1 . Research has shown that disrupting one's natural “morning lark” (早起鸟) or “night owl” (夜猫子) tendency can result in immoral behavior at work.

Who doesn't love a flexible work schedule? Being able to make your own hours, come in when you're ready and leave when you're done, step out to attend a child's presentation at school, have a midday appointment, or even squeeze in a quick workout or nap as a guaranteed pick-me-up — flexibility greatly improves one's quality of life.

The benefits don't stop there, however. Research has shown that having flexible work hours actually makes one a better person. How so? It's been found that disrupted sleep patterns —in the form of having to act outside of your normal inclination to be a morning “lark” or a night “owl” — can result in strange, unethical, and out-of-line behavior.

Science journalist Linda Geddes said, “If you don't get enough sleep, research suggests you are more likely to have unethical behavior, such as being mean, bullying your fellow employees or falsifying receipts. But it's not just owls: the larks tend to behave more unethically in the evening, and owls in the morning. So ideally, you want to introduce flexible working."

Employers would be wise to allow their employees to start whenever they feel ready — whether it's at the crack of dawn or at 11 a.m., and to allow breaks or pauses in the day as needed — because that would mean better productivity, performance, and behavior.

This shift is already happening, with the New York Times recently reporting that 27 percent of US employers now offer the flexibility to work outside normal business hours, up from 22 percent in 2014; and 68 percent allow telecommuting as needed (up from 54 percent in 2014). With the national unemployment rate at its lowest in 50 years, employers are having to become more competitive in what they offer workers, and flex-hours seem like a no-brainer, highly beneficial to all.

1. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 2?

A．Ways to improve life quality.

B．People's activities in their free time.

C．Methods to get a flexible work schedule.

D．The advantages of flexibility in work time.

2. What does the underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Judgment.

B．Tendency.

C．Reaction.

D．Choice.

3. What is the effect to change people's sleep pattern according to Geddes?

A．They will show their nature more easily.

B．They tend to suffer from sleep problems.

C．They tend to behave immorally in their work.

D．They will get more flexibility in working time.

4. What do the figures in the last paragraph indicate?

A．The unemployment rate is increasing.

B．Employers are getting more free time.

C．Flexible working has been creating more jobs.

D．More employers adopt a flexible work schedule.

2 . Here are free online classes offered by several universities.

The Power of Team Culture University of Pennsylvania via Coursera Taught by Greg Urban Behind the success and failure of teams lies team culture. In this course, you will learn how to recognize team culture. Knowledge of the ideas and information in this class enables you to be a better team leader.

Shakespeare's Life and Work Harvard University via edX Taught by Stephen Greenblatt The course will introduce different kinds of literary analysis (文学分析) that you can use when reading. With short videos filmed, you can visit Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born in 1564; London, the lively city where he began as an actor; and the Globe Theater, where his first plays were performed. This online tour will transport you to another age and give you a new opinion on his timeless work.

Stanford Introduction to Food and Health Stanford University via Coursera Taught by Maya Adam In this course, learners will be given the information and practical skills they need to begin improving the way they eat. This course will focus on practical discussions about real food and the environment in which we consume (吃) it.

Chinese for Beginners Peking University via Coursera Taught by Xiaoyu Liu This is an ABC Chinese course for beginners, including introduction of phonetics and daily expressions. After taking this class, learners can have a basic understanding of Chinese Mandarin and make basic conversations of daily living. This is a course on Chinese speaking, The learners don't need to study Chinese characters, so it is easier to follow and complete this course.

1. Whose class can help improve your organizing ability?

A．Greg Urban.	B．Stephen Greenblatt.
C．Maya Adam.	D．Xiaoyu Liu.

2. What can we know about Shakespeare’s Life and Work?

A．It’s taught through Coursera.

B．It’s given by Stanford University.

C．It offers an online visit to London.

D．It provides skills of filming videos.

3. What does Chinese for Beginners teach?

A．The writing of Chinese characters.

B．The advice of daily living in China.

C．The history of Chinese characters.

D．The simple conversations in Chinese.

3 . Stage Show

An acrobatic(杂技)show:To celebrate its 50th anniversary,the China Acrobatic Troupe will present“The Soul of China”,where the seemingly impossible is made real.Chills(寒意)will run down your spine(脊柱)as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.

Time:7:30 pm,September 13—19
Place:the Capital Theatre,22 Wangfujing Dajie,Dongcheng District
Exhibitions

Joint show:An ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing.About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang jare on display.

