2015年12月第三套
Climate change may be real, but it’s still not easy being green
How do we convince our inner caveman to be greener? We ask some outstanding social scientists.
[A] The road to climate hell is paved with our good intentions. Politicians may tackle polluters while scientists do battle with carbon emissions. But the most pervasive problem is less obvious: our own behaviour. We get distracted before we can turn down the heating. We break our promise not to fly after hearing about a neighbour’s trip to India. Ultimately, we can’t be bothered to change our attitude. Fortunately for the planet, social science and behavioural economics may be able to do that for us.
[B] despite mournful polar bears and charts showing carbon emissions soaring, most people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally. Recent polls by the Pew research Centre in Washington, DC, found that 75-80 percent of participants regarded climate change as an important issue. But respondents ranked it last on a list of priorities.
[C] This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness. “When we can’t actually remove the source of our fear, we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defense mechanisms,” says Tom Crompton, change strategist for the environmental organization World Wide Fund for Nature.
[D] Part of the fault lies with our inner caveman. Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact. “We worry most about now because if we don’t survive for the next minute, we’re not going to be around in ten years’ time,” says professor Elke Weber of the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia university in New York. If the Thames were lapping around Big Ben, Londoners would face up to the problem of emissions pretty quickly. But in practice, our brain discounts the risks —and benefits—associated with issues that lie some way ahead.
[E] Matthew Rush worth, of the department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, sees this in his lab every day. “One of the ways in which all agents seem to make decisions is that they assign a lower weighting to outcomes that are going to be further away in the future,” he says. “This is a very sensible way for an animal to make decisions in the wild and would have been very helpful for humans for thousands of years.”
[F] Not any longer. By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate change, it could well be too late. And if we’re not going to make rational decisions about the future, others may have to help us to do so.
[G] Few political libraries are without a copy of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. They argue that governments should persuade us into making better decisions—such as saving more in our pension plans—by changing the default options. Professor Weber believes that environmental policy can make use of similar tactics. If, for example, building codes included green construction guidelines, most developers would be too lazy to challenge them.
[H] Defaults are certainly part of the solution. But social scientists are most concerned about crafting messages that exploit our group mentality (心态). “We need to understand what motivates people, what it is that allows them to make change,” says Professor Neil Adger, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich. “It is actually about what their peers think of them, what their social norms are, what is seen as desirable in society.” In other words, our inner caveman is continually looking over his shoulder to see what the rest of the tribe are up to.
[I] The passive attitude we have to climate change as individuals can be altered by counting us in —and measuring us against—our peer group. “Social norms are primitive and elemental,” says Dr. Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. “Birds flock together, fish school together, cattle herd together.. .just perceiving norms is enough to cause people to adjust their behavior in the direction of the crowd.
[J] These norms can take us beyond good intentions. Cialdini conducted a study in San Diego in which coat hangers bearing messages about saving energy were hung on people’s doors. Some of the messages mentioned the environment, some financial savings, others social responsibility. But it was the ones that mentioned the actions of neighbours that drove down power use.
[K] Other studies show that simply providing the facility for people to compare their energy use with the local average is enough to cause them to modify their behaviour. The Conservatives plan to adopt this strategy by making utility companies print the average local electricity and gas usage on people’s bills.
[L] Social science can also teach politicians how to avoid our collective capacity for self-destructive behaviour. Environmental campaigns that tell us how many people drive SUVs unwittingly(不经意地)imply that this behaviour is widespread and thus permissible. Cialdini recommends some careful framing of the message. “Instead of normalising the undesirable behaviour, the message needs to marginalise it, for example, by stating that if even one person buys yet another SUV, it reduces our ability to be energy-independent.”
[M] Tapping into how we already see ourselves is crucial. The most successful environmental strategy will marry the green message to our own sense of identity. Take your average trade union member, chances are they will be politically motivated and be used to collective action—much like Erica Gregory. A retired member of the Public and Commercial Services Union, she is setting up one of 1,100 action groups with the support of Climate Solidarity, a two-year environmental campaign aimed at trade unionists.
[N] Erica is proof that a great-grandmother can help to lead the revolution if you get the psychology right—in this case, by matching her enthusiasm for the environment with a fondness for organising groups. “I think it’s a terrific idea,” she says of the campaign. “The union backing it makes members think there must be something in it.” She is expecting up to 20 people at the first meeting she has called, at her local pub in the Cornish village of Polperro.
[O] Nick Perks, project director for Climate Solidarity, believes this sort of activity is where the future of environmental action lies. “Using existing civil society structures or networks is a more effective way of creating change... and obviously trade unions are one of the biggest civil society networks in the UK,” he says. The “Love Food, Hate Waste” campaign entered into a collaboration last year with another such network—the Women’s Institute. Londoner Rachel Taylor joined the campaign with the aim of making new friends. A year on, the meetings have made lasting changes to what she throws away in her kitchen. “It’s always more of an incentive if you’re doing it with other people,” she says. “It motivates you more if you know that you’ve got to provide feedback to a group.”
[P] The power of such simple psychology in fighting climate change is attracting attention across the political establishment. In the US, the House of Representatives Science Committee has approved a bill allocating $ 10 million a year to studying energy-related behaviour. In the UK, new studies are in development and social scientists are regularly spotted in British government offices. With the help of psychologists, there is fresh hope that we might go green after all.
36.When people find they are powerless to change a situation, they tend to live with it.
37.To be effective, environmental messages should be carefully framed.
38.It is the government’s responsibility to persuade people into making environment-friendly decisions.
39.Politicians are beginning to realise the importance of enlisting psychologists, help in fighting climate change.
40.To find effective solutions to climate change, it is necessary to understand what motivates people to make change.
41.In their evolution, humans have learned to pay attention to the most urgent issues instead of long-term concerns.
42.One study shows that our neighbours’ actions are influential in changing our behaviour.
43.Despite clear signs of global warming, it is not easy for most people to believe climate change will affect their own lives.
44.We should take our future into consideration in making decisions concerning climate change before it is too late.
45.Existing social networks can be more effective in creating change in people’s behaviour.
2016年6月第一套
Can societies be rich and green?
[A] “If our economies are to flourish, if global poverty is to be eliminated and if the well-being of the world’s people enhanced～not just in this generation but in succeeding generations—we must make sure we take care of the natural environment and resources on which our economic activity depends. ” that statement comes not, as you might imagine, from a stereotypical tree—hugging. Save-the-world-greenie(环保主义者), but from Gordon Brown, a politician with a reputation for rigour thoroughness and above all, caution.
[B] A surprising thing for the man who runs one of the world’s most powerful economies to say?Perhaps：though in the run-up to the five—year review of the Millennium(千年的)Goals, he is far from alone. The roots of his speech, given in March at the round table meeting of environment and energy ministers from the G20 group of nations, stretch back to 1972, and the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.
