GMAT閱讀文章《服務(wù)業(yè)的定義》深度分析

蘧鳳東

　　閱讀建議：
　　1）
北京新東方建議讀者先按自己的節(jié)奏閱讀文章并做完題目，再看文章分析及題目講解。
　　文章及題目：
　　In 1988 services moved ahead of manufacturing as the main product of the United States economy. But what is meant by “services”？ Some economists define a service as something that is produced and consumed simultaneously， for example， a haircut. The broader， classical definition is that a service is an intangible something that cannot be touched or stored. Yet electric utilities can store energy， and computer programmers save information electronically. Thus， the classical definition is hard to sustain.
　　The United States government's definition is more practical： services are the residual category that includes everything that is not agriculture or industry. Under this definition， services includes activities as diverse as engineering and driving a bus. However， besides lacking a strong conceptual framework， this definition fails to recognize the distinction between service industries and service occupations. It categorizes workers based on their company's final product rather than on the actual work the employees perform. Thus， the many service workers employed by manufacturers - bookkeepers or janitors， for example-would fall under the industrial rather than the services category. Such ambiguities reveal the arbitrariness of this definition and suggest that， although practical for government purposes， it does not accurately reflect the composition of the Current United States' economy.
　　1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
　　(A) Discussing research data underlying several definitions
　　(B) Arguing for the adoption of a particular definition
　　(C) Exploring definitions of a concept
　　(D) Comparing the advantages of several definitions
　　(E) Clarifying some ambiguous definitions
　　2. In comparing the United States government's definition of services with the classical definition， the author suggests that the classical definition is
　　(A) More pragmatic
　　(B) More difficult to apply
　　(C) Less ambiguous
　　(D) More widely used
　　(E) More arbitrary
　　3. The passage suggests which of the following about service workers in the United States？
　　(A) The number of service workers may be underestimated by the definition of services used by the government.
　　(B) There were fewer service workers than agricultural workers before 1988.
　　(C) The number of service workers was almost equal to the number of workers employed in manufacturing until 1988.
　　(D) Most service workers are employed in service occupations rather than in service industries.
　　(E) Most service workers are employed in occupations where they provide services that do not fall under the classical definition of services.
　　4. The author of the passage mentions which of the following as one disadvantage of the United States government's definition of services？
　　(A) It is less useful than the other definitions mentioned in the passage.
　　(B) It is narrower in scope than the other definitions mentioned in the passage.
　　(C) It is based on the final product produced rather than on the type of work performed.
　　(D) It does not recognize the diversity of occupations within the service industries.
　　(E) It misclassifies many workers who are employed in service industries.
　　5. The author refers to “service workers employed by manufacturers” (line 23) primarily in order to point out
　　(A) A type of worker not covered by the United States government's system of classifying occupations
　　(B) A flaw in the United States government's definition of services
　　(C) A factor that has influenced the growth of the service economy in the United States
　　(D) A type of worker who is classified on the basis of work performed rather than on the basis of the company's final product
　　(E) The diversity of the workers who are referred to as service workers
　　1. 文章初讀：（只讀各段首句）
　　第一段首句：
　　In 1988 services moved ahead of manufacturing as the main product of the United States economy.|
　　翻譯：1988年服務(wù)業(yè)超過制造業(yè)成為美國經(jīng)濟(jì)的主要產(chǎn)物。
　　評：給出了文章的大背景，即1988年美國的服務(wù)業(yè)超過制造業(yè)成為美國經(jīng)濟(jì)的主要產(chǎn)物，說明了服務(wù)業(yè)的地位，為引出下文做鋪墊。
　　第二段首句：
　　The United States government's definition is more practical： services are the residual category that includes everything that is not agriculture or industry.
　　翻譯：美國政府的定義更加實(shí)用：服務(wù)業(yè)包括除農(nóng)業(yè)和工業(yè)外的所有范疇。
　　評：這是個(gè)帶有冒號的句子，我們從課上已經(jīng)知道冒號前后兩部分的重要性不一樣：短的部分更重要。在本句中即冒號前的部分，特別要注意“more practical”，我們可以合理推測，US政府的定義一定是和前文提到的其它某個(gè)定義相比更加實(shí)際。果然第一段最后一句寫的是關(guān)于service的classical definition比較難以使用（“hard to sustain”）�？偨Y(jié)一下，這是一種“Smart Reading”的方法，通過文中的邏輯關(guān)系詞（轉(zhuǎn)折、因果、舉例、對比），來推測文章的邏輯脈絡(luò)以及文意走向，從而達(dá)到“快速把握文章脈絡(luò)、讀懂文章大意”的終極目標(biāo)。
　　2. 文章精讀（精讀各句，把握邏輯關(guān)系）
　　第一段：（標(biāo)記重要邏輯關(guān)系詞及態(tài)度評價(jià)詞）
　　In 1988 services moved ahead of manufacturing as the main product of the United States economy. But what is meant by “services”？ Some economists define a service as something that is produced and consumed simultaneously， for example， a haircut. The broader， classical definition is that a service is an intangible something that cannot be touched or stored. Yet electric utilities can store energy， and computer programmers save information electronically. Thus， the classical definition is hard to sustain.