Time:9 am—5 pm,until September 10
Place:the Huangshicheng Art Gallery,136 Nanchizi Dajie,Dongcheng District
Oil paintings:The Wanfang Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil paintings by 10 young and middle-aged artists.On display are more than 30 of their latest works,which capture(捕捉)the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time:9 am—4 pm,until September 15
Place:136 Nanchizi Dajie,Dongcheng District
Literature museum:The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time:9 am—4 pm,daily
Place:45 Anyuan Donglu,Chaoyang District(Shaoyaoju area)
Concerts

Beijing rocks:“The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock”is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month.Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert,including older generation bands,middle generation and some recent arrivals.The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear,which is sure to bring a storm.

Time:September 16
Place:the Olympic Centre
Belgium Orchestra:La Petite Bande,the Baroque Orchestra of Belgium,will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death.
Time:7:30 pm,September 11—14
Place:the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
1. How will the audience feel about the acrobatic show mentioned here?

A．Unexpected things will make them excited and surprised.

B．Something strange will puzzle everyone,including scientists.

C．When they watch it,they will certainly feel cold.

D．Even the bravest ones will be too frightened to go on watching.

2. The most characteristic(有特色的)thing about“The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock”is that.

A．it will let the audience choose the performers and the music

B．it is to be held in memory of one of the greatest musicians

C．it will certainly cause a rock storm throughout China

D．it is to bring thousands of rock fans out of their homes

3. Suppose it is September 15 today,how many activities can people choose to attend?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

4 . When I was younger, I was addicted to reading. I could get through a whole book in a day, and used to beg my parents every night to let me stay up late so that I could just finish my chapter. From fairy-tales to thrillers, non-fiction to plays, I enjoyed reading any literature that I could get my hands on.

However, while there are many books for younger children,once you reach your mid-teens the choices become limited. I found myself choosing between books for children that were simple and not that interesting, and adult books that I couldn’t quite understand.

This lack of choice eventually led me to read less and less.When I was in secondary school,the only books I read were ones we were assigned in English class,and I was never very enthusiastic about my teacher’s choices.I thought too much discussion of symbolism and themes ruined the book.Maybe the sky being blue didn’t represent anything;maybe it was just a description!

Fortunately, I realized quickly that deciding to go to university meant I had signed up for four years of reading books. I chose a French literature module in my first year. I started out, thinking I wouldn’t enjoy any of the works we were studying over the course of the year.However,I soon realized that at a university level,the discussion was more fruitful and I found I had a lot to say!And being able to discuss my thoughts with others meant I could better understand the subtle aspects of the plot:yes,even the symbolism and themes.

I began reading again for pleasure, starting with Malcolm X’s autobiography and never looking back. Now, during my year abroad,I spend a lot of my spare time in bookshops and reading in cafes. I’m so happy that I rediscovered my love of books.

1. What does the author intend to say in Paragraph 1?

A．She used to stay up late at night.	B．She read very fast as a young girl.
C．She loved reading very much in her childhood.	D．She once bought many different kinds of books.

2. Why did the author read less when she was a teenager?

A．She was really tired of reading books.	B．She was too busy with her schoolwork.
C．She had no right to choose books herself.	D．She found very few suitable books to read.

3. What made the author start reading for pleasure again?

A．Her reading experiences at university.	B．Her professor of French literature.
C．A special bookstore abroad.	D．A book by Malcolm X.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The importance of discussing a book’s theme.	B．The process of the author picking up reading.
C．The ways to form good reading habits.	D．The author’s desire to read widely.

5 . A computer program has been used to predict how people are feeling when they type.

In a study participants were asked to type a particular phrase and the program then estimated if they were happy, sad and so on. Surprisingly it was correct 70 per cent of the time, and the findings could lead to smarter artificial intelligence in the future.

The study published in the journal Behavior and Information Technology was carried out by researchers at the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh, reports Live Science.

In the research 25 people ranging from 15 to 40 years old were asked to retype two paragraphs from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. They also had to enter their emotional state every 30 minutes while doing their regular activities on the computer. This allowed the program an opportunity to understand how their emotions changed their typing style.

Moods tested were joy, fear, anger, sadness, hate, and shame. The result was that the program could identify(识别) a person' s mood correctly 70 per cent of the time. It was most successful in identifying joyfulness with an 87 per cent success ratio, while sadness was the least successful at 60 per cent. The researchers found that the participants were less likely to input (输入) data when they were in a bad mood, which may explain the inexactness of the second result.

