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  3. (1) Dr. Leonard Bailey turns 74 in August, but as chief of surgery for Loma

(1) Dr. Leonard Bailey turns 74 in August, but as chief of surgery for Loma

游客2024-08-24  25
问题     (1) Dr. Leonard Bailey turns 74 in August, but as chief of surgery for Loma Linda University’s Children’s Hospital, he still puts in 60-hour weeks, starting at 6:30 every morning. The pioneering heart surgeon performed the world’s first successful infant-to-infant heart transplant and has done hundreds of transplants for the tiniest of babies. "There’s no reason to stop. If you’re constantly thinking new thoughts and dealing with new problems, it refreshes your brain cells and makes new connections."
    (2) A June report by the Pew Research Center found that the percentage of retirement-age Americans who remain in the workforce has dramatically increased, climbing from 12.8 percent in 2000 to 18.8 percent this year.
    (3) Several factors are driving this trend. Some of it is financial—the Great Recession of 2008 ripped a big chunk out of retirement savings, and fewer employees these days have fixed pensions, so many people have little choice but to keep working. But others are like Bailey—educated professionals who aren’t ready to be cast aside.
    (4) There’s also a shift in attitudes toward retirement, probably because we’re in the midst of the most significant demographic (人口统计学的) change in history. Up until the 20th century, fewer than half of all Americans reached age 50, but by midcentury, more than 88 million Americans will be over 65, according to U.S. government projections, which has triggered worries that caring for these oldsters could drain societal resources and bankrupt the health care system. But many experts believe horror stories of greedy geezers (老头) guzzling (暴饮暴食) scarce resources miss the fact that many of today’s seniors are healthier, better educated and more productive than previous generations—and want to keep working.
    (5) While some employers worry about aging workers’ diminished capacities, rising health care costs and their unfamiliarity with new tech tools, some companies are already finding innovative ways to accommodate an aging workforce. They’ve launched programs that range from mentoring programs that pair up experienced veterans with younger colleagues to phased-in retirement plans that allow people to work flexibly or on part-time schedules. These programs let companies capitalize on the legions of workers in their 60s who’d miss the camaraderie and the paycheck but not the hectic pace that comes with a full-time job.
    (6) There are good reasons for companies to do this. Older workers are more loyal and stay on the job longer than their younger counterparts. This reduces turnover and minimizes costs for hiring and training replacements. Older employees also have a depth of experience, contacts and skills, which often means they can come up to speed faster than the youngsters, and they can be more adept at navigating in the corporate world.
    (7) The staff at Michelin, the tire manufacturer in the U. S. is practically geriatric: Nearly 40 percent of their 16000 employees are over 50, and most of them have been with the company for two decades or more. They range from flextime, compressed work schedules and job-sharing to telecommuting and phased retirement programs. And Michelin’s not just holding on to its white-collar professionals; it puts just as much effort into retaining skilled tradespeople—the automation experts, electricians and technical support staffers who maintain production on the factory floor. "These are the hardest jobs to fill because so few have this kind of expertise, " says Stafford, Michelin’s executive vice president of human resources. "Manufacturing companies are all facing these kinds of shortages today."
    (8) MEI Technologies, an aerospace and technology company, actively recruits retirees, targeting former NASA engineers and retired military people to work on a project basis during rush periods. "Work flows have peaks and valleys, and this on-call workforce helps us meet customer needs, " says Sandra Stanford, director of human resources at MEI Technologies.
    (9) Even in the notoriously youth-oriented tech world, some companies are crafting corporate benefits to keep and attract older workers. At NerdWallet, a financial information website headquartered in San Francisco, nearly a third of the writing and editing staff is 50 or older. "I want the best talent, I want a mix of it, and we’re highly selective of who we hire, " says Maggie Leung, the company’s senior director of content.
    (10) Leung says she aggressively recruited Phil Reed in his mid-60s, who’s been writing about cars for more than two decades, telecommutes from Long Beach, California. "There were times I felt conscious of my age, " recalls Reed, who normally does weekly video conferences with his boss and colleagues. "But I was pleased to find that there were quite a few editors in their 40s and 50s, and it wasn’t just a startup with kids running around. Originally, I had planned to retire in a couple of years. But I like being involved and being part of a team. If things keep up like this, why would I retire?" (本文选自 Newsweek) [br] The word "geriatric" in Para. 7 is closest in meaning to________.
选项 A、diversified
B、skillful
C、professional
D、senior
答案 D
解析 语义题。文中geriatric之后的标点是冒号，即后文是对其进行解释。冒号中引用的数据说将近40％的员工年龄超过五十岁，在公司工作的时间也在二十年或以上，可见，此词的意思应该与senior“年长的，年纪较大的”最为接近，故答案为D。本段中没有提到其他年龄或其他性质特点的员工，故排除A“多元化的”；后文虽然提到了员工的技术和专业能力，但本文主题是围绕年长员工展开的，并非专门讨论技能和专业性，故也应排除B和C。
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