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As technology advances, many jobs from the past have quietly disappeared and now seem strange to young people. For instance, in industrial Britain, “knocker-ups” walked the streets carrying long sticks. They tapped on bedroom windows to wake workers. We rely on alarm clocks today, but this was once a real job that lasted in some places until the 1970s.

Other forgotten jobs include switchboard operators who connected telephone calls by hand, telegram messengers, and lamp lighters who lit gas streetlights each evening. Before modern computers, “human computers” did complex calculations all day. Milkmen delivered fresh milk to doorsteps early in the morning. Thousands of people once worked in these fields, and in countries like Australia they have now almost completely disappeared. Your parents or grandparents may still remember such scenes. Mary Tamvakologos, an Australian industry expert, calls these “ghost jobs”. She says they show how quickly industries can change. People often think the jobs around them will always exist because they are familiar. However, history proves that is rarely true.

The basic customer needs—like information, entertainment, and convenience—haven’t changed. Technology has simply provided faster and more efficient ways to meet them. A good example is the video rental store. In the 1980s and 1990s, chains like Blockbuster were popular gathering places for teenagers. When online streaming services appeared, demand for DVDs dropped sharply, and these stores closed down almost overnight. Another big change was the smartphone. It replaced separate alarm clocks, cameras, maps, calculators, and music players. All these tools suddenly fit into a single device people could carry in their pockets.

Tamvakologos advises companies to watch changes in consumer habits carefully. She suggests owners ask themselves: “If we started this business today, would it look the same?” If the answer is no, change might be necessary. The lesson from all these disappearing jobs is clear: no career is safe forever. The businesses that survive are those willing to adapt before they are forced to.

1.1.What was a knocker-up’s job?

A To sell alarm clocks.

B To wake up workers.

C To clean street windows.

D To make long sticks.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段对“knocker-ups”的描述“They tapped on bedroom windows to wake workers.”可知，他们的工作就是用长棍敲打卧室窗户来叫醒工人。选项A（卖闹钟）与原文相反，文章说今天我们依靠闹钟，但过去才有这个职业；选项C（擦街上的窗户）扭曲了“tapped on bedroom windows”的含义；选项D（制作长棍）属于干扰，长棍只是工具，职业本身是叫醒人。因此正确答案是B。

2.2. What does the phrase “ghost jobs” refer to?

A Old jobs that no longer exist.

B Jobs related to high technology.

C Jobs popular among older people.

D Jobs needing complex skills.

解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。第二段先列举了接线员、电报投递员、点灯人、“人肉计算机”、送奶工等一系列已经消失或正在消失的职业，然后指出Mary Tamvakologos称这些职业为“ghost jobs”。结合下文“它们展示了行业变化能有多快”及“曾经存在却已消失”的语境，可以推断“ghost jobs”指的是不再存在的旧职业。选项B（与高科技相关的工作）与原意相反，这些恰恰是被高科技淘汰的工作；选项C（受老年人欢迎的工作）和选项D（需要复杂技能的工作）都只片面抓取字面联想，没有体现“消失”这一核心特征。故选A。

3.3. The author uses the example of Blockbuster mainly to show that ________.

A teenagers’ gathering places changed

B people preferred staying home to watch movies

C technology made such businesses disappear

D Blockbuster was once successful

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。第三段首先点明顾客的基本需求未变，但技术以更快、更高效的方式满足了它们，接着用Blockbuster（百视达）为例进行论证：在线流媒体服务出现后，DVD需求暴跌，租赁店几乎一夜之间关门。作者举此例的目的，正是要说明技术使得这类传统生意消失。选项A（青少年聚集场所变了）只是表面现象，并非举例要论证的主旨；选项B（人们更愿意在家看电影）虽然隐含在流媒体出现中，但重点在于技术冲击而非个人偏好；选项D（百视达曾经成功）是事实，但不是文章举例的主要意图。因此C为最佳答案。

4.4.What message does the last paragraph mainly convey?

A People should stick to familiar jobs as long as possible.

B Technology has destroyed all traditional ways of life.

C Consumer habits always remain unchanged over time.

D No career is safe forever and adapting is essential.

解析：选D。D 段落大意题。最后一段先转述Tamvakologos的建议：企业要密切关注消费者习惯的变化，反思自身模式；然后引出明确的教训——“no career is safe forever”，能生存下去的是那些在被迫改变之前就愿意适应的企业。由此可见，段落的核心信息是没有永远安全的职业，适应至关重要。选项A（坚持熟悉的工作）与“愿意适应”的建议完全相反；选项B（技术摧毁了所有传统生活方式）夸大了范围，文中仅说很多工作消失，并非“所有”；选项C（消费者习惯永远不变）与该段强调的“观察习惯变化”直接矛盾。因此选D。