【推荐1】The new year is the moment when people vow to improve their fitness. They join gyms, swear off alcohol and adopt healthier diets. These resolutions usually do not last beyond January.

But some employers try to help their workers stick to their goals by offering “wellness” programmes. One of the longest- running examples began in 1979 at Johnson & Johnson (j&j), an American health-care company.The plan promotes weight loss, smoking quitting and efforts to reduce blood pressure.

The firm claims it reduced medical costs by $400 an employee per year, and resulted in fewer workers suffering from heart disease or high blood pressure. Yet an examination of the data by Martin Cherniack of the University of Connecticut found that in 2005-08, a sharp jump in alcohol use, depression and stress among j&j employees occurred .This coincided with a period when the firm had a target of lifting productivity by 9% a year. So the employees may have been fitter, but it is possible that workplace pressure to produce more meant greater stress.

All this suggests that employee well-being is a rather more complex topic than can be tackled(应对) by a programme devoted to exercise and healthy living. A study by Rand Europe, a research institute, found that obvious bad habits such as smoking and high alcohol use were in fact not associated with lower productivity, while obese workers were no more likely to take time off than anyone else. The biggest productivity problems were associated with lack of sleep, financial concerns and mental-health issues-factors that may well be directly linked to work-related stress.

It seems reasonable for companies to expect some level of economies return on any wellness programme that they provide. But the trade-off should not be too blatant. Making employees fitter so you can work them a lot harder seems rather like drilling your infantry(野战军) on a course before sending them to face the machine guns. A better impact on morale (and thus productivity) might occur if workers felt that their managers had a genuine interest in their welfare.

1. What can we learn from the example of Johnson & Johnson?

A．A healthy lifestyle contributes to higher productivity.

B．A wellness program alone can’t achieve the desired effect.

C．Caring for employees’ physical health is of great importance.

D．A health program benefits both the company and the employees.

2. What does the study by Rand Europe indicate?

A．Certain living habits help improve motivation.

B．Work-related pressure is to blame for low productivity.

C．Financial concerns have nothing to do with productivity.

D．Obesity is associated with lower attendance in the workplace.

3. What does the underlined word “blatant” mean?

A．Obvious.

B．Effective.

C．Challenging.

D．Flexible.

4. What’s the purpose of this text?

A．To compare various factors affecting productivity.

B．To introduce a new way of increasing productivity.

C．To appeal to employers to improve their health care program.

D．To question some seemingly effective practice in business management.

【推荐2】阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填1个单词。
Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.
You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.
Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.
Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?
Honesty, with a twist（新手法）
“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.
“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative（主动性）, motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”
“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”
“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”
This answer leads with a strength that employers want — initiative — and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.
Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.
Honesty, with progress
When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.
Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.
“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.
“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”
The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.
Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes
However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.
“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”
Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

Job Interviews	Details
Tasks for a job interviewer	☆ Find the person both doing the job well and    1    along well with other employees. ☆    2    abstract qualities of applicants by asking one question after another.
3    to interviewees for replying to a tricky question	☆ Understand that the interviewers want to    4    between applicants and that asking a question seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see an applicant’s    5    . ☆ Be    6    and inventive when asked about your weaknesses, and respond properly. ☆ Never    7    you are perfect, which may be believed to be insincere. ☆Try to show that you’ve changed a lot    8    you haven’t completely get rid of your weaknesses. ☆ Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and have a better    9    of their needs for the job.
Conclusion	☆ With the goal of the question    10    into account and the honest answer in your mind, you will be able to give the best possible answer.

【推荐3】It's 4:35 p．m. You feel like the bottom of a marathoner's shoe. Flat and sore. It's been a day of fighting anxiety, racing to meetings, staying awake, endless work, and trying to get stuff done．    1    It causes you unwilling to stay for one more minute at the office. But how to improve your productivity of your entire work on the end of the day？

The biggest step in this end-of-day process is to respond to as many emails as possible in thirty minutes of time. The majority of emails hit your inbox during workday hours. By responding to 80% of these or so, you can effectively reduce tomorrow's workload．    2    If you can get this done before tomorrow begins, you'll be ahead of the game．

