A new era ( 世纪 ) is upon us. Call it what youwill: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It alltranslates to a basic change in the way we work. Already we are there now. Thepercentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallenfortunately in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europeand Japan (two-thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the serviceindustry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in workforce than everbefore. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the wideness of the economic change can'tbe measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a radical ( 根本的 ) new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-heldviews about jobs and careers, the skills to succeed, even the relation betweenindividuals and employers — all theseare being challenged. We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No onelooking ahead twenty years possibly could have foreseen( 预见 ) the ways in which a single invention the chip ( 芯片 ), would change our world thanks to its use in personal computers,digital biotechnology ( 数码生物技术 ),artificial ( 人工的 ) intelligence or even some stillunimagined technology could produce a similar wave of unexpected changes. Butone thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even moreimportant, and the people who have it, whether they work in manufacturing ( 机器制造 ) or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth.Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to readand write. The ability to solve problems by using information instead ofperforming regular work will be valued above all else. If you look forward tenyears, information services will be predominant ( 占优势的 ). It will be the way you do your job. 1. A characteristic of the information age is that ______. A) the service industry is depending more and more on female workforce B) manufacturing industries are steadily increasing C) people find it harder and harder to earn a living by working in factories D) most of the job opportunities can now be found in the service industry 2. One of the great changes brought about by the knowledge society is that ______. A) the difference between the individual and the employer has become less B) people's traditional ideas about work no longer hold true C) most people have to take part-time jobs D) people have to change their jobs from time to time 3. By referring to computers and other inventions, the author means that ______. A) people should be able to respond quickly to the advancement of technology B) future achievements in technology will bring about unbelievable changes C) the importance of high technology has been overlooked D) computer science will play a leading role in the future information service 4. The future will probably belong to those who ______. A) possess and know how to make use of information B) give full play to their brain potential ( 潜能 ) C) involve themselves in service industry D) look forward instead of looking back 5. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A) Computers and Knowledge Society. B) Service Industry in the Modern Society. C) Characteristics of the New Era. D) Fast Development of Information Technology.