When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of America in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving "to pursue my goal of running a company". Broadcasting his ambition was "very much my decision," McGee says. Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO. McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. It sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. In recent weeks the No. 2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post. As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who don't get the nod also may wish to move on. A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations. As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders. The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional. For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached. Says Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey: " I can't think of a single search I've done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first. " Those who jumped without a job haven't always landed in top positions quickly. Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade age, saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. Robert Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO. He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later. Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers. The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one. " The traditional rule was it's safer to stay where you are, but that's been fundamentally inverted," says one headhunter.
单选题 When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析：文章首段首句提到，“When Liam McGee departed…，his explanation was surprisingly straight up”，即“当Liam McGee离开时，他的解释是直率的”，后文具体描述时还提到，“Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses，he came right out and said…”，即“他不是用通常模糊的理由掩饰他的离开，而是坦率地说……”故答案为B。
单选题 According to Paragraph 2, senior executives' quitting may be spurred by______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析：文章第二段首先谈到，McGee思考他想要经营什么样的公司，他的离职给外界传递了他的aspirations(渴望)。还有“…the N0．2 executives at Ayon and American Express…quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post”，即高管辞职是因为他们有新的渴望，追求新的职业目标。故答案为D。
单选题 The word "poached"(Line 3, Paragraph 4)most probably means ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：poached出现在第四段第二句中，意思是“多年来高官们和猎头坚持这一原则：最吸引人的CEO候选人一定会……”，我们可推断出be poached的含义为“被寻找，被注意到，被重视”的意思。故答案为C。
单选题 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析：该段第二句提到，The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one，意思是“金融危机使得跳槽或离开糟糕的岗位更可能被接受”。后面引用一个猎头的话进一步证明这一观点，猎头说：传统的规则认为待在原地更安全，但是这已经从根本上改变了。那些最受伤的人们是那些待最长时间的人。故答案为A。
单选题 The attitude of the writer toward top managers quitting is ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析：第六段讲如今跳槽或离开不好的工作更为可取。文章一直在重复一个主题“高管们辞职后再去找新工作”McGee leaving without a position lined up，deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net，to quit a position to look for a better one，jump without a job。由此可知，作者是支持的态度。故答案为B。
单选题 Which of the following is the best title for the text?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：本文以Liam McGee的故事开头，整篇文章一直在重复一个主题“高管们辞职后再去找新工作”，故答案为C。