[C] “The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, ”read the final declaration from this gathering, the first of a sequence which would lead to the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and the World Development Summit in Johannesburg three years ago.
[D] Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups—many for conferences such as this year’s Millennium Goals review—and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread.
[E] Managing ecosystems sustainably is more profitable than exploiting them, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy. Thoughts turn first to some sort of global statistic, some indicator which would rate the wealth of nations in both economic and environmental terms and show a relationship between the two.
[F] If such an indicator exists, it is well hidden. And on reflection, this is not surprising;the single word“environment”has so many dimensions. and there are so many other factors affecting wealth—such as the oil deposits—that teasing out a simple economy-environment relationship would be almost impossible.
[G] The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a vast four—year global study which reported its initial conclusions earlier this year,found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably—working with nature rather than against it—might be less profitable in the short term, but certainly brings long-term rewards.
[H] And the World Resources Institute(WRI)in its World Resources 2005 report, issued at the end of August, produced several such examples from Africa and Asia;it also demonstrated that environmental degradation affects the poor more than the rich, as poorer people derive a much higher proportion of their income directly from the natural resources around them.
[I] But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment, in rich and poor parts of the world alike, whether through unregulated mineral extraction, drastic water use for agriculture, slash—and—bum farming, or fossil-fuel-guzzling(大量消耗)transport. Of course, such growth may not persist in the long term—which is what Mr. Brown and the Stockholm declaration were both attempting to point out. perhaps the best example of boom growth and bust decline is the Grand Banks fishery. For almost five centuries a very large supply of cod(鳕鱼)provided abundant raw material for an industry which at its peak employed about 40, 000 people, sustaining entire communities in Newfoundland. Then, abruptly,the cod population collapsed. There were no longer enough fish in the sea for the stock to maintain itself,let alone an industry. More than a decade later,there was no sign of the ecosystem rebuilding itself. It had, apparently,been fished out of existence;and the once mighty Newfoundland fleet now gropes about frantically for crab on the sea floor.
[J] There is a view that modem humans are inevitably sowing the seeds of a global Grand Banks-style disaster. The idea is that we are taking more out of what you might call the planet’s environmental bank balance than it can sustain;we are living beyond our ecological means. One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this“ecological overshoot of the human economy”, and found that we are using 1.2 Earth’s—worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in. and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt.
[K] Whether this is right, and if so where and when the ecological axe will fall, is hard to determine with any precision—which is why governments and financial institutions are only beginning to bring such risks into their economic calculations. It is also the reason why development agencies are not united in their view of environmental issues;while some, like the WRI,maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand-in-hand with economic development, others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy, and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation.
[L]This view assumes that rich societies will invest in environmental care. But is this right?Do things get better or worse as we get richer?Here the Stockholm declaration is ambiguous. “In the developing countries, ”it says, “most of the environmental problems are caused by under—development. ”So it is saying that economic development should make for a cleaner world?Not necessarily;“In the industrialised countries, environmental problems are generally related to industrialisation and technological development, ”it continues. In other words, poor and rich both over-exploit the natural world, but for different reasons. It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner.
[M] Clearly,richer societies are able to provide environmental improvements which lie well beyond the reach of poorer communities. Citizens of wealthy nations demand national parks, clean rivers, clean air and poison-free food. They also, however,use far more natural resources—fuel, water(all those baths and golf courses)and building materials.
[N]A case can be made that rich nations export environmental problems, the most graphic example being climate change. As a country’s wealth grows, so do its greenhouse gas emissions. The figures available will not be completely accurate. Measuring emissions is not a precise science, particularly when it comes to issues surrounding land use;not all nations have released up-to-date data, and in any case, emissions from some sectors such as aviation are not included in national statistics. But the data is exact enough for a clear trend to be easily discernible. As countries become richer,they produce more greenhouse gases;and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world.
[O]Wealth is not, of course, the only factor involved. The average Norwegian is better off than the average US citizen, but contributes about half as much to climate change. But could Norway keep its standard of living and yet cut its emissions to Moroccan or even Ethiopian levels?That question, repeated across a dozen environmental issues and across our diverse planet, is what will ultimately determine whether the human race is living beyond its ecological means as it pursues economic revival.
36. Examples show that both rich and poor countries exploited the environment for economic progress.
37. Environmental protection and improvement benefit people all over the world.
38. It is not necessarily true that economic growth will make our world cleaner.
39. The common theme of the UN reports is the relation between environmental protection and economic growth.
40. Development agencies disagree regarding how to tackle environment issues while ensuring economic progress.
41. It is difficult to find solid evidence to prove environmental friendliness generates more profits than exploiting the natural environment.
42. Sustainable management of ecosystems will prove rewarding in the long run.
43. A politician noted for being cautious asserts that sustainable human development depends on the natural environment.
44. Poor countries will have to bear the cost for rich nations’economic development.
45. One recent study warns us of the danger of the exhaustion of natural resources on Earth.
2016年6月第二套
The Changing Generation
[A] It turns out today’s teenagers aren’t so scary after all.Results of USA WEEKEND’s Teens&Parents survey reveal a generation of young people who get along well with their parents and approve of the way they’re being raised.They think of their parents with affection and respect.They speak with Mom or Dad when they have a problem.Most feel that their parents understand them.and they believe their family is the No.1 priority in their parents’ lives.Many even think their parents are cool!Although more than a third have an object in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents.rarely is it anything more alarming than a diary or off-color(低俗的) book or CD.
[B] Such results may seem surprising against the background of shocking incidents that color the way the mass media portray the young.In October 2000, the same month the survey was taken, the Washington. based center for Media and Public Affairs wrote in its publication Media Monitor that,in a recent month of TV news coverage of American youth, just 2%of teens were shown at home, and just 1%were portrayed in a work setting.In contrast, the criminal justice system accounted for nearly one out of every lave visual backgrounds.No wonder parents worry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters of adolescence.
[C] The overall facts ought to reassure us.The survey shows us that today’s teens are affectionate.sensible and tar happier than the angry and tortured souls that have been painted for us by stereotypes.From other sources, we also know teenage crime, drug abuse and premarital sex are in general decline.We of course, need to pay attention to youngsters who are filled with discontent and hostility,but we should not allow these extreme cases to distort our view of most young people.
[D] My own research at the Stanford Center on Adolescence uses in.depth interviews with small samples of youngsters rather than large‘scale surveys.Still, in my studies and others I have read, I find the same patterns as in USA WEEKEND’s survey.Today’s teenagers admire their parents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice—though certainly not Morn and Dad’s advice on matters of personal taste, such as music or fashion.When we ask teens to choose a hero, they usually select an older family member rather than a remote public figure.Most teens say they enjoy the company of both parents and friends.
