2007年3月閱讀真題解析

Questions 11~15

In the information technology industry, it is widely acknowledged that how well IT departments of the future can fulfil their business goals will depend not on the regular updating of technology, which is essential for them to do, but on how well they can hold on to the people skilled at manipulating the newest technology. This is becoming more difficult. Best estimates of the current shortfall in IT staff in the UK are between 30,000 and 50,000, and growing.

And there is no end to the problem in sight. A severe industry-wide lack of investment in training means the long-term skills base is both ageing and shrinking. Employers are chasing experienced staff in ever-decreasing circles, and, according to a recent government report, 250,000 new IT jobs will be created over the next decade.

Most employers are confining themselves to dealing with the immediate problems. There is little evidence, for example, that they are stepping up their intake of raw recruits for in-house training, or retraining existing staff from other functions. This is the course of action recommended by the Computer Software Services Association, but research shows its members are adopting the short-term measure of bringing in more and more consultants on a contract basis.

With IT professionals increasingly attracted to the financial rewards and flexibility of consultancy work, average staff turnover rates are estimated to be around 15%. While many companies in the financial services sector are managing to contain their losses by offering skilled IT staff "golden handcuffs"—deferred loyalty bonuses that tie them in until a certain date—other organisations, like local governments, are unable to match the competitive salaries and perks on offer in the private sector and contractor market, and are suffering turnover rates of up to 60% a year.

But while loyalty bonuses have grabbed the headlines, there are other means of holding on to staff. Some companies are doing additional IT pay reviews in the year and paying market premiums. But such measures can create serious employee relations problems among those excluded, both within and outside IT departments. Many industry experts advise employers to link bonuses to performance wherever possible. However, employers are realising that bonuses will only succeed if they are accompanied by other incentives such as attractive career prospects, training, and challenging work that meets the individual's long-term ambitions.

11. According to the passage, the success of IT departments will depend on ______.

?(A) their success at retraining their skilled staff

?(B) the extent to which they invest in new technology

?(C) their attempts to recruit staff with the necessary skills

?(D) the ability of employees to keep up with the latest developments

12. The problem referred to in the second paragraph is that ______.

?(A) the government needs to create thousands of new IT posts

?(B) the pool of skilled IT people will get even smaller in the future

?(C) company budgets for IT training have been decreasing steadily

?(D) older IT professionals have no adequate training

13. What is the possible solution to the long-term problems in the IT industry?

?(A) To offer top rates to attract the best specialist consultants.

?(B) To expand company training programs for new and old employees.

?(C) To conduct more research into the reasons for staff leaving.

?(D) To ensure that permanent staff earn the same as contract staff.

14. In some businesses in the financial services sector, the IT staffing problem has led to _____.

?(A) additional benefits for skilled staff after a specified period of time

?(B) more employees seeking alternative employment in the public sector

?(C) the loss of customers to rival organizations

?(D) more flexible conditions of work for their staff

15. Employers accept that IT professionals are more likely to stay in their present post if they ______.

?(A) are set more realistic performance targets

?(B) have a good working relationship with staff in other departments

?(C) are provided with opportunities for professional development

?(D) receive a remuneration package at top market rates

?????? 本文難度稍大，需要考生快速定位，并且需要考生對(duì)原文信息作合理推斷。解析如下：

11.?? 本題定位于第一段。段落分析如下：

In the information technology industry, it is widely acknowledged that how well IT departments of the future can fulfil their business goals will depend not on the regular updating of technology, which is essential for them to do, but on how well they can hold on to the people skilled at manipulating the newest technology. This is becoming more difficult. Best estimates of the current shortfall in IT staff in the UK are between 30,000 and 50,000, and growing.

