1 . Businesses are now in cost-cutting mode. Title inflation (头衔通胀) has crept into the workplace. Layoffs, hiring freezes and concerns about a recession (经济衰退) are plaguing employers.
To balance this unique economic environment, employers have figured out a way to comfort employees and job applicants without spending more money. They are offering impressive titles to soften the blow of not providing a raise to internal employees or big compensation to job candidates.
An employee’s title is their identity. It gives them credibility in the office and makes them feel more powerful. In this sense, the policy is a sensible way to help keep staff and attract top candidates.
But if you don’t really deserve the new title, it could come back and trouble you. Recruiters will be pleased to find a candidate who is a pe rfect fit for a significant, well-paying position in terms of skills, background, and previous experience. However, a stumbling block arises when they notice the candidate has a higher title than the client offers. Since a recruiter wants to make a placement and earn a fee, they won’t waste time and will seek out other candidates who are a better fit.
Even if the recruiters decide to contact the candidate, there’s a good chance the candidate won’t accept. Because most people aren’t aware that their title was inflated and believe it was a reward for their outstanding performance. Understandably, they would be offended if they received a lower-level post. Now that you are at a certain level, you don’t want to go backward.
What’s more, if your current title is too high, it raises red flags. For example, when searching for a new job, if your title is “director,” but the new role is under that level, the interviewer will curiously inquire, “why do you want to go down in title?” There will be an assumption from the hiring manager that something isn’t right. They may feel that the job seeker is leaving before being fired and willing to downgrade. Rather than trying to figure out the motivations of the candidate, they’ll move on to others who have a cleaner story without any baggage.
1. What does the underlined word “plaguing” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Shocking. | B.Embarrassing. | C.Troubling. | D.Confusing. |
A.They tend to look down upon others. |
B.Their salaries don’t match their titles. |
C.Their fear of being fired will disappear. |
D.They get a good platform for development. |
A.Have a discussion with the client. |
B.Contact the job applicant immediately. |
C.Exclude the candidate from consideration. |
D.Gather more information about the candidate. |
A.Enthusiastic. | B.Dismissive. | C.Appreciative. | D.Doubtful. |
2 . In nature, octopuses (章鱼) hunt mainly with their sense of touch, using their eight arms to feel out their environment for hidden creatures. Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently studied a different way octopuses hunt—when they identify prey (猎物) based on sight. The study findings show that the marine creatures are quite consistent and methodical in how they approach prey.
Lead researcher Trevor Wardill and his team placed California two-spot octopuses into water tanks, hiding them in caves where they would have one eye looking out. They then placed either fiddler crabs or white shrimp in the tanks to see how the octopuses would try to catch them, capturing the interactions on video. The crabs and shrimp behave differently when trying to escape from predators (捕猎者), so using both species gave the researchers an opportunity to see whether this led the octopuses to use a different arm for hunting depending on the prey.
Wardill’s team found that the octopuses almost always used the same arm to grab their prey. Specifically, the second arm from the middle of the octopuses’ body, on the same side of their body as the eye, caught the prey. If they needed more arms to grab prey, they would use the ones next to the second arm.
The octopuses also attacked differently depending on the prey. When faced with crabs, an octopus would move suddenly on top of the crab with its whole body. However, when catching shrimp, the octopuses would take one arm and reach out very slowly toward the shrimp, then grab it and latch (缠住) onto it with its other arms to pull it in.
Wardill and his team hope to do more research. They want to study the octopus’s brain as it attacks pre y to develop a better understanding of what role the creature’s nervous system plays in selecting the arms it uses.