[E] contrary to some stereotypes, most adolescents believe they must be tolerant of differences among individuals(though they do not always find this easy in the cliquish(拉帮结派的)environment of high school).Many of them volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people.One prevalent quality we have round in teens’ statements about themselves, their friends and their families is a strikingly positive emotional tone.By and large, these are very nice kids, and as the band The Who used to sing, “The kids are alright.”
[F] How much is today’s sprat of harmony a change from our more turbulent past?A mere generation ago, parent。child relations were described as“the generation gap”.Yet even then reports of widespread youth rebellion were overdone：Most kids in the‘60s and‘70s shared their parents’ basic values.Still.it is true that American families are growing closer at the dawn of this new millennium(千年).Perhaps there is less to fight about, with the country in a period of tranquility and the dangers of drug abuse and other unwholesome behavior well known.Perhaps in the face of impersonal and intimidating globalization,a young person's family feels more like a friendly haven than an oppressive trap.And perhaps parents are acting more like parents than in the recent past.within just the past five years.I have noticed parents returning to a belief that teenagers need the guidance of elders rather than the liberal.“anything goes” mode of child—rearing that became popular in the second half of the 20th century.
[G] But missing from all these data is the sense that today’s young care very much about their country,about the broader civic and political environment, or about the future of their society.They seem to be turning inward—generally in a pro。social manner,certainly with positive benefits for intimate relationships. but too often at the expense of a connection with the present and future world beyond, including the society they will one day inherit.
[H] Recently,we examined more than 400 essays on the“laws of life”that teens from two communities had written as part of an educational program initiated by the John Templeton Foundation in Radnor, Pa.In those essays, and in follow—up Interviews with a few of the teenagers, we found lots of insight.positive feeling and inspirational thinking.But we also found little interest in civic life beyond the tight circles of their family and immediate friends.
[I] For example, only one boy said he would like to be president when he grows up.When I was in high school, dozens in my class alone would have answered differently.In fact, other recent studies have found there has never been a time in American history when so small a proportion of young people have sought or accepted leadership roles In local civic organizations.It is also troubling that voting rates among our youngest eligible voters-18-to 24-year-olds are way down：Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in national elections, compared with almost twice that many when 18-year-olds were first given the vote.
[J] In our interviews, many students viewed politics with suspicion and distaste.“Most politicians are kind of crooked(不诚买的), ”one student declared.Another,discussing national politics.said.“I feel 1ike one person can’t do that much, and I get the impression most people don’t think a group of people can do that much.”Asked what they would like to change in the world, the students mentioned only personal concerns such as slowing down the pace of life, gaining good friends, becoming more spiritual, becoming either more materially successful or less materially oriented(depending on the student’s values), and being more respectful of the Earth, animals and other people.One boy said, “I’d rather be concentrating on artistic efforts than saving the world or something.”
[K] It is fine and healthy for teens to cultivate their personal interests, and it is good news when young people enjoy harmonious relations with their family and friends.But there is also a place in a young life for noble purposes that include a dedication to the broader society,a love of country and an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions.
[L]In the past, the young have eagerly participated in national service and civic affairs, often with lots of energy and idealism.If this is not happening today,we should ask why.Our society needs the full participation of its younger citizens if it is to continue to thrive.We know the promise is there—this is a well.grounded, talented, warm-hearted group of youngsters.We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyond their immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their tum at shaping that world.
36.Not many young people eligible for voting are interested in local or national elections these days.
37.Parents are concerned that their children may get involved in criminal offences once they reach their teens.
38.Even during the turbulent years of last century,youth rebellion was often exaggerated in the media.
39.Teenagers of today often tum to their parents for advice on such important matters as career choice.
40.The incidence of teenage crime and misbehavior is decreasing nowadays.
41 Young people should have lofty ideals in life and strive to be leaders.
42.Some young people like to keep something to themselves and don’t want their parents to know about it.
43.It is beneficial to encourage young people to explore the broader world and get ready to make it a better place.
44.Many teenagers now offer to render service to the needy.
45.Interviews with students find many of them are only concerned about personal matters.
2016年6月第三套
Reform and Medical Costs
[A] Americans are deeply concerned about the relentless rise in health care costs and health insurance premiums.They need to know if reform will help solve the problem.The answer is that no one has an easy fix for rising medical costs.The fundamental fix—reshaping how care is delivered and how doctors are paid in a wasteful.abnormal system—is likely to be achieved only through trial and error and incremental(渐进的) gains.
[B] The good news is that a bill just approved by the House and a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee would implement or test many reforms that should help slow the rise in medical costs over the long term.As a report in The Nel4,England Journal of medicine concluded."Pretty much every proposed innovation found in the health policy literature these days is contained in these measures."
[C] Medical spending, which typically rises faster than wages and the overall economy,is propelled by two things：the high prices charged for medical services in this country and the volume of unnecessary care delivered by doctors and hospitals,which often perform a lot more tests and treatments than a patient really needs.
[D] Here are some of the important proposals in the House and Senate bills to try to address those problems, and why it is hard to know how well they will work.
[E] Both bills would reduce the rate of growth in annual Medicare payments to hospitals, nursing homes and other providers by amounts comparable to the productivity savings routinely made in other industries with the help of new technologies and new ways to organize work.This proposal could save Medicare more than$100 billion over the next decade.If private plans demanded similar productivity savings from providers, and refused t01et providers shift additional costs to them.the savings could be much larger.Critics say Congress will give in to lobbyists and let inefficient providers off the hook(放过). That is far less likely to happen if Congress also adopts strong"pay—go"rules requiring that any increase in payments to providers be offset by new taxes or budget cuts.
[F] The Senate Finance bill would impose an excise tax(消费税)on health insurance plans that cost more than$8, 000 for an individual or$21.000 for a family.It would most likely cause insurers to redesign plans to fall beneath the threshold.Enrollees would have to pay more money for many services out of their own pockets, and that would encourage them to think twice about whether an expensive or redundant test was worth it.Economists project that most employers would shift money from expensive health benefits into wages.The House bill has no similar tax.The final legislation should.
[G] Any doctor who has wrestled with multiple form.s from different insurers, or patients who have tried to understand their own parade of statements, know that simplification ought to save money.When the health insurance industry was still cooperating in reforin efforts.its trade group offered to provide standardized forms for automated processing.It estimated that step would save hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade.The bills would lock that pledge into law.
[H] The stimulus package provided money to convert the inefficient, paper—driven medical system to electronic records that can be easily viewed and transmitted.This requires open investments to help doctors convert.In time it should help restrain costs by eliminating redundant tests.preventing drug interactions, and helping doctors find the best treatments.
