There is widespread belief that the emergence of giant industries has been accompanied by an equivalent surge in industrial research. A recent study of important inventions made since the turn of the century reveals that more than half were the product of individual inventors working alone, independent of organized industrial research. While industrial laboratories contributed such important products as nylon and transistors, independent inventors developed air conditioning, the automatic transmission, the jet engine, the helicopter, insulin, and streptomycin. Still other inventions, such as stainless steel, television, silicones, and plexiglass were developed through the combined efforts of individuals and laboratory teams.
Despite these finding, we are urged to support monopolistic power on the grounds that such power creates an environment supportive of innovation. We are told that the independent inventor, along with the small firm, cannot afford to undertake the important research needed to improve our standard of living while protecting our diminishing resources, that only the giant corporation or conglomerate, with its prodigious assets, can afford the kind of expenditures that can produce the technological advances vital to economic progress. But when we examine expenditures for research, we find that of the more than $35 billion spent each year in this country, almost two-thirds is spent by the federal government. More than half of this government expenditure is funneled into military research and product development, accounting for the enormous increase in spending in such industries as nuclear energy, aircraft, missiles, and electronics. There are those who consider it questionable that these defense-linked research projects will either improve our standard of living or do much to protect our diminishing resources.
Recent history has demonstrated that we may have to alter our longstanding conception of the process actuated by competition. The price variable, once perceived as the dominant aspect of the process, is now subordinate to the competition of the new product, the new business structure and the new technology. While it can be assumed that in a highly competitive industry not dominated by a single corporation, investment in innovation — a risky and expensive budget item — might meet resistance from management and stockholders concerned about cost-cutting, efficient organization, and large advertising budgets, it would be an egregious error to equate the monopolistic producer with bountiful expenditures on research. Large-scale enterprises tend to operate more comfortably in stable and secure circumstances, and their managerial bureaucracies tend to promote the status quo and resist the threat implicit in change. Moreover, in some cases, industrial giants faced with little or no competition seek to avoid the capital loss resulting from obsolescence by deliberately obstructing technological progress. By contrast, small firms undeterred by large investments in plant and capital equipment often aggressively pursue new techniques and new products, investing in innovation in order to expand their market shares.
The conglomerates are not, however, completely exempt from strong competitive pressures. There are instances in which they too must compete with another industrial Goliath, and then their weapons may include large expenditures for innovation.
1.The primary purpose of the passage is to( ).
2.According to the passage, important inventions of the twentieth century( ).
3.It can be inferred from the passage that the author( ).
4.With which of the following statements would the author of the passage be most likely to agree?
5.Which of the following proposals best responds to the issues raised by the author?
问题1选项
A.advocate an increase in government support of organized industrial research
B.show that America’s strength depends upon individual ingenuity and resourcefulness
C.describe the inadequacies of small firms in dealing with the important matter of research and innovation
D.point out a common misconception about the relationship between the extent of industrial research and the growth of monopolistic power in industry
问题2选项
A.sometimes adversely affect our standard of living and diminish our natural resources
B.came primarily from the huge laboratories of monopolistic industries
C.were produced at least as frequently by independent inventors as by research teams
D.have greater impact on smaller firms than on conglomerates
问题3选项
A.has little confidence in the ability of monopolistic industry to produce the important inventions of the future
B.would rather see the federal government spend money on social services than on the defense establishment
C.favors a conservative approach to innovation and places trust in conglomerates to provide efficient production
D.feels that price should still be the dominant variable in the competitive process
问题4选项
A.The independent inventor cannot afford to undertake the research needed to improve our standard of living.
B.Governmental expenditure for military research will do much to protect our dwindling resources.
C.Industrial giants, with their managerial bureaucracies, respond more quickly to technological change than smaller firms do.
D.Firms with a small-share of the market aggressively pursue innovations because they are not locked into old capital equipment.
问题5选项
A.Governmental restraints on monopolies should be lifted, and government funding should be made available to large corporations wishing to engage in research.
B.Governmental restraints on monopolies should be tightened, and government funding should be made available to small corporations and independent individuals wishing to engage in research.
C.Governmental restraints on monopolies should be tightened, and no government funding should be provided to any corporations or individuals wishing to engage in research.
D.The amount the government spends on military research should be decreased, and the amount it spends to improve the standard of living should be increased.
第1题:D
第2题:C
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:B
1.主旨大意题。纵观全文,文章第一段主要提到了人们普遍认为,伴随着巨型工业的出现,工业研究也开始激增。第二段用实例对观点进行了否定。第三段主要提到相比大型工业,小公司不受大型工厂和资本设备投资的阻碍,往往积极追求新技术和新产品,投资于创新,以扩大其市场份额。第四段主要提到一些大型企业在面临竞争的时候,也会大量投入进行创新。由此可知,本篇文章的主要目的在于指出了一个普遍存在的错误观点:工业研究的范围与工业垄断势力的增长之间的关系,即大型垄断企业的增长会带来工业研究和创新的激增。选项D符合题意。
2.细节理解题。根据文章第一段,“A recent study of important inventions made since the turn of the century reveals that more than half were the product of individual inventors working alone, independent of organized industrial research.”,最近一项关于世纪初以来重要发明的研究显示,超过一半的发明是来自于独立发明家,这些发明家独立于有组织的工业研究团队。可判断出二十世纪的重要发明一半来自独立发明家,一半来自研究团队。选项C符合题意。
3.判断推理题。根据文章第三段,“Large-scale enterprises tend to operate more comfortably in stable and secure circumstances, and their managerial bureaucracies tend to promote the status quo and resist the threat implicit in change. Moreover, in some cases, industrial giants faced with little or no competition seek to avoid the capital loss resulting from obsolescence by deliberately obstructing technological progress.”,大型企业往往在稳定和安全的环境中获得更舒适的经营环境,他们的管理机构倾向于维持现状,抵制变革中隐含的威胁。此外,在某些情况下,一些工业巨头面临很少的工业竞争,所以他们试图通过故意阻碍技术进步来避免因过时而造成的资本损失。可判断作者对垄断行业生产的发明和创新能力没有信心。选项A符合题意。
4.判断推理题。根据文章第三段最后一句,“By contrast, small firms undeterred by large investments in plant and capital equipment often aggressively pursue new techniques and new products, investing in innovation in order to expand their market shares.”,相比大型企业,小公司不受大型工厂和资本设备投资的阻碍,往往积极追求新技术和新产品,投资于创新,以扩大其市场份额。可判断出市场份额较小的公司积极追求创新,因为他们没有被固定在资本设备投资上。选项D符合题意。
5.判断推理题,文章第三段提到大型企业往往在稳定和安全的环境中获得更舒适的经营环境,他们的管理机构倾向于维持现状,抵制变革中隐含的威胁。相比大型企业,小型企业往往积极追求新技术和新产品,投资于创新,以扩大其市场份额。可判断出作者的态度可能是积极支持小型企业的创新,多投资于更有需求的小型企业。选项B符合题意。