and window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices, while I remained in the cubicles, several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way.

　　It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit, but “nice” isn’t a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a significant raise in pay, you’ll probably have to ask for it.

　　Performance is your best bargaining chip (籌碼) when you are seeking a raise. You must be able to demonstrate that you deserve a raise. Timing is also a good bargaining chip. If you can give your boss something he or she needs (a new client or a sizable contract, for example) just before merit pay decisions are being made, you are more likely to get the raise you want.

　　Use information as a bargaining chip too. Find out what you are worth on the open market. What will someone else pay for your services?

　　Go into the negotiations prepared to place your chips on the table at the appropriate time and prepared to use communication style to guide the direction of the interaction.

　　26. According to the passage, before taking a job, a person should ________.

　　A) demonstrate his capability

　　B) give his boss a good impression

　　C) ask for as much money as he can

　　D) ask for the salary he hopes to get

　　27. What can be inferred from Beth’s story?

　　A) Prejudice against women still exists in some organizations.

　　B) If people want what they deserve, they have to ask for it.

　　C) People should not be content with what they have got.

　　D) People should be careful when negotiating for a job.

　　28. We can learn from the passage that ________.

　　A) unfairness exists in salary increases

　　B) most people are overworked and underpaid

　　C) one should avoid overstating one’s performance

　　D) most organizations give their staff automatic pay raises

　　29. To get a pay raise, a person should ________.

　　A) advertise himself on the job market

　　B) persuade his boss to sign a long-term contract

　　C) try to get inside information about the organization

　　D) do something to impress his boss just before merit pay decisions

　　30. To be successful in negotiations, one must ________.

　　A) meet his boss at the appropriate time

　　B) arrive at the negotiation table punctually

　　C) be good at influencing the outcome of the interaction

　　D) be familiar with what the boss likes and dislikes

　　26. D 27. B 28. A 29.D 30. C

　　When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to Grandma’s generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday-best.

　　But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶)-and-stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.

　　Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating 1,000 jobs—one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4,000 the number of positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.

　　Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs in Stoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that the company “has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend” toward casual dining. Families eat together less often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television;

　　Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours and demanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it’s better to share a takeout pizza on paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a “real” dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?

　　Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (禮節) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (“Chew with your mouth closed.” “Keep your elbows off the table.”) must be picked up elsewhere. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be competent professionally but clueless socially.

　　31. The trend toward casual dining has resulted in ________.

　　A) bankruptcy of fine china manufacturers

　　B) shrinking of the pottery industry

　　C) restructuring of large enterprises

　　D) economic recession in Great Britain

　　32. Which of the following may be the best reason for casual dining?

　　A) Family members need more time to relax.

　　B) Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.

　　C) People want to practice economy in times of scarcity.

　　D) Young people won’t follow the etiquette of the older generation.

　　33. It can be learned from the passage that Royal Doulton is ________.

　　A) a retailer of stainless steel tableware

　　B) a dealer in stoneware

　　C) a pottery chain store

　　D) a producer of fine china

　　34. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is ________.

　　A) the increased value of the pound

　　B) the economic recession in Asia

　　C) the change in people’s way of life

　　D) the fierce competition at home and abroad

　　35. Refined table manners, though less popular than before in current social life ________.

　　A) are still a must on certain occasions

　　B) axe bound to return sooner or later

　　C) are still being taught by parents at home

　　D) can help improve personal relationships

　　31. B 32. B 33. D 34.C 35. A