雅思阅读真题（Part 2）
IT公司为何扎堆硅谷
本篇也叫：IT产业集聚、硅谷为什么成功、科技公司扎堆、产业聚集效应、硅谷集群、IT公司集群
Part 2 · 最近考试：2022.9.3
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 2）《The clustering of IT companies》，共 11 题，2022.9.3雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章从经济学家阿尔弗雷德·马歇尔提出的产业集聚理论出发，解释同类企业为何常在地理上集中，并以硅谷的IT公司为例，分析人才池、供应商配套、知识溢出等集聚原因，同时讨论高租金等分散力量为何未能阻止科技公司继续扎堆。
A
Alfred Marshall, one of the fathers of modern economics, was asked why firms in the same industry were often geographically located near each other. Proximity, he replied, created something 'in the air'. He went on to explain, 'If one man starts a new idea, it is taken up by others and combined with suggestions of their own; and thus it becomes a source of further new ideas.' Marshall was thinking about traditional 19th-century manufacturing companies, but the same is true of IT companies of the 21st century. Silicon Valley, an area near San Francisco in the USA, is home to many of the industry's giants, and hopeful founders of young start-up companies still head there.
B
Economic theory suggests several main reasons why historically firms from the same industry-for example, steel makers or clothing manufacturers — have ended up in the same place. Some may depend on the availability of natural resources such as coal or being close to a harbour or river for shipping goods. A concentration of firms also creates a pool of specialized workers, and thus benefits both employees and employers: the former are likely to find jobs and the latter are likely to find staff. Yet another reason is that subsidiary trades spring up to supply specialised inputs required by the primary industry. And inevitably, industries cluster together because ideas spill over from one firm to the next.
C
But there are also forces that encourage companies to spread out. One is the cost of transporting products to widely dispersed customers. Another is that rents tend to rise when firms cluster together. You might imagine that the dramatic fall in the cost of computing would have pushed firms in the IT industry farther apart. Natural resources do not matter to them as they do to many traditional manufacturing industries, and the ease of online communication should reduce the need for staff to be close together to deal with customers and suppliers or to swap ideas. But none of this seems to count against Silicon Valley, where commercial property prices are high, and against other IT centres like London and New York, which are not only expensive, but also lack California's high-tech history. There are plenty of other places in Europe where costs are lower, but they currently lack sufficient appeal.
D
Although you can find high-tech companies of all shapes and sizes in these IT centres, the smaller ones especially have a fondness for clustering together. As Jed Kolko, an economist for an international property company, explains, the less an industry needs to be near its suppliers or its customers, the more likely it is to locate where the jobs are already, such as Silicon Valley, or in major cities like London or New York. In Russia, says one knowledgeable observer of the IT scene, for a university kid studying in the regions, moving to Moscow sounds smart.
E
The area around Silicon Valley now has clusters inside clusters — that is, specific smaller geographic areas where similar IT companies are located. Within the borders of the Valley, makers of semiconductors and network equipment are found mostly around the city of San Jose, while search engine and social network companies are located farther to the north. Even in San Francisco there are divisions with similar companies located in specific city districts.
F
Young IT companies need more than a workforce; they also need access to money and expert advice. If a company is located in a cluster with other IT companies, staff can have more face-to-face communication with like-minded people from other companies, which is often more productive than phone calls or emails. Also, there is a better chance of making contact with someone with money and an interest in potentially profitable ideas. Even in industries which are built around virtual relationships, physical contact can be invaluable. The recycling of people is important, too. As people move from company to company in Silicon Valley, and as one company buys or merges with another, a whole network of people who know each other develops, and these people are able to communicate easily with each other, and hire each other.
G
In places like Silicon Valley, people are also close to the latest ideas. 'New ideas become known in that tiny region perhaps years ahead of the rest of the world,' argues one Valley entrepreneur. 'You are always building on the idea that came immediately before. If you are trying to build the thing that comes next, being aware of information about innovations that are already out there helps you.' This sounds very much like the point Marshall was trying to make.
H
Will other IT hubs ever catch up with Silicon Valley? Berlin and perhaps some other international cities like Beijing have several things going for them. One is size: they are big and lively and act as magnets for young, creative people in search of opportunities. The other advantage of these cities is that many other types of industries are located there, and hence they offer various skills on which IT companies can draw. To many, this variety may prove invaluable.
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答案：E
原文定位：Even in San Francisco there are divisions with similar companies located in specific city districts
同义替换：「geographic clustering of IT companies」↔「similar companies located in specific city districts」，「within a city」↔「in specific city districts」
答案：G
原文定位：New ideas become known in that tiny region perhaps years ahead of the rest of the world,' argues one Valley entrepreneur. 'You are always building on the idea that came immediately before. If you are trying to build the thing that comes next, being aware of information about innovations that are already out there helps you
同义替换：「access to the latest thinking」↔「information about innovations」，「clustered IT companies」↔「tiny region」，「make further progress」↔「build the thing that comes next」
答案：D
原文定位：Although you can find high-tech companies of all shapes and sizes in these IT centres, the smaller ones especially have a fondness for clustering together. As Jed Kolko, an economist for an international property company, explains, the less an industry needs to be near its suppliers or its customers, the more likely it is to locate where the jobs are already, such as Silicon Valley, or in major cities like London or New York. In Russia, says one knowledgeable observer of the IT scene, for a university kid studying in the regions, moving to Moscow sounds smart
答案：A
原文定位：Alfred Marshall, one of the fathers of modern economics, was asked why firms in the same industry were often geographically located near each other
同义替换：「an early economist」↔「Alfred Marshall, one of the fathers of modern economics」
答案：H
原文定位：Berlin and perhaps some other international cities like Beijing have several things going for them. One is size;they are big and lively and act as magnets for young, creative people in search of opportunities
同义替换：「appeal」↔「have several things going for them」
答案：F
原文定位：If a company is located in a cluster with other IT companies, staff can have more face-to-face communication with like-minded people from other companies, which is often more productive than phone calls or emails. Also, there is a better chance of making contact with someone with money and an interest in potentially profitable ideas. Even in industries which are built around virtual relationships, physical contact can be invaluable. The recycling of people is important, too. As people move from company to company in Silicon Valley, and as one company buys or merges with another, a whole network of people who know each other develops, and these people are able to communicate easily with each other, and hire each other
同义替换：「meeting people in person」↔「face-to-face communication」，「important」↔「invaluable」
答案：to take advantage of a skilled labour market,to have easy access to water transport
原文定位：Some may depend on the availability of natural resources such as coal or being close to a harbour or river for shipping goods. A concentration of firms also creates a pool of specialized workers, and thus benefits both employees and employers: the former are likely to find jobs and the latter are likely to find staff
同义替换：「skilled labour market」↔「a pool of specialized workers」，「have easy access to water transport」↔「close to a harbour or river for shipping goods」
答案：London,New York
原文定位：But none of this seems to count against Silicon Valley, where commercial property prices are high, and against other IT centres like London and New York, which are not only expensive, but also lack California's high-tech history
同义替换：「despite cost there being high」↔「commercial property prices are high」
答案：size
原文定位：One is size;they are big and lively and act as magnets for young, creative people in search of opportunities
同义替换：「have an advantage of」↔「One is size」
答案：opportunities
原文定位：One is size;they are big and lively and act as magnets for young, creative people in search of opportunities
同义替换：「attract talent」↔「act as magnets for young, creative people」
答案：skills
原文定位：The other advantage of these cities is that many other types of industries are located there, and hence they offer various skills on which IT companies can draw
同义替换：「a wide range of」↔「various」，「make use of」↔「draw on」