Shared Services Need More Imagination
Suppose you need to drill a hole in the wall to hang an item but do not own a power drill. You may regard it as expensive to buy a power drill and consider renting one. Sharing is the solution. The sharing industry is an emerging. highly flexible economic network that allows people to share resources, either free or for a fee.
The important idea of the sharing industry is that people might only need an item for a relatively short period. The private part of shared services has been moving towards this area since the beginning of the 1980s, and then the public part has taken note of the benefits and continued for best practice. The United States and Australia among others have had shared services in government since the late 1990s.
With the rise of the sharing industry, the best-known shared bikes and shared cars have got a lot of public attention. This kind of transportation is so environmentally-friendly that it is increasingly popular among people in many cities.
Of course shared services don’t need to be limited to machines. The real pay-off in shared services probably lies in renting out smaller, less heavy items. For example, in today’s casual environment, you don’t need a tie unless you’re going to a wedding or a job interview. So some companies, would let you pick up a tie when you needed it and only when you needed it. Another example is an umbrella-sharing service. Since visitors don’t want to be carrying umbrellas all the way, it would be cheaper and easier to simply borrow an umbrella on one street corner and drop it off on another.
Recently organizations that have centralized their IT functions have begun to take a close look at the technology services that their IT departments provide for customers, evaluating where it makes sense to provide technology components. E-mall and scanning (归描) operations were obvious early candidates. Many organizations are now oftering their document-intensive operations is a shared service, There is no doubt that people are calling for the expansion of shared services to more and more treas.
1. What is the sharing industry?2. Why does shared transportation receive attention from people?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Shared services are getting increasingly popular for their convenience, but there are still calls for expansion to wider areas because they are currently restricted to machines
4. Please provide another example of shared services and explain your reason. (about 40 words)
2 . For decades, common wisdom held that how much we eat and exercise determines our weight. As researchers learned more about the human body, they discovered that what people eat plays an important role in weight gain and loss. This led to a wide range of dietary recommendations. Don’t eat fats. Avoid sugars. Eat protein at every meal.
Now researchers are discovering another factor that influences health and weight gain—when we eat. A growing body of evidence finds that the time of day when we consume calories affects weight gain and overall health.
The most recent study to support this idea was published this summer in the “Journal of Nutrition”. Data from the study came from broad questionnaires that explore the links between lifestyle, diet and disease.
Researchers found that participants who ate three meals a day and snacked between meals tended to gain weight over time, while those who ate one or two meals a day tended to lose weight. What’s more, participants who made breakfast their largest meal were less likely to be overweight compared to those who ate their largest meal at lunch or dinner. Those who ate breakfast were more likely to be a healthy weight compared to those who skipped breakfast.
The evidence on the benefits of having a big breakfast is strong enough that the American Heart Association has announced a statement that planning and timing meals and snacks is a healthier way of eating, and likely reduces the risk factors for heart disease. The statement stressed that eating breakfast is helpful in preventing diabetes.
“Meal timing may affect health due to its effect on the body’s internal clock,” said Marie Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City. She also explained that planning meals and snacks can help prevent emotional eating. “Many people find that emotions can cause desire to eat when they are not hungry, which often leads to eating too many calories from foods that have low nutritional value,” she said.
The take-home message here is pretty clear. Breakfast truly may be the most important meal of the day. Consuming more calories in the morning and fewer as the day goes on is an effective way to keep a healthy weight.
