——摘自《考研英语三层递进攻破阅读理解》
Text 2
Well, no gain without pain, they say. But what about pain without gain? Everywhere you go in America, you hear tales of corporate revival. What is harder to establish is whether the productivity revolution that businessmen assume they are presiding over is for real.
The official statistics are mildly discouraging. They show that, if you lump manufacturing and services together, productivity has grown on average by 1.2% since 1987. That is somewhat faster than the average during the previous decade. And since 1991, productivity has increased by about 2% a year, which is more than twice the 197887 average. The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend. There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a “disjunction” between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.
Some of this can be easily explained. New ways of organizing the workplace—all that reengineering and downsizing—are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training. Moreover, most of the changes that companies make are intended to keep them profitable, and this need not always mean increasing productivity: switching to new markets or improving quality can matter just as much.
Two other explanations are more speculative. First, some of the business restructuring of recent years may have been ineptly done. Second, even if it was well done, it may have spread much less widely than people suppose.
Leonard Schlesinger, a Harvard academic and former chief executive of Au Bong Pain, a rapidly growing chain of bakery cafes, says that much “reengineering” has been crude. In many cases, he believes, the loss of revenue has been greater than the reductions in cost. His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied reengineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to longterm profitability. BBDO’s Al Rosenshine is blunter. He dismisses a lot of the work of reengineering consultants as mere rubbish—“the worst sort of ambulancecashing.”
55. According to the author, the American economic situation is .
［A］not as good as it seems［B］at its turning point
［C］much better than it seems［D］near to complete recovery
56. The official statistics on productivity growth.
［A］exclude the usual rebound in a business cycle
［B］fall short of businessmen’s anticipation
［C］meet the expectation of business people
［D］fail to reflect the true state of economy
57. The author raises the question “what about pain without gain?” because _____ .
［A］he questions the truth of “no gain without pain”
［B］he does not think the productivity revolution works
［C］he wonders if the official statistics are misleading
［D］he has conclusive evidence for the revival of businesses
58. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?
［A］Radical reforms are essential for the increase of productivity.
［B］New ways of organizing workplaces may help to increase productivity.
［C］The reduction of costs is not a sure way to gain long term profitability.
［D］The consultants are a bunch of goodfornothings.
核心词汇：
acceleration［AkselE5reiFEn］n.加速;加速度（ac+celer+ation，ac加强前缀，celer词根“速度”，ation名词后缀→加速度）；反义词为deceleration（减速）←de向下+celer+ation。
anecdote［5AnikdEut］n.轶事，趣闻，短故事(anec未出版+dote给予→说出来的故事)
assume［E5sju:m］vt.假装；假定，设想；承担；呈现，采取（as加强动作+sum+e动词后缀→拿往→承担）
blunt［blQnt］a.率直的;钝的v.(使)钝;(使)迟钝
bunch［bQntF］n.(一)簇,束,捆,串vt.使成一束
chain［tFein］n.链(条);(pl.)镣铐;一连串v.用链条拴住
chop［tFCp］v.砍,劈,斩n.排骨,肉块
colleague［5kCli:g］n.同事,同僚（col+league捆绑→捆绑在一起的人→同事）
consultant［kEn5sQltEnt］n.会诊医师,顾问医生;顾问（consult+ant名词后缀consult（v.商量；查询），ant表“人”）
crude［kru:d］a.天然的,未加工的;未熟的;粗鲁的,粗野的
disjunction［dis5dVQkFEn］n.分离，分裂（dis+junction），dis否定前缀，junction（n.连接，连接处）。
evidence［5evidEns］n.明显;显著;根据;证据;迹象（e+vid词根“看”=vis+ence名词后缀→可见的,明显的证据）
expectation［ekspek5teiFEn］n.预期,期望,指望（expect+ation名词后缀）
ineptly［i5neptli］不相宜地；无能地(in+ept+ly)，in否定前缀，ept（=apt）适宜的，ly副词后缀。
leap［li:p］v.跳,跳跃n.跳跃,飞跃
lump［lQmp］n.团,块v.(使)成团,(使)成块
machinery［mE5Fi:nEri］n.（总称）机器,机械（machine+ry名词后缀表示总称→机器）
profitability［9prCfitE5biliti］n.收益率(profit+ability)，profit（v.n.收益），ability名词后缀； profitabilitythe sovereign criterion of the enterprise 有利可图——企业的至高无上的准则
profitable［5prCfitEbl］a.有利可图的,有益的（profit+able形容词后缀→有利润的）
rebound［ri5baund］v./n.反弹（re反+bound跳）
revenue［5revinju:］n.收入; 财政收入；税收,（尤指）岁入; 各项收入; 总收入(re回+ven来+ue→回来的东西→收入)
statistics［stE5tistiks］n.stat站，立+istics学科→站着去计算的学科→统计学
switch［switF］n.开关；转换；鞭子v.转变,转换；抽打
treasury［5treVEri］n.宝库，国库（treasur（e）+y），treasure（n.财宝v.珍爱），y表“地方”，于是“放财宝的地方”→宝库。
underlying［9QndE5laiiN］a.含蓄的,潜在的;在下面的（underly+ing）
