【推荐1】Migrant workers

In the past twenty years, there has been an increasing tendency for workers to move from one country to another. While some newly independent countries have ____ most jobs to local people, others have attracted and welcomed migrant workers. This is particularly the ____ in the Middle East, where increased oil incomes have enabled many countries to ____ outsiders to improve local facilities. Thus the Middle East has attracted oil-workers from the USA and Europe. It has brought in construction workers and technicians from many countries, including South Korea and Japan.

In view of the ____ living and working conditions in the Middle East, surprising it is not that the pay is high to attract suitable workers. Many engineers and technicians can earn at least twice as much money in the Middle East as they can in their own country, and this is a ____ attraction. An allied (联合的) benefit is the low ____ or a complete lack of it. This ____ the amount of pay received by visiting workers and is very popular with them.

Sometimes a disadvantage has a compensating (补偿的) advantage. ____, the difficult living conditions often lead to increased friendship when workers have to depend on each other for safety and comfort. ____, many migrant workers can save large sum of money partly because of the lack of entertainment facilities. The work is often complex and full of problems but this merely presents greater ____ to engineers who prefer to find solutions to problems rather than do ____ work in their home country.

One major problem which affects migrant workers in the Middle East is that their jobs are ____ ones. They are nearly always on contract, so it is not easy for them to plan ahead with great confidence. This is to be ____ since no country welcomes a large number of foreign workers as permanent residents. In any case, migrant workers accept this ____, along with others, because of the ____ financial benefits which they receive.

【推荐2】A true reality of retirement planning is that your future is riding on the quality of your assumptions. Humble ______ can be dangerous.

For example, eight years into this bull market, expecting stocks to deliver as strong returns over the next decade is an uncertain proposition many are nonetheless ______.

Another potential ______ assumption is that you will be able to keep working past 65. Yet the recently released 2017 Retirement Confidence Survey by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute finds that more than half of workers say they expect to still be on the clock past age 65. ______, less than 15 percent of today's retirees kept working that long.

"If you plan on working longer as a way to get by in retirement, you are going to be in trouble," says Craig Copeland, senior research associate at EBRI. "It should be a ______ to a solid savings and spending plan, not the foundation."

It's simply too ______ to assume you will indeed be able to work longer. A survey by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that nearly two-thirds of retirees left the workforce earlier than expected because they were laid off, reorganized out of a position, or due to general unhappiness with a job. Only 16 percent of retirees who ______ the work force earlier than they expected did so because they felt they could ______ afford to.

______, a new report from Prudential puts a dollar value on why your current employer may not be inclined (倾向于) to do back flips to keep an older you happy and engaged. The estimated one-year cost to a firm when an employee ______ retirement: $50,000.

Prudential estimates that on a company-wide level, delayed retirement can ______   overall workforce costs by 1 percent to 1.5 percent. That's not nothing. And it goes a long way in explaining why employers may be more inclined to focus on "financial wellness" strategies to get workers ready to retire ______ than programs to help workers delay retirement.

Fewer than one-third of employees surveyed by TCRS report their employer has some sort of "transition" program such as flexible work schedules, reduced hours or ______ to a different role.

"Workers' vision of retirement is changing faster than employers' business ______," said Catherine Collinson, president of TCRS. That makes it ever more crucial for pre-retirees to take the steps today that will increase the ______ they can continue to work longer, if that's part of the plan.

【推荐3】Security guard, truck driver, salesperson—year after year, these jobs appear on lists of the unhappiest careers. Although many factors can make a job _________ —unusual hours, low pay, no chance for advancement—these three jobs _________ for another reason: a lack of small talk.

Psychologists have long said that connecting with others is central to our well-being, but just how much conversation we require is under _________ . In one study, researchers overheard undergraduates for four days and then _________ each conversations either “small talk” (“What do you have there? Pop corn? Yummy!”) or “serious” (“Did they break up soon after?”). They found that the second type is connected with happiness—the happiest students had roughly twice as many “serious” talks as the unhappiest ones. Small talk, meanwhile, _________ only ten percent of their conversation, versus almost 30 percent of conversation among the unhappiest students.

However, don’t just consider small talk _________ yet. Scientists believe that small talk could promote bonding. Chatting with strangers could _________ our morning. In a series of experiments, psychologists found that those who chatted with other train passengers reported a more pleasant journey than those who didn’t.

Small talk can also help us feel connected to our _________ . People who smiled at, made eye contact with and _________ spoke with their Starbucks baristas (咖啡师) reported a greater sense of __________ than those who rushed through the transaction (交易). __________ , when volunteers broke the silence of the art gallery to chat with gallery-goers, the visitors felt happier and more connected to the exhibit than those who were not __________.

