【推荐1】

Part-Time Store Associate
Location	155 Hillwood Ave Falls Church VA 22046
Duties	● Process customer purchases, perform general cleaning duties, and keep stock shelves and merchandise (货物) displays clean and neat; ● Greet and receive customers in a welcoming manner; ● Respond to customers’ questions and assist customers with their shopping process; ● Cooperate with team members and communicate clearly to the store management team; ● Check errors and other general issues; ● Follow the cash policies and procedures to minimize losses;
Physical Demands	● Ability to stock merchandise from store receiving to shelving; ● Ability to place products, weighing up to 45 pounds (about 20 kilograms), on shelves at various heights; ● Regularly required to sit, stand, bend, push, pull, lift, carry goods and walk about the store;
Qualifications	● Provide polite and immediate customer service; ● Operate a cash register efficiently and accurately; ● Ability to safely and properly operate equipment, including electric/manual hand jacks (千斤顶), floor scrubbers, and cardboard balers (打包机); ●Perform general cleaning duties to company standards; ● Interpret and apply company policies and procedures; ● Excellent communication skills; ● Work both independently and within a team environment; ● Ability to say organized, give attention to detail, and follow instructions in a professional and efficient manner; ● Meet any sate and local requirements for handling and selling alcoholic beverages;
Education	● High School Diploma or GED; ● Prior work experience in a retail environment preferred;
Salary	● $15～$18 per hour(more than 10 hours but fewer than 30 hours per week); ● Supplemental pay types: Bonus pay (depending on your sales but not less than $30 per week).

1. What belongs to a responsibility of a part-time store associate?

A．Help customers with shopping.

B．Respond to online customer orders.

C．Deliver groceries to customers’ homes.

D．Adjust the cash policies and procedures.

2. What is essential for working as a store associate?

A．Being able to drink a lot.	B．Having one-year related experience.
C．Being physically strong and flexible.	D．Being able to speak English fluently.

3. How much could a part-time store associate make at least within a week?

A．$570.

B．$480.

C．$210.

D．$180.

【推荐2】Across the rich world, well-educated people increasingly work longer than the less-skilled. Some 65% of American men aged 62 - 74 with a professional degree are in the workforce, compared with 32% of men with only a high-school certificate. This gap is part of a deepening divide between the well-educated well-off and the unskilled poor. Rapid technological advance has raised the incomes of the highly skilled while squeezing those of the unskilled. The consequences, for individuals and society, are profound (深刻的).

The world is facing an astonishing rise in the number of old people, and they will live longer than ever before. Over the next 20 years the global population of those aged 65 or more will almost double, from 600 million to 1.1 billion. The experience of the 20th century, when greater longevity translated into more years in retirement rather than more years at work, has persuaded many observers that this shift will lead to slower economic growth, while the swelling (扩大的) ranks of pensioners (领养老金者) will create government budget problems.

But the notion of a sharp division between the working young and the idle (不工作的) old misses a new trend, the growing gap between the skilled and the unskilled. Employment rates are falling among younger unskilled people, whereas older skilled folk are working longer. The divide is most extreme in America, where well-educated baby-boomers are putting off retirement while many less-skilled younger people have dropped out of the workforce.

Policy is partly responsible. Many European governments have abandoned policies that used to encourage people to retire early. Even the better-off must work longer to have a comfortable retirement. But the changing nature of work also plays a big role. Pay has risen sharply for the highly educated. Technological change may well reinforce (加强) that shift: the skills that complement (补充) computers, from management to creativity, do not necessarily decline with age.

1. What is happening in the workforce in rich countries?

A．Younger people are replacing the elderly.	B．Well-educated people tend to work longer.
C．Unemployment rates are rising year after year.	D．People with no college degree do not easily find work.

2. What has helped deepen the divide between the well-off and the poor?

A．Longer life expectancies.	B．Rapid technological advance.
C．Profound changes in the workforce.	D．A growing number of the well-educated.

