II. READING

TASK 1. Read the following passage, then choose the correct answer.

Young people in school today will be joining the workforce tomorrow. But are they being prepared for success in the 21st-century work environment?

When asked if students are missing skills for the workforce, we heard a resounding ‘yes.’ Students today learn academic core subjects, which are useful. But they aren’t gaining all the knowledge they need to seamlessly integrate into the office environment.

For instance, not all students have the right computer skills. “As technology has become pervasive in the classroom and the workplace, solid technology skills are essential for every student. Teaching digital literacy skills ultimately falls upon educators. Schools need to go beyond the ‘three R’s’ to improve college and career readiness with technical skills,” said Ray Kelly, CEO, Certiport, a certification testing company.

Beyond that, students need to be ready to meet specific employer needs. “Too often, high school students do not demonstrate workplace habits that employers prioritize, including reliability, punctuality, customer service and high-quality task completion,” said Andrew Rothstein, Chief Academic Officer of the National Academy Foundation. “There are also frequent issues with written and presentation skills that are appropriate in a business context. Teamwork and problem solving are the new constants.”

Indeed, teamwork is a very important - and often absent - skill among students entering the workforce. “Students need to learn how to work well with others - cooperative learning, working in groups. Students need to be able to think out of the box and be creative. They need to find different ways to offer solutions,” said Marilyn Curtain-Phillips, a high school math teacher and college professor.

The English language is the (2) ________ language of several countries, including Australia, Canada...........