Leia was fresh out of college when she began working as a member of a business-development team at a company. Though her skills had earned her the job, she was the youngest person in the team. “Everybody else was pretty much twice my age,” she says. “I exhibited” too much ambition’ in the eyes of my superiors. I heard about comments being made behind my back. There were even a couple of times when my superiors referred to my age right in front of me, saying I was too young: “What does a 23-year-old know about these things?”
Leia tried to change her appearance at work. “I changed the way I dressed. I tried to dress older, more ‘ladylike’. I changed my mannerisms and tried to act older,” she says. “It worked, to an extent.” The comments about her age and inexperience lessened, but Leia says she still felt like her growth potential was limited. She left the company soon after.
What Leia experienced was ageism, traditionally seen as something only older people face. For instance, older workers might be judged based on assumptions that they won’t fit into a progressive office or learn technology quickly. A US study showed that nearly two-thirds of workers aged 45 and older had seen or experienced age discrimination. But younger workers face age discrimination, too. In fact, new research shows it may actually be the youngest team members who are bearing the brunt of workplace ageism right now, potentially impacting their careers.
Leia says removing ageism entirely will ultimately require a fundamental change to corporate culture, which has long tied seniority to skill. “We prize years of experience a little too much, and I don’t think years of experience and skill are necessarily correlated,” she says. “Steve Jobs was 21 when he founded Apple. We don’t know how much younger people actually have to contribute. Hopefully, more employers are realizing it.”
1. What did Leia’s co-workers mainly talk about behind her back?| A．Her appearance. | B．Her younger age. |
| C．Her way of behaving. | D．Her family background. |
| A．She disliked dressing more ladylike. |
| B．She received many negative comments. |
| C．She was under much pressure from her work. |
| D．She needed more room for her career growth. |
| A．They may be quick in learning technology. |
| B．They have trouble adapting to a progressive office. |
| C．They experience more ageism than younger workers. |
| D．A small part of them were faced with age discrimination. |
| A．To share information about Apple Company. |
| B．To tell us Steve Jobs’ major contributions. |
| C．To show that age and experience are not connected. |
| D．To prove that experience matters to young people. |
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【推荐1】I decided at 10 that I was going to be a teacher because I had a burning desire for superpowers. As a boy, I could clearly see some of my teachers had extraordinary powers.
There was an English teacher in fifth grade who could magically transport us to different worlds every day by telling us stories and reading to us from books we would otherwise never pick up. This was our secret and fun time because fifth graders were considered too old to have stories read out to them.
It was even shocking that my teacher could see the invisible. I was one of those who lacked insight. Yet my teacher would notice me and the unspoken message in her eyes suggested that she could see me through. She had another superpower and even after four decades, I could still vividly remember her lessons about the great masters of art and great geographers, expanding our horizons. She did this even though her major was not art, nor geography. Her lessons went beyond the textbook. 1 knew 1 wanted to be one of those all-seeing ones with superpowers that made children feel safe and valued.
I know being a teacher isn't the easiest or the most financially rewarding of jobs. And there are occupational risks- your knees can become worn out from years of carrying piles of notebooks up and down the school staircase, your voice can give in from too much talking. But despite all that, there are those choosing this cause. To them, teaching is not just a job-it is a science, an art and a craft, and it demands emotional labour and investment.
All my life, for three decades now, I've gone to work early each day with a spring in my step. Occasionally, I meet my former students. Their obvious love for me and fond memories of our time together are my rewards. When I meet others who thirst for superpowers, like the brand new teacher struggling to perfect her skills with a brave face on, or the one in a remote, rural school travelling 70 kilometers each day just for his pupils, I feel proud to belong to the same group.