3. What is the result of policy changes in European countries?

A．Unskilled workers may choose to retire early.

B．More people have to receive in-service training.

C．Even wealthy people must work longer to live comfortably in retirement.

D．People may be able to enjoy generous defined-benefits from pension plans.

4. What is the characteristic of work in the 21st century?

A．Computers will do more complicated work.

B．More responsibility will be taken by the educated young.

C．Most jobs to be done will be the creative ones.

D．Skills are highly valued regardless of age.

【推荐3】In many countries, people work five eight-hour days or 40 hours a week. But some companies now want their employees to work just four days a week and still pay them for five. Is it too good to be true?

Planio, a German company, offered a four-day week to its employees earlier this year Schulz-Hofen, the founder of Planio, first tested the four-day workweek on himself. He said，“It is much healthier and we do a better job if we’re not working crazy hours. I didn't get less work done in four days than in five because in five days, you think you have more time, you take longer. ” Also, another company, called Guardian in New Zealand, tested how its employees reacted to a 32-hour workweek earlier this year. It said the workers reported feeling less pressured and more focused on the business.

In Japan, the government is urging companies to let their workers have Monday mornings off. And in the UK, Trades Union Congress (TUC) is pushing for the country to move to a four-day week by the end of the century, thinking that a shorter workweek is a way for workers to share in the wealth made by new technologies like machine learning and robotics. TUC’s Kate Bell noted，“It would reduce the stress of juggling working and family life. ’’

A study of 3, 000 employees found that nearly half thought they could easily finish their work in five hours a day if they did not have to stop and restart. The workers were from eight countries, including the United States，Britain and Germany. Dan Schawbel, working in Future Workplace, which carried out the survey with Kronossaid，“Because you always have the technology, you are always working, so you are getting burned out.   He expects more companies and countries will permit a four-day workweek.

1. What did Schulz-Hofen do?

A．He founded a company in the UK.

B．He tried out a new idea himself.

C．He made a study into Future Workplace.

D．He urged his employees to be more productive.

2. What do the staff of Guardian think of the new workweek policy?

A．Stressful.	B．Beneficial.
C．Unnecessary.	D．Faultless.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “juggling” in Paragraph 3?

A．Balancing.	B．Choosing.
C．Improving.	D．Controlling.

4. What conclusion can be drawn from the text about the four-day workweek?

A．It is actually too good to be true.

B．It has some unavoidable disadvantages.

C．It is beneficial to both employees and companies.

D．It has become a common practice in many countries.

【推荐1】Every time I passed boys who were playing basketball, I stopped silently to watch them. I really envied them. But as a girl, I once thought that I could never play basketball.

I like playing basketball though I’m not good at it. I’ve had a basketball since I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one cared when I was just a kid. But as I grew up it seemed harder and harder for me to enjoy basketball.

At school, it was always the boys who played basketball during P.E. classes. The girls were only allowed to play volleyball or badminton.

My parents did not let me play basketball at home. “Basketball is not for girls,” they said. Even when I went to play basketball with my friends, boys stared at me on the court as if I were an alien.

I was feeling down and had hope of playing basketball. Unexpectedly, something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also enjoyed playing basketball. They encouraged me to get back on the court.

One of them told me with a smile, “Go your own way, let others talk.” This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about basketball with me almost every day.

I was inspired by them. Confidence and passion (激情) returned to my heart. I am ready to stand up and play. I will play as well as I can, and for me, even the sky is boundless.

Basketball has become an important part of my life. I am interested in it. I watch and play almost every day. Through basketball, not only do I feel happy and confident, but also learn a lot.

I have heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say “Nothing is impossible.” It is from an advertisement on TV. I have come to realize that life is just like playing basketball. You should have an aim. After that, just be confident and keep going. Never give up and you will make it sooner or later.

I love the motto of the NBA. It can express my strong feelings for basketball, “I love this game!”

1. The writer often stopped to watch the boys playing basketball because

A．she envied them.