[I] Virtually all experts agree that the fee.for—service system—doctors are rewarded for the quantity of care rather than its quality or effectiveness—is a primary reason that the cost of care is so high.Most agree that the solution is to push doctors to accept fixed payments to care for a particular illness or for a patient's needs over a year.No one knows how to make that happen quickly.The bills in both houses would start pilot projects within Medicare.They include such measures as accountable care organizations to take charge of a patient's needs with an eye on both cost and quality,and chronic disease management to make sure the seriously ill.who are responsible for the bulk of all health care costs.are treated properly.For the most part.these experiments rely on incentive payments to get doctors to try them.
[J] Testing innovations do no good unless the good experiments are identified and expanded and the bad ones are dropped.The Senate bill would create an independent commission to monitor the pilot programs and recommend changes in Medicare's Payment policies to urge providers to adopt reforms that work.The changes would have to be approved or rejected as a whole by Congress, making it hard for narrow—interest lobbies to bend lawmakers to their will.
[K] The bills in both chambers would create health insurance exchanges on which small businesses and individuals could choose from an array of private plans and possibly a public option.All the plans would have to provide standard benefit packages that would be easy to compare, To get access to millions of new customers.insurers would have a strong incentive to sell on the exchange.And the head—to—head competition might give them a strong incentive to lower their prices.perhaps by accepting slimmer profit margins or demanding better deals from providers.
[L] The final legislation might throw a public plan into the competition, but thanks to the fierce opposition of the insurance industry and Republican critics.it might not save much money The one in the House bill would have to negotiate rates with providers.rather than using Medicare rates.as many reformers wanted.
[M] The president's stimulus package is pumping money into research to compare how well various treatments work.Is surgery,radiation or careful monitoring best for prostate(前列腺)cancer?Is the latest and most expensive cholester01.10wering drug any better than its common competitors?The pending bills would spend additional money to accelerate this effort.
[N] Critics have charged that this sensible idea would lead to rationing of care.(That would be true only if you believed that patients should have an unrestrained right to treatments proven to be inferior.)As a result, the bills do not require, as they should, that the results of these studies be used to set payment rates in Medicare.
[O] Congress needs to find the courage to allow Medicare to Pay preferentially for treatments proven to be superior.Sometimes the best treatment might be spending would come down through elimination of treatments,the most expensive.But overall, we suspect that a lot of unnecessary or even dangerous tests and
[P] The House bill would authorize the secretary of health and human services to negotiate drug prices in Medicare and Medicaid.Some authoritative analysts doubt that the secretary would get better deals than private insurers already get.We believe negotiation could work.It does in other countries.
[Q] Missing from these bills is any serious attempt to rein in malpractice costs, Malpractice awards do drive up insurance premiums for doctors in high.risk specialties, and there is some evidence that doctors engage in"defensive medicine"by performing tests and treatments primarily to prove they are not negligent should they get sued.
36.With a tax imposed on expensive health insurance plans, most employers will likely transfer money from health expenses into wages.
37.Changes in policy would be approved or rejected as a whole so that lobbyists would find it hard to influence lawmakers.
38.It is not easy to curb the rising medical costs in America.
39.Standardization of forms for automatic processing will save a lot of medical expenses.
40.Republicans and the insurance industry are strongly opposed to the creation of a public insurance plan.
41.Conversion of paper to electronic medical records will help eliminate redundant tests and prevent drug interactions.
42.The high cost of medical services and unnecessary tests and treatments have driven up medical expenses.
43.One main factor that has driven up medical expenses is that doctors are compensated for the amount of care rather than its effect.
44.Contrary to analysts' doubts, the author believes drug prices may be lowered through negotiation.
45.Fair competition might create a strong incentive for insurers to charge less.
2016年12月第一套
Are We in an Innovation Lull?
[A] Scan the highlights of this year's Consumer Electronics show ( CES ), and you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before. Many of the coolest gadgets this year are the same as the coolest gadgets last year--or the year before, even. The booths are still exciting, and the demos are still just as crazy. It is still easy to be dazzled by the display of drones (无人机),3D printers,virtual reality goggles ( 眼镜) and more "smart" devices than you could ever hope to catalog.Upon reflection, however, it is equally easy to feel like you have seen it all before. And it is hard not to think: Are we in an innovation lull ( 间歇期) ?
[B] In some ways, the answer is yes. For years, smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops and desktops have made up a huge part of the market and driven innovation. But now these segments are looking at slower growth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases--as consumers are not as eager to spend money on new gadgets. Meanwhile, emerging technologies--the drones,3D printers and smart-home devices of the world--now seem a bit too old to be called "the next big thing. "
[C] Basically the tech industry seems to be in an awkward period now. "There is not any one-hit wonder, and there will not be one for years to come," said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the Consumer technology association (CTA). In his eyes, however, that doesn't necessarily mean that innovation has stopped. It has just grown up a little. "Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents," Shapiro said.
[D] For instance, new technologies that are building upon existing technology have not found their footing well enough to appeal to a mass audience, because, in many cases, they need to work effectively with other devices to realize their full appeal. Take the evolution of the smart home,for example. Companies are pushing it hard but make it almost overwhelming even to dip a toe in the water for the average consumer, because there are so many compatibility issues to think about. No average person wants to figure out whether their favorite calendar software works with their fridge or whether their washing machine and tablet get along. Having to install a different app for each smart appliance in your home is annoying; it would be nicer if you could manage everything together. And while you may forgive your smartphone an occasional fault, you probably have less patience for error messages from your door lock.
[E] Companies are promoting their own standards, and the market has not had time to choose a winner yet as this is still very new. Companies that have long focused on hardware now have to think of ecosystems instead to give consumers practical solutions to their everyday problems."The dialogue is changing from what is technologically possible to what is technologically meaningful," said economist Shawn DuBravac. DuBravac works for CTA--which puts on the show each year--and said that this shift to a search for solutions has been noticeable as he researched his predictions for 2016.
[F] "So much of what CES has been about is the cool. It is about the flashiness and the gadgets," said John Curran, managing director of research at Accenture. "But over the last couple of years,and in this one in particular, we are starting to see companies shift from what is the largest screen size, the smallest form factor or the shiniest object and more into what all of these devices do that is practical in a consumer's life. " Even the technology press conferences, which have been high- profile in the past and reached a level of drama and theatrics fitting for a Las Vegas stage, have a different bent to them. Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical. Fitbit, for example, released its first smartwatch Monday, selling with a clear purpose--to improve your fitness--and promoting it as a "tool, not a toy. " Not only that, it supports a number of platforms: Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows phone.
[G] That seems to be what consumers are demanding, after all. Consumers are becoming increasingly bored with what companies have to offer: A survey of 28,000 consumers in 28 countries released by Accenture found consumers are not as excited about technology as they once were. For example, when asked whether they would buy a new smartphone this year, only 48 percent said yes--a six-point drop from 2015.
