【推荐1】Thousands of teenagers will be able to transfer to a new wave of “studio schools” at the age of 14 to improve their chances of finding a job in UK. A dozen new-style schools are designed to act as a bridge to the workplace and cut the number of NEETs--young people not in education, employment or training.
Under plans, schools will operate longer days and work outside standard academic terms.
Each pupil will be expected to spend between four hours and two days a week on work placements with businesses linked to the school and teenagers will be assigned a personal coach to act as an academic “line manager”.
The reforms are put forward due to the fears that too many teenagers are now finishing full-time education lacking the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. According to a recent report, more than two-thirds of employers believe school and college leavers lack important “employability skills” such as customer awareness, while 55 per cent say they are unable to manage their time or daily tasks. And the number of NEETs has hit a record high, with almost one-in-five young people being left without a job or training place.
The Department for Education will announce the establishment of 12 studio schools -- meeting the need of around 3,600 teenagers -- in areas such as Liverpool, Stevenage, Stoke-on-Trent and Fulham, west London. Each one, opening in 2012, will be linked to a series of local employers. Under plans, pupils will be able to transfer out of ordinary schools to attend them between the age of 14 and 19.
The Government said all subjects would be taught “through projects, often designed with employers” -- with disciplines such as science being linked directly to local engineering firms or hospitals. Schools will operate a longer day to give pupils a better understanding of the demands of the workplace. Along with their studies, pupils will carry out work placements for four hours a week, rising to two days a week of paid work for those aged 16 to 19. They will also get the chance to take professional qualifications linked directly to the needs of local employers.
1. According to the passage, the NEETs are referred to those who ________.

A．often miss classes from school

B．refuse to take any kind of part-time jobs after school

C．depend on their parents to find jobs after they graduate

D．have no jobs without accepting education and work training

2. Compared to ordinary schools, studio schools will offer the young more ________.

A．interesting and lovely cartoons to make study easier

B．chances to get future jobs with expert job training

C．possibilities to make friends without going outside

D．lessons helping them to be admitted to universities

3. What makes the government decide to found studio schools?

A．The determination to solve the problem of lacking workers.

B．The doubt about whether full-time education is perfect.

C．The worry about educated people lacking working skills.

D．The increasing number of teens who drop out early.

4. What may most probably attract senior high school students at studio school?

A．They can find suitable jobs earlier with good qualification.

B．They will be admitted to top companies with received training.

C．They needn’t go to university thanks to received training here.

D．They may have more free time to find part-time jobs after school.

【推荐2】In order to help customers to find what they want quickly，it’s important to keep the thou- sands of titles in the Main Street Movies store organized properly．This section of the Employee Handbook will tell you how to organize videos．

Each Main Street Movies store has three main sections：
1．New Releases Wall．
2．Film library．
3．Video Games．
New Releases Wall．A1most 70 percent of movie rentals are new releases，and that is the first place where most customers go when they enter the store．The center section of shelves on this wall holds Hottest Hits．When new titles come into the store，place them on this wall in alphabetical order．The shelves beside Hottest Hits are called Recent Releases．The New Releases Wall，including the Hottest Hits and Recent Releases shelves，holds about 350 titles.
Film Library．The thousands of tides in the Film Library are organized into categories.     The films within each category are displayed alphabetically．Here are the categories and their       two-letter computer codes：
*Foreign Language tides include films that were originally made in a foreign language   and films with foreign language subtitles．A sticker on the back of each box tells which type of   film it is.
Video Game．All the video games in Main Street Movies are arranged in alphabetical order．Although video games represent only a small percentage of our inventory(库存)，they are stolen more often than any other type of goods in our store．Therefore，video games are never displayed on the shelves. Shelves in the Video Game section hold cardboard with pictures and information about each game．When a customer wants to rent a particular game，you can find the game from the locked case behind the counter．
1. Whom do you think this passage is most probably written for?

A．The readers in the store．

B．The manager of the store．

C．The customers in the store．

D．The salespersons of the store．

2. How can a customer find a film with foreign language subtitles?

A．Check the computer．

B．Cheek the center section．

C．Look at the back of the box．

D．Watch a few minutes of the film．

3. Why can’t video games be seen on the shelves?

A．Because they’ve been sold out．

B．Because they’re in the storehouse．

C．Because they’re in a locked case behind the counter．

D．Because they represent a small percentage of the inventory．

【推荐3】Movie Extras

“Would you mind lying in a coffin? Would you shave your head? Are you willing to take out your false teeth?”