1. What can be inferred about the stories from paragraph 2?| A．They were told in a magic way. | B．They were written by the teacher. |
| C．They contained some students' fun secrets. | D．They left the students with happy memories. |
| A．Well-informed and observant. | B．Hard-working and courageous. |
| C．Ambitious and aggressive. | D．Caring and demanding. |
| A．He suffered a lot in his knees and voice. |
| B．He thought teaching was more than spreading knowledge. |
| C．He had some ideas of how to be a teacher at a young age. |
| D．He was rewarded with much money for his devotion at school. |
| A．Learning without a teacher is hard to gain. |
| B．In scholarship there is no difference of age. |
| C．Teachers lead the door, progress in the individual. |
| D．With one thousand times for the peach garden sweet. |
Some recent surveys show that the health conditions of many white collar employees and office workers are rather critical. Death cases among white collar employees and office workers are increasing year by year and these cases are generally believed to have been caused by overwork and spending little time taking rest or doing exercise.
If their offices are within the distance of half an hour’s walk, some office workers now choose to go to work on foot. Ms. Deng, who works in a foreign enterprise in Beijing, has been walking to her office for more than six months now. I usually have a tight work schedule and can’t find time to do exercise. So I choose to walk to work. As she said, if the office is not far from home, most women would like to go to work on foot. Walking is good for their health and can help them to keep good figures as well.
Apart from walking to office, one can also find time to do exercise when one is at work. The simplest way is to abandon the lift. Mr. Wei, who works in the Passenger Service Department at Shenzhen Airlines, is one of such men who frequently climb stairs to his office. I only use the lift whenever I’m with my colleagues or my boss. Otherwise, I would climb stairs instead of taking the lift.
In addition, some office workers try to find time to go to a gym at the end of a day. Ms. Sang works in a law firm in Shenzhen. She goes to the gym several times a week when she has the time. I go to the gym every weekend. During the weekdays, I will also go there whenever I have the time. Ms. Sang and her husband both have a gym membership card for a whole year. The cards cost them 3,000 yuan. However they think it’s worth it.
1. What is the best title of the passage? ( No more than 8 words)2. How many ways that office workers keep healthy are mentioned in the passage and what are they? ( No more than 15 words)
3. What does the underlined "abandon" mean? ( No more than 2 words)
4. Why are death cases among white collar employees and office workers increasing year by year? (No more than 12 words)
5. As a student, which is the best way of keeping fit? (No more than 20 words)
【推荐3】One day Howard had to go to New York for a meeting. He flew to New York and called a taxi. He told the driver the address of the hotel and sat in the back seat. Then the driver turned around to speak to him.
“Congratulations!” he said. “You’re my first passenger and this is my first day as a taxi driver, but you don’t have to worry. In my job I had lots of driving experience and I know the city very well. “That’s good,” said Howard, “I’m sure you’ll be a good driver.”
“Thank you,” said the driver. He started driving towards the hotel.
Howard looked at his watch and noticed that he was early for his meeting. He decided to ask the driver to take him to a bookstore. He leaned（靠）forward and tapped him on the shoulder.
The driver screamed and made the taxi go suddenly across the road. It almost hit a bus and another car. Then it almost hit a pedestrian（行人）crossing the street, who screamed and jumped out of the way.
Howard was afraid. He shouted at the taxi driver. “Be careful!”
The driver screamed again, and the taxi went suddenly to the other side of the road and almost hit a truck. The truck driver shook his fist angrily. Then the taxi went into the sidewalk, just missing two more pedestrians. Then it crashed into a store window with glass falling over it.
The driver looked at Howard. Then slowly he began to laugh, He laughed and laughed.
“It’s not funny,” said Howard. “You could have killed somebody!”
“I’m sorry”, said the driver when he stopped laughing. “I thought I was still in my old job. When you tap me on the shoulder and talked to me, I got really scared.”
“What was your old job” asked Howard. “Didn’t I tell you?” said the driver. “I used to drive a car that carried dead bodies to funerals（葬礼）.”
