1 . On January 15th, the Guardian showed off its new, smaller look, shifting from its distinctive “Berliner” format to a tabloid(娱乐小报) shape with a redesigned logo in black type. But the more dramatic makeover is of the financial books of Guardian Media Group (GMG), publisher of the Sunday Observer and the daily Guardian, which may find its new operation in the black next financial year. A newspaper business that two years ago was threatened with existentially worrying losses appears on the edge of breaking even.
The turnaround is partly due to steep cost-cutting, which is a dog-bites-man story in journalism. But the Guardian would manage the achievement while still giving away news free online, and that is a story worth telling.
In January 2016 David Pemsel, the new chief executive of GMG, and Katharine Viner, the new editor-in-chief of the Guardian, informed staff that GMG’s endowment fund, meant to ensure the financial security of the paper in the long run, had lost £100m ($140m) in just half a year, taking it to £740m. Mr Pemsel was advised by industry peers to cut costs and put online news behind a paywall. He and Ms Viner cut costs by 20%, or more than £50m. Alan Rusbridger, Ms Viner’s predecessor(前任), had led the newspaper to global relevance with a large online readership. But he spent without thinking of the consequences. In two years GMG has reduced its employees by 400, to about 1,500.
Yet unlike a growing number of newspapers, the Guardian has not put up a paywall. Instead it has pursued a membership model, asking online readers to contribute whatever they like. About 600,000 now do, with annual payments or one-off amounts. American readers tend to choose the latter option, Ms Viner says. GMG says the total figure amounts to tens of millions of pounds per year. Ms Viner says revenue from readers (including 200,000 print subscribers) is now greater than revenue from advertisers.
The result is steadily declining operating losses: from £69m two years ago to £45m last financial year and, Mr Pemsel says, less than £25m in the year that ends on April 1st. He predicts breaking even next year. Giving up its own printing presses and going tabloid will help, saving several million pounds a year. The Guardian may now physically look more like its peers, but its turnaround story remains distinctive.
1. The phrase “in the black”(Paragraph 1) most probably means ______.A.making profit | B.taking on a new look |
C.losing support | D.enjoying great popularity |
A.He advised GMG to cost costs. |
B.He got the Guardian into trouble. |
C.He was the founder of GMG’s endowment fund. |
D.He was fired due to his failure to bring the Guardian online. |
A.To pay as they like. | B.To skip the advertisements. |
C.To join its membership club. | D.To connect to other newspapers. |
A.The Guardian has been reduced to a tabloid. |
B.The Guardian succeeds by giving away news free online. |
C.The Guardian turns around by looking more likes its peers. |
D.The Guardian has broken even by cutting its operation costs. |
We all need a little motivation when it comes to working out, and GymPact is the perfect way to get inspired.
How does it work? Make a commitment to work out a certain number of times a week. Choose the amount of money you are willing to risk if you don’t reach your goal. If you don’t achieve your goal? Your credit card gets charged. Achieved your goal? You get paid! The days of being paid to work out have finally come!
Compatibility(兼容性): iOS and AndroidZombie, Run! 2
That’s right. The zombie craze has even reached the fitness world. This action packed app adds an element that is sometimes missing from other workout apps-fun.
Zombies, Run! and Zombies, Run! 2 mix games and stories into your run as you complete missions in a world with zombies. Whether you’re gathering supplies, saving a human, or out-running a crowd of the undead, this app excites your normal jog with imagination and competition.
Compatibility: iOS and AndroidWeight Watchers Mobile
Sure, you’ve heard of Weight Watchers, but there is a reason this company has been around so long. Their system gets great results—plain and simple.
Weight Watchers Mobile is a great way to track your calorie consumption by using their point system. Not only can you enter and search for different foods in their database, you can scan barcodes for instant information about what you’re eating. The app counts down your available calories by day and also by week.
Weight Watchers Mobile even has a section to find foods from your favourite restaurants, and information on portion control and healthy eating. Their clean-looking, easy-to-use interface makes dieting more manageable and straightforward.
