【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[听力原文]
High school and college students in the United States today, as well as others who plan to work in this country, have one important question about their futures: Will they find a job? There is no easy answer, of course. But let's look at some of the recent changes in the U.S. job market and see if we can make some predictions for future job hunters.
A good way to begin is to look at the American work force and how it's changing. The most important change has been the shift from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. Let's define both of these terms. First, a service economy is one in which most workers provide services—that is, they do something, like pumping gas into people's cars, for example, instead of making something. Generally, service jobs are grouped into five categories:
One: Transportation and utility companies, like the phone company,
Two: Wholesale companies,
Three: Retail companies,
Four: Finance, insurance, and real estate companies,
And finally, five: Personal services, such as hotels, car repair, accounting, and medicine.
Examples of people who work in service industries include your doctor, your hair stylist, airline pilots, and salesclerks in department stores. In contrast, people who actually produce things like cars, furniture, or clothing are part of the manufacturing economy.
Now, the point here is that we have changed from a manufacturing economy to a service economy. The following numbers will show you just how much our economy has changed. One hundred years ago, 80% of workers produced goods; today only about 30% do. Economists predict that by the year 2010, nine out of every ten workers will supply services.
What has caused this change in our economy? Well, first, manufacturing industries are not growing for one simple reason: competition from Western Europe and Asia. Jobs in American automobile and steel production have especially decreased during the last ten years. The number of service industries, on the other hand, has increased for several reasons. Because of technological advances—especially in computers and telephone communications—advertising, accounting, and other business services become important. Also, the growing number of married women who work outside the home has increased the need for restaurants and day-care centers. And, as the number of old people has grown, so have health-care services.
So now you know where the jobs will be, and you've decided to look for a job in a service industry. But wait, because some economists worry that the service-job explosion may create several problems. According to some studies, Americans' standard of living might decrease because haft of the service jobs pay low wages. For example, three out of five new jobs between 1999 and 2005 paid less than $12,000 a year. The pay is low because many of these jobs don't require much education or training, and many of the workers are part-time or temporary employees. Companies save money by using temporary employees because they don't have to give them health insurance or vacation pay. Such jobs give a worker very little security.
The good news is that, as you can see in the chart, the fastest growing service job categories are the better-paying ones, particularly in the technical and computer-related fields. But these jobs require a high degree of skill and many years of education. So if you decide to look for a job in a service industry, and you want to be sure you'll make enough money, getting the right training and education first is the best way to prepare for the future job market.