Of course, some of us are better than others at turning small talk into something bigger. In one study, people who were rated “less curious” by researchers had trouble getting a conversation __________ on their own. People who were considered “curious”, meanwhile, needed no help   __________ conversations about ordinary things like favorite holidays into friendly exchanges. A “curious mindset,” the researchers concluded, can lead to “positive social __________.”

Therefore, go ahead—small talk needn’t be idle, and nosiness isn’t all bad.

【推荐1】Each stage of life has different major demands mainly because our needs change. As children, a period of deep uncertainty and sensitivity,___ and   family   are   the   top   needs although we may not think of them in those terms. As teenagers, we are__the waters of adult life, preparing ourselves for the exciting unknown and as young adults, we search for a__. The drive to fulfill each stage is so strong that sometimes we have to hold the breath to___.

At each stage, although everyone may___in dreams, we will all try to   take hold of the means to achieve our particular dreams. Some will be driven with   almost   tunnel vision,   others take a(n)____attitude to getting there. Anyway,   without dreams it is   hard to direct   life. If   you   are   fortunate   enough   to   achieve   your   current   dreams,   you   can   move   forward   for___desires and prepare yourself for a new conquest.

For each period of life,   the   needs are   decided by that stage,   and as we grow older, whether we like it or not, we gain___, which, on the basis of former facts and information,   permits us to see a broader view if we are wise enough to take on board what is there. As we mature,   the sharpness of the___of youth, the black and white approach to life, will be tempered by what is possible, kind, just and fair.   Ageing helps us to grow if we allow it.   So often   we___that process, holding on tightly to   rooted beliefs   which do not do us   any favour, yet our needs change and in result we will___be different.

Physically,   even when we stay fit and able, the body cannot deliver in quite the   same way as youth. This comes as a(n)___to most of us who start life in the belief that we are unbeatable and will live forever. Again, coming to terms with this fact helps us to___anxiety, and finally realize the unexpected benefits which come along with___face and slowed body.   What was important when we were young can be seen now in a new light, and a different list of importance emerges. In the end, extreme age can be as demanding and sensitive as babyhood, so while ones need changes through life, it seems to come___.

【推荐2】It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. _______ I was waiting for my drink, I realized there were other people in the place, but I sensed _______. I saw their bodies, but I couldn't feel their souls _______ their souls belonged to the _______.

I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man _______ in front of it. "I'm Steve," he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can't talk with you. I'm _______”, he said. He was chatting online and, _______, he was playing a computer game ---- a war game. I was _______ . Why didn't Steve want to talk with me? I tried _______ to speak to that computer geek (怪人), ________ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction (反应). I was ________. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, "________!"

I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I ________, and saw nobody showed any interest.

________, I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more ________ having a relationship with the ________, particularly Steve. I wouldn't want to ________ the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines ________ with people.

I was worried and lost in my thought. I didn't even ________ that the coffee was bad, ________ Steve didn't notice there was a person next to him.

【推荐3】President Obama’s second Inaugural Address used soaring language to stress America’s commitment to the dream of equality of opportunity: ‘We are true to our belief that a little girl born into _______ knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American’.

The gap between ideal and reality could hardly be _______ . Today, the United States has less equality of opportunity than almost any other advanced industrial country. Study after study has _______ the myth that America is a land of opportunity. A way of looking at equality of opportunity is to as to what extent the life chances of a child are _______ the education and income of his parents. Is it just as likely that a child of poor or poorly educated parents gets a good education and rises to the middle class as someone born to middle-class parents with college degrees? Even in a more democratic society. the answer would be no.

How do we explain this? Some of it has to do with discrimination （歧视）. Latinos and African-Americans still get paid less than whites, and women still get paid less than men, _______ they recently surpassed （超越）men in the number of advanced degrees they obtain. Discrimination, however, is only a small part of the _______. Probably the most important reason for _______ of equality of opportunity is education. After World WarⅡ, we made a major effort to _______ higher education to Americans across the country. But then we changed, in several ways. While racial segregation（种族隔离）decreased, economic segregation increased. After 1980, the poor grew poorer, the middle stagnated（停滞不前）, and the top did better and better. A result was a widening gap in educational performance – the _______ gap between rich and poor kids born in 2001 was 30 to 40 percent larger than it was for those born 25 years earlier, a Stanford sociologist found. Of course, there are other forces ______ . Children in rich families get more exposure to reading. Their families can afford enriching experiences like music lessons and summer camp. They get better nutrition and health care, which enhance their learning, directly and indirectly.

Now Americans are coming to realize that without extensive policy changes, their long cherished belief is only a myth. It is unreasonable that a rich country like the United States has made _______ to higher education so difficult for those at the bottom and middle. There are many _______ ways of providing chances for more to receive higher education, from Australia’s income-contingent loan program to the near-free system of universities in Europe. A more educated population produces greater innovation, and a booming economy. Those benefits are why we’ve long been ______ to free public education through 12^th grade. But while a 12^th-grade education might have been enough a century ago, it isn’t today. Yet we haven’t _______ our system to contemporary realities.