Compatibility: iOS and Android1. What’s the purpose of GymPact?
A.To reward those who keep their word. | B.To teach the importance of working out. |
C.To show how to earn money by exercising. | D.To help people stick to their workout plan. |
A.Zombies are used to train users to run faster. |
B.The app users are to compete against zombies. |
C.It is designed to make running more enjoyable. |
D.This app can improve both health and imagination. |
A.record your calorie intake | B.easily organize your diet |
C.order foods from a restaurant | D.get information about foods |
Wearing Helmet
Some kids ride through city bicycle lanes like a professional, and others set out alone down quiet country lanes. However, every day, an average of more than 500 children with bike-related injuries are treated in U.S. emergency departments, according to an analysis of injury data from 2006 to 2015. Those wearing helmets were significantly less likely to have head and neck injuries, the study found. And although children tend to wear helmets more consistently than adults, many still ride without one.
Along with calling for safer, more bike-friendly streets, it’s important to choose a helmet that will help protect your child from injury in a fall or a crash. When you’re choosing a helmet, focus primarily on ensuring the correct fit. “A poor fit will impact the protection a helmet can provide,” says Angela Lumba-Brown, an emergency medicine physician at Stanford Health Care.
The best way to find the right size is to take your child into a bike shop and have them try on helmets with a sales associate who’s familiar with the options, says Brad Bowman, product manager at Gregg’s Cycle. If you choose to buy online, Bowman suggests measuring your child’s head with flexible measuring tape about an inch above the eyebrows before choosing a size.
Helmet sizes are measured by head circumference (圆周), and helmets usually come with adjustable dials to accommodate a range of circumferences. For example, a 3-to-5-year-old child might wear a helmet with a 50-to-52-centimeter circumference. Bowman suggests choosing one that fits comfortably but also allows for a bit of growth. Once a sales associate helps you identify the right-sized helmet, adjust the dial until the helmet feels tight but isn’t causing the child discomfort. “After you dial in the fit, if you pull up lightly on top of the helmet, it shouldn’t come off their head,” he says.
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A.controversial | B.corresponding | C.characteristic | D.subsequent |
A.pursuit | B.ambition | C.transformation | D.interpretation |
6 . Many questions can be expected in advance and it’s wise to have some well-constructed answers that you can tailor more closely on the day. It’s sensible to have a number of key phrases to use. Remember to always try and make your answers positive.
Q1: Tell me about yourself. (The interviewer is really saying “I want to hear you talk.”)
A1: This is just to get things started, but it is a very common question. Write a script, and practice it so that it sounds natural. Spend a maximum of four minutes describing your qualifications, career history and your range of skills. Emphasize those skills that are relevant to the job on offer.
Q2: What have been your achievements to date? (The interviewer is saying “Are you an achiever?”)
A2: Again, this is a common question, so be prepared. Select an achievement that is experience-related and fairly recent. Identify skills you used in this achievement and say what the results were.
Q3: What do you like about your present job? (The interviewer is really trying to find out whether you will enjoy the things the new job has to offer.)
A3: This is a straightforward question. All you have to make sure is that your ‘likes’ correspond to the skills etc. required for the job on offer. Be positive, describe your job as interesting and diverse, but do not overdo it. After all, you are leaving?
Q4: What are your strengths? (The interviewer simply wants a straightforward answer as to what you are good at.)
A4: This is the one question that you are definitely going to get, so there is no excuse for being unprepared. Concentrate on discussing your main strengths. List three or four explanations of how they could benefit the employer. Strengths to consider include technical proficiency; ability to learn quickly; determination to succeed; positive attitude; your ability to relate to people and achieve a common goal. You may be asked to give examples of the above, so be prepared.
Q5: Tell me about the most difficult situation you’ve had to face and how you handled it.
(The interview is really trying to find out your definition of “difficult” and whether you can show a logical approach to problem solving using your initiative.)
A5: This can be a trap! To avoid it, select a difficult work situation that was not caused by you and which can be quickly explained in a few sentences. Explain how you defined the problem, what the options were, why you selected the one you did and what the outcome was. Always end on a positive note.
