Reading comprehension -TOEFL- Lesson 37 (Đọc hiểu -TOEFL- Bài 37)
Đọc đoạn văn sau và trả lời các câu hỏi:
The loss of jobs and persistent unemployment in the industrial countries is due mainly to changes in technology. It is thought to be misleading to blame job losses on the shift of corporations from the industrial countries to the Third World.
5 The present technological developments have been compared to a Third Industrial Revolution. The first, coming in the 19th century, was characterized by the steam engine and the use of coal. In the 1920s the second emerged with the use of oil and the electrodynamo. The 10 third, and present one, is driven by computers, biotechnology and information technology.
However, there can be seen weaknesses in the newest of industrial revolutions. The technology is advancing so fast and productivity 15 is rising so fast that we are left with a big problem. Because of the loss in jobs, caused largely by this new technology, there will not be enough people with money to buy all these products.
Technology has definitely enhanced our standard of living, even our 20 quality of life. But as the capacity to produce expands and the lack of purchasing power and consequent demand diminish, there can be overproduction and recession, and what happens to our standard of living?
5 The present technological developments have been compared to a Third Industrial Revolution. The first, coming in the 19th century, was characterized by the steam engine and the use of coal. In the 1920s the second emerged with the use of oil and the electrodynamo. The 10 third, and present one, is driven by computers, biotechnology and information technology.
However, there can be seen weaknesses in the newest of industrial revolutions. The technology is advancing so fast and productivity 15 is rising so fast that we are left with a big problem. Because of the loss in jobs, caused largely by this new technology, there will not be enough people with money to buy all these products.
Technology has definitely enhanced our standard of living, even our 20 quality of life. But as the capacity to produce expands and the lack of purchasing power and consequent demand diminish, there can be overproduction and recession, and what happens to our standard of living?
1. What is the main point the author is making?
2. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of one of the industrial revolutions?
3. What is stated as being the main weakness of the Third Industrial Revolution?
4. Why does the author think that there won't be enough people to buy the products?
5. What do we infer is the author's attitude to technology?