[H] And when it comes to the hyper-connected super-smart world that technology firms are painting for us, it seems that consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions that companies need to improve their services. That could be another explanation for why companies seem to be strengthening their talk of the practicality of their devices.
[I] Companies have already won part of the battle, having driven tech into every part of our lives, tracking our steps and our very heartbeats. Yet the persistent question of " Why do I need that?"--or, perhaps more tellingly, "Why do you need to know that?"--dogs the steps of many new ventures. Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch in 2016, for example--an increase of just one percent from the previous year despite a year of high-profile launches. That is bad news for any firm that may hope that smartwatches can make up ground for maturing smartphone and tablet markets. And the survey found flat demand for fitness monitors, smart thermostats (恒温器) and connected home cameras, as well.
[J] according to the survey, that lack of enthusiasm could stem from concerns about privacy and security. Even among people who have bought connected devices of some kind,37 percent said that they are going to be more cautions about using these devices and services in the future. A full 18 percent have even returned devices until they feel they can get safer guarantees against having their sensitive information hacked.
[K] That, too, explains the heavy Washington presence at this year's show, as these new technologies intrude upon heavily regulated areas. In addition to many senior officials from the Federal Trade and Federal Communications commissions, this year's list of policy makers also includes appearances from transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, to talk about smart cities, and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta, to talk about drones.
[L] Curran, the Accenture analyst, said that increased government interest in the show makes sense as technology becomes a larger part of our lives. "There is an incompatibility in the rate at which these are advancing relative to the way we're digesting it," he said. "Technology is becoming bigger and more aspirational, and penetrating almost every aspect of our lives. We have to understand and think about the implications, and balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them. "
36. Consumers are often hesitant to try smart-home devices because they are worried about compatibility problems.
37. This year's electronics show featured the presence of many officials from the federal government.
38. The market demand for electronic devices is now either declining or not growing as fast as before.
39. One analyst suggests it is necessary to accept both the positive and negative aspects of innovative products.
40. The Consumer Electronics Show in recent years has begun to focus more on the practical value than the showiness of electronic devices.
41. Fewer innovative products were found at this year's electronic products show.
42. Consumers are becoming more worried about giving personal information to tech companies to get customized products and services.
43. The Consumer Technology Association is the sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show.
44. Many consumers wonder about the necessity of having their fitness monitored.
45. The electronic industry is maturing even though no wonder products hit the market.
2016年12月第二套
The American Workplace Is Broken. Here's How We Can Start Fixing It.
[A] Americans are working longer and harder hours than ever before.83% of workers say they're stressed about their jobs, nearly 50% say work-related stress is interfering with their sleep, and 60% use their smartphones to check in with work outside of normal working hours. No wonder only 13% of employees worldwide feel engaged in their occupation.
[B] Glimmers (少许) of hope, however, are beginning to emerge in this bruising environment: Americans are becoming aware of the toll their jobs take on them, and employers are exploring ways to alleviate the harmful effects of stress and overwork. Yet much more work remains to be done. To call stress an epidemic isn't exaggeration. The 83% of American employees who are stressed about their jobs--up from 73% just a year before--say that poor compensation and an unreasonable workload are their number-one sources of stress. And if you suspected that the workplace had gotten more stressful than it was just a few decades ago, you're right. Stress levels increased 18% for women and 24% for men from 1983 to 2009. Stress is also starting earlier in life, with some data suggesting that today's teens are even more stressed than adults.
[C] Stress is taking a significant toll on our health, and the collective public health cost may be enormous. Occupational stress increases the risk of heart attack and diabetes, accelerates the aging process, decreases longevity, and contributes to depression and anxiety, among numerous other negative health outcomes. Overall, stress-related health problems account for up to 90% of hospital visits, many of them preventable. Your job is "literally killing you," as The Washington Post put it. It's also hurting our relationships. Working parents say they feel stressed, tired, rushed and short on quality time with their children, friends and partners.
[D] Seven in 10 workers say they struggle to maintain work-life balance. As technology (and with it, work emails) seeps (渗入) into every aspect of our lives, work-life balance has become an almost meaningless term. add a rapidly changing economy and an uncertain future to this 24/7 connectivity, and you've got a recipe for overwork, according to Phyllis Moen. "There's rising work demand coupled with the insecurity of mergers, takeovers, downsizing and other factors," Moen said. "Part of the work-life issue has to talk about uncertainty about the future."
[E] These factors have converged to create an increasingly impossible situation with many employees overworking to the point of burnout. It's not only unsustainable for workers, but also for the companies that employ them. science has shown a clear correlation between high stress levels in workers and absenteeism ( 旷工 ), reduced productivity, disengagement and high turnover. Too many workplace policies effectively prohibit employees from developing a healthy work-life balance by barring them from taking time off, even when they need it most.
[F] The U. S. trails far behind every wealthy nation and many developing ones that have family-friendly work policies including paid parental leave, paid sick days and breast-feeding support.according to a 2007 study. The U. S. is also the only advanced economy that does not guarantee workers paid vacation time, and it's one of only two countries in the world that does not offer guaranteed paid maternity leave. But even when employees are given paid time off, workplace norms and expectations that pressure them to overwork often prevent them from taking it. Fulltime employees who do have paid vacation days only use half of them on average.
[G] Our modern workplaces also operate based on outdated time constraints. The practice of clocking in for an eight-hour workday is a leftover from the days of the Industrial Revolution, as reflected in the then-popular saying, "Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest."
[H] We've held on to this workday structure--but thanks to our digital devices, many employees never really clock out. Today, the average American spends 8.8 hours at work daily, and the majority of working professionals spend additional hours checking in with work during evenings, weekends and even vacations. The problem isn't the technology itself, but that the technology is being used to create more flexibility for the employer rather than the employee. In a competitive work environment, employers are able to use technology to demand more from their employees rather than motivating workers with flexibility that benefits them.
[I] In a study published last year, psychologists coined the term "workplace telepressure" to describe an employee's urge to immediately respond to emails and engage in obsessive thoughts about returning an email to one's boss, colleagues or clients. The researchers found that telepressure is a major cause of stress at work, which over time contributes to physical and mental burnout. Of the 300 employees participating in the study, those who experienced high levels of telepressure were more likely to agree with statements assessing burnout, like "I've no energy for going to work in the morning," and to report feeling fatigued and unfocused. Telepressure was also correlated with sleeping poorly and missing work.
[J] Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow explains that when people feel the pressure to be always "on," they find ways to accommodate that pressure, including altering their schedules, work habits and interactions with family and friends. Perlow calls this vicious cycle the "cycle of responsiveness" : Once bosses and colleagues experience an employee's increased responsiveness, they increase their demands on the employee's time. And because a failure to accept these increased demands indicates a lack of commitment to one's work, the employee complies.