1. What is the recent study mainly about?A.Octopuses’ ability to hide itself. | B.Octopuses’ way to track prey. |
C.Octopuses’ hunting mode via eyes. | D.Octopuses’ method of perceiving the environment. |
A.They adopt different strategies to hunt. | B.They stretch arms slowly to catch crabs. |
C.They move suddenly to prey on shrimps. | D.They use the second arm to catch prey anytime. |
A.Whether they’re nervous in hunting. | B.How their nerves work during hunting. |
C.How they choose their arms in hunting. | D.Whether they use their brain during hunting. |
A.Octopuses: Skillful Hunters | B.Octopuses: One-armed Predators |
C.Octopuses: A Sharp-eyed Species | D.Octopuses: A Mysterious Creature |
3 . Scott Poore is an animal lover. He moves into an animal shelter’s kennel (犬舍) with the
Since Poore is a (n)
So to raise awareness of Queen’s situation, Poore packed a suitcase and moved into the kennel to keep it
Delightfully, this dog has eventually been given a loving home after his path
A.registration | B.aim | C.exception | D.issue |
A.organized | B.devoted | C.talented | D.educated |
A.patient | B.confident | C.lovely | D.regular |
A.survivors | B.partners | C.animals | D.kennels |
A.broken | B.lost | C.understood | D.attracted |
A.hope | B.freedom | C.happiness | D.energy |
A.obviously | B.adventurously | C.curiously | D.accidentally |
A.annoyed | B.shocked | C.excited | D.disappointed |
A.organization | B.company | C.campus | D.experiment |
A.content | B.important | C.individual | D.challenging |
A.inspired | B.determined | C.honored | D.satisfied |
A.settled into | B.cleaned up | C.cared for | D.met with |
A.debating | B.hearing | C.encouraging | D.hitting |
A.visitors | B.adopters | C.customers | D.volunteers |
A.made | B.reviewed | C.crossed | D.explored |
4 . The Wampanoag language was not dead. To call it dead would be an insult to the ancestors who left it for future generations as a way to communicate-and a way to teach. But it was “unspoken” until linguist Jessie “Little Doe” Baird brought it back. Her project’s Wampanoag dictionary holds more than 11,000 entries.
Words on paper are not a language. A language lives through the people who speak it. So Baird founded the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. She teaches community classes and family camps. Kids in grade school and high school have the opportunity to learn the language.
The Wampanoags have lived for 12,000 years in Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. When the Pilgrims (清教徒) met the first Indigenous people, those were the Wampanoags. The English settlers brought disease that killed thousands-an estimated two-thirds of the Wampanoag Nation died-as well as war and rules that fragmented (分裂) the tribes. There once were 69 tribes in the nation; now there are three. Baird is a citizen of the Mashpee tribe. Her ancestors left a key to their language. They translated the King James Bible into Wampanoag. They left hundreds of documents in their written alphabet (字母表).
Baird describes a vision she had where her ancestors helped her see it was time to bring the language home. She began her research, which led her to a graduate degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she learned from and worked with other linguists. In 2010, she was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow, earning a “genius grant” to further her work.
“It’s incredibly difficult to reclaim a language, even more so when there are no speakers alive, and even more so when you’re driving 90 minutes a day, each way, to attend graduate school, with four small children at home.”
“I might have been afraid to do the work had I known that,” Baird says with a laugh now. “But I didn’t, and so here we are.”
1. What is the situation of the Wampanoag language?A.It has entirely gone by now. | B.It is being brought back to life. |
C.It is a compulsory course in schools. | D.It has got well-recognized in the USA. |
A.The wide use of English in the new land. |
B.The religious change of the Wampanoags. |
C.The sharp reduced population of Wampanoag. |
D.The shortage of reference books on the language. |
A.The local linguists lend a timely hand. |
B.Children are asked to learn the language. |
C.The government gives the financial support. |
D.The materials ancestors left lay the foundation. |
A.Determined and responsible | B.Considerate and ambitious |
C.Intelligent and kind-hearted | D.Independent and adaptable |
5 . Imagine you’re out for an evening stroll (闲逛) in a foreign city, looking to find a restaurant for dinner. You will look for the busiest restaurant with the most diners because its popularity is bound to reflect on the quality of food and service. But is this true?
In tourist areas, which lack regular, local customers, the number of diners is unlikely to hold information about the quality of the meal. In this case, following the example of others could have led to a sub-optimal (次佳的) dinner choice in an overcrowded restaurant.
Spontaneously (不由自主地) copying other people’s thoughts or choices or simply going with the crowd is often referred to as “Herd behaviors”. It is a frequent occurrence among humans as well as many other animals, a common example being sheep.
Herding can appear to make a lot of sense. Average judgements of large groups of people often outperform individual choices. Furthermore, following the crowd appears to offer protection and comfort — after all, there’s “safety in numbers” — while helping to maintain a favourable reputation. Finally, following the herd reduces the effort needed to make a personal or unique decision.
