雅思词汇课文（11）· The Automation of Work 工作的自动化

工作与科技主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。

🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）

📖 课文 Text

The Automation of Work

For two centuries, machines have taken over tasks that humans once performed by hand. The steam engine replaced weavers, the assembly line replaced craftsmen, and the computer replaced the secretary. Yet each wave of automation ultimately created more jobs than it destroyed. Today, however, economists are warning that something may be different.

Artificial intelligence does not only replace physical labour. It can draft legal documents, write news articles, diagnose medical images and even compose music. A growing number of white-collar jobs — the kind that university graduates have traditionally relied on — are now exposed to automation. A recent study estimated that up to 30 per cent of work tasks in developed countries could be automated within two decades.

Not everyone sees this as a catastrophe. Supporters argue that automation will free humans from repetitive and dangerous work, allowing them to focus on creativity, empathy and complex problem-solving. They point out that when the automated teller machine was introduced, the number of bank tellers did not fall — it rose, because banks could afford to open more branches.

Critics, however, argue that this time the transition will be faster and more painful. Manufacturing took generations to move from farms to factories. Software can spread across an entire industry in months. Workers who lose their jobs may not have the skills to find new ones, leading to a divided society: a small elite of high-skilled workers who benefit from automation, and a large majority whose wages stagnate or decline.

Governments are now experimenting with responses. Some are investing heavily in retraining programmes. Others are considering a universal basic income — an unconditional payment to every citizen, regardless of employment. Whatever the solution, the question is no longer whether automation will transform the workplace, but how society can ensure that its benefits are shared fairly.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. According to Paragraph 1, previous waves of automation...

• A. destroyed more jobs than they created
• B. ultimately created more jobs than they destroyed
• C. affected only factory workers
• D. had no effect on employment

2. What is new about today's automation, according to Paragraph 2?

• A. It affects blue-collar jobs only
• B. It can perform tasks requiring cognitive and creative skills
• C. It is limited to manufacturing
• D. It has no impact on university graduates

3. The example of the bank teller is used to argue that...

• A. automation always reduces employment
• B. ATM machines made banking worse
• C. automation can sometimes lead to more jobs in the same field
• D. banks should close their branches

4. Critics argue that the current transition will be more painful because...

• A. it will happen more quickly and workers may lack transferable skills
• B. machines are not powerful enough
• C. governments are too involved
• D. salaries are already high

5. A universal basic income is...

• A. a loan that workers must repay
• B. an unconditional payment to all citizens regardless of work
• C. a salary paid by private companies
• D. a pension for the elderly

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| automate / exposure / repetitive / transition / elite / stagnate / retrain / regardless |

1. Many factory tasks have been ______, reducing the need for manual labour.
2. Workers in rural areas face greater ______ to unemployment.
3. Data entry is a highly ______ job that is easily automated.
4. The country is going through a difficult ______ from a planned to a market economy.
5. A small ______ of highly skilled engineers earns far more than the average worker.
6. Without investment, wages will ______ and living standards will decline.
7. The government launched a programme to ______ older workers for new careers.
8. ______ of age, gender or background, every citizen is entitled to the same rights.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. B（"each wave ultimately created more jobs than it destroyed"）
2. B（"draft legal documents, write news articles, diagnose medical images"）
3. C（"the number of bank tellers did not fall — it rose"）
4. A（"spread across an entire industry in months... may not have the skills"）
5. B（"an unconditional payment to every citizen, regardless of employment"）

Vocabulary

1. automated　2. exposure　3. repetitive　4. transition　5. elite　6. stagnate　7. retrain　8. Regardless