六级快速阅读训练

英语六级快速阅读ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Passage1:TheNextSocietyTheneweconomymayormaynotmaterialize,butthereisnodoubtthatthenextsocietywillbewithusshortly.Inthedevelopedworld,andprobablyintheemergingcountriesaswell,thisnewsocietywillbeagooddealmore|importantthantheneweconomy(ifany).Itwillbequitedifferentfromthesocietyofthelate20thcentury,andalsodifferentfromwhatmostpeopleexpect.Muchofitwillbeunprecedented.Andmostofitisalreadyhere,orisrapidlyemerging.Inthedevelopedcountries,thedominantfactorinthenextsocietywillb|esomethingtowhichmostpeopleareonlyjustbeginningtopayattention:therapidgrowthintheolderpopulationandtherapidshrinkingoftheyoungergeneration.Politicianseverywherestillpromisetosavetheexistingpensionsystem,butthey--andtheirconstituents--knowperfectlywellthatinanother25y|earspeoplewillhavetokeepworkinguntiltheirmid-70s,healthpermitting.Whathasnotyetsunkinisthatagrowingnumberofolderpeople--saythoseover50--willnotkeeponworkingastraditionalfulltimenine-to-fiveemployees,butwillparticipateinthelaborforceinmanynewanddifferentways:astempora|ries,aspart-timers,asconsultantsonspecialassignments,andsoon.Whatusedtobepersonnelandarenowknownashumanresourcesdepartmentsstillassumethatthosewhoworkforanorganizationarefull-timeemployees.Employmentlawsandregulationsarebasedonthesameassumption.Within20or25years,howe|ver,perhapsasmanyashalfthepeoplewhoworkforanorganizationwillnotbeemployedbyit,certainlynotonafull-timebasis.Thiswillbeespeciallytrueforolderpeople.Newwaysofworkingwithpeopleatarm'slengthwillincreasinglybecomethecentralmanagerialissueofemployingorganizations,andnotjus|tofbusinesses.Theshrinkingoftheyoungerpopulationwillcauseanevengreaterupheaval,ifonlybecausenothinglikethishashappenedsincethedyingcenturiesoftheRomanEmpire.Ineverysingledevelopedcountry,butalsoinChinaandBrazil,thebirthrateisnowwellbelowthereplacementrateof2.2livebir|thsperwomanofreproductiveage.Politically,thismeansthatimmigrationwillbecomeanimportantandhighlydivisiveissueinallrichcountries.Itwillcutacrossalltraditionalpoliticalalignments.Economically,thedeclineintheyoungpopulationwillchangemarketsin第56页共56页

1英语六级快速阅读fundamental|ways.Growthinfamilyformationhasbeenthedrivingforceofalldomesticmarketsinthedevelopedworld,buttherateoffamilyformationiscertaintofallsteadilyunlessbolsteredbylarge-scaleimmigrationofyoungerpeople.ThehomogeneousmassmarketthatemergedinallrichcountriesaftertheSecondWorld|Warhasbeenyouth-determinedfromthestart.Itwillnowbecomemiddle-age-determined,orperhapsmorelikelyit