题目

The position of secretary or personal assistant used to be the preserve of women, but now men are making their way in. The change is due partly to the highest rate of graduate unemployment and the growing awareness that salaries for PAs can reach £75,000 a year.Joshua Watson, 25, has been an executive (行政的) assistant to a female senior director at Barclays for 18 months, having previously worked as a PA. He does not see himself as working in a woman’s role. “I don’t feel that I’m treated any differently just because I’m male,” he said. “I don’t think that is an issue for people from my generation. It’s a good job for me because I am fond of organizing. I have good exposure to see the top people in the company and I want to climb the ladder.”Recruitment(招聘) consultants are seeing an ever-increasing number of men interested in PA or secretarial posts. “Out of the 1,000 candidates we’ve registered in the past 12 months, around 200 are male,” said David Morel, managing director of Tiger Recruitment. “It is increasing the whole time. Since 2011, the numbers have been doubling each year, and most of them are ambitious graduates.”Susanna Tait, managing director of Tay Associates, agrees. She said she had seen a “huge” increase in numbers of male applicants. “It’s an obvious career choice for ambitious individuals keen to operate at the centre of the business field.”Quest Professional, which offers training courses for companies and organizations, said this was the first year that men had attended its executive PA program and that “more and more” men were doing related course.Top PAs in the City now earn between £35,000 and £75,000, plus benefits—in some cases even more. Morel thinks this is the primary reason why more men are coming into the market.Barclays encourages male applicants for PA and similar roles. “We will offer everyone—regardless of their gender—the same opportunities to be successful,” said a spokesperson.【1】What’s Joshua Watson’s position at Barclays? (No more than 4 words)【2】What does the underlined phrase “climb the ladder” in Para 2 mean? (No more than 2 words)【3】What does Quest Professional do? (No more than 10 words)【4】As for male PAs, what did Barclays’ spokesperson say? (No more than 12 words)【5】What do you think of men’s new choice and why? (No more than 20 words) 答案：【答案】【1】An executive assistant.【2】Be promoted. /Get promoted.【3】It offers training courses for companies and organizations.【4】He said they would offer everyone the same opportunities to be successful.【5】It’s normal because it is difficult to find a job now and men have their own advantages.【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了现在存在的一种社会现象：秘书或私人助理的职位过去是女性的专利，但现在越来越多的男性正在进入这一领域，造成这种现象的原因是一方面找工作比较难，另一方面男性也有自己的优势。【1】细节理解题。根据第二段的Joshua Watson, 25, has been an executive (行政的) assistant to a female senior director at Barclays for 18 months, having previously worked as a PA.可知，Joshua Watson 在 Barclays的职位是行政助理，故填An executive assistant。【2】词义猜测题。句意：我有很好的机会见到公司里的高层人物，我想往上爬。根据上文有很多机会见到高层人物可知，他想往上爬，是想得到提升（promote），他与提升之间是被动关系，注意使用被动形式，故填Be promoted. /Get promoted。【3】细节理解题。根据第五段的Quest Professional, which offers training courses for companies and organizations可知，Quest Professional是为企业和组织提供培训课程，故填It offers training courses for companies and organizations。【4】细节理解题。根据最后一段的We will offer everyone—regardless of their gender—the same opportunities to be successful可知，Barclays的发言人说“我们将为所有人——不论性别——提供同样的成功机会”。故填He said they would offer everyone the same opportunities to be successful。【5】推理判断题。现在越来越多的男性开始从事以往女性从事的职业，根据第一段的The change is due partly to the highest rate of graduate unemployment and the growing awareness that salaries for PAs can reach £75,000 a year. 和第四段的It’s an obvious career choice for ambitious individuals keen to operate at the centre of the business field.由此可推测出，男性从事秘书或私人助理这种工作是一个正常现象，一方面是找工作比较难，另一方面男性也有自己的优势。故填It’s normal because it is difficult to find a job now and men have their own advantages。

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