B．the boys were top players.

C．the boys were her classmates.

D．she liked to play basketball.

2. It can be inferred from the text that

A．P.E. teachers think girls are good at playing volleyball and badminton.

B．parents and teachers think basketball is not suitable for girls.

C．parents and teachers think girls hate basketball.

D．parents and teachers think only basketball is suitable for boys.

3. In paragraph 9, the words “make it” probably mean

A．succeed	B．produce it
C．make a fortune	D．make a NBA player

【推荐2】Famous resorts(度假胜地) on the earth

Maldives

Maldives is famed as the last paradise(乐园) on the earth. It's made up of more than 1,800 coral islands, spreading over a sea area of about 90 thousand square kilometers on the Indian Ocean. People in Maldives believe in Islam. They must observe the religious rules strictly. However, tourists don’t need to follow these customs inside hotels, but they must do as the locals when they enter the community of the local people.

Jeju Island

Jeju Island, also known as the ＂Islands of the Gods＂, is the biggest island of South Korea. It is a volcanic island with a pleasant climate. Its yearly average temperature is 16℃, which makes it the most attractive vacation stop in Northeast Asia. It has gained fame as a shopping paradise. Here all the luxury(奢侈品) brands are free of duty. Every summer thousands of tourists come here to look for the gods, enjoy the coolness of the gentle sea breeze and buy cheap luxuries.

Phuket Island

Phuket Island, the biggest island of Thailand, is called a pearl on the Indian Ocean. It is world-famous for its beautiful beaches. Some are quiet and tourist-friendly, and some are as luxurious as personal vacation beaches. Some are famous for sea sports, and some are attractive to lovers of evening entertainments. Therefore, you’ll have a good time here whether you’re single or accompanied by your friends.

Hayman Island

Hayman Island, a secret vacation island, is one of the coral islands that make up the Great Barrier Reef. Every year thousands of tourists come here to admire the beauty of the tropic sea and the charming scene of the Great Barrier Reef. However, they seldom see any waiters and waitresses around as they work in and travel through a special tunnel(通道). This is why it's called the most secret resort.

1. Tourists should _____________ in Maldives when getting out of the hotels.

A．follow the local rules	B．watch out for sharks
C．stay in secret tunnels	D．stay away from the local people

2. If you intend to do some shopping besides sightseeing, _____________ maybe is your best choice.

A．Maldives	B．Phuket Island
C．Jeju Island	D．Hayman Island

3. Tourists think Hayman Island is secret because _____________.

A．they are strictly limited within the hotel

B．they aren’t allowed to swim in the sea

C．they are forbidden to bargain in the market

D．they can’ t meet servants around them

【推荐3】The negative health effects of sleep shortages during the week can’ t be changed by marathon weekend sleep sessions, according to a new study.

Researchers have long known that routine sleep deprivation(缺乏) can cause weight gain and increase other health risks, including diabetes. But there are still some people who hope that shutting off the alarm on Saturday and Sunday will repay the weekly sleep debt and remove any ill effects.

The research, published in Current Biology, ruins those hopes. Despite complete freedom to sleep in and nap during a weekend recovery period, participants in a sleep laboratory who were limited to five hours of sleep on weekdays gained nearly three pounds over two weeks and experienced metabolic disruption(代谢紊乱) that would increase their risk for diabetes over the long term. While weekend recovery sleep had some benefits after a single week of insufficient sleep, those gains were wiped out when people returned right to their same sleep schedule the next Monday.

“If there are benefits of catch-up sleep, they’ re gone when you go back to your routine. It’ s very short-lived,” said Kenneth Wright, who oversaw the research. “These health effects are long-term. It’ s kind of like smoking once was—people would smoke and wouldn’ t see an immediate effect on their health, but people will say now that smoking is not a healthy lifestyle choice. I think sleep is in the early phase of where smoking used to be.”

