历年英语六级阅读真题(2012,6---2006,12)2012年12月英语六级阅读真题(1)PassageOneAmidallthejoblossesoftheGreatRecession,thereisonecategoryofworkerthattheeconomicdisruptionhasbeengoodfor:nonhumans.Fromself-servicecheckoutlinesatthesupermarkettoindustrialrobotsarmedwithsawsandtaughttocarveupanimalcarcassesinslaughter-houses,theseever-more-intelligentmachinesarenownotjustassistingworkersbutactuallykickingthemoutoftheirjobs.Automationisn’tjustaffectingfactoryworkers,either.Somelawfirmsnowuseartificialintelligencesoftwaretoscanandreadmountainsoflegaldocuments,workthatpreviouslywasperformedbyhighlypaidhumanlawyers.“Robotscontinuetohaveanimpactonblue-collarjobs,andwhite-collarjobsareunderattackbymicroprocessors,”saysEdwardLeamer,aneconomicsprofessoratUCLA’sAndersonSchoolofManagementanddirectoroftheUCLAAndersonForecast,asurveyoftheU.S.andCaliforniaeconomies.Leamersaystherecessionpermanentlywipedout2.5millionjobs.U.S.grossdomesticproducthasclimbedbacktopre-recessionlevels,meaningwe’reproducingasmuchasbefore,onlywith6percentfewerworkers.Tobesure,roboticsarenottheonlyjobkillersoutthere,withoutsourcingstealingfarmoregigsthanautomation.JeffBurnstein,presidentoftheRoboticsIndustryAssociation,atradegroupinAnnArbor,Mich.,arguesthatrobotsactuallysaveU.S.jobs.Hislogic:companiesthatembraceautomationmightusefewerworkers,butthat’sstillbetterthanfiringeveryoneandmovingtheworkoverseas.It’snotthatrobotsarecheaperthanhumans,thoughoftentheyare.It’sthattheyarebetter.“Insomecasesthequalityrequirementsaresostringentthatevenifyouwantedtohaveahumandothejob,youcouldn’t,”Burnsteinsays.Samegoesforsurgeons,whoareusingroboticsystemstoperformanever-growinglistofoperations—notbecausethemachinessavemoneybutbecause,thankstothegreaterprecisionofrobots,thepatientsrecoverinlesstimeandhavefewercomplications,saysDr.MyriamCuret.Surgeonsmaysurvivetherobotinvasion,butothersatthehospitalmightnotbesolucky,asiRobot,makeroftheRoomba,arobotvacuumcleaner,hasbeenshowingoffAva,athree-foot-talldroidonwheelsthatcarriesatabletcomputer.iRobo