If you use your computer or mobile phone for scheduling your day or taking notes, you'll want to keep them on. But please close whatever programs are allowing email or chat messages to ruin your end-of-the-day productivity. Before turning off your computer, you should also exit your Internet browser, and close the web pages you had opened. If you start your new day by seeing that articles you were reading, you are starting in the wrong frame of mind．    3    

It's important to plan your day before it starts．    4    A day that starts without a plan is like an engine that needs to warm up before it's safe to drive. Perform your planning the day before, because a day planned in advance allows you to jump in fully prepared, fully planned, and fully ready to get stuff done．

Your office space is known as an "environmental factor．"    5    As Inc．com reported, dirty office can actually ruin your job performance. Then tiding up your office, you will become more productive. It's just that simple. By doing so, you feel good with a peaceful slate of mind, a sense of refreshment and energy, which will be enough for the following day．

A．Each day deserves a fresh start．

B．So it is important to have a cleaner．

C．The condition of it changes the way you think and work．

D．You can be less effective when finishing dealing with them．

E．Write down everything that's on your mind that you need to do．

F．You are so upset and disappointed about your whole day's productivity．

G．This is one of the biggest gains you can make towards your productivity．

【推荐1】Dear Madam,

Welcome back to school. My child is so happy to be in your class this year. We know you care so much about your students. I want to tell you a little bit about my child. Although he really loves to learn, he is somewhat anxious about being back in school again.

My child is thought to be gifted and that has brought some unexpected challenges to him and our family. To many people, being gifted means he will do very well in school, but that hasn’t always been true for him. He is just a kid thinking differently, and he sometimes struggles in school. Last year, school wasn’t easy for him for a few reasons.

He may be ahead a few grade levels in some subjects, but not in all subjects. He just doesn’t do better in all areas all the time. And although he may seem older than his years, he doesn’t always behave like you would think he should. I’m sure you know how gifted children can be emotionally immature –that is exactly my kid.

Also, he can be really intense in class when you are teaching one of his favorite topics. He may raise his hand often and constantly talk about what he thinks about it. I’ll apologize in advance because he will also likely challenge you on information or facts which he feels are not quite right especially when it’s a topic he is hooked on. He is not being impolite and he isn’t just being a know-it-all, or a show-off, he is really just very excited to be learning about a subject he feels strong about. He just gets carried away!

Last year, he was teased about looking like a know-it-all in school by some of his classmates, which hurts him A LOT. Being teased is part of his fear of going back to school. He fears being called a show-off at school and he feels like he doesn’t fit in. His teacher said he often kept to himself and chose to work alone. I know as a teacher, you are incredibly busy, but could you keep an eye out for anyone teasing him or if he seems to be keeping to himself too much?

Lastly, his therapist（理疗师） mentioned that because of the teasing and maybe because he was bored last year in school, he is showing signs of becoming an underachiever. Please let me know if his grades start slipping.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand about my child .Don’t hesitate to call or email me if there are any problems with him at school. Believe me, we know very well how sensitive, emotional and intense he can be.

I hope you have a wonderful school year!

Sincerely,

Mom of a Gifted Child

1. From the passage, we learn that the author’s son            .

A．fails to get along well with classmates	B．has fallen behind the other students
C．has lost interest in learning	D．is rude to the teachers

2. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 mean?．

A．He has been taken away from school.	B．He is too excited to control himself.
C．He is so absorbed in observing.	D．He has been overpraised.

3. How does the author feel about her child?

A．Annoyed.	B．Proud.
C．Pleased.	D．Worried.

4. Why does the author write the letter?

A．To ask the teacher to reduce children’s burden.

B．To call on the school to stop school teasing.

C．To suggest that his child has special needs.

D．To explain how gifted her child is.

【推荐2】阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

When I was young, my mum had a hard time. Five years earlier, my Dad drowned. The burden to raise us kids only fell on my mum’s shoulders. Because Dad had no pension, there was not much money. Thus, we went on relief (救济), now called social assistance.

Looking back, I realize what Mum went through, sending us kids to school. Every morning she would put a new piece of cardboard in our shoes, because our soles were worn out. Constant moving was typical for my family in these times. I still remember that once the rent for a house was twenty-five dollars a month. But Mum couldn’t pay it, and we knew we would be evicted right after Christmas on the first of January.

