新世纪大学英语(第二版)学术英语视听说教程第2册Unit3-听力原文871

......Whetheryouloveitorhateit,workisamajorpartofmostpeople’sliveseverywhereintheworld.Americansarenoexception.Americansmightcomplainabout“blueMonday,”whentheyhavetogobacktoworkaftertheweekend,butmostofthemputalotofimportanceontheirjob,notonlyintermsofmoneybutalsointermsofidentity.Infact,whenAmericansareintroducedtoanewperson,theyalmostalwaysaskeachother,“Whatdoyoudo?”Theyarereallyasking,“Whatisyourjoborprofession?”Today,however,wewon’tlookatworkintermsofwhatworkmeanssociallyorpsychologically.Rather,um,we’regoingtotakealookatworkintheUnitedStatestodayinthreedifferentways.First,we’lltakeahistoricallookatworkinAmerica.Uh,we’lldothatbylookingathowthingschangedfortheAmericanworkerfromtheyear1900totheyearofthelateststatistics,2010.Thatis,fromthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturytorecenttimes.Thenwe’lllookathowU.S.workersaredoingtoday.Andafterthat,we’lltakealookatsomepossiblereasonsforthecurrenteconomicsituation.Andfinally,we’lllookatwhatpeoplearesayingaboutwhatthegovernmentshouldandshouldnotdoinordertoimprovethecountry’seconomy.Aswelookatthechangesoverthelastcenturyorso,we’regoingtousealotofstatisticstodescribethesechanges.First,let’sconsiderhowthetypeofworkpeoplewereinvolvedinchanged.Atthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,in1900,about38percentoftheworkforcewasinvolvedinagriculture;thatis,theyworkedonafarm.Bytheendofthecentury,only3percentstillworkedonfarms,andby2010,onlyabout1percentworkedinagriculture.Therewasalsoalargedecreaseinthenumberofpeople参考材料......workinginindustry,thatis,inmaking,ormanufacturing,thingsinfactories.Thenumberofworkersinindustryisdownfromover30percentin1900tojustover22percentin2010.Whilethenumberofpeopleinagricultureandmanufacturingindustrieswentdown,thenumberofpeopleintheserviceswentup.Asyoumayknow,services,ratherthangoodsorproducts,provideotherlessconcretethingsthatpeopleneed.Afewexamplesincludeeducation,healthcare,transportation,tourism,banking,advertising,andlegalservices.Cafes,restaurants,andfast-foodoutletslikeMcDonald’sarepartoftheservicesector,asareretailsalesjobs,drivingtaxis,andpumpinggas.Theservicesworkforcejumpedfrom31percentoftheworkforcein1900to77percentin2010.Let’srecapthenumbers:in1900,38percentinagriculture;31percentinindustry;and31percentinservices.In2010,about1percentinagriculture;22percentinindustry;and77percentinservices.Toputthingsintoperspective,let’scomparetheUnitedStatestodaytoChina,wherethepictureisverydifferent.Fromyourexperience,wouldyouexpectChinatohavemoreworkersinagricultureorinindustry?Well,itmayormaynotsurpriseyou,butinChina,agriculturetakesuponly10percentoftheworkforce,industryahuge47percent,andservices43percent.FiguresfortheentireworldaresomewherebetweenChina’sandtheUnitedStates’figures:6percent,31percent,and63percentforagriculture,industry,and参考材料......services,respectively.Let’sgetbacktothechangesintheU.S.workforceinthelastcenturyorso.TherearejusttwomorepointsIwantedtobringup.First,childlaborwasnotunusualatthebeginningofthetwentiethcentury.In1900,therewere1,750,000childrenaged10to15workingfull-timeinthelaborforce.Thiswas6percentofthelaborforce.Overtheyears,childlaborlawsbecamemuchstricterandby1999,itwasillegalforanyoneunder16toworkfull-timeinanyofthe50states.Second,whilethenumberofchildrenintheworkforcewentdown,thenumberofwomenwentupdramatically.In1900,only19percentofwomenwereemployed;in2010,almost73percentofwomenwereholdingdownjobs.OK,nowlet’stakealookathowtheU.S.workforceisdoingtoday.First,letmesaythatformuchofthetwentiethcentury,U.S.workerssawrisingwages,increasedbenefitslikeSocialSecurityandhealthinsurance,andbetterworkingconditions.However,thingsarenotsorosyfortoday’sworkers.First,let’slookatwages.TheU.S.workforceisstillconsideredextremelyproductiveamongtheindustrializednationsoftheworld,butwhileitsproductivityhascontinuedtoincreasesincethe1970s,wagesfortheworkingclasshavenotincreased.Alsothenumberoftheunemployedhasbeenhighforsomeofthepastfewyears.Letmegiveyousomestatisticsthatmayhelpyouunderstandtheimpactof参考材料......stagnantwagesandhighunemployment.ShortlyafterWorldWarII,achildborninpoverty,thatis,toapoorfamily,hada50percentchanceofbeinginthemiddleclassasanadult.Butby1980,apersonborninpovertyhada40percentchance.In2012,economiststoldusthathisorherchanceofenteringthemiddleclasswasonly33percent.Finally,let’stakealookatsomeofthepossiblereasonsforthecurrentsituation.Firstofall,agricultureintheUnitedStateshasbecomemuchmoremechanizedandmoreefficient,sofewerpeopleareneededtogrowcropsandraiseanimals.Mostpeopleagreethatoutsourcing,thatis,sendingsomeU.S.manufacturingandserviceworkoverseastocountrieslikeChinaandIndiathathavelowerwages,isonereason.Atthesametime,thesecountriesmanufactureproductsthattheycanexporttotheUnitedStatesandothercountriesmorecheaplythanU.S.companiescanmanufacturethem.Alsoweshouldkeepinmindthatsomeadvancesintechnologyhaveeliminatedalotofthejobsthatrequiredworkersinthepast.I’mthinkingofrobotsintheautoindustryandbankATMmachines,forexample.Inadditiontooutsourcingandadvancesintechnology,unions,whichprotectworkers’rights,havebecomeweakerinthepastdecades.Theresultislowerwagesandevenlossofjobsforpeoplefromfactoryworkerstoteachers.SomeeconomistspointoutthattheAmericanconsumerhasbenefitedfromoutsourcingandtechnologyinthatmanyproductsaremuchcheaper.Thatiscoldcomforttomillionsofworkerswhohavelosttheirjobs,ofcourse.Let’slookatsomemorereasons.参考材料......Otherpossiblecausesfortheeconomicproblemsmaybegovernmentpoliciesandlegislation,amongthemtaxcutsandlackofregulationofbusinesses,especiallylargecorporationsandfinancialinstitutionssuchasbanks,mortgagecompanies,andinvestmentfirms.Taxcutsmeanthegovernmenthaslessmoneytoprovideprogramstohelppeopleindifficultyortoinvestineducationandresearch.Lackofregulationoffinancialinstitutionshasledtotheirmakingveryriskyinvestments,riskyinvestmentsthathaveledtolossofjobs,lostpensions,