1 . The term “quiet quitting” went viral last year, describing people who stay in their jobs but mentally take a step back—for example, working the bare minimum and not making their job the center of their lives. Now in 2023, there is a new workplace trend on the horizon, called “quiet hiring”.
Quiet hiring is a strategy used to fill the critical gaps in a company without hiring new employees. One company has a limited amount of talent and needs to make a call about where it’s going to have the best impact. This year it may need to add five more data scientists to its team to meet the strategic goals. As a solution, it may move five employees from another department only for a short time, like data analysts in the human resources and marketing department, into the five open data scientist roles.
In this case, the boss is saying, “We’re going to intentionally deprioritize (降低) support for HR and marketing for the next six months so that we can increase the productivity of our data science team, and we are saying this clearly. Everyone knows this.” The important distinction with quiet hiring is that a company is openly communicating with employees about its priorities and moving employees to areas that serve those priorities, instead of just loading employees with more work or simply hiring more people.
While being assigned to a new role may seem scary, quiet hiring should be beneficial to employees. If you were asked to take on additional responsibilities, it would indicate your value. Meantime you might say, “If it’s not possible to increase my payment, can we make it so that I can work from home five days a week，reducing my commute (通勤) costs? Or，could I work flexible hours, making it easier for me to live the rest of my life?” An individual conversation may be ineffective. If you’re part of a department or team being asked to switch roles, employ that power and approach human resources as a group.
1. What does the strategy of quiet hiring refer to?| A．Moving existing staff to new posts. | B．Adding more positions. |
| C．Employing new talents secretly. | D．Training new employees. |
| A．Innovations are highly valued. | B．Employees are burdened with extra work. |
| C．Employees’ shifts are announced beforehand. | D．Roles of departments are changed regularly. |
| A．Balance between work and life. | B．Take on new roles as a team. |
| C．Shoulder more duties on work. | D．Negotiate on extra jobs. |
| A．Hiring more or less? | B．Quiet hiring: An upcoming tendency |
| C．Quiet hiring: A workplace debate | D．Quiet quitting or quiet hiring? |
2 . With climate change continuing to worsen, our situation is beginning to feel increasingly serious.
Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solutions to ensure our future. It can be defined as a belief that future technologies will solve all of our current problems. This definition reinforces (强化) the idea that there’s no reason to panic or change our current energy-intensive lifestyle. All society needs to do is look to green technology to work its magic.
One of the best examples of this optimistic misconception is the electric car. Despite being highly regarded as an eco-friendly way to get around, electric cars are not the end for the future of transport. Batteries in electric cars use chemical elements which we could be seeing a shortage of by the midcentury.
Techno-optimism puts too much emphasis on technology and not enough on what we can do right this minute. Unfortunately, people seem to like the picture that techno-optimism paints.
| A．So where should we look for answers instead? |
| B．The modern world’s simple solution is technology. |
| C．Moreover, they are more energy intensive to produce. |
| D．Is it a trap that many people have fallen into in recent years? |
| E．Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous opinion to hold. |
| F．Despite any technology, we as a whole are not living sustainably. |
| G．Nevertheless, the truth is, we need a widespread change in our lifestyles. |
3 . Throughout history, many species of animals have been threatened with extinction. When Europeans first arrived in North America, more than 60 million buffalo (水牛) lived on the continent. Yet hunting the buffalo was so popular during the 19th century that by 1900 the animal’s population had fallen to about 400 before the government stepped in to protect the species. In some countries today, the elephant faces a similar challenge, as illegal hunters kill the animals for the ivory in their tusks.
Yet not all animals with commercial value face this threat (威胁).The cow, for example, is a valuable source of food, but no one worries that the cow will soon be extinct. Why does the commercial value of ivory threaten the elephant. while the commercial value of beef protects the cow?
The reason is that elephants are a common resource, while cows are private goods. Elephants wander freely without any owners. The hunter has a strong motivation to kill as many elephants as he can find. Because illegal hunters are numerous, each has only a slight motivation to preserve the elephant population. By contrast, cattle live on farms that are privately owned. Each farmer makes great effort to maintain the cattle population on his farm because he harvests the benefit of these efforts.
