六级快速阅读ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Passage1:TheNextSocietyTheneweconomymayormaynotmaterialize,butthereisnodoubtthatthenextsocietywillbewithusshortly.Inthedevelopedworld,andprobablyintheemergingcountriesaswell,thisnewsocietywillbeagooddealmoreimportantthantheneweconomy(ifany).Itwillbequitedifferentfromthesocietyofthelate20thcentury,andalsodifferentfromwhatmostpeopleexpect.Muchofitwillbeunprecedented.Andmostofitisalreadyhere,orisrapidlyemerging.Inthedevelopedcountries,thedominantfactorinthenextsocietywillbesomethingtowhichmostpeopleareonlyjustbeginningtopayattention:therapidgrowthintheolderpopulationandtherapidshrinkingoftheyoungergeneration.Politicianseverywherestillpromisetosavetheexistingpensionsystem,butthey--andtheirconstituents--knowperfectlywellthatinanother25yearspeoplewillhavetokeepworkinguntiltheirmid-70s,healthpermitting.Whathasnotyetsunkinisthatagrowingnumberofolderpeople--saythoseover50--willnotkeeponworkingastraditionalfulltimenine-to-fiveemployees,butwillparticipateinthelaborforceinmanynewanddifferentways:astemporaries,aspart-timers,asconsultantsonspecialassignments,andsoon.Whatusedtobepersonnelandarenowknownashumanresourcesdepartmentsstillassumethatthosewhoworkforanorganizationarefull-timeemployees.Employmentlawsandregulationsarebasedonthesameassumption.Within20or25years,however,perhapsasmanyashalfthepeoplewhoworkforanorganizationwillnotbeemployedbyit,certainlynotonafull-timebasis.Thiswillbeespeciallytrueforolderpeople.Newwaysofworkingwithpeopleatarm'slengthwillincreasinglybecomethecentralmanagerialissueofemployingorganizations,andnotjustofbusinesses.Theshrinkingoftheyoungerpopulationwillcauseanevengreaterupheaval,ifonlybecausenothinglikethishashappenedsincethedyingcenturiesoftheRomanEmpire.Ineverysingledevelopedcountry,butalsoinChinaandBrazil,thebirthrateisnowwellbelowthereplacementrateof2.2livebirthsperwomanofreproductiveage.Politically,thismeansthatimmigrationwillbecomeanimportantandhighlydivisiveissueinallrichcountri...
