第十一篇
Is There a Way to Keep the Britain's Economy Growing?
1 In today's knowledge economy, nations survive on the things they do best. Japanese design electronics while Germens export engineering techniques. The French serve the best food and Americans make computers.
2 Britain specializes in the gift of talking. The nation doesn't manufacture much of anything. But it has lawyers, stylists and business consultants who earn their living from talk, talk and more talk. The World Foundation think tank1 says the UK's four iconic jobs today are not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses. Instead, they're hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers. But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can.
3 Although the country's trade deficit was more than ￡ 60 billion in 2006, UK's largest in the postwar period, officials say the country has nothing to worry about. In fact, Britain does have a world-class pharmaceutical industry, and it still makes a small sum from selling arms abroad. It also trades services - accountancy, insurance, banking and advertising. The government believes Britain is on the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. After all, the country of Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a literary tradition of which to be proud. Rock‘n' roll2 is an English language medium, and there are billions to be made by their cutting-edge bands. In other words, the creative economy has plenty of strength to carry the British economy.
4 However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK's exports of goods and services. The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts3. The report shows only 38 percent of British companies were engaged in "innovation activities", 3 percentage points below the EU average and well below Germany (61 percent) and Sweden (47 percent).
5 In fact, it might be better to call Britain a "servant" economy - there are at least 4 million people "in service". The majority of the population are employed by the rich to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Many graduates are even doing menial jobs for which they do not need a degree. Most employment growth has been, and will continue to be, at the low-skill end of the service sector - in shops, bars, hotels, domestic service and in nursing and care homes.
詞匯：
iconic adj.偶像的
pharmaceutical adj.制藥的
menial adj.仆人的
注釋：
1. think tank 思想庫；智囊團(tuán)
2. cutting edge 尖端的
3. Rock 'n' roll 搖滾樂
4. National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts 國家科學(xué)、技術(shù)和藝術(shù)捐贈委員會
練習(xí)：
1. Paragraph 2
2. Paragraph 3
3. Paragraph 4
4. Paragraph 5
F Export of Talking Machines
A Growth of Economy
B "Servant" Economy
C Strength of the Creative Economy
D Weakness of the Creative Economy
E Gift of Talking
5. Every country has its own way
6. The British government doesn't seem
7. The creative industries find it difficult
8. Many graduates are employed
A to find jobs
B to do low-skill jobs
C to feed its people
D to handle disputes
E to make a profit
F to worry about the British economy
答案與題解：
1. E 第二段的主題句是第一個句子，是這么說的：Britain specializes in the gift of talking.英國的特長是有說話的天賦，接下來就是具體說明說話天賦在經(jīng)濟(jì)中的表現(xiàn)方面。當(dāng)然，作者最后對這些說話行業(yè)能否保持英國經(jīng)濟(jì)的運轉(zhuǎn)提出了疑句。但是其主題思想仍然是在講說話天賦。
2. C 英國是作家Shakespeare 和Wordsworth 的故鄉(xiāng)，他們以及英國的搖滾樂團(tuán)創(chuàng)造了大量的精神財富，也為英國賺得了大量的錢，顯示了創(chuàng)造性經(jīng)濟(jì)的力量。因此C是對的。
3. D 第四段的第一個句子是這么說的: However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK's exports of goods and services. 然而，創(chuàng)造性行業(yè)的貨物和服務(wù)出口只占真?zhèn)€英國的出口的百分之四左右。可見創(chuàng)造性經(jīng)濟(jì)還是很薄弱的。主意：這是主題句。
4. B 第四段的第一個句子是這么說的: In fact, it might be better to call Britain a"servant" economy- there are at least 4 million people "in service". 實際上，把英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)叫做服務(wù)經(jīng)濟(jì)更恰當(dāng)一些——因為至少有四百萬人在做服務(wù)性工作。這也是主題句。因此選B。
5. C 第一段講到了在今天的知識經(jīng)濟(jì)時代，各個國家生存于自己的強項。因此選：to feed its people 養(yǎng)活自己的人民。
6. F 第二段的最后兩句話是這么說的: But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can. 但是，所有這么說話能讓英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)運轉(zhuǎn)嗎？英國政府認(rèn)為是可以的。可見，英國政府好像并不擔(dān)心英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)。所以F是對的。
7. E 這個問題參考了第四段中的一個句子，該句子是這么說的: The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. 根據(jù)國家科學(xué)、技術(shù)和藝術(shù)捐贈委員會的一份報告，這些創(chuàng)造性行業(yè)在獲得利潤上很困難。
8. B 問題問的是：許多畢業(yè)生被雇傭去做什么活？第五段有這么一個句子：Many graduates are even doing menial jobs for which they do not need a degree.許多畢業(yè)生甚至在做不需要學(xué)位的仆人的話。仆人的話是屬于低技術(shù)的活，因此B是正確的。
Is There a Way to Keep the Britain's Economy Growing?
