Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.Not very long ago, when people needed to find a job, there were several possible steps. They might begin with a look through the classified ads in the newspaper. They could go to the personnel office at various companies and fill out an application, or they could go to an employment agency. They could even find out about a job opening through word-of-mouth - ...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Not very long ago, when people needed to find a job, there were several possible steps. They might begin with a look through the classified ads in the newspaper. They could go to the personnel office at various companies and fill out an application, or they could go to an employment agency. They could even find out about a job opening through word-of-mouth - from another person who had heard about it.

These days, job hunting is more complicated. The first step is to determine what kind of job you want (which sounds easier than it is) and make sure that you have the right education for it. Rapid changes in technology and science are creating many professions that never existed until recently. It is important to learn about them because one might be the perfect profession for you. The fastest-growing areas for new jobs are in computer technology and health services. Jobs in these fields usually require specific skills, but you need to find out exactly which degrees are necessary. For example, it may be surprising to learn that in the sciences, an M.S. is more marketable than a Ph.D! In other words, there are more jobs available for people with a Master of Science degree than for people with a doctorate (however, people who want to do research still need a Ph.D.)

How do people learn about "hot" new professions? How do they discover their "dream job"? Many people these days go to a career counselor. In some countries, job hopping has become so common that career counseling is now "big business". People sometimes spend large amounts of money for this advice. In Canada and the United States, high school and college students often have access to free vocational counseling services on campus. There is even a career organization, the Five O'Clock Club, which helps members to set goals. Members focus on this question: what sort of person do you want to be years from now? The members then plan their career around that goal. All career counselors - private or public - agree on one basic point: it is important for people to find a career that they love. Everyone should be able to think, "I'm having such a good time. I can't believe they're paying me to do this.”

The phrase “through word-of-mouth” in the first paragraph probably means__________.