Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

When someone asks us‘what do you do?’we nearly always reply with our occupation. Work, for many of us, is much more than a job. It is the defining aspect of our identity. For many of us it is through our job that we can define ourselves.

“Without my job I don't know who I am,” is a sentence that has been uttered on more than a handful of occasions from my office chair. Indeed, it can be one of the most challenging aspects I work on with clients who have lost or been forced into changing their jobs. This loss provokes an identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself.

One of the things I have come to understand, however, is that our identity is much more complex than we recognise at first glance. If we take the time to reflect we might recognise that as well as our work we can also identify as a friend,a spouse,a son or daughter,a parent,a member of a sports team or religious community. We may recognise that we feel and act differently in these roles and relationships than we do at work. The passive daughter becomes an assertive leader at work. Furthermore, our identities at work are not static. They change over time. I myself have been a shop assistant,a waitress,a student,a graduate, and a clinical psychologist. At each stage my ability to adapt to and develop my career identity has been crucial to my wellbeing. Whilst we like to eliminate uncertainty in our lives at some level we have to manage uncertainty, especially in today's volatile and ever-shifting job market.

How we see ourselves is central to the issue of our identity. When we tell ourselves“I'm good at starting projects but not so great at seeing them through” it can become part of our belief system. But if you have the unfortunate experience of an enforced job change you will need to examine those beliefs to see how grounded in reality they are. You will be required to ask yourself how helpful these beliefs are and consider personal change We can change our beliefs, behaviours and emotional experience at any time through experimentation, practice and conscious self-discipline. In an age where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options. Ultimately it is you who define who you are. You are only your job if you let it be so.

51. What do we learn from the passage about one's loss of a job?

A) It compels them to visit a clinical psychologist.

B) It offers them a chance to play different roles.

C) It renders them puzzled about who they are.

D) It forces them to redefine their life's goals.

52. What has the author come to understand about our identity?

A) It is crucial to our emotional wellbeing.

B) It plays a big role in many facets of life.

C) It reflects our changing status in society.

D) It is more complicated than it appears.

53. What does the passage say about our identities at work?

A) They are essential to our self-esteem.

B) They evolve with the passage of time.

C) They overrule all other self-perceptions.

D) They are key to understanding ourselves.

54. What do we have to do in today's ever-changing job market?

A) Strive to develop our social identity.

B) prepare for different career paths.

C) Try to be assertive at all times.

D) Learn to manage uncertainty.

55. What should we do to expand our career options?

A) Alter our perceptions of ourselves.

B) compare various job opportunities.

C) Look into newly emerging sectors.

D) exercise self-discipline consciously.

答案解析：

由题干中的关键词“loss of a job”定位到第二段“This loss provokes an identity crisis much greater than the loss of the job itself.”，文中提到失去工作引发的身份危机比失去工作本身更严重，即失去工作会让他们对自己是谁感到困惑，所以选C。

由题干中的关键词“author come to understand about our identity”定位到第三段“One of the things I have come to understand, however, is that our identity is much more complex than we recognise at first glance.”，作者明白我们的身份比最初认识到的要复杂得多，所以选D。更多真题请微信搜索英语巴士小程序。

由题干中的关键词“our identities at work”定位到第三段“Furthermore, our identities at work are not static. They change over time.”，我们的职业身份不是静态的，会随着时间变化，即它们会随着时间推移而演变，所以选B。

由题干中的关键词“ever-changing job market”定位到第三段“Whilst we like to eliminate uncertainty in our lives at some level we have to manage uncertainty, especially in today's volatile and ever-shifting job market.”，尽管我们在某种程度上喜欢消除生活中的不确定性，但我们必须应对不确定性，尤其是在当今变化不定、不断变化的就业市场中，所以选D。

由题干中的关键词“expand our career options”定位到最后一段“In an age where career progression may lead us into new sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create a new experience of your identity by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself in order to expand your career options.”，在职业发展可能引领我们进入新领域的时代，挑战自我认知，通过改变对自己的看法来创造新的身份体验以扩大职业选择变得越来越重要，即要改变对自己的看法，所以选A。