Wright said that the study suggests people should prioritize sleep—cutting out the optional “sleep stealers” such as watching television shows or spending time on electronic devices. Even when people don’t have a choice about losing sleep due to child-care responsibilities or job schedules, they should think about prioritizing sleep in the same way they would think about a healthy diet or exercise.

1. What had the researchers already known before doing the new research?

A．The actual benefits of weekend recovery sleep.

B．Harm to health caused by the lack of routine sleep.

C．People’ s habit of shutting off the alarm during holidays.

D．The relationship between body weight and sleep amount.

2. Kenneth Wright mentioned smoking to _________.

A．call on smokers to completely abandon smoking

B．advise people to go to sleep when they want to smoke

C．show people have known the harm brought by smoking

D．show people will someday notice the bad effects of sleep deprivation

3. What does the underlined word “prioritize” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Putting tasks in order of importance.

B．Getting more than enough of something to deposit it.

C．Cutting down something that is not necessary any more.

D．Treating something as being more important than others.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Weekend catch-up sleep is a lie.

B．Bad sleep habits are harmful to health.

C．Smoking is not the worst thing to health.

D．A new study has an unexpected discovery.

【推荐1】Tampa Bay has a long and colorful history, which is located on the west coast of Florida. And there are plenty of events on holidays every year. The following are the top things to experience on Tampa Bay over Christmas.

Jackie Evancho

The superstar exploded on to the national scene after her first performance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, which left audiences and judges at the show astonished that such a voice could come from a 10-year-old girl. 7:30 pm, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. $39.50-$89.50. (727) 791-7400.

Holiday Lights in the Gardens

Stroll through the gardens with more than one million twinkly lights, lasers, Florida-style displays, animated figures, visits with Santa and entertainers lining the pathways. 5:30 pm, Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road. Largo Donation of $4 suggested; 12 and younger free. (727) 582-5800.

Wordier than Thou

Prose and Short Story Open Mic — a unique open mic series focusing on storytelling. Poetry and musical performances are not allowed. The event includes a performance by a featured reader followed by numerous 10-minute open mic slots. 7:00 pm, Studio@620, 620 First Ave.S, St, Petersburg. $5. (727) 895-6620.

Rockapella Christmas

The five-man contemporary pop vocal phenomenon sing takes on classic holiday favorites and branches new originals. 7:30 pm, Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. $30-$59. (727) 791-7400.

Holiday Classic Movie Series

It’s A Wonderful Life — enjoy select holiday classics with a singalong to holiday carols by the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ before each show. 7:30 pm, Tampa Theatre, 711 Franklin St., Tampa. $10; $8 members/children. (813) 274-8982.

1. What can we learn about Jackie Evancho?

A．She broadcasts news at 7:30 pm every day.

B．She has a special talent for dancing.

C．She began to speak when she was 10.

D．She is a super musical star.

2. Which activity is partly admission free?

A．Holiday Lights in the Gardens.

B．Wordier than Thou.

C．Rockapella Christmas.

D．Holiday Classic Movie Series.

3. Where should you go if you are a story lover?

A．Ruth Eckerd Hall.	B．Capitol Theatre.
C．Studio@620.	D．Florida Botanical Gardens.

【推荐2】Enjoy the sunshine at the four best beaches in Los Angeles, including family-friendly shores and perfect places for surfers (冲浪者).

El Matador State Beach

Malibu

Small and beautiful, El Matador looks unlike any European beach. Comfortable shoes are necessary but remember not to bring too much gear (装备). This western Malibu beach is only accessible via a steep rocky path. There are no lifeguards or other facilities (设施), so you are able to find some privacy on the beach. Arriving early or staying late can reward you with a memorable dawn or sunset.

Good for: nature lovers

Facilities: simple restrooms

Parking: parking lot $10, street parking free (watch out for “no parking” signs)

Zuma Beach

Malibu

It is a popular and touristy spot on weekends and holidays for locals and beach-goers. The wide, sandy beach is good for spreading out on beach towels and water sports, from swimming to volleyball. And it is one of the few beaches in Malibu where bonfires (篝火) are allowed.