However, the findings could have great importance for artificial intelligence, and it may allow computers to get along with us in a friendlier manner, “If we could build any system that is intelligent enough to communicate with humans that is, it can identify user emotions and change its behavior accordingly then using machines could be more effective and friendly.” the researchers wrote.

1. Who conducted the study?

A．Lewis Carroll.	B．Islamic University of Technology.
C．Live Science.	D．Behavior and Information Technology.

2. What were people asked to do during the research?

A．Input words and emotional state.	B．Change their typing styles.
C．Change their feelings frequently.	D．Show their natural feelings.

3. Why is the result about sadness not so correct?

A．People usually hide their unhappy feelings.

B．The program cannot recognize sadness clearly.

C．The program cannot calculate the data correctly.

D．It's more difficult to collect data when people are sad.

4. What's the importance of the research result?

A．It helps people develop smarter machines.

B．It helps people speed up their typing speed.

C．It will inspire similar studies on people's mood.

D．It clearly explains the relationship between mood and typing.

6 . Jenifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor's degree.

Mauer, of Edgar, Wisconsin, grew up on a farm in a family of 10 children. Her dad worked at a job away from the farm, and her mother ran the farm with the kids. After high school, Jennifer attended a local technical college, working to pay her tuition(学费), because there was no extra money set aside for a college education. After graduation, she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling.

Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own. She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves: nursing. She chose the UW-Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four-year degree close to home. She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids. Jenifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree: Her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills, and her 68-year-old mother helped take care of the children at times.

Through it all, she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors. Jennifer sacrificed(牺牲)to achieve her goal, giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study. ''Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers,'' she says. However, her children have learned an important lesson witnessing their mother earn her degree. Jennifer is a first-generation graduate and an inspiration to her family-and that's pretty powerful.

1. What did Jennifer do after high school?

A．She helped her dad with his work.

B．She ran the family farm on her own.

C．She supported herself through college.

D．She taught her sisters and brothers at home.

2. Why did Jennifer choose the program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield?

A．To take care of her kids easily.	B．To learn from the best nurses.
C．To save money for her parents.	D．To find a well-paid job there.

3. What did Jennifer sacrifice to achieve her goal?

A．Her health.	B．Her time with family.
C．Her reputation.	D．Her chance of promotion.

4. What can we learn from Jenifer's story?

A．Time is money.	B．Love breaks down barriers.
C．Hard work pays off.	D．Education is the key to success.

7 . It might sound funny， but having a certain routine in the morning or evening will help you to grow personally，with your workouts and also with your job and life. Why is that？ The humans adapt pretty well to routines and that makes us more efficient， meaning that you can save a lot of time and that your body also can relax better and faster. This is what I've learnt from my own morning routines.

I for myself always prepare my first meal for the following day every evening. I take 300ml of water，30 grams of chia seeds， and a couple of oats（燕麦）and leave them in a plastic container in my fridge overnight. All I have to do in the morning is to add some fresh berries.

I also have my cup and my coffee capsule ready，and the first thing when I come out off the bathroom is to turn on the coffee machine while I'm getting dressed. Getting dressed is a good point. I have already prepared my clothes for work. So I don't get stuck in my decision whether I want to wear the white，black，purple or blue blouse.

After I'm dressed， my coffee is ready and while I'm quickly getting my hair and make﹣up done，I'll drink my coffee. I don't need usually longer than 30﹣40 minutes in the morning to get ready and leave the house. This helps me firstly to sleep a little bit longer and secondly not to be in a rush and be calm for the day.

So，my friends，try to apply some certain routines to your day and you'll see how your mind and your body will adapt to them and you have more energy to focus on important things.

1. What does the underlined word "that" in the first paragraph refer to？

A．A problem with a certain routine.

B．The link between routines and life.

C．A way of having a certain routine.

D．The benefit of having routines.

2. What does the author do the night before for her next morning？

A．She makes her coffee.

B．She does shopping for breakfast.

C．She gets her clothes ready.

D．She adds some berries to the container.

3. What can we know about the authors morning routines？

A．They keep her in high spirits.

B．They give her more time to rest.

C．They help her figure out problems faster.

D．They improve her ability to handle situations better.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing the text？

A．To help people to focus on important things.

B．To introduce how to adapt to routines in life.

C．To encourage people to have routines in life.

D．To teach people how to relax themselves in life.