Elm Professional Services owner Mia Van Tubbergh had plenty of business smarts—but no social media know how. So she turned to the younger generation and took on the two high school students who knew their stuff.
“Social media is foreign to many older professionals—but very important for connecting with today’s customers,” Ms Van Tubbergh said. “We have this workforce sitting in schools doing this already but they’re doing it for fun.” Ms Van Tubbergh’s company, which helps launch products to market, took then Year 10 students Braith Mansfield and Tahmana Rudolph on for two weeks’ work experience.
Ms Van Tubbergh said with a bit of guidance and help with spelling and presenting in a professional environment, the boys now do about 80% of Elm’s social media marketing work for online customers. The pair work one day a week with Elm at Gosford and the rest at Kariong High School. Their duties include stand-alone posts on social media platforms, videos, stories and website headers. They recently finished a hard copy flyer（传单）for a major retailer that will be seen by every consumer who visits the website.
“I am so impressed by the performance of the two teenagers, who have helped grow the company’s social media following by 600%,” said Ms Van Tubbergh. “Braith, 17, and Tahmana, 16—now in Year 11—came into the business with a lot of unexplored social media experience. Working at Elm has provided them with a ‘digital platform of work that is worth its weight in gold’—a valuable resource they can show other employers when starting a full-time career.”
Braith and Rudolph are among 42 NSW Central Coast students doing Year 11 and 12 as part of a School-Based Apprenticeship and Training（SBAT）program. NSW Education SBAT strategic officer Cecile Oakes said they needed more companies like Elm to take on students and give them the benefit of real world experience.
1. Why did Elm Professional Services hire Braith and Rudolph?| A．They have plenty of business smarts. |
| B．They hope to gain valuable work experience. |
| C．They hope to get paid and become financially independent. |
| D．They can help to grow the company’s social media following. |
| A．The two teenagers’ role in Elm. |
| B．Elm’s social media marketing work. |
| C．The two teenagers’ unexpected gains in Elm. |
| D．Elm’s guidance and help to the two teenagers. |
| A．She will recommend the two teenagers to other employers. |
| B．The two teenagers should start a full-time career upon graduation. |
| C．Starting a career in social media is a win-win for the two teenagers and the company. |
| D．The two students have not yet explored their social media experience. |
| A．NSW Education SBAT program has been a great success. |
| B．More NSW Central Coast students are likely to be taken on. |
| C．NSW Central Coast students have rich real world experience. |
| D．Braith and Rudolph will continue to work for Elm after graduation. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Ways to Come Back Ready for Work After a Vacation
You finally took a break from work and went on a well-deserved vacation.
Ease your way back into work. Take some time to plan out your day. Make a to-do list with everything you know you need to do and prioritize (确定优先顺序) what needs to be done. Focus on doing what you know how to do and what requires the least amount of time.
Go to work with a new set of eyes. Maybe you were frustrated with a task before you went on vacation because you couldn’t make it work. After being away from it for a while, you can look at it differently and offer a new perspective.
Take breaks during the day.
| A．Starting with small tasks can boost your confidence |
| B．Day breaks are helpful to people with work pressure |
| C．Don’t go back to work right after your vacation’s over |
| D．Sometimes you just need time away to restart your work |
| E．New tasks can be handled more effectively and smoothly |
| F．Days of relaxation have you wishing that it would never end |
| G．Going into full work without any breaks would make you exhausted |
【推荐2】At 6 feet, 7 inches, Will Allen was a natural at basketball. He received scholarship offers from more than a hundred colleges. He finally chose the University of Miami.
Going away to college meant leaving the family farm. He remembered how hard that life on the farm had been. Now that his life was full of possibilities, he swore he would never go back to farming.
After college, Allen began a pro-basketball career in Belgium, where, ironically (讽刺地), he rediscovered farming. He found the farmers there farmed the way his parents had back home, caring for the land without using chemicals and fertilizers.
Allen and his family moved back to the United States in 1977 after he retired from basketball. They settled in Milwaukee, where his wife’s family owned a farm. In 1993, Allen bought the last remaining farm in the city of Milwaukee, where he began his career as an urban farmer. Later he formed his own organization Growing Power, one of the world’s top urban agricultural organizations.
Allen also travelled across the United States, Africa, and Central Asia to help people grow food more efficiently in ways that fit in with their own culture. “Food is in short supply all over the world right now,” he says. “A lot of people are hungry. We need to grow food everywhere we can—in backyards and side yards, on rooftops, and even in buildings.”