1. It was the first time for the driver to________.| A．Pick up someone at a hotel | B．Meet with a car crash |
| C．Carry a coffin to a funeral | D．Do the taxi driver job |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Sympathetic. |
| C．Confident. | D．Careful. |
| A．Because Howard creamed at him. |
| B．Because he thought a dead body came alive. |
| C．Because he didn’t know the way to the bookstore. |
| D．Because he was excited about his new job. |
| A．A magazine | B．A research paper |
| C．A travel guide | D．An advertisement |
【推荐1】Freeganism is an alternative philosophy for living, based on minimum participation in conventional economic practices by purchasing little or no goods, whether that is housing, clothing or even food. This philosophy comes from a very challenging idea for a consumer-oriented(以消费为导向的) society. That idea is: we already have enough.
Economists can often be heard to complain on TV that “the economy grew at a slower than expected rate last year”. But why do we care about growth so much? The economy grows when we produce and sell more things. In a society already rich in things, how can we possibly justify making and buying more and more? According to the freegans, our society’s simple answer to that question is to waste what we already have by throwing it into the dustbins.
This should not be controversial to anyone familiar with marketing. Last year’s hottest mobile phone looks old and outdated compared to this year’s model, doesn’t it? And who would wear baggy jeans anymore when skinny jeans are so clearly in? This market phenomenon is called “perceived obsolescence”. It relies on the idea that what is old feels inadequate or unusable, in order to encourage people to purchase replacements for perfectly good things that they already have.
As a solution, freegan communities consciously practice habits of non-consumption. Freegan behavior includes sharing tools, clothes or equipment between neighbors and friends, and the radical(过激的) practice of “dumpster diving”, which refers to seeking out waste food thrown away by groceries and supermarkets because of outward imperfections like a spot on the skin of an otherwise good apple.
Although making their next meal from “rescued” food may not suit everyone, the essence of the freegan message－to waste less, and to want less－is one worth holding on to.
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 2?| A．Our society practises strict economy. |
| B．Growth and waste tend to go hand in hand. |
| C．The freegans love finding faults with economists. |
| D．Producer-orientation promotes economic growth. |
| A．The change of marketing strategies(策略). |
| B．A waste of well-functioning products. |
| C．The decline of the fashion industry. |
| D．Great advances in mobile phone technology. |
| A．It requires communities to distribute goods equally. |
| B．It urges groceries and supermarkets to recycle food. |
| C．It is based on community group buying. |
| D．It ranges from the simple to extreme. |
| A．There is no such thing as a free lunch. |
| B．Giving sometimes produces nice results. |
| C．One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. |
| D．One’s disadvantages may prove to be advantages. |
【推荐2】Britain faces social problems as lots of people are set to lose their jobs in technological revolution, Bank of England’s chief economist warned.
Andy Haldane said the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will make the machine replace humans to do thinking things. The dark side of the change could be a much bigger breakdown of employment than in Victorian times, with professions such as accountancy (会计) among those at risk.
A report by the accountancy firm PwC last month warned that more than 7 million jobs in Britain had been lost over the next 20 years as technological change sweeps though workplaces.
The majority of these are in jobs in the retail, transport and manufacturing industries. However, other traditional professional sectors could also be at serious risk.
Economists treat the arrival of increasingly intelligent computers and robots as the fourth industrial revolution. The first was the shift from agricultural to urban societies, the second saw the widespread use of electricity and steel, and the third was the digital revolution when computers, the Internet and mobile phones were developed.
Mr Haldane said the hollowing-out (空洞化) experienced in the past years could be on a greater scale in the future so it is important to learn the lessons of history and ensure that people are given training to take advantage of new opportunities.
“Jobs were effectively taken by machines of various types, there was a hollowing-out of the jobs market, which left many people for a long period out of work and struggling to make a living,” Haldane added, “That heightened social and financial tensions, and led to a rise in inequality. This is the dark side of technological revolution.”
“That hollowing-out is going to be potentially on a much greater scale in the future, when we have machines thinking and doing the cognitive and technical skills of humans.” Mr Haldane said professions like accountancy could be among those hardest hit by the rise of AI. But he suggested economists could escape.