?????? 本段中除黑體字外均為鋪墊或例證部分。選項(xiàng)中(C) their attempts to recruit staff with the necessary skills有一定迷惑性，為對(duì)原文定位的不當(dāng)闡釋。

12. 本題為細(xì)節(jié)題中的段意總結(jié)題。正確答案為B。段落分析如下：

And there is no end to the problem in sight. A severe industry-wide lack of investment in training means the long-term skills base is both ageing and shrinking. Employers are chasing experienced staff in ever-decreasing circles, and, according to a recent government report, 250,000 new IT jobs will be created over the next decade.

?????? 黑體字部分為段落主旨。具體指明了IT行業(yè)的人才短缺問(wèn)題的具體表現(xiàn)是：ageing（老化）和shrinking (驟減)。選項(xiàng)(B) the pool of skilled IT people will get even smaller in the future

將兩方面問(wèn)題很好的總結(jié)出來(lái)了：首先，even smaller表示可選范圍已經(jīng)很小，將來(lái)隨著人才年齡老化，選擇雇員的范圍會(huì)更??；其次，skilled IT people也說(shuō)明本行業(yè)對(duì)人才要求較高。符合段意。其他三個(gè)選項(xiàng)則都是對(duì)原文的過(guò)度闡釋。如(A) the government needs to create thousands of new IT posts。這只能算是政府部分有可能為該現(xiàn)象提供的一個(gè)solution, 而且文中并未提到，更重要的是，該選項(xiàng)與題意不符。再如(C) company budgets for IT training have been decreasing steadily 出現(xiàn)了budget的概念，該段并未提到。(D) older IT professionals have no adequate training則完全是錯(cuò)誤闡釋。

13. 本題難度較大，考生失分率相當(dāng)高。正確答案為B。本題有兩種解法：

l???????? 首先可在第三段中找到Most employers are confining themselves to dealing with the immediate problems. There is little evidence, for example, that they are stepping up their intake of raw recruits for in-house training, or retraining existing staff from other functions. This is the course of action recommended by the Computer Software Services Association, but research shows its members are adopting the short-term measure of bringing in more and more consultants on a contract basis.

?????? 從上文可以看出，黑體劃線部分的raw recruits for inhouse training 就是訓(xùn)練新員工，retraining existing staff from other functions意為對(duì)old employees進(jìn)行培訓(xùn)。解題時(shí)因?yàn)闊o(wú)法利用題干中的long-term直接定位，所以考生應(yīng)該快速找到本段結(jié)尾的short-term, 并且通過(guò)轉(zhuǎn)折詞but 確定該處存在一處對(duì)比，那么前面的部分即是某研究部門(mén)推薦的long-term 的解決方案了。

l???????? 另外，該題還可以用排除法來(lái)解。這種方法比較費(fèi)時(shí)，但是更加準(zhǔn)確。如果考生實(shí)在無(wú)法確定定位，可以嘗試定位其他選項(xiàng)，并將其排除掉。A選項(xiàng)主要考點(diǎn)為rate一詞的多種含義。除了為一般考生所熟知的“比率”這個(gè)含義之外，rate還可以表示“費(fèi)用或價(jià)格的量度”，可以找到定位為：

While many companies in the financial services sector are managing to contain their losses by offering skilled IT staff "golden handcuffs"—deferred loyalty bonuses that tie them in until a certain date—other organisations, like local governments, are unable to match the competitive salaries and perks on offer in the private sector and contractor market, and are suffering turnover rates of up to 60% a year.

?????? 在本段中，黑體字所標(biāo)部分繼續(xù)深入說(shuō)明很多企業(yè)無(wú)法留住人才的原因，其中包含了一組隱形的對(duì)比結(jié)構(gòu)。請(qǐng)大家注意其中other一詞的用法。其他機(jī)構(gòu)（如政府部門(mén)等public sectors）無(wú)法做到提供有競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的工資，這就意味著有些private sectors 是可以做到這一點(diǎn)的，而事實(shí)上它們（private sectors）也確實(shí)是用這種高工資的方式來(lái)留住人才的。但是，只要對(duì)于某些部門(mén)來(lái)說(shuō)執(zhí)行有困難，又不能提出排除困難的方案，就不能作為正確答案了。至于C,D兩個(gè)選項(xiàng)，排除難度比較小，C選項(xiàng)是對(duì)原文but research shows its members are adopting the short-term measure of bringing in more and more consultants on a contract basis.的誤解，而D選項(xiàng)則與該句意思相反。