He has spoken about urban agriculture around the world and is currently designing a vertical farm which is a new way to help feed more people in cities. “My main mission is to bring food into people’s lives and train people how to grow food. That continues to be important to me. ” said Allen. He said so, and he did so.
“Growing food is powerful,” Allen says. “It can change the world!”
1. What do we know about Will Allen?| A．He wished to get away from his family. | B．He had a talent for playing basketball. |
| C．He got used to the hard life on the farm. | D．He was admitted to only several universities. |
| A．Grow what is right. | B．Everyone should take action. |
| C．Focus on environment. | D．Plant wherever possible. |
| A．Ambitious. | B．Fortunate. |
| C．Traditional. | D．Adventurous. |
| A．Childhood Dream Leads to Future Career | B．Urban Agriculture Holds Great Promise |
| C．Give up Basketball and Take up Farming | D．Return to Farming and Grow Food in the City |
The list is entertaining but there is a more serious issue hidden in this story. Federal law does not require private employers to give any paid sick leave, making the US the only one of the world’s wealthiest nations that doesn’tguarantee workers this right. Since 2006, cities and states have been adopting their own paid sick leave laws. California, Washington. DC and 13 cities including New York now require many employers to provide some sort of paid sick leave. But according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 39% of private employees still have no access to paid days off. In the CareerBuilder survey, 38% of respondents said they go to work when they’re sick because they can’t afford to miss a day’s pay. The survey also shows that workers are taking a risk when they come up with far-fetched excuses. Nearly one in five employers says they have fired an employee for calling in sick with a fake excuse. If you’re spending the day at the beach while pretending to be ill, don’t post about it on Facebook. Nearly one in four employers (24%) has caught an employee lying about being sick by checking social media.
The motto of this story: If you really are sick, don’t come to work and spread your bacteria around the office. But if you just want to stay home, go with “I’m running a fever.” rather than one of these ridiculous excuses.
1. The underlined word “far-fetched” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．impossible to find | B．likely to be true |
| C．difficult to believe | D．easy to believe |
| A．Many employees have no access to paid sick leave. |
| B．Private employers make their workers work extra hours. |
| C．Some employees are not satisfied with their boss. |
| D．Private employers sometimes break the Federal law. |
| A．asks for sick leave |
| B．lies about being sick |
| C．posts his holiday on Facebook |
| D．spreads bacteria around the office |
| A．A list of survey data. |
| B．A list of serious issues. |
| C．A list of reasonable facts. |
| D．A list of ridiculous excuses. |
【推荐1】What is citizen science? Citizen science generally involves groups of people or amateur scientists helping gather data for use in nature or wildlife studies to support conservation. So whether you give your time online, or sign up for a practical project with a wildlife or nature organization close to home, your generosity and kindness will not only help nature, but do you the world of good as well.
When we give we feel good. We experience what scientists describe as the’ warm glow effect’or ‘helper’s high’, now known to be caused by a release of endorphins(内啡肽) in the brain. Research into this effect discovered that giving to charities activates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust.Put simply,altruism(利他行为)is a proven path to good mental health.
When our altruism is related to nature, and in particular when we give our time and effort, the rewards for our well being, or our health and happiness, are far-reaching. Whether we’re working to maintain freshwater ponds at the weekend, or contributing to a citizen science survey by monitoring wildlife in our back garden, our care and kindness has the power to lift our mood and strengthen our self-respect, especially when we learn new skills and earn the added satisfaction of accomplishing new tasks.
The hands-on aspect of taking part in nature and wildlife conservation projects has also been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and low mood. In 2020 a three-year study by the uk Wildlife Trusts found that 95 percent of participants who reported low mental well-being at the start of volunteering, recorded an improvement in their mental health after six weeks, which increased further after 12 weeks.
Alan Murray, head of volunteering at the RSPB, also agrees: “We believe our volunteers keep coming back because of nature’s power to restore, uplift and inspire and we’re confident that the more time people spend connecting with wildlife the more they feel moved to protect it."