[K] To address skyrocketing employee stress levels, many companies have implemented workplace wellness programs, partnering with health care providers that have created programs to promote employee health and well-being. Some research does suggest that these programs hold promise. A study of employees at health insurance provider Aetna revealed that roughly one quarter of those taking in-office yoga and mindfulness classes reported a 28% reduction in their stress levels and a 20% improvement in sleep quality. These less-stressed workers gained an average of 62 minutes per week of productivity. While yoga and meditation (静思) are scientifically proven to reduce stress levels, these programs do little to target the root causes of burnout and disengagement. The conditions creating the stress are long hours, unrealistic demands and deadlines, and work-life conflict.
[L] Moen and her colleagues may have found the solution. In a 2011 study, she investigated the effects of implementing a Results Only Work environment (ROWE. on the productivity and well-being of employees at Best Buy's corporate headquarters.
[M] For the study,325 employees spent six months taking part in ROWE, while a control group of 334 employees continued with their normal workflow. The ROWE participants were allowed to freely determine when, where and how they worked--the only thing that mattered was that they got the job done. The results were striking. After six months, the employees who participated in ROWE reported reduced work-family conflict and a better sense of control of their time, and they were getting a full hour of extra sleep each night. The employees were less likely to leave their jobs, resulting in reduced turnover. It's important to note that the increased flexibility didn't encourage them to work around the clock. "They didn't work anywhere and all the time--they were better able to manage their work," Moen said. "Flexibility and control is key," she continued.
36. Workplace norms pressure employees to overwork, deterring them from taking paid time off.
37. The overwhelming majority of employees attribute their stress mainly to low pay and an excessive workload.
38. According to Moen, flexibility gives employees better control over their work and time.
39. Flexibility resulting from the use of digital devices benefits employers instead of employees.
40. Research finds that if employees suffer from high stress, they will be less motivated, less productive and more likely to quit.
41. In-office wellness programs may help reduce stress levels, but they are hardly an ultimate solution to the problem.
42. Health problems caused by stress in the workplace result in huge public health expenses.
43. If employees respond quickly to their job assignments, the employer is likely to demand more from them.
44. With technology everywhere in our life, it has become virtually impossible for most workers to keep a balance between work and life.
45. In America today, even teenagers suffer from stress, and their problem is even more serious than grown-ups'.
答案解析：
2015年12月第三套
36. 由题干中的关键词“powerless to change a situation”和“tend to live with it”定位到[C]段。“This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness. ‘When we can’t actually remove the source of our fear, we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defense mechanisms”提到，当人们无力改变一种状况时，会在心理上通过一系列防御机制去适应，也就是接受它，所以选[C]。
37. 由题干中的关键词“environmental messages should be carefully framed”定位到[L]段。“Cialdini recommends some careful framing of the message...”，明确提到环境信息应该被精心设计，所以选[L]。
38. 由题干定位到[G]段,“They argue that governments should persuade us into making better decisions... Professor Weber believes that environmental policy can make use of similar tactics.”，表明政府有责任说服人们做出环保决策，所以选[G]。
39. 由题干定位到[P]段“The power of such simple psychology in fighting climate change is attracting attention across the political establishment... In the UK, new studies are in development and social scientists are regularly spotted in British government offices.”，说明政治家开始意识到寻求心理学家帮助对抗气候变化的重要性，所以选[P]。
40. 由题干中的关键词“understand what motivates people to make change”定位到[H]段We need to understand what motivates people, what it is that allows them to make change提到,为了找到有效的气候变化解决方案，需要了解是什么促使人们做出改变，所以选[H]。
41. 由题干定位到[D]段。“Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact.”，说明在进化过程中，人类学会了关注最紧迫的问题而不是长期关注的问题，所以选[D]。
42. 由题干定位到[J]段。“But it was the ones that mentioned the actions of neighbours that drove down power use.”，表明邻居的行为对我们的行为改变有影响，所以选[J]。
43. 由题干定位到[B]段。“Despite mournful polar bears and charts showing carbon emissions soaring, most people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally.”，说明尽管有全球变暖的明显迹象，但大多数人很难相信气候变化会影响他们自己的生活，所以选[B]。
44. 由题干定位到[F]段。“By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate change, it could well be too late.”，强调在为时已晚之前，在关于气候变化的决策中要考虑我们的未来，所以选[F]。
45. 由题干定位到[O]段。“Using existing civil society structures or networks is a more effective way of creating change...”，说明现有的社会网络在改变人们行为方面更有效，所以选[O]。
2016年6月第一套
36. I由题干定位到I段。“But there are also many examples of growing wealth by trashing the environment, in rich and poor parts of the world alike...” 提到世界上有许多例子表明，无论贫富国家，都有通过破坏环境来发展经济的情况，所以选I。
37. C由题干定位到C段。“The protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue which affects the well - being of peoples and economic development throughout the world” 提到环境保护和改善是影响全世界人民福祉和经济发展的重大问题，即对全世界人民有益，所以选C。
38. L由题干中的关键词“economic growth will make our world cleaner”定位到L段。“It’s simply not true that economic growth will surely make our world cleaner.” 明确提到经济增长不一定会让我们的世界更清洁，所以选L。
39. D由题干定位到D段。“Hunt through the reports prepared by UN agencies and development groups...and you will find that the linkage between environmental protection and economic progress is a common thread.” 提到联合国机构和发展团体准备的报告中，环境保护和经济发展之间的联系是共同线索，所以选D。
