过补充新技术来增加价值的新方法——正如经济学家埃里克•布林约夫松（Erik Brynjofsson）所说的"与机器赛跑"——这种转变可能需要很长时间，并伤害很多人。根据上文"A few economists even claim that cheap automation has already （6）income from workers to company owners."可知，这里实在谈另一个廉价自动化给人们到来的恐慌（panic）。故选A项。
（8）B.考查副词及语境理解。A.possibly可能地；B.recently最近地；C.primarily首要地；D.normally正常地。句意：最近，我们看到了对全球化影响的缓慢而痛苦的调整。根据下文"we've seen very slow and painful adjustment to the impact of globalization."可知，空处应填recently，完成时的标志，同时根据句意可知，这是近来（recently）观察到的结果。故选B项。
（9）A.考查动词短语及语境理解。A.slow down减缓；B.bring up提出，养育；C.burn out烧尽；D.light up点亮。句意：如果机器学习革命在最终帮助工人之前对他们造成了40年的伤害，那么放慢这场革命的速度，给它们时间调整或许是值得的。根据下文"and give them time to adjust."可知，给它们时间去调整也就是要放慢（slow down）这场革命的速度。故选A项。
（10）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.modernism现代主义；B.succession继承；C.evacuation撤离，疏散；D.innovation创新。句意：反对机器人征税的主要论点是，这可能会阻碍现代主义。根据下文"Taxing new technology，however it's done，could make that slowdown worse."可知，对新技术征税，不管它是怎么做的，都可能使经济放缓变得更糟，也就是说惠阻碍现代主义（modernism）发展进程。故选A项。
（11）B.考查名词及语境理解。A.persuasion说服；B.adoption采用，领养；C.interruption打断；D.elimination消除，淘汰。句意：生产率停滞不前，加上商业投资下降，表明目前新技术的采用速度太慢，而不是太快----目前最大的问题不是机器人太多，而是太少。根据下文"of new technology is currently too slow rather than too fast"可知，这里是指对新技术的运用或采用（adoption）。故选B项。
（12）A.考查名词及语境理解。A.proposal提出，提议；B.moral道德标准；C.gratitude感激；D.misfortune不幸。句意：盖茨的基本建议的问题在于，很难区分补充人类的新技术和取代人类的新技术之间的区别。根据下文"it's very hard to tell the difference between new technology that complement humans and new technology that replaces them. "可知，这里是一个盖茨提出（proposal）的问题。故选A项。
（13）A.考查副词及语境理解。A.However然而；B.Therefore因此；C.Consequently结果；D.Furthermore而且。句意：然而，通过学习操作织布机，人们最终提高了生产率。根据上句"This is especially true over the long term.Power looms（织布机）replaced human weavers back in the Industrial Revolution. "可知，这里是指，虽然在工业革命时期，电动织机取代了人工织布，但提高了生产率，所以是转折关系，应用However表示。故选A项。
（14）B.考查介词及语境理解。A.from从；B.against反对；C.by通过；D.besides除外。句意：这是反对自动化征税的有力论据。根据上文" If taxes had slowed the development of power looms，the eventual （最终的） improvements would have come later."可知，如果税收减缓了电力织机的发展，最终生产率的改善将会来得更晚，这个例子是反对（against）自动化征税的有利论证。故选B项。
（15）D.考查形容词及语境理解。A.random任意的；B.stimulating使人兴奋的；C.persistent坚持不懈的；D.alternative替代的。句意：但考虑到持续创新的重要性，我们应该考虑替代政策。根据上文"But given the importance of sustaining innovation"可知，考虑到持续创新的重要性，作者是不赞成盖茨的提议，所以希望寻求可替代的（alternative）政策。故选D项。