阅读理解

Passage 2


Questions 16—20 are based on the following passage.

The pace of today's working life blurs(使模糊)the line between personal time and worktime, and it increasingly mixes personal lifestyle and work style. And as companies are tryinghard to attract and keep young people for their technical skills and enthusiasm for change, officeculture is becoming an extension of youth culture. This may be no bad thing. For most of humanhistory the middle-aged have ruled, but in the future, they will have to share power with fresh-faced youths.

There have been a number of reasons for this change and the most dramatic of these istechnology. Children have always been more expert than their parents at something, but usuallya game or a fashion, not the century's most important business tool. The Internet has started thefirst industrial revolution in history to be led by the young. Though there have been youth revolutions before, none of them made a big change the way the Internet has. Throughout the20th century, if a young person wanted to enter an American company they needed to leave theiryouth behind. They got a haircut, and probably a suit or at least a tie. Now the same hair, sameclothes, even nearly the same hours apply to office and home.

If it had not been for the Internet, this change could not have happened. However, it didnot happen because of the Internet only; the corporate restructurings of the 1980s and 90s brokedown traditional hierarchies(等级制度). In many companies, seniority-based(基于资历的)hierarchies have been replaced by hierarchies based on performance. The abilities to please yoursuperiors are no longer the most valued skills. Today's employees stay with companies only aslong as they feel challenged and rewarded; moving from job to job is now a sign of ambition.

The rise of the young is a good thing, because it gives them more opportunity to put theirideas and energy into practice at their most creative stage in life. Nowadays youth and youthqualities seem to dominate, but the experience and maturity of older employees should be put togood use, too.


单选题 (   ) A company tries to attract young people for their_______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据第一段第二句And ascompanies are trying hard to attract and keepyoung people for their technical skills andenthusiasm for change可知，公司试图吸引年轻人是为了他们的技能。故选D。
单选题 (    ) In the 20th century, to enter an American company, a young person neededto_______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据第二段倒数第二句和第三句Throughout the 2Oth century, if a young person wanted to enter an American company they needed to leave their youth behind. They got a haircut, and probably a suit or at least a tie可知，在20世纪，年轻人想进入一家美国公司，他就需要装扮成上班族的模样。故选C。
单选题 (   ) According to Paragraph 3, company hierarchies are based on the employees'_______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据第三段第三句In manycompanies, seniority-based hierarchies have beenreplaced by hierarchies based on performance可知，在许多公司中，基于资历的等级制度已经被基于绩效的等级制度所取代，故选A。
单选题 (   ) Why is the rise of the young a good thing?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句The riseof the young is a good thing, because it givesthem more opportunity to put their ideas andenergy into practice at their most creative stagein life可知年轻人的崛起是一件好事，因为可以利用他们的创造力。故选C。
单选题 (   ) What can be inferred from the passage?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】推理判断题。根据文章最后一句Nowadaysyouth and youth qualities seem to dominate, butthe experience and maturity of older employeesshould be put to good use,too可知，年轻人将会有更多的权力。故选B。