Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
Success was once defined as being able to stay at a company for a long time and move up the corporate ladder. The goal was to reach the top, accumulate wealth and retire to a life of ease. My father is a successful senior executive. In 35 years, he worked for only three companies.
When I started my career, things were already different. If you weren't changing companies every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career. But back then, if you were a consultant or freela砒er (自由职业者)，people would wonder what was wrong with you. They would assume you had problems getting a job.
Today, consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of honor. It shows how valuable an individual is. Many companies now look to these "ultimate professionals" to solve problems their full-time teams can't. Or they save money by hiring"top-tier (顶尖的) experts" only for particular projects.
Working at home or in cafes, starting businesses of their own, and even launching business ventures that eventually may fail, all indicate "initiative," "creativity," and "adaptability," which are desirablequalities in today's workplace. Most important, there is a growing recognition that people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are passionate about, are more focused and productive, delivering，greater value to their .clients .
Who are these people? They are artists, writers ,programmers, providers of office services and career advice:what's needed now is a marketplace platform specifically designed to bring freelancers and clients together. Such platforms then become a place to feature the most experienced, professional, and creative talent. This is where they conduct business, where a sense of community reinforces the culture and values of the·gig economy (零工经济)，and where success is rewarded with good reviews that encourage more business.
Slowly but surely, these platforms create a bridge between traditional enterprises and this emerging economy. perhaps more important, as the global economy continues to be disrupted by technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an engine of economic and social transformation.
51. What does the author use the example of his father to illustrate?
A) How long people took to reach the top of their career.
B) How people accumulated wealth in his father's time.
C) How people viewed sm:cess in his father's time.
D) How long people usually stayed in a company.
52. Why did people often change jobs when the author started his career?
A) It was considered a fashion at that time.
B) It was- a way to advance in their career.
C) It was a response to the changing job market.
D) It was difficult to keep a job for long.
53. What does the author say about people now working for several businesses at the same time?
A) They are often regarded as most treasured talents.
B) They are. able to bring their potential into fuller play.
C) They have control over their life and work schedules.
D) They feel proud of being outstanding problem solver.
54. What have businesses come to recognize now?
A) Who is capable of solving problems with ease.
B) How people can be more focused and productive.
C) What kind of people can contribute tnore to them.
D) Why some people are more passionate about work.
55. What does the author say about the'gig economy?
A) It may force companies to reform their business practice.
B) It may soon replace the traditional economic model.
C) It will drive technological progress on a global scale.
D) It will bring about radical economic and social changes.
答案解析：
51. 根据“Success was once defined as being able to stay at a company for a long time and move up the corporate ladder.”以及后文以父亲为例，35年只在三家公司工作，可知作者用他父亲的例子来说明在他父亲那个时代人们如何看待成功。所以选C。
2. 根据“If you weren't changing companies every three or four years, you simply weren't getting ahead in your career.”可知，当作者开始职业生涯时，人们经常换工作是因为这是职业晋升的一种方式。所以选B。
53. 根据“Today, consulting or freelancing for five businesses at the same time is a badge of honor. It shows how valuable an individual is.”可知，作者认为现在同时为几家企业工作的人往往被视为最珍贵的人才。所以选A。
54. 根据“Most important, there is a growing recognition that people who balance work and play, and who work at what they are passionate about, are more focused and productive, delivering greater value to their clients.”可知，企业现在已经认识到什么样的人能对他们做出更多贡献。所以选C。
55. 根据“as the global economy continues to be disrupted by technology and other massive change, the gig economy will itself become an engine of economic and social transformation.”可知，作者认为零工经济将带来根本性的经济和社会变革。所以选D。