Unexpectedly, when Christmas was approaching, we received a twenty-five dollar Christmas fund for social services. Mum said that instead of buying food, she would use the money to pay rent, assuring us all of a roof over our heads for a little while longer. She told us then there would be nothing for Christmas.

I had a secret that was unknown to Mum. I had been selling Christmas trees, and doing odd jobs to earn enough money to buy a new pair of comfortable boots for myself.

Well, the big day came on the afternoon of the Christmas Eve. I was very excited. But on the way to the boots store, I noticed a house with Christmas lights and decorations. It was then that I realized at our house, we had no lights, no decorations, nor turkey or ham for Christmas. I felt very sad.

I was eleven years old, and I was feeling a strange sense of guilt. Here I was going to buy a new pair of boots while Mum was home in tears. She would be trying to explain to us why there were no presents. So finally, I bought a turkey, ham, oranges and all the Christmas treats with my hard-earned money.

Later, with great excitement in my eyes, I knocked on the door. When my mum opened the door, some of the groceries fell onto the floor, and she just stood there surprised. Holding back the tears, I said, “Merry Christmas Mother!”

I did a lot of explaining as we unpacked all the food. That day I got enough hugs and kisses from Mum. She said I had grown up.

1. Why did the author’s mother have a hard time? (no more than 12 words)
2. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 probably mean? (no more than 10 words)
3. What was the author’s secret? (no more than 10 words)
4. What made the author’s mother surprised? (no more than 10 words)
5. Do you agree with the mother’s words that the author had grown up? And why? (no more than 25 words)

【推荐3】When I was about twelve，I headed to a restaurant for dinner with my family．It was winter，and on that night，the wind was really blowing hard．

As my mom and I headed to the restaurant from our car，a girl about my age and her mother came up to us. They asked if we had any spare change （零钱）. My mom right away asked where they lived．They pointed to an old car in a parking lot across the street. The girl said there were six of them living in that car．My mom said she had something to do after handing the people a few dollars. She sent me inside the restaurant with my dad and my three siblings （兄弟姐妹）. But she didn't come．Later，I found out she had gone home and put all the food in our cupboards （食橱） into a few bags．Then，she brought that food over to the car and handed the bags to the family．I wasn't there when that happened，but I can only imagine the joy it brought to those people．

A few days later, when I actually found out about what she had done, I asked her why she helped those people. She told me that they were not lucky. I remember the face of that girl who had asked us for change. She was the same age as me, yet we looked so different．

Here I stood，dressed in almost new clothes, headed to eat in a restaurant and then back home to the bedroom I shared with my younger sister. I remember thinking that the other girl didn't have any food to eat and she was heading back to a cold car shared with five other people．

After painting this picture in my mind, I understood why my mom had done what she did. I will never forget what she did that night, and how she taught me one of the best lessons I ever learned．

1. From the passage, we can know the writer's mother was ______ ．

A．humorous	B．determined
C．kind-hearted	D．selfish

2. From Paragraph 2, we can learn that ______ ．

A．the poor family had no place to live

B．the poor girl was older than the author

C．the writer's mother didn't know how to cook

D．the poor girl lived near the restaurant

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？ ______

A．It was a winter morning when the story happened．

B．There were six people in the writer's family．

C．A few months later the writer found out what her mother had done．

D．The writer couldn't understand what her mother did．

4. What is probably the writer's purpose of writing this passage？ ______

A．To tell us why to help poor people．

B．To give an introduction to her mother．

C．To tell us to show love to others．

D．To talk about a social problem．

5. What is the best title of the passage？ ______

A．How to support a poor family

B．A friend in need is a friend in deed

C．The hard life of a little girl's family

D．A lesson in kindness from my Mum．

【推荐2】When Amanda Wanklin and Michael Biggs fell in love, they didn't realize the challenges they might face as a biracial couple. Amanda says, ''At first we only knew that we wanted together. '' They settled down in Birmingham, England, eager to start a family. On July 3, 2006, the black and white couple got their “one in a million'' miracle: Amanda gave birth to fraternal twin (异卵双胞胎) girls with completely different skin colors, and the greatly amazed parents gave their daughters intertwined names: one would be Millie Marcia Madge Biggs, the other Marcia Millie Madge Biggs.