1. The first paragraph suggests that _______.| A．exercise makes us healthy and eat more | B．if we don’t eat sugars, we will lose weight |
| C．we should avoid eating protein at every meal | D．dietary habits are closely related to our weight |
| A．having breakfast can cure diabetes | B．meal times may have an effect on health |
| C．snacking may reduce the risk of heart diseases | D．eating habits can cure your emotional problems |
| A．Conclusion. | B．Decision. | C．Conversation. | D．Information. |
| A．examine the history of breakfast development | B．stress the benefit of eating dinner and snacks |
| C．explain the importance of breakfast | D．promote the idea of healthy food |
3 . The French Punishment
One day, Jim played basketball in the living room after school. When he was playing in high spirits, his basketball
While cleaning the vase after work, his mother
Before going to bed, Jim’s mother asked him to go to the study. He felt he couldn’t
When he entered the study in fear, his mother’s face appeared no sense of
“But, Mum, I ...” His mother
The following days were the same as before. The only
| A．hit | B．cut | C．held | D．pulled |
| A．moved | B．tired | C．upset | D．devoted |
| A．injure | B．pain | C．disease | D．trouble |
| A．noticed | B．enjoyed | C．marked | D．described |
| A．saw | B．broke | C．cleaned | D．hid |
| A．explaining | B．dreaming | C．lying | D．thinking |
| A．shocked | B．angry | C．silent | D．calm |
| A．know | B．avoid | C．receive | D．decide |
| A．surprise | B．suffering | C．anger | D．cruelty |
| A．gave | B．returned | C．paid | D．sold |
| A．fed | B．drew | C．bought | D．created |
| A．ability | B．speed | C．chance | D．time |
| A．So | B．And | C．But | D．For |
| A．new | B．special | C．important | D．basic |
| A．how | B．why | C．what | D．that |
| A．most | B．best | C．last | D．smallest |
| A．To | B．With | C．For | D．As |
| A．hurriedly | B．easily | C．eagerly | D．carelessly |
| A．stopped | B．forgot | C．beat | D．drove |
| A．power | B．report | C．idea | D．change |
Once when I was young and had a loose tooth, I asked my father, a dentist, to look at it. “It needs to be pulled,” he told me. I closed my eyes, scared of the experience. I was still waiting for him to pull it when I heard my father say, “I’m done.” I opened my eyes and saw my tooth in his tissue-covered hand. I hadn’t felt anything, and there was just a bit of blood on the tissues. I thought my father was a magician.
The next day at school I told a friend about my father’s remarkable skills. When I explained that the process hadn’t hurt, my friend called me a liar. He said that when his tooth was pulled, it had hurt a lot. I talked to my father about this and there was not a single mystery left after my father’s explanation. My tooth had been ready to be pulled, while my friend’s had not.
“I’m going to be a dentist,” I declared. I wanted to follow in the professional footsteps of my father, my uncle and grandmother. My father supported my ambition, honoring my interest in his profession even when I was young.
I was the only kid I knew who was excited about going to the dentist. I was amazed as my father operated machines and leaned over patients’ mouths with a tiny mirror fastened on his head. Once, when my dad was cleaning my mother’s teeth, he let me suction the saliva (用管子吸唾液) from her mouth. That was the first time I saw the inside of a human mouth close-up. I stared at the structure of my mom’s teeth, paying close attention and dreaming that one day I would see the same image as a dentist.
Years later, the dream of a child has not decreased but actually grown firmer. As time passed, I realized that hard work and effort are necessary to be a dentist, which made my ambition even stronger.
1. What happened to the writer when his tooth was being pulled?| A．His mouth hurt badly. | B．He felt no pain. |
| C．Great courage filled his heart. | D．A lot of blood came from his mouth. |
| A．His father involved him in dentist work. |
| B．His father let him pull his mother’s teeth. |
| C．His father took him to the dentist every day. |
| D．His father taught him the structure of human teeth. |
| A．My Father | B．Teeth Care | C．My Childhood | D．Dentist Dream |
5 . The Burj Khalifa, Dubai
The Burj Khalifa is the tallest man-made structure in the world. It is located in Dubai, which is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Burj khalifa is a skyscraper that has hotels, apartments, restaurants, and office space inside it.
The skyscraper is 828 meters tall, and it has more than 160 floors. There is an observation deck on the 124th floor and another one on the 148th floor. From the observation decks, visitors have an incredible view of the city and the Persian Gulf.
An architect from the US, named Adrian Smith, designed the building. Smith has designed many famous buildings around the world in places like China, Korea, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and the US. Workers from more than 100 countries helped to build the structure. They included people from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
It took six years to build the skyscraper. Construction workers began their work in January 2004. First, they had to dig a huge hole in the ground to create the building’s foundation. It took just over a year to get the ground ready. The workers started to build the tower in March 2005. More than a year later, in June 2006, the workers reached the 50th level. Seven months after that, they reached the 100th level. By July 2007, the skyscraper had 141 floors and passed the previous tallest building in the world to become the new tallest building. At the time, the tallest building was Taipei 101. However, the Burj Khalifa did not officially become the world’s tallest building until after it opened two and a half years later. There was a big launch ceremony to celebrate the opening of the building in January 2010.
The Burj Khalifa is just one of Dubai’s famous sights. The city has become a popular place for tourists in recent years, and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle East. Millions of tourists from around the world visit it every year.