40. K由题干定位到K段。“while some, like the WRI, maintain that environmental progress needs to go hand - in - hand with economic development, others argue that the priority is to build a thriving economy, and then use the wealth created to tackle environmental degradation.” 提到，发展机构在如何处理环境问题并确保经济发展方面存在分歧，所以选K。
41. E由题干定位到E段。“But finding hard evidence to support the thesis is not so easy.” 提到，很难找到确凿证据证明可持续管理生态系统比开发利用自然环境更有利可图，所以选E。
42. G由题干定位到G段。“The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment...found reasons to believe that managing ecosystems sustainably...might be less profitable in the short term, but certainly brings long - term rewards.” 提到，可持续管理生态系统短期内可能利润较少，但长期肯定有回报，所以选G。
43. A由题干定位到A段。“that statement comes not...but from Gordon Brown, a politician with a reputation for rigour thoroughness and above all, caution.” 以及后面他所说的话表明一个以谨慎著称的政治家认为可持续人类发展依赖于自然环境，所以选A。
44. N由题干定位到N段。“As countries become richer, they produce more greenhouse gases; and the impact of those gases will fall primarily in poor parts of the world.” 提到，随着国家变富，产生的温室气体更多，而这些气体的影响主要落在世界贫困地区，即穷国要为富国的经济发展付出代价，所以选N。
45. J由题干定位到J段。“One recent study attempted to calculate the extent of this “ecological overshoot of the human economy”, and found that we are using 1.2 Earth’s - worth of environmental goods and services—the implication being that at some point the debt will be called in, and all those services—the things which the planet does for us for free—will grind to a halt.” 提到，一项研究警告人类对地球环境资源的过度使用可能导致资源耗尽的危险，所以选J。
2016年6月第二套
36. 由题干中的关键词 eligible for voting” (有资格投票的) 和 elections” (选举) 定位到 I 段。该段提到 voting rates among our youngest eligible voters... are way down: Little more than one in four now go to the polls, even in national elections”，明确指出符合投票条件的年轻人投票率很低，说明他们对选举不感兴趣。所以选 I。
37. 由题干中的关键词 Parents are concerned” 和 criminal offences” (刑事犯罪) 定位到 B 段。该段提到 No wonder parents worry their own kids might spin out of control once they hit the turbulent waters of adolescence”，其中 spin out of control” 和 turbulent waters” 暗示了父母对孩子进入青春期后可能失控、卷入犯罪等问题的担忧。所以选 B。
38. 由题干中的关键词 turbulent years of last century” (上世纪的动荡岁月) 和 exaggerated in the media” (在媒体中被夸大) 定位到 F 段。该段提到 A mere generation ago... reports of widespread youth rebellion were overdone”，其中 overdone” 与 exaggerated” 意思相近，指出了媒体对青年叛逆的夸大报道。所以选 F。
39. 由题干中的关键词 turn to their parents for advice” 和 career choice” (职业选择) 定位到 D 段。该段提到 Today’s teenagers admire their parents and welcome parental guidance about important matters such as career choice”，直接说明了当代青少年在职业选择等重要问题上会寻求父母的指导。所以选 D。
40. 由题干中的关键词 teenage crime and misbehavior” (青少年犯罪和不良行为) 和 decreasing” (在减少) 定位到 C 段。该段提到 we also know teenage crime, drug abuse and premarital sex are in general decline”，其中 decline” 与 decreasing” 意思相同，指出了青少年犯罪等行为总体呈下降趋势。所以选 C。
41. 由题干中的关键词 lofty ideals” (崇高的理想) 和 strive to be leaders” (努力成为领导者) 定位到 K 段。该段提到 there is also a place in a young life for noble purposes that include... an aspiration to make their own leadership contributions”，其中 noble purposes” 和 leadership contributions” 对应了崇高的理想和成为领导者的志向。所以选 K。
42. 由题干中的关键词 keep something to themselves” (对自己保密) 和 don’t want their parents to know” (不想让父母知道) 定位到 A 段。该段提到 more than a third have an object in their rooms they would like to keep secret from their parents”，直接说明了有超过三分之一的青少年有不想让父母知道的东西。所以选 A。
43. 由题干中的关键词 encourage young people to explore the broader world” (鼓励年轻人探索更广阔的世界) 定位到 L 段。该段提到 We have everything to gain by encouraging them to explore the world beyond their immediate experience and to prepare themselves for their turn at shaping that world”，其中 have everything to gain” 对应了 beneficial” (有益的)。所以选 L。
44. 由题干中的关键词 render service to the needy” (为有需要的人提供服务) 定位到 E 段。该段提到 Many of them volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people”，其中 volunteer for community service with disadvantaged people” 正是为有需要的人提供服务的具体体现。所以选 E。
45. 由题干中的关键词 Interviews with students” (对学生的采访) 和 personal matters” (个人事务) 定位到 J 段。该段在采访后总结道，学生们提到想改变的事情 only personal concerns such as...”，明确指出他们只关心个人问题。所以选 J。
2016年6月第三套
由题干中的关键词 a tax imposed on expensive health insurance plans” (对昂贵健康保险计划征税) 和 transfer money from health expenses into wages” (将钱从健康开支转为工资) 定位到 F 段。该段提到 Economists project that most employers would shift money from expensive health benefits into wages”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 F。
由题干中的关键词 approved or rejected as a whole” (作为一个整体被批准或拒绝) 和 lobbyists...influence lawmakers” (说客影响立法者) 定位到 J 段。该段提到 The changes would have to be approved or rejected as a whole by Congress, making it hard for narrow-interest lobbies to bend lawmakers to their will”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 J。
由题干中的关键词 not easy to curb the rising medical costs” (抑制不断上涨的医疗成本并不容易) 定位到 A 段。该段明确指出 no one has an easy fix for rising medical costs”，即没有人有抑制医疗成本上涨的简单方法。所以选 A。
由题干中的关键词 Standardization of forms” (表格的标准化) 和 save a lot of medical expenses” (节省大量医疗费用) 定位到 G 段。该段提到 its trade group offered to provide standardized forms for automated processing. It estimated that step would save hundreds of billions of dollars”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 G。
由题干中的关键词 Republicans and the insurance industry” (共和党和保险业) 和 opposed to the creation of a public insurance plan” (反对创建公共保险计划) 定位到 L 段。该段提到 thanks to the fierce opposition of the insurance industry and Republican critics, it might not save much money”，明确指出了共和党和保险业的强烈反对。所以选 L。
由题干中的关键词 Conversion of paper to electronic medical records” (纸质病历转为电子病历) 和 eliminate redundant tests and prevent drug interactions” (消除冗余测试并防止药物相互作用) 定位到 H 段。该段提到 it should help restrain costs by eliminating redundant tests, preventing drug interactions”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 H。
由题干中的关键词 high cost of medical services” (高昂的医疗服务费用) 和 unnecessary tests and treatments” (不必要的检查和治疗) 定位到 C 段。该段明确指出医疗开销是由两件事推动的：the high prices charged for medical services” 和 the volume of unnecessary care delivered by doctors and hospitals”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 C。