14．????????????? 該題的定位仍然是第四段。答案為A。首先考生應(yīng)該根據(jù)financial services sector進(jìn)行定位。確定查找范圍后對(duì)比選項(xiàng)和原文的詞句，會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)loyalty bonuses即是additional benefits; until a certain date即是after a specified period of time。所以可以直接定位為A選項(xiàng)。其他選項(xiàng)均為對(duì)題干的錯(cuò)誤定位或?qū)υ牡腻e(cuò)誤理解。

15. ?該題定位為全文最后一句轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系句子However, employers are realising that bonuses will only succeed if they are accompanied by other incentives such as attractive career prospects, training, and challenging work that meets the individual's long-term ambitions. 答案為C。

?2007年春季閱讀真題解析

Questions 16~20

Declan Mayes, President of the Music Buyers Association, is furious at a recent announcement by the recording industry regarding people downloading MP3 music files from the Internet as actual criminals.

A few parallels may be instructive. If someone copies an audio music cassette for their own private use, they are, strictly speaking, breaking the law. But recording companies have usually turned a blind eye to this practice because prosecuting the few people involved would be difficult, and the financial loss to the company itself is not considered significant. Now the Music Recording Association has announced that it regards individuals downloading music from the Internet as pirates, claiming that they damage the industry in just the same way. "The industry is completely overreacting; it'll be a laughing stock," says Mayes. "They're going to arrest some teenager downloading files in his bedroom—and sue him for thousands of dollars! This isn't going to frighten anyone into buying CDs".

Mayes may have a point. There is a general consensus that CD pirates should be subjected to the full wrath of the law, but few would see an individual downloading music for his or her own pleasure in the same light. However, downloading music files illegally is not as innocuous as making private copies of audio cassettes. The scratchy, distorted cassette copy is a poor version of the original recording, whereas an MP3 file is of high quality and can be stored—on a CD, for example. It is this that makes the practice a powerful temptation for music fans, given the high cost of CDs.

What does Mayes think about claims that music companies could be forced out of business by people downloading music illegally? That's nonsense. Music companies are always whining about high costs, but that doesn't prevent them from recording hundreds of CDs by completely unknown artists, many of whom are "packaged" by marketing departments to appeal to young consumers. The companies are simply hoping that one of these new bands or signers will be a hit, and although it can be expensive to promote new artists, the cost of manufacturing the CDs is actually very low.

This last point would appear to be the focus of resentment against music companies: a CD is far cheaper to produce than its price in the shops would indicate, and profit margins for the music companies are huge. An adult with a reasonable income may not object to paying ￡15 for a CD of classical music, but a teenager buying a CD by the latest pop sensation may find that price rather steep—especially since the latest pop sensation is almost certain to be forgotten within a few months. And while the recording industry can't be held responsible for the evanescent nature of fame, given the teenage appetite for anything novel, it could lower the prices it charges—especially since technology is making CDs even cheaper to produce.

This is what Mayes hopes will happen. If the music industry stops exploiting the music-buying public, it can survive. Everyone would rather buy a CD, with an attractive jacket and booklet, than mess around downloading files, but the price has to be reasonable. The problem isn't going to vanish if the industry carries on trying to make a quick profit. Technology has caught up with the music companies, and trying to fight it by taking people to court will only earn money for the lawyers.

?????? 本文屬于文章難度較大，問(wèn)題定位明確的文章。讀者需要發(fā)揮結(jié)構(gòu)化閱讀的方法，將文章劃分為以段為單位的小塊各個(gè)擊破，并注意其中的指代以及結(jié)構(gòu)性?xún)?nèi)容的暗示。
16. C
17. D
18. D
19. D
20. C

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