　　翻譯：　服務(wù)業(yè)在1988年超過制造業(yè)成為美國經(jīng)濟(jì)的主要產(chǎn)物。但是“服務(wù)業(yè)”意味著什么？一些經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家將一項(xiàng)服務(wù)定義為同時(shí)被生產(chǎn)和消費(fèi)的東西，比如說剪發(fā)。更廣義的經(jīng)典的定義是服務(wù)是指無形的觸碰不到也儲存不了的東西。然而電力設(shè)備可以存儲能量，計(jì)算機(jī)程序電子保存信息。因此，經(jīng)典定義難以維持（難以使用）。
　　第二段：（標(biāo)記重要邏輯關(guān)系詞及態(tài)度評價(jià)詞）
　　The United States government's definition is more practical： services are the residual category that includes everything that is not agriculture or industry. Under this definition， services includes activities as diverse as engineering and driving a bus. However， besides lacking a strong conceptual framework， this definition fails to recognize the distinction between service industries and service occupations. It categorizes workers based on their company's final product rather than on the actual work the employees perform. Thus， the many service workers employed by manufacturers - bookkeepers or janitors， for example-would fall under the industrial rather than the services category. Such ambiguities reveal the arbitrariness of this definition and suggest that， although practical for government purposes， it does not accurately reflect the composition of the Current United States' economy.
　　翻譯：　美國政府的定義更加實(shí)用：服務(wù)業(yè)包括除農(nóng)業(yè)和工業(yè)外的所有范疇。在這個(gè)定義下，服務(wù)性工作包括的活動寬泛到諸如設(shè)計(jì)制造和當(dāng)巴士司機(jī)。然而，除了缺乏一個(gè)牢固的概念框架，這個(gè)定義還沒有意識到服務(wù)行業(yè)和服務(wù)職業(yè)的區(qū)別。它根據(jù)工人所在公司的最終產(chǎn)品而非工人實(shí)際所做的工作來對工人進(jìn)行分類。因此許多被制造商雇傭的服務(wù)工人（如圖書管理員或者門衛(wèi)）將被歸于工業(yè)而非服務(wù)業(yè)范疇。這種模棱兩可的情況反映出這個(gè)定義的武斷，并且意味著，盡管從政府的目的來看這個(gè)定義很實(shí)用，但它并沒有精確反應(yīng)當(dāng)今美國經(jīng)濟(jì)的真實(shí)組成。
　　讀完文章后，可做如下筆記，整理各句大意及句間關(guān)系：
　　Def of service
　　Some econ.： make & sell at the same time、
　　Broader classic def： cannot be touched or stored
　　Yet， flawed
　　US gov.： more practical
　　However， fails
　　prod. > work
　　so， serv.→indus.
　　amb=arb=inaccurate reflect
　　3. 做題：
　　1. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
　　(A) Discussing research data underlying several definitions
　　(B) Arguing for the adoption of a particular definition
　　(C) Exploring definitions of a concept
　　(D) Comparing the advantages of several definitions
　　(E) Clarifying some ambiguous definitions
　　評：　1) 主旨題：正確答案為(C)。尋找文章主旨需要關(guān)注文章套路。本文第一段首提出關(guān)于services含義的問題，接著給出三種定義，并且對于這三種定義的態(tài)度都是負(fù)態(tài)度。所以，這是描述型文章，文章主旨為負(fù)態(tài)度或無態(tài)度。
　　2) 錯(cuò)項(xiàng)分析：　(A)： 無中生有：文章沒有呈現(xiàn)研究數(shù)據(jù)。
　　(B)： “argue for”是正態(tài)度詞匯，不符合文章主旨態(tài)度，排除。
　　(D)： 主旨題中，首詞為compare、demonstrate、make a case的選項(xiàng)首先排除，因?yàn)椋瑢Ρ群团e例只是手段，而非目的。
　　(E)： “clarify”是正態(tài)度詞匯，不符合文章主旨態(tài)度，排除。
　　2. In comparing the United States government's definition of services with the classical definition， the author suggests that the classical definition is
　　(A) More pragmatic
　　(B) More difficult to apply
　　(C) Less ambiguous
　　(D) More widely used
　　(E) More arbitrary
　　評：　1) 間接細(xì)節(jié)題（取非題）：正確答案為(B)。第二段首句指出，美國政府的定義更加實(shí)用--是與經(jīng)典定義相比更實(shí)用。言外之意就是經(jīng)典定義不如美國政府的定義實(shí)用。
　　2) 錯(cuò)項(xiàng)分析：
　　(A)： 與文意相反：原文說美國政府定義更實(shí)用，而非經(jīng)典定義更加實(shí)用。
　　(C)： 混淆文意：ambiguous是美國政府定義的問題，而不是用來比較美國政府定義和經(jīng)典定義的。
　　(D)： 混淆文意：more widely used對應(yīng)文中的broader，是第一種定義和經(jīng)典定義間的比較，而非美國政府定義和經(jīng)典定義間的比較。
　　(E)： 混淆文意：arbitrary是美國政府定義的問題，而不是用來比較美國政府定義和經(jīng)典定義的。
　　3. The passage suggests which of the following about service workers in the United States？
　　(A) The number of service workers may be underestimated by the definition of services used by the government.