1. What can we find inside the Burj Khalifa according to the passage?| A．Hotels and skyscrapers. | B．The Persian Gulf and hotels. |
| C．Restaurants and cinemas. | D．Apartments and office space. |
| A．About 141 floors. | B．Less than 124 floors. | C．Over 160 floors. | D．Around 148 floors. |
| A．In January 2004. | B．In June 2006. | C．In March 2005. | D．In July 2007. |
| A．the Burj Khalifa is the most famous sight in Dubai |
| B．the opening ceremony of the Burj Khalifa was in January 2010 |
| C．only workers from the Philippines helped to build the Burj Khalifa |
| D．the Burj Khalifa is the second tallest man-made structure in the world |
6 . When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn't buttoned up (扣上). The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for the first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.
The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends’ hand and said, “Can I talk to you for a minute？”
I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.
My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”
I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don't even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.
1. Where did this story happen?| A．Near a hotel | B．Outside a dance club |
| C．Behind a mailbox | D．In the dance club |
| A．He had been begging for a long time near the dance club. |
| B．He would spend the cold night at an expensive hotel. |
C．He was careless and didn't take good care of his child. |
| D．He might be just lying in order to get some money. |
| A．She wanted to tell him to give some more money to the stranger. |
| B．She believed her mother had already given the stranger some money. |
| C．She wanted to warn him not to be cheated by the stranger. |
| D．She asked her friend to pay more attention to the baby instead. |
| A．cheating | B．respecting |
| C．disappointing | D．understanding |
If you study British history, you may find the country went through several different names.The first name England now
Of the four countries, England is the
No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts.
I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.
It was a tradition for the school’s old team to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to realize that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were depending on me. I had to change my attitude about their ability and potential.
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. Most important, I began to treat them like winners. That summer, When the other teams enjoyed their vacations, we met every day and practiced passing and kicking the football.
Six months after suffering our defeat on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to improve. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a victory for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn’t what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest thrills of my life!
From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can affect the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and encouraged them. I helped them to see themselves differently, and they built themselves into winners.
Winners are made, but born.
1. Why did the author believe in their winning?2. Please paraphrase the underlined sentence in your own words.
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
＊The author attached great importance to the win in the match against the best team in the state and the team finally made it.
4. Who is the “coach” in your life? Tell the story between you and him/her. (about 40 words)
Body langage and
10 . A Teenage Inventor
The world could be one step closer to quick and inexpensive Ebola detection thanks to a teenager from Connecticut.
Olivia Hallisey, a junior at Greenwich High School, was awarded $50,000 in the Google Science Fair for her new method that detects Ebola, a virus that causes bleeding from different parts of the body and usually causes death. Olivia’s method is to ask patients to put their saliva (唾液) onto a testing card. The card changes color if the person is catching Ebloa. Present Ebloa tests take up to 12 hours and cost $1,000. Olivia’s method, however, can be done just in 30 minutes for about $25. Besides, the sample (样本) doesn’t have to be put in a refrigerator thanks to the silk material Olivia uses to produce the testing cards.
Olivia was inspired to deal with this global problem after watching the news that more than 10,000 people died from Ebola in West Africa. She was particularly worried about the fact that, while the acts of involvement can improve survival rates, present detection methods are costly, time-consuming and require complex tools. Olivia got help from her science research teacher. She drew out directions from past research, and figured out detection systems that have proven to work with other diseases, including Lyme disease and yellow fever.
“What affects one country affects everyone,”Olivia told CNBC. “We have to work together to find answers to the huge challenges which cause harm to the global health.” The Connecticut’s teen, who hopes to become a doctor one day, was named the Google Science Fair winner in the competition of 20 competitors from across the globe. The fair is open to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 in most countries.
Olivia hopes her success will inspire other girls interested in science and computers. “I would just encourage girls to try it in the beginning, and remind them that they don’t have to feel naturally drawn or feel like they have a special talent for maths or science,” she told CNBC, “but just really look at something they are interested in and then think how to improve something or make it more enjoyable or relate it to their interests.”
1. According to the passage, present Ebola detection methods______.| A．require samples to be kept in refrigerators |
| B．must use a large amount of samples |
| C．may detect other deadly viruses as well |
| D．have proven to be ineffective in practice |
| A．Admitted. | B．Controlled. | C．Attracted. | D．Exposed. |
| A．inventors | B．students | C．doctors | D．scientists |