1 In today's knowledge economy, nations survive on the things they do best. Japanese design electronics while Germens export engineering techniques. The French serve the best food and Americans make computers.
2 Britain specializes in the gift of talking. The nation doesn't manufacture much of anything. But it has lawyers, stylists and business consultants who earn their living from talk, talk and more talk. The World Foundation think tank1 says the UK's four iconic jobs today are not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses. Instead, they're hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers. But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can.
3 Although the country's trade deficit was more than ￡ 60 billion in 2006, UK's largest in the postwar period, officials say the country has nothing to worry about. In fact, Britain does have a world-class pharmaceutical industry, and it still makes a small sum from selling arms abroad. It also trades services - accountancy, insurance, banking and advertising. The government believes Britain is on the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. After all, the country of Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a literary tradition of which to be proud. Rock‘n' roll2 is an English language medium, and there are billions to be made by their cutting-edge bands. In other words, the creative economy has plenty of strength to carry the British economy.
4 However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK's exports of goods and services. The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts3. The report shows only 38 percent of British companies were engaged in "innovation activities", 3 percentage points below the EU average and well below Germany (61 percent) and Sweden (47 percent).
5 In fact, it might be better to call Britain a "servant" economy - there are at least 4 million people "in service". The majority of the population are employed by the rich to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Many graduates are even doing menial jobs for which they do not need a degree. Most employment growth has been, and will continue to be, at the low-skill end of the service sector - in shops, bars, hotels, domestic service and in nursing and care homes.
詞匯：
iconic adj.偶像的
pharmaceutical adj.制藥的
menial adj.仆人的
注釋：
1. think tank 思想庫；智囊團(tuán)
2. cutting edge 尖端的
3. Rock 'n' roll 搖滾樂
4. National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts 國家科學(xué)、技術(shù)和藝術(shù)捐贈委員會
練習(xí)：
1. Paragraph 2
2. Paragraph 3
3. Paragraph 4
4. Paragraph 5
F Export of Talking Machines
A Growth of Economy
B "Servant" Economy
C Strength of the Creative Economy
D Weakness of the Creative Economy
E Gift of Talking
5. Every country has its own way
6. The British government doesn't seem
7. The creative industries find it difficult
8. Many graduates are employed
A to find jobs
B to do low-skill jobs
C to feed its people
D to handle disputes
E to make a profit
F to worry about the British economy
答案與題解：
1. E 第二段的主題句是第一個句子，是這么說的：Britain specializes in the gift of talking.英國的特長是有說話的天賦，接下來就是具體說明說話天賦在經(jīng)濟(jì)中的表現(xiàn)方面。當(dāng)然，作者最后對這些說話行業(yè)能否保持英國經(jīng)濟(jì)的運轉(zhuǎn)提出了疑句。但是其主題思想仍然是在講說話天賦。
2. C 英國是作家Shakespeare 和Wordsworth 的故鄉(xiāng)，他們以及英國的搖滾樂團(tuán)創(chuàng)造了大量的精神財富，也為英國賺得了大量的錢，顯示了創(chuàng)造性經(jīng)濟(jì)的力量。因此C是對的。
3. D 第四段的第一個句子是這么說的: However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK's exports of goods and services. 然而，創(chuàng)造性行業(yè)的貨物和服務(wù)出口只占真?zhèn)€英國的出口的百分之四左右。可見創(chuàng)造性經(jīng)濟(jì)還是很薄弱的。主意：這是主題句。
4. B 第四段的第一個句子是這么說的: In fact, it might be better to call Britain a"servant" economy- there are at least 4 million people "in service". 實際上，把英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)叫做服務(wù)經(jīng)濟(jì)更恰當(dāng)一些——因為至少有四百萬人在做服務(wù)性工作。這也是主題句。因此選B。
5. C 第一段講到了在今天的知識經(jīng)濟(jì)時代，各個國家生存于自己的強項。因此選：to feed its people 養(yǎng)活自己的人民。
6. F 第二段的最后兩句話是這么說的: But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can. 但是，所有這么說話能讓英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)運轉(zhuǎn)嗎？英國政府認(rèn)為是可以的。可見，英國政府好像并不擔(dān)心英國的經(jīng)濟(jì)。所以F是對的。
7. E 這個問題參考了第四段中的一個句子，該句子是這么說的: The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. 根據(jù)國家科學(xué)、技術(shù)和藝術(shù)捐贈委員會的一份報告，這些創(chuàng)造性行業(yè)在獲得利潤上很困難。
8. B 問題問的是：許多畢業(yè)生被雇傭去做什么活？第五段有這么一個句子：Many graduates are even doing menial jobs for which they do not need a degree.許多畢業(yè)生甚至在做不需要學(xué)位的仆人的話。仆人的話是屬于低技術(shù)的活，因此B是正確的。