　　(B) There were fewer service workers than agricultural workers before 1988.
　　(C) The number of service workers was almost equal to the number of workers employed in manufacturing until 1988.
　　(D) Most service workers are employed in service occupations rather than in service industries.
　　(E) Most service workers are employed in occupations where they provide services that do not fall under the classical definition of services.
　　評：　1) 間接細(xì)節(jié)題（推斷題）：正確答案為(A)。根據(jù)原文第22至26行，美國政府定義存在問題，問題的后果是很多被制造業(yè)企業(yè)所雇用的服務(wù)性員工會被歸類到工業(yè)中，而不是服務(wù)業(yè)中。因此可以合理推斷出，按照美國政府這個(gè)定義，service workers的數(shù)量確實(shí)可能被低估。
　　2) 錯(cuò)項(xiàng)分析：
　　(B)： 無中生有：文章沒有提到1988年前服務(wù)業(yè)工作者和農(nóng)業(yè)工作者的數(shù)量孰多孰少。
　　(C)： 無中生有：文章沒有提到1988年前服務(wù)業(yè)工作者和工業(yè)工作者的數(shù)量孰多孰少。
　　(D)： 無中生有：文章沒有說大部分服務(wù)業(yè)工作者從事于服務(wù)職業(yè)而非服務(wù)行業(yè)。most屬于絕對化信息，文中并沒有絕對化信息與之對應(yīng)，故排除。
　　(E)： 無中生有：文章沒有給出類似信息。most屬于絕對化信息，文中并沒有絕對化信息與之對應(yīng)，故排除。
　　4. The author of the passage mentions which of the following as one disadvantage of the United States government's definition of services？
　　(A) It is less useful than the other definitions mentioned in the passage.
　　(B) It is narrower in scope than the other definitions mentioned in the passage.
　　(C) It is based on the final product produced rather than on the type of work performed.
　　(D) It does not recognize the diversity of occupations within the service industries.
　　(E) It misclassifies many workers who are employed in service industries.
　　評：1) 直接細(xì)節(jié)題：正確答案為(C)。根據(jù)題干定位至原文第20至22行： the government's definition fails because it categorizes workers based on their company's final product rather than on the actual work the employees perform.直接選到同義轉(zhuǎn)述(C)選項(xiàng)。
　　2) 錯(cuò)項(xiàng)分析：　(A)： 與文意相反：作者說美國政府定義的是更實(shí)用的。
　　(B)： 混淆文意：選項(xiàng)中narrower in scope對應(yīng)著文中的broader，說的是經(jīng)典定義比第一種定義更廣泛，不是說美國政府定義。
　　(D)： 無中生有：原文并沒有討論服務(wù)業(yè)中職業(yè)多樣性的問題。
　　(E)： 與文意相反：文中說美國政府定義是misclassify了很多工業(yè)界中的服務(wù)工作者，而非服務(wù)業(yè)中的。
　　5. The author refers to “service workers employed by manufacturers” (line 23) primarily in order to point out
　　(A) A type of worker not covered by the United States government's system of classifying occupations
　　(B) A flaw in the United States government's definition of services
　　(C) A factor that has influenced the growth of the service economy in the United States
　　(D) A type of worker who is classified on the basis of work performed rather than on the basis of the company's final product
　　(E) The diversity of the workers who are referred to as service workers
　　評： 1) 手段目的題：正確答案為(B)。作者用service workers employed by manufacturers來說明政府定義的一個(gè)缺陷：不能區(qū)分service industries和service occupations的差異。
　　2) 錯(cuò)項(xiàng)分析：　(A)： 無中生有：文中沒有提到美國政府的職業(yè)分類系統(tǒng)。
　　(C)： 無中生有：文章開頭提到了服務(wù)業(yè)的增長，并沒有探究其增長的原因。
　　(D)： 與文意相反：文章說受雇于制造業(yè)的服務(wù)工人被錯(cuò)誤地分類，這種分類是按照其所在公司的最終產(chǎn)品而不是工人本人所做工作進(jìn)行。選項(xiàng)剛好與原文相反。
　　(E)： 無中生有：沒有提到工人多樣性。