Herd behaviors, while common and easy to explain, can have many harmful effects. Blindly following the herd can have grave consequences when trying to escape from danger. As seen in examples during earthquakes, herding may result in the entire crowd rushing for the same door, even if other exits are available. This unavoidably affects evacuation (撤退) efforts and may result in avoidable injuries or even deaths.
Psychology research suggests that it’s surprisingly difficult to resist the influences of the herd. In an experiment involving financial decision making, researchers found that warning messages about the potential errors of the crowd were surprisingly ineffective in helping customers make better choices. It appears there is no quick and easy fix. Instead, it is advisable to involve individuals adopting more critical approaches towards peers’ opinion, and questioning others’ behaviors as opposed to blindly following them.
1. What does the author want to tell us by the restaurant example?A.Undesirable outcomes of herding, | B.Wise dinner choices of most customers. |
C.Practical ways of avoiding herding. | D.Poor conditions of popular dining places. |
A.Its application. | B.Its disadvantages. |
C.Its definition. | D.Its benefits. |
A.Send warning messages. | B.Follow peers’ opinions. |
C.Stop behaving critically. | D.Have our own judgments. |
A.Why can’t you find the reasons for herding? |
B.Why shouldn’t you follow the crowd blindly? |
C.When should you avoid influences of herding? |
D.How can you discover wisdom of crowds? |
6 . Afraid to have a start, I was walking slowly into my first school in America. I had
With
I realized that all the confusion on my first day was like the difficulty I had to
A.traveled | B.increased | C.felt | D.returned |
A.explored | B.found | C.entered | D.built |
A.anger | B.anxiety | C.doubt | D.sadness |
A.foreigner | B.teacher | C.worker | D.partner |
A.deep | B.familiar | C.strict | D.soft |
A.find | B.see | C.choose | D.discuss |
A.area | B.direction | C.seat | D.goal |
A.movies | B.pictures | C.voices | D.stories |
A.Since | B.If | C.Though | D.Before |
A.feared | B.refused | C.allowed | D.managed |
A.gifts | B.chances | C.fun | D.lunch |
A.interesting | B.unexpected | C.same | D.easy |
A.funny | B.excited | C.lonely | D.awkward |
A.put away | B.get through | C.build up | D.show off |
A.suddenly | B.happily | C.curiously | D.actually |
7 . What do you do with the things you love? You probably take care of them and keep them safe. That’s not what Cameron Payne does. The boy from North Carolina is sharing his love of books by giving them away.
When Cameron heard about a family who lost everything in a house fire, he was looking for a way to help them. He was sad that all of their books were destroyed. That’s when he created his program, which gives books away to people in need.
Cameron’s program collects books for young people of all ages and reading levels. He collects books for kids who are blind or with low vision, too, because he wants everyone to have books. Cameron knows that books can help kids think about their future. They do this by helping kids dream about what they might be when they grow up. Learning about new things can give kids new interests. Six years later, Cameron is still giving away books.
Many of the books he gives away were given to him by others, but Cameron’s grandmother also shops for books that don’t cost a lot. She buys books that are new or that look new. In addition to working with schools, Cameron and his grandmother give books to children in places near their home, such as hospitals, libraries, and day camps.
Cameron wants to keep his program going and growing. Over the past six years, he has given away more than 3,000 books. He has also won many prizes for his work. His program has grown over the years, too. Last Christmas, Cameron was able to give away toys and books.
Cameron Payne does a lot for kids by giving away the things he loves. Who needs help in your community? How might you help?
