【正文】 struggle to find qualified directors for their boards this when the pool ofretired talent from those very same firms is growing by leaps and bounds. Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Part of the reason is that thecrunch has been beyond the horizon of most managers. Nor is hanging on to older workers theonly way to cope with a falling supply of labour. The participation of developing countries in theworld economy has increased the overall supply whatever the local effect of demographics inthe rich countries. A vast amount of work is being sent offshore to such places as China andIndia and more will go in future. Some countries, such as Australia, are relaxing theirimmigration policies to allow much needed skills to e in from abroad. Others will avoid theneed for workers by spending money on machinery and automation.16. According to the passage, the most serious consequence of babyboomers approaching retirement would be A. a loss of knowledge and experience to many panies. B. a decrease in the number of 35 to 44 yearolds. C. a continuous increase in the number of 50to 64yearolds. D. its impact on the developed world whose workforce is ageing.17. The following are all the measures that panies have adopted to cope with the ageing workforce EXCEPT A. making places of work acmodate the needs of older workers. B. using alumni networks to hire retired former employees. C. encouraging former employees to work overseas. D. granting more convenience in working hours to older workers.18. The pany spends 39。 Young, a professionalservices firm, has about 30,000registered alumni, and about 25% of its experienced new recruits are former employees whoreturn after an absence. But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst amp。s 46,000 employees areover 50 and a number of them are in their 70s. The tools it uses to achieve that flexibleworking, telemuting, and so forth also coincidentaUy help older workers to extend theirworking lives. The pany spends a lot of time on the ergonomics of its factories, makingjobs there less tiring, which enables older workers to stay at them for longer. Likewise, for more than a decade, Toyota, arguably the world39。 Company, a nononsenseindustrialequipment manufacturer based in Illinois。 the rest of the developed worldtomorrow? If you look hard enough, you can find panies that have begun to adapt the workplace toolder workers. The AARP, an American association for the over50s, produces an annual list ofthe best employers of its members. Healthcare firms invariably e near the top because theyare one of the industries most in need of skilled labour. Other sectors similarly affected, says theConference Board, include oil, gas, energy and government. Near the top of the AARP39。s shopping experience back home that A. they were used to bargaining over price. B. they preferred to buy things outdoors. C. street markets were their favourite. D. they preferred fashion and brand names.14. The last two paragraphs suggest that to visit places of interest in Istanbul A. guidebooks are very useful. B. a professional guide is a must. C. one has to be prepared for questions. D. one has to make arrangements in advance.15. The family have seen or visited all the following in Istanbul EXCEPT A. religious prayers. B. historical buildings. C. localstyle markets. D. shopping mall boutiques.TEXT B Last month the first babyboomers turned 60. The bulky generation born between 1946 and1964 is heading towards retirement. The looming demographic cliff will see vast numbers ofskilled workers dispatched from the labour force. The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers agedbetween 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 2029 willdecrease by 20%. In Japan almost 20% of the population is already over 65, the highest share inthe world. And in the United States the number of workers aged 5564 will have increased bymore than half in this decade, at the same time as the 35 to 44yearolds decline by 10%. Given that most societies are geared to retirement at around 65, panies have a loomingproblem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before theyhave handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their address. A survey ofhumanresources directors by IBM last year concluded: When the babyboomer generationretires, many panies will find out too late that a career39。s insistence that the food be served immediately. Gradually, webranched out to try some other Turkish specialties. Although our son had studied Islam briefly, it is impossible to be prepared for everyawkward question that might e up, such as during our visits to the Topkapi Sarayi, theOttoman Sultans39。s curiosity already had been piqued by the five daily calls to prayer over loudspeakersin every corner of the city, and the scarves covering the heads of many women. Navigating meals can be troublesome with children, but a kebab, bought on the street or inrestaurants, was unfailingly popular. Since we had decided this trip was not for gourmets, kebabsspared us the agony of trying to find a restaurant each day that would suit the adults39。s view, Istanbul street life is fascinating since almosteverything can be bought outdoors. They were at a good age to spend time wandering thelabyrinth of the Spice Bazaar, where shops display mounds of pungent herbs in sacks. Doing thiswith younger children would be harder simply because the streets are so packed with people。t needed for the city, but we were concemed about adapting to thewater for a short stay. So we used bottled water for drinking and