D

The pace of today’s working life blurs (使模糊) the line between personal time and work time, and it increasingly mixes personal lifestyle and work style. And as companies are trying hard to attract and keep young people for their technical skills and enthusiasm for change, office culture is becoming an extension of youth culture. This may be no bad thing. For most of human history 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 is technology. Children have always been more expert than their parents at something, but usually a game or a fashion, not the century’s most important business tool. The Internet has started the first 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 the 20th 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. Now the same hair, same clothes, 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 did not happen because of the Internet only; the corporate restructurings(公司重組) of the 1980s and 90s broke down traditional hierarchies(等級制度). In many companies, seniority-based (基于資歷的) hierarchies have been replaced by hierarchies based on performance. The abilities to please your superiors are no longer the most valued skills. Today’s employees stay with companies only as long 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 their ideas and energy into practice at their most creative stage in life. Nowadays youth and youth qualities seem to dominate, but the experience and maturity of older employees should be put to good use, too.

51. A company tries to attract young people for their______.

A. office culture                                      B. modern lifestyle

C. changing attitude                              D. technical abilities

52. In the 20th century, to enter an American company, a young person needed to ______.

A. work in the office and at home

B. have an eye-catching hairstyle

C. dress in the business style

D. leave the business tool behind

53. According to Paragraph 3, company hierarchies are based on the employees’ ______.

A. achievements

B. age and experience

C. skills with the Internet

D. ability to please the boss

54. Why is the rise of the young a good thing?

A. They become more energetic in life.

B. They have taken over the companies.

C. Their creativity can be put to good use.

D. Their ideas appeal to a great many people.

55. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Young people will lead in fashion.   

B. Young people will have more power.

C. Older people will step off the historical stage.

D. Older people will continue to be the main force.

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