These are just a few of the questions Anne Marie Stewart and her staff sometimes ask the “talent” who serve as non-speaking “extras” in special films, television series, and made-for-TV movies produced in Toronto.

Of course, the majority of extra calls are for more ordinary people, and Stewart has a list of about 650 registered extras. Crowd scenes, which are common, call for everyday people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and sizes.

Over at Movie People, last-minute requests are not unusual. “We got a request once for an entire brass band of 30 people. They wanted it within the hour,” said manager Yvonne McCartney. Another time, the company got a last-minute request for a newborn baby. “We found a baby that was three weeks premature,” said Jonathan Aiken, an owner of the company.

Then there was the worried call from a casting director whose “Star” got doggone stubborn one day and decided to just lie down and not work. The director needed a replacement dog, fast. “We got them two in one hour.” said Aiken. “It was a matter of good connections and fast phone work.” The eight phone lines needed to make 350 to 400 calls a day are one of Movie People’s major expenses.

Phone lines are the only way to stay in touch with casting directors and extras; but the latter are a group not necessarily interested in a long-term relationship. Most extra jobs pay only $7 an hour (with a six-hour minimum), while most agencies charge an annual $75 registration fee and get 10 to 15 per cent of extras’ earnings. It’s no wonder that the turnover rate is fairly high.

Some people who are between jobs do extra work as a temporary measure, said McCartney. But professionals, such as lawyers, also do the work because it’s interesting. Others with flexible jobs have a desire to do something different. Some homemakers want to get out of the house and onto a movie set. Money’s not the motivating reason.

“One of the first things I say to people who walk in and ask about being an extra is, ‘You have to be available,’” said a person at Karen Clifton Agency. Inc. “The next thing I say is, ‘You can't make a living at this.’”

1. What kind of people are movie extras?

A．TV series makers.

B．Casting directors.

C．Non-professional movie actors.

D．Agents for movie stars.

2. According to the passage, movie extras should _____.

A．have special talents

B．have a flexible schedule

C．make good connections

D．make hundreds of phone calls daily

3. Why do white collar workers most probably like to be movie extras?

A．They want to make more money.

B．They want to start a career in acting.

C．They think their regular job is boring.

D．They think being on the stage is enjoyable.

4. The underlined word “turnover” in the sixth paragraph probably means _____.

A．business profit

B．the loss of staff

C．market demand

D．operation expenses

【推荐1】Some psychologists say that community art — art made to be displayed free of charge in a particular community — can make a big difference.

Unlike the random graffiti （涂鸦）that many people consider an eyesore, community art can bring people together and encourage respect. In the U.S. city of Philadelphia, for example, psychologists are doing a citywide project where mental health patients work with average people to paint murals（壁画）. The aim of this project is to reduce the mental illness and promote a new dialogue about people who struggle with these issues.

Art also makes neighborhoods more attractive and has a unique ability to open people up. Neighbors can share comments with one another about a recently painted mural, which can challenge their prejudices and open their eyes to the world.

Businesses can also be promoted by community art. In Fort Smith, a town in the U.S. state of Arkansas, artists from around the globe came together to paint murals. One of the goals of the project was to expand the town's cultural offerings in order to attract more visitors. Not only locals but also tourists were drawn to see the murals. The money they spent while visiting the town benefited local businesses.

Generous financial support is provided for community art projects in many cities and towns. In the UK, the Arts Council England has invested nearly half a million dollars in community art. Some of it, for example, has paid for a new exhibition space created inside an old mill in the town of Brierfield. In the U.S., an organization called the Knight Foundation has invested millions of dollars in community projects, including many that focus on art.

1. What is the purpose of the community art project in Philadelphia?

A．To replace random graffiti.

B．To deal with the issues about mental illnesses.

C．To promote dialogues about art issues.

D．To encourage respect for psychologists and fine arts.

2. How does community art open people up?

A．By changing people' s views on prejudices.

B．By giving new life to traditional murals.

C．By providing a subject for conversation.

D．By making neighborhoods more attractive.

3. What does the text indicate about towns like Fort Smith?

A．They can profit from art economically.

B．They provide inexpensive courses in art.

C．They've placed some restrictions on art.

D．They borrow art from other communities.

4. What do we know about the community art in the UK?

A．It is limited to rich communities.

B．It has the support of the government.

C．It started from a mill in Brierfield.

D．It is paid for by the Knight Foundation.

【推荐1】J.K.Rowling is a British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. She completed much of her first work, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in a poor situation, often planning out her chapters in cafes near her small apartment in Edinburgh.