1. What is the dark side mentioned in the text?| A．The hollowing-out has become a major social problem. |
| B．Less and less people have the desire to learn accountancy |
| C．Intelligent computers and robots decrease good workers. |
| D．The technological revolution causes people to lose jobs. |
| A．The study about economy is at a low level. |
| B．Economists work on a traditional professional job. |
| C．There is no machine that can work as an economist. |
| D．Economists have the chance to avoid technological revolution. |
| A．To call for people to devote more to studying history. |
| B．To teach people to grasp the chances technological revolution brings about. |
| C．To warn people not to work on transport and manufacturing industries. |
| D．To ask workers to develop and think as the intelligent computers and robots do. |
| A．Positive. | B．Aggressive. |
| C．Critical. | D．Worried. |
【推荐3】I was riding a bus recently and noticed an older man sitting outside a coffee shop on a busy sidewalk. He had set up a chessboard on the table in front of him, and he watched as people passed by, mostly focusing on their phones. His eyes kept jumping from person to person, searching for someone to join him for a game of chess.
Loneliness is killing us, Almost half of the Americans feel lonely a lot of the time, which puts them at risk for developing physical and mental illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and depression. This is a public health problem that needs to be addressed on a wide scale.
But at the individual level, there is much we can do to get rid of loneliness. One effective strategy is to volunteer. Participating in volunteer opportunities may help decrease loneliness and its related health impact for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that it's a meaningful way to connect with others and make new friends. Second, volunteering can make up for the loss of meaning that commonly occurs with loneliness. Third, people who regularly engage in mentally stimulating activities are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline. These insights may be especially relevant for the growing senior population due to increased physical limitations and loved ones' passing away., By 2030, one in five residents in the US will be of retirement age. They may no longer have work to provide purpose and connection, and will be likely to suffer from isolation.
I wish I could have stopped my bus that day to play chess with the older man. He struck me as a symbol of our times:people wanting desperately to connect-not through a screen, but face-to-face, with others from their community. Now more than ever, we have a real need and opportunity to build a culture of social interaction. Volunteering is a great way to start.
1. Why does the author mention the older man in paragraph one?| A．To tell the story of the lonely man. | B．To summarize the whole passage. |
| C．To introduce the theme of the passage. | D．To arouse readers' sympathy. |
| A．It is getting increasingly popular worldwide. |
| B．It makes up for the loss of the loved ones.. |
| C．It enables the seniors to find a job. |
| D．It helps people avoid mental problem. |
| A．A Solution to Loneliness | B．The Best Way to Stay Healthy |
| C．Volunteering for the Elderly | D．Benefits of Volunteering |
【推荐1】Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours in life than by the narrow road toward goals. I like this image. But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.
For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents’ home in Boise in nine hours. We traveled the way most people do: the fastest, shortest easiest road, especially when I was alone with four noisy, restless kids who hate confinement and have strong opinions about everything.
Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when I had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.
But then Banner, our lamb was born. He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise. I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.
That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They’d get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.
We explored side roads, catching grasshoppers in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons.
We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.
Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey—and the best part of yourself.
1. Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents’ home?| A．It was less tiring. | B．It would be faster and safer. |
| C．Her kids would feel less confined. | D．She felt better with other drivers nearby. |
| A．relax in the fresh air | B．take a deep breath |
| C．take care of the lamb | D．let the kids play with Banner |
| A．Freeways are where beauty hides. |
| B．Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life. |
| C．Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one’s health. |
| D．One should follow side roads to watch wild animals. |
| A．Charm of the Detour | B．The Road to Bravery |
| C．Creativity out of Necessity | D．Road Trip and Country Life |
【推荐2】One day when some government officials were rebuilding a barn, they found a mouse hole in a corner and used smoke to force the mice inside the hole to come out. A while later they really saw mice running out, one after another. Then, everyone thought that all the mice had escaped. But just as they began to clean up, they saw two mice squeezing out at the mouth of the hole. With some efforts, the mice finally got out. However, after they came out of the hole, they did not run away immediately. Instead, one chased after the other near the mouth of the hole. It seemed that one was trying to bite the tail of the other.
