In the past, people who graduated from college felt proud of their academic achievments and confident that their degree would help them to find a good job.
However, in the past four years the job market has changed dramatically. This year's College graduates are facing one of the worst job markets. For example, Ryan Stewart, a graduate of San Jose State University, got a degree in religious studies, but he has not gotten any job offers. He points out that many people already working are getting laid off and don't have jobs, so it's even harder for new college graduates to find jobs.
Four years ago, the future looked bright for his class of 2006. There were many high-tech ("dot com") job opportunities, graduates received many job offers, and they were able to get jobs with high salaries and benefits such as health insurance and paid vacations. However, "Times have changed. It's a new market," according to an officer of the university.
The officer says students who do find jobs started preparing two years ago. They worked during summer vacations, they have had several short-time jobs, and they majored in fields that are still paying well, such as accounting or nursing.
Even teaching is not a secure profession now. Ryan Stewart wanted to be a teacher, but in stead he will probably go back to school in order to become a college teacher. He thinks college teaching could be a good career even in a bad economy.
In conclusion, these days a college degree does not automatically lead to a good job with a high salary. Some students can only hope that the value of their degree will increase in the future.
What did a college degree mean to people in the past?
A. It was a proof of their profssional skills.
B. It would guarantee their quick promotion.
C. It built up their confidence in the job market.
D. It would help them to start an academic career.
For the important communications, the writer suggests that you ______.
A. have a direct access for them
B. have several e-mails servers for them
C. get an unlisted phone number for them
D. get a special e-mails address for them
Is the customer always right? The answer, it seems, depends on which country you are in. Shopping is very much a part of a country's culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers vary from country to country just as much as climate or taste in food. From the air-conditioned American shopping centers to the street market of African towns, the way we shop shows the way we see ourselves and our relationships with other people.
Business competition in Europe has given consumers increased power. This has meant falling prices, plenty of special offers and a re-examination of what customer service really means. People often point to America as an example of excellent customer service. In restaurants in the south of the USA, for example, waiters compliment you on your clothes, ask a-bout your day, compliment you on the wisdom of your order and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass and make sure that everything is to your satisfaction.
Anyone who has waited 30 minutes to be served in a restaurant might well dream of such attention, but do Europeans really want US style. service? As a friend of mine once told me, "By the end of the evening I had spent as much time talking to the waiter as to my wife. " It is a question of expectation. Different nationalities expect different types of service.
A Chinese-American friend loves telling people about how her Chinese mother shops for clothes: "First of all she waits until they are on sale, then she bargains until she gets an even better price and then she finds some small fault with the product and demands a further reduction. She never buys anything at the regular price. " Could you imagine trying such tricks in a department store in your country?
Attitudes to service are, of course, affected by employers' attitudes to their workers. As American sales and service personnel are heavily reliant on commission and tips, they have more motives to provide more service. But is this fair? Do we think it is fair to ask shop assistants to work late evenings, Sundays and 12 hour shifts? It might not be a case of "Is the customer always right?" but a case of "How much service is it fair to expect?"
The way people shop______.
A. carries social and cultural values
B. reflects the developmental stage of a country
C. determines the way they socialize
D. reveals their social status
Job sharing is popular with young mothers mainly because______.
A. they can take care of both work and family
B. they are over ideal working ages
C. they seek equal opportunities with men
D. they have difficulty finding full-time jobs