Good for: sports lovers, groups

Facilities: restrooms, showers, volleyball courts and swings

Parking: parking lot $3 — $10, street parking free

Leo Carrillo State Park

Malibu

Leo Carrillo State Beach has the best of the both: a well-equipped stretch of sand plus scenic beauty. Groups and families can make use of the on-site camping grounds, picnic area, RV parking lot and coin-operated showers.

Good for: families, groups

Facilities: showers, camp site, RV parking lot and restrooms

Parking: parking lot $3 — $10

El Porto Beach

Manhattan

Newcomers love the sandy beach break, while winter wave hunters can brave overhead waves. Enter the parking lot from 45th Street, and note the five-hour limit. Those that prefer to stay on land can make use of the bike path.

Good for: surfers

Facilities: restrooms, showers and a bike path

Parking: $1.50 per hour metered parking

1. What can we learn about El Matador State Beach?

A．It is large and flat.

B．It is a bit hard to reach.

C．It is well equipped for surfing.

D．It is provided with trained lifeguards.

2. If a large family wants to take a picnic at the beach, they’ll probably go to ___________.

A．El Matador State Beach	B．Zuma Beach
C．Leo Carrillo State Park	D．El Porto Beach

3. What do the four beaches have in common?

A．They lie in Malibu.	B．They allow making bonfires.
C．They provide parking areas.	D．They are suitable for water sports.

【推荐3】Video games have been a popular pastime since the 1980s, and with an ever-expanding variety of genres (种类), artistic styles and storylines, it is no surprise that many still enjoy them.

Here are a few popular picks for you to try this summer. Take a look!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Developed by Japanese video game company Nintendo, this action-adventure video game was released in 2017 with the launch of the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s newest video game console (电子游戏机).

Breath of the Wild is different from other games in the series because it is a sandbox game that rewards experimentation. It has won many awards, including Game of the Year at the 2018 Game Developers Choice Awards, and has sold over 19 million copies. It was listed as the best video game of the decade on the review website Metacritic.

The Outer Worlds

The Outer Worlds is a sci-fi role-playing game that was released in October last year. The game is set in a future world where mega-corporations (大型企业) control everything — even outer space. The Outer Worlds is unique because the choices you make in the game change how the story will end.

“From a story standpoint, every time we do a game, we’re just trying to get better,” Leonard Boyarsky, one of the game’s directors, said in an interview with PC Gamer. “You learn way more from failure than you do from success and we’ve had a lot of, uh, learning experiences.” The Outer Worlds has sold over two million copies and has won several awards for its memorable writing, humor, visual design and voice acting.

Minecraft

Even though Mojang Studios released it in 2011, Minecraft has maintained its position as the most well-liked video game. In fact, according to Mojang Studios, Minecraft had 126 million monthly users by May this year. “I had no idea it would get this popular,” Minecraft creator Markus Notch Persson admitted in an interview with London-based media company Den of Geek.

Minecraft is a sandbox video game, which means it is an open world with endless possibilities. It can be played on multiple platforms, and it even has its very own LEGO set. The world of Minecraft is made up of 3D blocks, a design that US entertainment website IGN described as “instantly memorable”.

1. Which one is the most popular video game according to the article?

A．Breath Of The Wild

B．The Outer Worlds

C．Minecraft

D．Metacritic

2. Why is The Outer Worlds special?

A．It is the players who decide the end of the story.

B．The Outer Worlds is a sci-fi role-playing game.

C．The Outer Worlds has already won several awards.

D．The players can learn more from their failures.

3. What can we know about the video games mentioned above?

A．Minecraft was first launched by a London-based media company.

B．Breath of the Wild is created by Japanese video game company Nintendo.

C．The Outer Worlds is set in a future world where the players control everything.

D．All the three games are extremely popular sandbox video games.