1. What caused Cameron to create his program?A.His own books destroyed by a fire. |
B.Someone’s losing all the books to a fire. |
C.His house’s being burned down by a fire. |
D.Somebody’s sadness about the accident. |
A.Children with hearing loss can receive new books. |
B.Books are given to children with advanced levels. |
C.Children have no interest in new books at all. |
D.Cameron’s granny makes contributions to book collection. |
A.Because the author intends to encourage more people to help others. |
B.Because the author would like to attract readers’ interest. |
C.Because the author wants to remind people to value books. |
D.Because the author plans to leave a deep impression on readers. |
A.Selfish and distant. | B.Selfless and helpful. |
C.Well-rounded and hopeful. | D.Confident and positive. |
8 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf causes serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. Which of the following does the author most probably recommend?A.Playing basketball in a gym. |
B.Motor racing in the desert. |
C.Cycling around a lake. |
D.Swimming in a sports center. |
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
B.It causes water shortages around the world. |
C.It pollutes the Earth with chemicals and wastes. |
D.It needs water and energy to keep its courses. |
A.it uses fewer resources | B.it improves our health |
C.it is an outdoor sport | D.it is recommended by experts |
A.show us the function of major sports |
B.encourage us to take up green sports |
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports |
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
9 . Anyone who’s lived through middle school knows those years can be particularly challenging. Some researches show youths across the U.S. are struggling with mental health. The physical health benefits of bike riding have been well-documented. Wilson, a researcher at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and his co-authors carried out a new study to see if taking part in a cycling program could result in measurable changes in mind for teenagers.
The study involved more than 1,200 students, ages 11 to 14. Students participated in a cycling class for at least three days a week, for a period of 6 weeks. They learned cycling safety and practicing skills outdoors while raising their heart rate and just having fun. The students completed standardized questionnaires before and after the program designed to measure their health.
“We know cycling can benefit the body. Our research shows how it benefits the mind and social relationships as well. Bike riding can be an ideal activity for adolescents because of the benefits it offers,” said Wilson.
“Cycling engages several parts of brain function. You are looking at your hearing, you’re balancing, you’re navigating and turning. Oftentimes, you’re doing it with someone else, so there’s the positive effect of company or group activity,” said Allan Reiss, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
While exercise has powerful mental health benefits, it’s not universal. For example, previous research has shown that teenage girls are at higher risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety than boys. The current study found that, while middle school girls reported increased well-being after participating in the cycling program, that increase “may just reach the kind of baseline level for male students,” Wilson said. And other aspects of healthy living are also important, noted Wilson. The study found that teenagers who didn’t limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day, or who got less than the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep, saw less improvement in their well-being, he said.
1. What does the new study mainly focus on?A.Challenges in middle school. | B.Youths in America. |
C.Physical benefits of cycling. | D.Mental effects of bike riding. |
A.Attend the cycling class for a week. |
B.Learn how to keep safe while cycling. |
C.Raise their heart rate by cycling indoors. |
D.Design questions to measure their health. |
A.Supportive. | B.Doubtful. | C.Unclear. | D.Negative. |
A.Application of the research results. |
B.Doubts about the research methods. |
C.Further explanation of the research findings. |
D.Supporting evidence from previous research. |
10 . If you’re feeling in the mood for grilled food but don’t have a barbecue, then deciding what product to purchase can be a bit difficult. So to help you get a better understanding of just some of the choices available, here’s our guide to buying a new BBQ.
Charcoal vs GasThe first decision is how your BBQ is going to be powered. There are essentially two main choices: the traditional way with charcoal, or the quick and convenient way with gas. For those who get frustrated with the process of lighting coals and waiting for them to reach the desired temperature, then gas is the easy option. It’s clean and gets up to temperature in an instant. But for many, the main fun of a barbecue lies in the back-to-basics cooking that hot coal brings natural barbecue fire. You’ll also find a far greater range of charcoal barbecues.
SizeFor anyone who likes to throw a garden party with a busy barbecue at the centre of the action, there are some vast grills (烤架) available. But unless you’re regularly feeding the masses, then these BBQ beasts can be impractical. Smaller meals are better suited to smaller equipment, so be realistic about the size that best suits you.
Open grill or lidWhile facing the barbecue selection of your nearest retailer, you’ll notice that some of them have lids. These will usually be round and will make you pay more than the lidless options. But if you want the benefit of being able to cook larger items over a longer period of time, such as a whole chicken, then a lid will be essential.
1. Which BBQ is suitable for Jack, who likes back-to-basics cooking and often invites friends to the garden party?A.Gas barbecue in small size. | B.Gas barbecue in big size. |
C.Charcoal barbecue with big grills. | D.Charcoal barbecue with small grills. |
A.The open grill costs more. | B.The open grill looks superior. |
C.The open grill is more reliable. | D.The open grill is less suitable for larger items. |
A.Lifestyle. | B.Business. | C.Culture. | D.Sports. |