Almost three-fourths of the nonfarm labor force is employed in service industries, 几乎3/4的非农业 劳动力受雇于服务业。and over two-thirds of the nation’s gross national product is accounted for by services.服务业的产值在国民生产总值中所占比例已超过2/3。
Also, service jobs typically hold up better during a recession than do jobs in industries producing tangible goods. 而且，服务业的工 作往往要比从事生产有形商品的工作更能经受经济萧条的打击 During the 20-year period of 1966 to 1986, about 36 million new jobs were created in the United Statesfar more than in Japan and Western Europe combined. 从1966年至1986年这20年间，美国新增加了大约3 600万个工作，比日本和西欧合起来还 多。About 90 percent of these jobs were in service industries. 这些工作约有90是服务性行业。During this same time span, some 22 million women joined the labor forceand 97 percent of these women went to work in the service sector.在这同一时期，有2 200万妇女也加入到劳动大军中来， 其中有97在服务业工作。
These employment trends are expected to continue at least until the year 2000. 这种就业趋势可望持续到2000年。For the period 1986-2000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that over 21 million new jobs will be created and 93 percent of them will be in service industries.美国劳动统计局预测，在1986年 至2000年期间，大约将增加2 100万个工作，其中93在服务业。
Moreover, most of this explosive growth in services employment is not in low-paying jobs, contrary to the beliefs of many economists, business and labor leaders, and politicians. 而且，服务行业就业率的这种爆炸性增长大部分并不是低薪的工作。这与许多经济学家、商 人、工会首脑和政界人士的观点相反。These people argue that manufacturing jobs, which have been the economic foundation of Americas middle class, are vanishing.这些人争论说，已经是美国中产阶级经济基础的生产性工 作正在消失。
They claim that factory workers are being replaced with a host of low-wage earners. 他们声称，产业工人正被一大群低工资的打工仔所代替。It is true that manufacturing jobs have declined, with many of them going to foreign countries.的确，生产性工作已经减 少，有些生产性工作流向了国外。
It is also true that there has been growth in some low-paying service jobs.也确实有一些低报酬的服务型工作巳经有所增长。
Yet cooks and counter people still represent only 1 percent of the U. S. labor force today Furthermore, for many years the fastest-growing occupational category has been “professional, technical, and related work.”然而像厨师 和售货员仍然仅占美国当今劳工队伍的1。而且多年来发展最快的职业种类一直是“职业性的、 技术性的以及有关的工作”。
These jobs pay well above the average, and most are in service industries.这些工作的报酬高于平均工资，而它们大部分都在服务业。
About one-half of consumer expenditures are for the purchase of services. 消费开支大约有1/2是以购买服务为目的的。Projections to the year 2000 indicate that services will attract an even larger share of consumer spending. 到2000年的规划表明，服务业将吸引一个更大 的消费开支份额。A drawback of the service economy boom is that the prices of most services have been going up at a considerably faster rate than the prices of most tangible products. 服务型公司繁荣发展的一个缺点是，大部分服务的价格比大部分有形商品的价 格上涨要快得多。You are undoubtedly aware of this if you have had your car or TV set repaired, had your shoes half-soled, or paid a medical bill in recent years.如果近年来你的汽车或彩电修理过，你的鞋子打过后掌或者你支付过医药费， 毫无疑问你会清楚这一点。
When we say that services account for close to one-half of consumer expenditures, we still grossly understate the economic importance of services. 如果我们说服务几乎占了消费开支的一半时，我们仍然没能充分表明服务业的经济重要性。These figures do not include the vast amounts spent for business services.这些数字没有包括大量的用于商业性服务的开支。By all indications, spending for business services has increased even more rapidly than spending for consumer services.根据所有的迹象来看，商业性服务的开支比消 费服务的开支增长得更快些。
1. The first paragraph intends to tell us that A. services are more important than industries producing tangible goods. B. services are important. C. service jobs make more money than other jobs. D. services are more comfortable than other jobs. 2. Between 1966 and 1986, the United States created about A. 32.4 million service jobs. B. 32.4 million jobs. C. 22 million service jobs. D. 198 million service jobs. 3. Many economists, business and labor leaders and politicians believe that A. most of the explosive growth in service employment is not in low-paying jobs. B. most of the fast growth in the service sector is in low-paying jobs. C. manufacturing jobs are disappearing because they are to longer attractive. D. most of the fast growth in the service sector is in high-paying jobs. 4. The importance of services can be shown A. only by consumer expenditure. B. only by money spent on business services. C. by money spent on business services as well as on consumer services. D. only by money spent on food and housing. 5. What does the writer of this passage disapprove of regarding services now A. Their fast growth. B. Their decline. C. Their prices. D. Their quality. ①第一段告诉我们_________________。
②在1966年到1986年，美国创造了_________________ 。
③许多经济学家、商人和劳动领袖以及政治家们相信_________________。
④服务业工作的重要性表现在_________________。
⑤关于服务业作者不赞成_________________。
答案 1 services are important. 2 32.4 million service jobs. 3 most of