由题干中的关键词 doctors are compensated for the amount of care rather than its effect” (医生按服务量而非效果获得报酬) 定位到 I 段。该段指出 Virtually all experts agree that the fee-for-service system—doctors are rewarded for the quantity of care rather than its quality or effectiveness—is a primary reason that the cost of care is so high”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 I。
由题干中的关键词 analysts' doubts” (分析师的怀疑) 和 drug prices may be lowered through negotiation” (通过谈判可以降低药价) 定位到 P 段。该段先提到 Some authoritative analysts doubt that...”，然后作者表明自己的观点 We believe negotiation could work”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 P。
由题干中的关键词 Fair competition” (公平竞争) 和 incentive for insurers to charge less” (激励保险公司降低收费) 定位到 K 段。该段提到 And the head-to-head competition might give them a strong incentive to lower their prices”，与题干信息完全一致。所以选 K。
2016年12月第一套
36.由题干中的关键词 smart-home devices” 和 compatibility problems” (兼容性问题) 定位到 D 段。该段以智能家居为例，提到 there are so many compatibility issues to think about”，这正是消费者犹豫不决的原因。所以选 D。
37. 由题干中的关键词 officials from the federal government” (联邦政府官员) 定位到 K 段。该段明确指出 explains the heavy Washington presence at this year's show”，并列举了来自联邦贸易委员会、联邦通信委员会、交通部和联邦航空管理局的众多高级官员。所以选 K。
38. 由题干中的关键词 market demand” 和 declining or not growing as fast as before” (下降或增长放缓) 定位到 B 段。该段提到 these segments are looking at slower growth curves--or shrinking markets in some cases”，与题干信息完全对应。所以选 B。
39. 由题干中的关键词 accept both the positive and negative aspects” (接受积极和消极两方面) 定位到 L 段。该段引用分析师 Curran 的话，指出我们必须 balance these great innovations with the potential downsides they naturally carry with them”，即平衡创新带来的好处和其固有的潜在弊端。所以选 L。
40. 由题干中的关键词 focus more on the practical value than the showiness” (更关注实用价值而非华而不实) 定位到 F 段。该段提到 companies shift from what is the largest screen size... and more into what all of these devices do that is practical”，并总结 Rather than just dazzling with a high cool factor, there is a focus on the practical”。所以选 F。
41. 由题干中的关键词 fewer innovative products” 和 this year's electronic products show” 定位到 A 段。该段开头描述了今年的消费电子展，并提到 you may get a slight feeling of having seen them before”，结尾以疑问句 Are we in an innovation lull?”点明主旨，暗示今年缺乏真正创新的产品。所以选 A。
42. 由题干中的关键词 worried about giving personal information” 和 customized products and services” (定制产品和服务) 定位到 H 段。该段提到 consumers are growing more uneasy about handing over the massive amounts of consumer data needed to provide the personalized, customized solutions”。所以选 H。
43. 由题干中的关键词“The Consumer Technology Association”和“sponsor of the annual Consumer Electronics Show”定位到段落[E]。该段提到“DuBravac works for CTA--which puts on the show each year--”，说明消费技术协会是年度消费电子展的赞助商。所以选[E]。
44. 由题干中的关键词 wonder about the necessity” 和 fitness monitored” (监测健身的必要性) 定位到 I 段。该段提出了一个 persistent question of 'Why do I need that?'”，并举例说 Only 13 percent of respondents said that they were interested in buying a smartwatch”，这反映了消费者对监测健康数据的必要性持怀疑态度。所以选 I。
45. 由题干中的关键词 electronic industry is maturing” (电子行业正在成熟) 和 no wonder products” (没有奇迹产品) 定位到 C 段。该段引用 Gary Shapiro 的话，指出 There is not any one-hit wonder... but... innovation has just grown up a little”，并进一步解释 Many industries are going out of infancy and becoming adolescents”，这正说明行业在没有爆款产品的情况下依然走向成熟。所以选 C。
2016年12月第二套
由题干中的关键词 workplace norms 和 deterring them from taking paid time off (阻止他们带薪休假) 定位到 F 段。该段提到 workplace norms and expectations that pressure them to overwork often prevent them from taking it (职场规范和期望给他们施加压力，让他们过度工作，这常常阻止他们休假)，其中 prevent them from taking it” 与题干中的 deterring them from taking paid time off” 意思相近。所以选 F。
由题干中的关键词 the overwhelming majority of employees 和 low pay and an excessive workload (低薪和过重的工作量) 定位到 B 段。该段提到 The 83% of American employees... say that poor compensation and an unreasonable workload are their number-one sources of stress (83%的美国员工说，薪酬过低和不合理的工作量是他们压力的首要来源)，其中 83%” 对应题干中的 the overwhelming majority”，poor compensation and an unreasonable workload” 对应 low pay and an excessive workload”。所以选 B。
由题干中的关键词 Moen 和 flexibility gives employees better control 定位到 M 段。该段在结尾处引用 Moen 的话，"Flexibility and control is key," she continued (她继续说：“灵活性和控制是关键”)，这明确指出了灵活性能让员工更好地掌控工作。所以选 M。
由题干中的关键词 digital devices 和 benefits employers instead of employees 定位到 H 段。该段提到 the technology is being used to create more flexibility for the employer rather than the employee (技术正被用来为雇主而非员工创造更多的灵活性)，这与题干意思完全一致。所以选 H。
由题干中的关键词 high stress 和 less motivated, less productive and more likely to quit (动力更小、效率更低、更可能辞职) 定位到 E 段。该段提到 Science has shown a clear correlation between high stress levels in workers and absenteeism, reduced productivity, disengagement and high turnover (科学表明，员工的高压力水平与旷工、生产力下降、工作投入度降低和高离职率有明确关联)，其中 disengagement” (不投入) 对应 less motivated”，reduced productivity” 对应 less productive”，high turnover” (高离职率) 对应 more likely to quit”。所以选 E。
由题干中的关键词 In-office wellness programs 和 hardly an ultimate solution (几乎不是最终的解决方案) 定位到 K 段。该段在结尾处提到 these programs do little to target the root causes of burnout and disengagement (这些项目对于解决职业倦怠和工作投入度低的根源问题几乎无能为力)，这与题干中的“不是最终解决方案”意思相符。所以选 K。
由题干中的关键词 Health problems caused by stress 和 huge public health expenses (巨大的公共健康开支) 定位到 C 段。该段提到 the collective public health cost may be enormous (总的公共健康成本可能是巨大的)，并且列举了压力导致的多种健康问题。所以选 C。
由题干中的关键词 respond quickly 和 employer is likely to demand more (雇主可能要求更多) 定位到 J 段。该段描述了“响应循环”(cycle of responsiveness)：Once bosses and colleagues experience an employee's increased responsiveness, they increase their demands on the employee's time (一旦老板和同事体验到员工响应速度的提升，他们就会增加对该员工时间的要求)。所以选 J。
由题干中的关键词 technology everywhere 和 impossible for most workers to keep a balance between work and life 定位到 D 段。该段开头提到 As technology seeps into every aspect of our lives, work-life balance has become an almost meaningless term (随着技术渗入我们生活的方方面面，工作与生活的平衡已变得几乎毫无意义)，这与题干意思一致。所以选 D。
由题干中的关键词 teenagers suffer from stress 和 more serious than grown-ups 定位到 B 段。该段结尾处提到 Stress is also starting earlier in life, with some data suggesting that today's teens are even more stressed than adults (压力也开始在更早的年龄出现，一些数据表明，如今的青少年甚至比成年人压力更大)。所以选 B。