1. We feel good when giving most probably due to ________.| A．warm glow. | B．altruism |
| C．endorphins. | D．anxiety |
| A．If you are an amateur scientist spending time online, you are conducting citizen science |
| B．Participants of nature conservation projects are likely to experience better mental health |
| C．Amateur scientists worked with some organizations close to their homes |
| D．When our altruism is related to nature, our health and happiness are hard to reach |
| A．To acknowledge the great power of nature. |
| B．To emphasis the significance of wildlife preservation |
| C．To encourage people to sign up for big projects. |
| D．To inform readers of a new concept and its advantage |
| A．Favorable. | B．Disapproving |
| C．Skeptical. | D．Concerned. |
【推荐2】More than one billion young people risk damaging their hearing through excessive use of smartphones and other audio devices, the UN warned Tuesday, proposing new safety standards for safe volume levels. In a bid to safeguard hearing, the World Health Organization and International Telecommunications Union issued a non binding international standard for the manufacture and use of audio devices.
Young people are particularly prone to (易于) risky listening habits. Around half of those between the ages of 12 and 35, or 1.1 billion people, are at risk due to “prolonged and excessive exposure to loud sounds, including music they listen to through personal audio devices.” the UN health agency said.
Currently, about five percent of the global population, or some 375 million people, including 34 million children, suffer from disabling hearing loss, WHO considers a volume above 85 decibels (分贝) for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes as unsafe. WHO is calling for parental as well as automatic volume controls on audio devices to prevent dangerous use.
While some smartphones and other audio devices already offer some of these features, the UN would like to see a uniform standard used to help protect against disabling hearing loss. “Think of it like driving on a highway, but without a speedometer in your car or a speed limit,” Shelly Chadha of the WHO told reporters in Geneva. “What we’ve proposed is that your smartphones come fitted with a speedometer, with a measurement system which tells you how much sound you’re getting and tells you if you are going over the limit.”
1. What can we infer from paragraph 1?| A．The UN and the World Health Organization are concerned about the hearing health of the young. |
| B．The UN already have a unified standard to help protect against disabling hearing loss. |
| C．One billion young people are damaging their hearing through excessive use of smartphones. |
| D．A volume above 85 decibels for eight hours or 100 decibels for 15 minutes is unsafe. |
| A．7.5 billion. | B．75 million. |
| C．375 million | D．37.5 billion. |
| A．Young people who seldom use their smartphones. |
| B．Adult who never use their cellphone above 100 decibels. |
| C．Children supervised by their parents on cellphone use. |
| D．Young people who frequently listen to music above 85 decibels for eight hours. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A health journal. |
| C．An entertainment journal. | D．A science journal. |
【推荐3】We live in a town with three beaches. There are two parks less than 10 minutes’ walk from home where neighbourhood children gather to play. However, what my children want to do after school is pick up a screen—any screen—and stare at it for hours. They are not alone. Today’s children spend an average of four and a half hours a day looking at screens, split between watching television and using the Internet.
In the past few years, an increasing number of people and organisations have begun coming up with plans to counter this trend. A couple of years ago, film-maker David Bond realised that his children, then aged five and three, were attached to screens to the point where he was able to say “chocolate” into his three-year-old son’s ear without getting a response. He realised that something needed to change, and, being a London media type, appointed himself “marketing director for Nature”. He documented his journey as he set about treating nature as a brand to be marketed to young people. The result was Project Wild Thing, a film which charts the birth of the Wild Network, a group of organisations with the common goal of getting children out into nature.
“Just five more minutes outdoors can make a difference,”David Bond says. “There is a lot of really interesting evidence which seems to be suggesting that if children are inspired up to the age of seven, then being outdoors will be a habit for life.” His own children have got into the habit of playing outside now: “We just send them out into the garden and tell them not to come back in for a while.”
Summer is upon us. There is an amazing world out there, and it needs our children as much as they need it. Let us get them out and let them play.
1. What is the problem with the author’s children?| A．They often annoy the neighbours. |
| B．They are tired of doing their homework. |
| C．They have no friends to play with. |
| D．They stay in front of sereens for too long. |
| A．By making a documentary film. |
| B．By organizing outdoor activities. |
| C．By advertising in London media. |
| D．By creating a network of friends. |
【推荐1】When Arun Krishnamurthy was a teenager, he witnessed a pond near his home filling up with garbage. The damages to the pond inspired him to become a conservationist.
In 2007, Kirshnamurthy founded the Environmental Foundation of India (EFI) — a group that restores freshwater lakes and ponds across India. The team works to remove garbage and restores the natural habitats of birds, frogs and native plants, giving wildlife a chance to return. Over the last 13 years, EFI has carried out restoration work on 112 lakes and ponds.
EFI’s primary goal is to restore lakes and ponds, but the organization’s work also benefits India’s water supply, because restoring water body helps groundwater recharge. In fact, groundwater is critical to India, accounting for 80% of its water supply. However, exploitation — for domestic and agricultural use reducing reserves at a worrying rate.
