As part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion, Microsoft has launched a recruitment drive for people with autism.

The pilot scheme will begin by recruiting 10 people with autism to be based at the firm’s Redmond offices in Washington. If successful, the scheme could extend to more vacancies worldwide.  

Microsoft is running the scheme with support from Specialisterne and the announcement was made on the company’s official blog by Mary Ellen Smith, vice president of worldwide operations. 

Ms Smith has a 19-year-old autistic son called Shawn. She wrote: “At Microsoft, we believe that diversity enriches our performance, our products and services, the communities where we live and work, and the lives of our employees.  We have been committed to enabling people with disabilities to be successful and this week we announced another exciting effort, a new pilot program with Specialisterne, focused on hiring people with autism for full-time, Redmond-based Microsoft positions. ”

Specialisterne is based in Denmark and the UK and specializes in recruiting people with autism across varies industries. 

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects how a person communicates, and relates to, other people. It can also affect how they make sense of the world around them. People with autism typically have trouble communicating, looking people in the eye, and can get upset by loud noises or bright lights. 

In the UK, charity Papworth Trust is similarly working to improve employment prospects for people with autism who can complete work-based training or qualifications at the centre to help them learn new skills, get work experience and find a job. Technology industries are said to be suited to people with autism because of how they respond to gadgets and software.

At a young age, for example, experts are finding that simple, carefully constructed apps are enabling affected children to feel safe and communicate more readily because the software is more predictable and ordered than human interaction.

Rhiannan Walton, 32, has been a speech and language therapist for eight years. “Technology responds in the same way every time; you press a button and it responds how you expect it to,” Walton told MailOnline. 

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1. What is Microsoft’s commitment to diversity?

A Offering people with autism work positions.

B Training people with disabilities to learn skills.

C Helping people with disabilities make success.

D Hiring people with autism across all industries.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章第4段We have been committed to enabling people with disabilities to be successful可知，微软公司发展多元化的目的是为了帮助有残疾的人获得成功。

2.What is the symptom of autism?

A Hard to communicate with others.

B Difficult to look at people.

C Easily scared by bright lights.

D Unable to learn new skills.

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据文章第6段People with autism typically have trouble communicating可知，患自闭症的人在与他人交流方面一般都存在障碍，故选A。

3.What does Papworth Trust do to help people with autism?

A Improving their ability to respond to gadgets and software.

B Working with technology industries to offer them jobs.

C Helping them gain working experience.

D Training them to learn new skills and find a job.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第7段help them learn new skills, get work experience and find a job可知，Popworth Trust在帮助自闭症患者方面所做的工作包括培训他们的学习技能，让他们积累工作经验并找到工作。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A Human interaction is unpredictable and unsafe to people with autism.

B Technology is useful in improving the condition of people with autism.

C Simply and carefully constructed gadgets improve children’s intelligence.

D It is easy to improve the condition of people with autism at a young age.

解析：选B。B 推理判断题。根据文章第8段enabling affected children to feel safe and communicate more readily because the software is more predictable and ordered than human interaction可知，在学习技术时，自闭症患者因为程序的固定性和可预见性而感到安全，因此也愿意学习，由此判断，让自闭症患者学习技术软件是打开他们心扉，逐渐与外部世界接触的有效疗法。

5.What can be the best title of the passage?

A Microsoft’s Commitment to Diversity.

B Mary Ellen Smith’s Son Is Autistic.

C Microsoft Wants to Hire People with Autism.

D Technology Industries Offer Jobs to People with Autism.

解析：选C。C 主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文主要介绍了微软公司计划雇佣自闭症员工，帮助其走向成功的计划。