From a young age the girls had similar features but very different color schemes. Marcia had light brown hair and fair skin like her English-born white mother, while Millie had black hair and brown skin like her black father, who is of Jamaican descent. ''We never worried about it; we just accepted it，'' Michael says.

''When they were first born, '' Amanda recalls, ''people would look at my one daughter and then look at my other daughter. Then I'd get asked the question: 'Are they twins? '''

''Yes. ''

''But one's white and one's black. ''

According to Amanda, people who commented on the girls weren't openly discriminatory (歧视的) or judgmental—just very curious, and then as time went on, people just saw the beauty in them.

The twins know what racism is. ''Racism is where somebody judges you by your color and not by your true self, '' Millie says.

Michael, the father, says he’s faced inequality at times throughout his life because of the color of his skin. '' But it's a different time now, '' he says. Neither he nor Amanda has ever witnessed racist behavior toward their twin girls.

''When people see us, they think that we're just best friends, '' Marcia says. ''When they learn that we're twins, they're kind of shocked because one's black and one's white. '' But when the twins are asked about their differences, they mention something else entirely. ''Millie likes things that are girlie. She likes pink and all of that, '' Marcia says. '' I don't like the color pink; I'm a tomboy. People should know about us by our true selves, not by our colors. After all, people are made how they are. ''

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Amanda and Michael are of the same race.

B．Amanda and Michael were not happy about the birth of their twins.

C．The possibility of twins with different skin colors is small.

D．It was easy for Amanda and Michael to start a family of their own.

2. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true?

A．Sometimes Michael is unequally treated because of his race.

B．The twin girls see their skin colors as their major difference.

C．People are curious but friendly to the twin girls.

D．People who are racists judge a person by his appearance.

3. How does Marcia react to the people who ask questions about their differences?

A．She never answers them.

B．She is upset about their questions.

C．She answers with their different characters.

D．She tells them about colors.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards racism?

A．Opposed.	B．Supportive.
C．Indifferent.	D．Tolerant.

【推荐3】At just 11 years old, Vince Weishaus runs his own hair salon(发廊) in his parents' basement in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, doing different hairstyles for free.

For Vince, his love of hair started at a very young age. "He has an older sister who had dolls and he would just, at 2 or 3, be playing with the dolls' hair,” recalled Emily Weishaus, Vince's mother.

Not long afterward, he also fell in love with braiding(编辫子). "He watched me do a braid, and then he undid the braid and redid it without me ever showing him how to do it,” his mother said. He found his true passion as a hairstylist when he started cutting his grandmother's hair before he was 5. “At the very beginning, I feel like that's what gave him the confidence to be who he is,” she added.

Vince's hairstyling dream became a reality when his parents presented him with a special surprise on his ninth birthday: his very own salon in their basement. His neighbor had a salon in her home, but she decided to pass on her supplies to Vince when she moved.

Family members and friends have stopped by for appointments—all free of charge—at Vincent Charles Salon. The kid's services range from coloring, to braiding the for proms (舞会), family parties, talent shows and more. He has dyed his own hair different colors, from rose gold to purple. He even colors his friends' hair tips before they head off to camp.

Vince loves learning different practices and tricks of the trade from other hair mentors, such as his own stylist, Chelsea, who teaches him many styling skills.

The sky is the limit for Vince—his eventual goal is to become a world-famous hair colorist one day. His advice to anyone who wants to pursue their own dreams: “Do what they love and be themselves.”

1. What inspired Vince's interest in hairstyling when he was very young?

A．Reading fashion magazines.	B．Playing with dolls.
C．Seeing cartoon movies.	D．Visiting a hair salon.

2. What is his mother's attitude towards Vince's passion as a hairstylist?

A．Opposing.	B．Indifferent.
C．Supportive.	D．Concerned.

3. What does the underlined word “mentors" in the passage mean?

A．Students.	B．Employees.
C．Traders.	D．Instructors.

4. What can we infer about Vince from the last paragraph?

A．He is ambitious.	B．He is humorous.
C．He is intelligent.	D．He is generous.