The government needs to take action, but Krishnamurthy believes individuals also have a significant role to play. That’s why he wants to raise awareness of water’s importance in people’s daily lives. He points to the fact that groundwater in India is used for free, and a lot of it is wasted.
Currently, EFI is facing a challenge when it comes to waste disposal. Up to 95% of the solid waste it collects from the ponds ends up in landfill. Krishnamurthy says EFI is investigating options for reusing and recycling more of the garbage.
But despite different challenges, he feels hopeful not only for India but for the world. He urges people everywhere to pay attention to the dumping of waste and needs of wildlife. “With the right intentions”, says Krishnamurthy, “everyone can make an impact on our planet.”
1. Why was the Environmentalist Foundation of India founded?| A．To restore freshwater lakes and ponds across India. |
| B．To remove garbage and help groundwater recharge in India. |
| C．To build birds, frogs and native plants natural habitats in India. |
| D．To give wildlife chance to return and improve water supply in India. |
| A．How to develop water for domestic use. |
| B．How to deal with the solid waste effectively. |
| C．How to collect waste and meet the needs of wildlife. |
| D．How to remove the garbage from the lakes and ponds. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Uncertain. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Positive. |
【推荐2】The Price of a Dream
I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.
By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念).
One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.
Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was afraid of this, but my mother said, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.”
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.
I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dream of buying my mom a house.
“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.
“Three point twenty-five an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3. 25 an hour the price of a dream?”
That question exposed the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20, 000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother my dream house.
1. Why was the writer grateful to Coach Jarvis?| A．Because Coach Jarvis made him set a goal. |
| B．Because Coach Jarvis supplied him with new clothes. |
| C．Because Coach Jarvis gave him financial support. |
| D．Because Coach Jarvis helped him show conviction. |
| A．Balance summer baseball and the work schedule. |
| B．Refuse the job offer for summer baseball. |
| C．Give up summer baseball for the job. |
| D．Ask his coach Jarvis for advice. |
| A．You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making. |
| B．Believe in yourself, but above all be patient. |
| C．You must rely on yourself first, then others. |
| D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| A．He failed to buy his mother a house. |
| B．He succeeded as a sportsman. |
| C．He became a successful businessman. |
| D．He made some money in the summer job. |
【推荐3】As far as I could tell, there was only one problem with this year’s Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers weren’t green. They were blue. And even though I had never before seen a professional football game live and in living color, I had read enough from my subscription to Sports Illustrated to know that the uniforms worn by the Green Bay Packers were green, not blue.
“Maybe it’s something special they’re doing for the Super Bowl,” my dad suggested.
“The colors aren’t right, Dad,” I complained. “I’m sure of it.”
Eventually, Dad agreed. “I’ll get a repairman tomorrow,” he said. It was a minor annoyance, but it somehow cast a pall over our enjoyment of the pre-game festivities. This was highly anticipated Super Bowl, and we were watching it on our super new color TV. It was supposed to be super.
Just a few minutes before kickoff, my big brother Bud arrived with Craig, a college friend. Craig looked at the TV for a moment. “I think your tint (色调) is off a little,” he said. He reached behind the set and began feeling around for buttons. Suddenly our color TV was black and white. Then he reached behind the TV again. He must have found the right button, because a moment later color was restored. The Green Bay Packers were in their traditional green and gold uniforms. The field was green, the sky was blue and it was Super Sunday, indeed.
It amazed me then — and often has since — what a major difference a minor adjustment can make. A touch of a button from someone who knows what they’re doing can really change something. The same principle holds true in interpersonal matters. While there are some hurts that cannot be easily repaired, it’s amazing how often a simple smile, a kind word, or a gentle touch can change our way of thinking, improve our mood, and make everything seem, you know, super.
1. In what aspect did the author disagree with his dad?| A．Which sports team would win. |
| B．Which TV channel they would watch. |
| C．Whether the screen color went wrong. |
| D．Whether the players’uniforms were suitable. |
| A．Ruined. | B．Witnessed. | C．Ensured. | D．Replaced. |
| A．He was a repairman Dad got. | B．He was expert at adjusting TV. |
| C．He was the author’s college friend. | D．He was a fan of Green Bay Packers. |
| A．Always put yourself in others’shoes. |
| B．It is important to learn basic life skills. |
| C．A small act can make a huge difference. |
| D．Learn to smile through life’s imperfections. |