1. The passage is mainly intended to ________.A.highlight the importance of looking positive in an interview |
B.give suggestions on how to answer interview questions |
C.provide some sample answers to interview questions |
D.illustrate how to look confident in an interview |
A.talk about what you dislike about it |
B.comment positively on your colleagues |
C.relates it to the job you are applying for |
D.describe how interesting it is as far as possible |
A.Tell me about yourself? |
B.Tell me about your strengths? |
C.What have been your achievements to date? |
D.How did you handle the most difficult situation? |
A.on top of | B.with regard to | C.at the expense of | D.on account of |
A.one | B.that | C.those | D.all |
9 . Top Exhibitions to See in London in 2023
Architectural: Vanishing Points
While we like to think of architecture existing purely in the real world, emerging designers and architects are using platforms like Instagram to create structures in the virtual world. This collection of works, which range from the practical to the fantastical, are all by architects who have gathered significant social media followings.
In the Digital Universe at ROCA London. 8 February—31 July, free.
Flowery: Orchids
This annual festival is back in bloom (开花), this time inspired by the beauty and biodiversity of Cameroon. Just like previous years, the orchids are spread throughout the various zones of the Princess of Wales conservatory and accompanied by sculptures that are just as colourful as the flowers on display.
At Kew Gardens. 4 February —5 March, &16.50—entrance to the gardens included.
Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint
Art history has often shone a light on the men of Abstract Expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Well, now’s the time to let the most important women of the movement take the limelight in an exhibition that includes works by American artists such as Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler, but spreads the net wider to include the female abstract artists from Europe, Asia and the wider world, with whom most of us will be unfamiliar.
At Whitechapel Gallery. 9 February—7 May, £ 16.50—concessions available.
Powerful Portraits (肖像): Alice Neel
The largest UK exhibition to date of American painter Alice Neel’s work will bring together her figurative pieces from across her 60-year career. Neel went against the popular grain by painting figures when abstract works were most popular, and she painted subjects that other artists ignored — pregnant women, labour leaders, black children, civil rights activists and strange performers. It’s high time we had a major show of her work in London, and the Barbican has duly provided.
At Barbican Art Gallery. 16 February—21 May, & 18.
1. Which of the following exhibitions is held once a year?A.Flowery: Orchids. |
B.Powerful Portraits: Alice Neel. |
C.Architectural: Vanishing Points. |
D.Female Abstraction: Action, Gesture, Paint. |
A.On February 8. | B.On January 7. | C.On April 7. | D.On May 8. |
A.She is 60 years old now. |
B.Her works didn’t follow the trend. |
C.She often ignored some common subjects. |
D.She is the most popular American painter in the UK. |
If you’ve ever sent an email that started with the words ”Just sending a friendly reminder to please...“ we have some bad news for you: It probably backfired. Not only are “friendly reminder” emails one of the annoying email habits you have, but everyone also secretly hates them.
To you, reminder email could simply be “a friendly way to ask for something that’s late,” Fast Company writes. But unfortunately, that might not be the message coming across to your coworkers. You need to quit this bad email habit and stop sending them immediately, and here’s why.
For one, if you use “hedge words” such as “kind of,” “maybe,” “probably.” etc., they will decrease your credibility with your coworkers. Although you might insert those phrases for a softer tone, they also make you sound insecure and not confident. Be clear with your choice of words, choosing the straightforward “sending a reminder,“ instead. Trust you’re your employees will appreciate the directness.
But that’s not even the worst part. It’s also easy for those reminder emails to get lost in people’s inboxes, if not ignored immediately. With countless emails flooding in per day, yours could easily get lost in the shuffle. Very likely, your coworkers will hit the ”delete“ button.
Still, you need to get their attention somehow, right? After all, you have a job to do! Once you send the classic reminder email, try scheduling a meeting with the person via calendar invite. Even re-sending the classic reminder email with a red “urgent” flag could do the trick. Doing so is practically guaranteed to get the message across - and still save face with your coworkers.
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