Before penning the Harry Potter books, Rowling’s life was one of struggle and loss. Her mother died in 1990 because of the multiple sclerosis(多发性硬化症). Her first marriage ended just three years later. Unable to find work, Rowling struggled to support herself and her daughter on State Aid. Her financial conditions would not change until the late 1990s, when the Harry Potter series became a success beyond all expectations. Aided by the Scottish Arts Council, Rowling was able to complete her first novel, but primary encouragement from publishers was actually non-existent. She was told to find a day job, and the UK publisher, Bloomsbury, firstly published only 1,000 copies of the novel, titled in the UK as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Within a half year of its publication in 1997, the novel achieved its first award, the Nestle Smarties Book Prize. A few months later, it received the British Book Award for Best Children’s book of the year. In 1998, Scholastic purchased(购买)publication rights, and Rowling, now on her third payment of the series, was enjoying great success.

The popularity of the series has made Rowling the most popular children’s author ever. Both adults and children who show great interest in the books are eager for the publisher’s next payment for Harry’s adventures.

Queen Elizabeth II honored Rowling in 2000, titling her as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. She remarried in 2001, to Dr.Neil Murray, with whom she has two children. In her public life, she devotes time to causes dear to her, including supporting Amnesty International and funding research on a medical treatment for multiple sclerosis.

1. How did Rowling make a living before the late 1990s?

A．By receiving government support.

B．By depending on her husband.

C．By working in a cafe near her home.

D．By writing articles for local publishers.

2. What does the underlined word “support” mean ?

A．Encourage sb. by saying or showing you agree .

B．Provide everything necessary so that sb. can live or exist.

C．Be ready to give help.

D．Hold sb. in place.

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Rowling works for the British royal family.

B．Rowling suffers from multiple sclerosis.

C．Rowling has done much for public charity.

D．Rowling stays single till now.

4. What main message does the author tell us with the story?

A．J. K. Rowling’s major works .

B．J. K. Rowling’s inspiration for Harry Potter series .

C．J. K. Rowling’s success as an author.

D．J. K. Rowling’s extraordinary life.

【推荐3】“What are you?” they ask. “Guess,” I say. Some suggest I have Japanese eyes. Others think I’m Filipino, maybe Indian. Few guess the truth: I am Mexican American. But it’s not like I’ve ever worn that name alone. I’m part of a younger generation of Americans whose identity is shaped neither by where we came from nor where we ended up.

My parents know the California immigrant experience first-hand. They grew up picking fruit in the San Joaquin Valley, knowing what it was to be poor, but also knowing what it was to be Mexican. Wanting a better life for their children, they went to college and got professional jobs. By the time I was born, they were fully accepted into the middle class. I grew up in the racially mixed zones of Sacramento, and when my parents talked of their years in the fields it was hard to connect those stories to where we found ourselves now.

By the time I reached my teens, difference had announced itself. We were all struggling for a sense of individuality, looking everywhere but where we came from. Identity became goods. Wearing certain clothes and liking certain kinds of music created social categories.

I became a junkman, sorting through the ruins of pop culture past looking for the pieces of myself. In love with the Beatles, I linked myself to England. Fascinated by Japanese cartoon, I took language classes at the local Buddhist temple.

I grew up American to a fault, rarely considering my own people’s culture and humanity. I left Sacramento and moved to San Francisco’s Mission District to put myself together again. There I first saw my people living in a separate community that had its own language, one I’d never learned. My brown face led people to ask me for directions in Spanish. I could only respond with a universally understood shrug.

“This is what I am,” I said to myself, looking at a street full of newly arrived immigrants. No, that wasn’t quite it. I corrected myself: “This is where I come from.”

Is it tragic that I grew up far from my mother culture, discovering it so late in life? I prefer to think that my American upbringing has taught me to apply insights from many different cultures to my everyday life. I am a product not just of Mexico or the U.S. but of the world as a whole.

1. Where does the writer grow up?

A．In Sacramento.	B．In a Mexico town.
C．In the San Joaquin Valley.	D．In San Francisco’s Mission District.

2. What did the writer learn from his American upbringing?

A．To promote mother culture.	B．To adapt to new surroundings.
C．To clearly express individuality.	D．To learn from different cultures.

3. You can infer from the article that the writer ________.

A．liked to play sports	B．wanted to learn Spanish
C．was interested in different cultures	D．did not like living in San Francisco

4. This article is mainly about ________.

A．the growing pains of immigrants	B．the culture differences in America
C．the author’s exploration of his identity	D．the problems of immigrants in America