2 . Playing video games is an enjoyable pastime for many of us. But have you ever thought of becoming a video game developer and designing your own games?
If so, Electronic Arts’ (EA) “Get in the Game” program might be for you. The program targets high school girls, giving them a chance to work alongside professional female game developers, with a view to encourage more girls to pursue a career in the tech industry.
EA is the largest video game development studio in Central Florida, US. This year, 15lucky students were selected for the program and given the chance to put the finishing touches onto future EA titles.
Edgewater High School student Lyla Lovett,17,raised her hands in celebration after she fixed an in-game glitch(故障) and successfully found a potential solution. Current EA software engineer Alanna Berklund said: “That trial-and-error is something that happens every day in game development.”
She added: “Building games is not simple ... you have to try a lot of things, and most of the time it's a matter of changing something and seeing what happens.”
Years ago, when Berklund was a new graduate, she would ask technology companies whether their business tried to hire women. “They would say, ‘we just hire the best people’.” Berklund concluded. “Technology has always been a boys’ club, and it's about not keeping the present situation.”
The gender(性别)gap in technology goes far beyond the video game industry. According to the National Center for Women in Information Technology, the percentage of female science-based degree students, in the US, dropped from 37 percent to 19 percent between1985 and 2016. This decline in female science students is one of the reasons why non-profit groups such as “Girls Who Code” have appeared in recent years.
As more industries look to fill technology jobs, it’s important that women are equally represented.
Lyla said spending a week with female engineers convinced her to pursue a career in the industry.
“It’s fearful when you see lots of men in the field. But seeing female developers working successfully in the industry makes me think change is possible,” Lyla explained.
She added that, working with other women in the technology industry was “a big thing in my life. It helped me learn to communicate better, to manage problems, and to express my feelings.”
1. What can we learn about Electronic Arts’ (EA) “Get in the Game” program from the text?
| A．Girls can play their favorite video games. |
| B．Girls can design video games with professionals. |
| C．Girls can team up with players around the world. |
| D．Girls can compete with boys while playing video games. |
2. What happened when Berklund graduated years ago?
| A．She was refused by many technology companies. |
| B．She wanted to compete with the men in the technology industry. |
| C．She had to work harder than her male colleagues. |
| D．She was given the chance to work in technology companies. |
3. What can we learn from the text?
| A．Traditional women's work in the tech industry is highly valued in the USA. |
| B．Non-profit groups such as “Girls Who Code” have disappeared in recent years. |
| C．The percentage of female science-based degree students has declined recently. |
| D．Becoming a video game developer and designing your own games are an easy thing. |
4. What is the article mainly about?
| A．The difficulties girls have in the technology industry. |
| B．Ways of attracting more girls to the technology industry. |
| C．The advantages girls have in the technology industry. |
| D．The gender gap girls face in the technology industry. |