The steps I’ve outlined are not just affordable but necessary. Even more important, though, is that we cannot afford to let our country drift farther from _______ that the vast majority of Americans share. We will never fully succeed in achieving Mr. Obama’s vision of a poor girl’s having exactly the same opportunities as a wealthy girl. But we could do much, much better, and must not rest until we do.

【推荐1】Each stage of life has different major demands mainly because our needs change. As children, a period of deep uncertainty and sensitivity,___ and   family   are   the   top   needs although we may not think of them in those terms. As teenagers, we are__the waters of adult life, preparing ourselves for the exciting unknown and as young adults, we search for a__. The drive to fulfill each stage is so strong that sometimes we have to hold the breath to___.

At each stage, although everyone may___in dreams, we will all try to   take hold of the means to achieve our particular dreams. Some will be driven with   almost   tunnel vision,   others take a(n)____attitude to getting there. Anyway,   without dreams it is   hard to direct   life. If   you   are   fortunate   enough   to   achieve   your   current   dreams,   you   can   move   forward   for___desires and prepare yourself for a new conquest.

For each period of life,   the   needs are   decided by that stage,   and as we grow older, whether we like it or not, we gain___, which, on the basis of former facts and information,   permits us to see a broader view if we are wise enough to take on board what is there. As we mature,   the sharpness of the___of youth, the black and white approach to life, will be tempered by what is possible, kind, just and fair.   Ageing helps us to grow if we allow it.   So often   we___that process, holding on tightly to   rooted beliefs   which do not do us   any favour, yet our needs change and in result we will___be different.

Physically,   even when we stay fit and able, the body cannot deliver in quite the   same way as youth. This comes as a(n)___to most of us who start life in the belief that we are unbeatable and will live forever. Again, coming to terms with this fact helps us to___anxiety, and finally realize the unexpected benefits which come along with___face and slowed body.   What was important when we were young can be seen now in a new light, and a different list of importance emerges. In the end, extreme age can be as demanding and sensitive as babyhood, so while ones need changes through life, it seems to come___.

【推荐3】President Obama’s second Inaugural Address used soaring language to stress America’s commitment to the dream of equality of opportunity: ‘We are true to our belief that a little girl born into _______ knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American’.

The gap between ideal and reality could hardly be _______ . Today, the United States has less equality of opportunity than almost any other advanced industrial country. Study after study has _______ the myth that America is a land of opportunity. A way of looking at equality of opportunity is to as to what extent the life chances of a child are _______ the education and income of his parents. Is it just as likely that a child of poor or poorly educated parents gets a good education and rises to the middle class as someone born to middle-class parents with college degrees? Even in a more democratic society. the answer would be no.

How do we explain this? Some of it has to do with discrimination （歧视）. Latinos and African-Americans still get paid less than whites, and women still get paid less than men, _______ they recently surpassed （超越）men in the number of advanced degrees they obtain. Discrimination, however, is only a small part of the _______. Probably the most important reason for _______ of equality of opportunity is education. After World WarⅡ, we made a major effort to _______ higher education to Americans across the country. But then we changed, in several ways. While racial segregation（种族隔离）decreased, economic segregation increased. After 1980, the poor grew poorer, the middle stagnated（停滞不前）, and the top did better and better. A result was a widening gap in educational performance – the _______ gap between rich and poor kids born in 2001 was 30 to 40 percent larger than it was for those born 25 years earlier, a Stanford sociologist found. Of course, there are other forces ______ . Children in rich families get more exposure to reading. Their families can afford enriching experiences like music lessons and summer camp. They get better nutrition and health care, which enhance their learning, directly and indirectly.

Now Americans are coming to realize that without extensive policy changes, their long cherished belief is only a myth. It is unreasonable that a rich country like the United States has made _______ to higher education so difficult for those at the bottom and middle. There are many _______ ways of providing chances for more to receive higher education, from Australia’s income-contingent loan program to the near-free system of universities in Europe. A more educated population produces greater innovation, and a booming economy. Those benefits are why we’ve long been ______ to free public education through 12^th grade. But while a 12^th-grade education might have been enough a century ago, it isn’t today. Yet we haven’t _______ our system to contemporary realities.

The steps I’ve outlined are not just affordable but necessary. Even more important, though, is that we cannot afford to let our country drift farther from _______ that the vast majority of Americans share. We will never fully succeed in achieving Mr. Obama’s vision of a poor girl’s having exactly the same opportunities as a wealthy girl. But we could do much, much better, and must not rest until we do.