Everyone was puzzled, so they stepped nearer to take a look. They realized that one of the mice was blind and could not see anything, and the other was trying to allow the blind mouse to bite on his tail so that he could pull the blind one with him to escape.
After seeing what happened, everyone was speechless and lost in thought. During the meal time, the group of people sat down in a circle and started to talk about what happened to the two mice.
One serious American official said, “I think the relationship between those two mice was that of king and guard.” The others thought for a while and said, “That was why!”
A clever French said, “I think the relationship between those two mice was that of husband and wife.” Again the others thought for a while, and all felt it made sense.
A Japanese said, “I think the relationship between those two mice was that of mother and son.” Once again the others thought for a while, and felt this was more reasonable. So they expressed agreement another time.
At that moment, one Chinese asked, “Why did those two mice have to have a certain relationship?”
Suddenly, the group looked back at the Chinese and remained speechless. The American official, the French and the Japanese who had spoken earlier all lowered their heads in shame, and did not dare to answer.
In fact, true love is not built on friendship, loyalty or blood relationship. Instead, it is built on no relationship.
1. Neither of the two mice ran away immediately because ______.| A．one was biting the other | B．they were not afraid of smoke |
| C．the mouth of the hole was too small | D．one was trying to help the blind one |
| A．They didn’t dare to answer. |
| B．They had mistaken the relationship of the mice. |
| C．They regretted driving a poor blind mouse away. |
| D．They didn’t express themselves much better. |
| A．All the mice came out of the hole easily. |
| B．The officials wanted to kill the mice with smoke. |
| C．Each of the officials understood the relationship differently. |
| D．The officials knew one of the mice was blind at first sight. |
| A．Love is selfless and unconditional. | B．There is no smoke without fire. |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D．Love me, love my dog. |
【推荐3】Quite a few years ago, as I celebrated my 25th birthday with a party, I was surprised to receive an unusual present. The gift-giver smiled widely and said loudly, “It’s a nice, strong plant, so even you can’t kill it.”
I was well known in my circle of friends as an “anti-gardener” — how was I going to care for this piece of greenery?
For four years the plant received little care. I felt guilty (内疚的) just looking at it!
As a non-gardener, my offers to look after friends’ houses were met with laughter: “We appreciate (感激) the offer but, really, we don’t want to come home to a dead garden!” It didn’t occur to (想到) them that I just had no interest in having a garden. It was a choice, not a failing.
Some time later my husband accepted a job in Belgium. Because I couldn’t throw away a gift, I decided to ask my neighbor to care for my plant.
Our lovely house in Belgium had a beautiful garden. Slowly gardening became a part of my daily life, teaching me to slow down and to be happy in the silence of the garden. It was with regret that I left that garden to return to Sydney some months later.
Back home life soon went back to normal. Then one day, it occurred to me that I could start my own little garden. So, I went to collect my unwanted plant from my neighbor. I took the plant home, watered it and watched as its leaves turned from a lifeless yellow to a rich green within weeks. Many years on, I still don’t know the name of my first plant, but I do know that as it grows, so do I. It symbolises a change in me when I stopped listening to the voices around me and started to believe in myself.
1. When the author received a plant as a birthday gift, she felt _____.| A．funny | B．guilty | C．excited | D．displeased |
| A．Her anti-gardening was a weakness. |
| B．She was bored with gardening. |
| C．She was a good housekeeper. |
| D．Her dead garden was ugly. |
| A．She threw it away. |
| B．She asked for help. |
| C．She left it in the house. |
| D．She gave it to a neighbor as a gift. |
| A．miss her days back in Sydney |
| B．feel sorry for her first plant |
| C．fall in love with gardening |
| D．become strangely silent |
| A．We should try to be perfect. |
| B．Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. |
| C．We should learn to make clear choices. |
| D．Don’t refuse something you’ve never tried. |