Governments have tried to solve the elephant’s problem in two ways. Some countries, such as Kenya and Uganda, have made it illegal to kill elephants and sell their ivory. Yet these laws have been hard to put into effect, and elephant populations have continued to dwindle. By contrast, other countries, such as Malawi and Namibia, have made elephants private goods and allowed people to kill elephants, but only those on their own property.
With private ownership and the profit motive now on its side, the African elephant might someday be as safe from extinction as the cow. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle pointed out the problem with common resources: “What is common to many is taken least care of, for all men have greater regard for what is their own than for what they possess in common with others.”
1. Why does the author mention buffalo in paragraph 1?| A．To introduce a similar threat to elephants. |
| B．To provide an example of species extinction. |
| C．To offer an explanation for government policies. |
| D．To present the statistics of the buffalo in America. |
| A．They are under different law protection |
| B．They attract different groups of hunters |
| C．They contain different commercial value |
| D．They represent different ownership types |
| A．Bans on killing elephants for ivory |
| B．Effective laws for elephant protection. |
| C．Methods of making elephants private goods |
| D．Government policies on the elephant’s problem |
| A．People hold little regard for others’ property |
| B．People want to profit from common resources |
| C．People care more about their own possession |
| D．People tend to take what they own for granted |
4 . Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16 - year - old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent - child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warm that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the "before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40 - year - olds, were on the ‘after’' side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
1. The underlined word gulf in Para. 3 most probably means ________ .| A．interest | B．distance |
| C．difference | D．separation |
| A．Parents help their children develop interests in more activities |
| B．Parents put more trust in their children's abilities |
| C．Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs |
| D．Parents share more interests with their children. |
| A．follow the trend of the change | B．can set a limit to the change |
| C．fail to take the change seriously | D．have difficulty adjusting to the change |
| A．describe the difficulties today's parents have met with |
| B．discuss the development of the parent - child relationship |
| C．suggest the ways to handle the parent - child relationship |
| D．compare today’s parent - child relationship with that in the past |
5 . My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, WE USED 2go 2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & thr 3 :-@ KIDS FTF. ILNY, its gr8.
Can you understand this sentence? If you can’t, don’t feel too bad: neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on the Internet or cellphones. To newcomers, it can look like a completely foreign language.
School teachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming (破坏) the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes can be seen in students’ writing. They fear the language could become corrupted (面目全非的).
Everyone should just relax, say linguists (语言学家). They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nurnberg, from Stanford University, agrees. “People get better at writing by writing,” he says. “Kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mail, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than, their parents.”
Linguist James Milroy says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And when today’s teenagers become tomorrow’s parents, they too will think this way. Milroy argues that languages do not and cannot become “corrupted”; they simply change to meet the new needs.
However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write Standard English. Cynthia McVey says, “I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it’s important that they tell their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but that learning to write proper English is a must for their future.”
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To give the main idea. | B．To raise a question. |
| C．To compare an example. | D．To lead in the topic. |
| A．Middle school teachers. | B．Parents. |
| C．Linguistics. | D．Teenagers. |
| A．Cynthia McVey | B．David Crystal |
| C．Geoffrey Nurnberg | D．James Milroy |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
| A．Netspeak: the Language on the Internet |
| B．Is Netspeak Helpful in Language Learning? |
| C．Is Netspeak Harming the English Language? |
| D．Netspeak: Advantages and Disadvantages |
6 . At some point in life， many people suffer a mental problem． While most people get over it， for others it doesn't go away easily．
The World Health Organization （WHO） says that about 20 percent of children and teenagers across the globe suffer from mental illness． It's thought that the number of children and teenagers with mental illness around the world will increase by half by 2020． It will become one of the main causes of disease， disabilities and even death．
The reason for mental problems among young people may be the increasing pressure in life． Study and relationships have always caused huge stresses for school children． For instance， they experience school bullying（欺凌）and academic pressure．
In China， the picture isn't bright， either． About 30 million Chinese children and teenagers under the age of 17， or 10 percent of children and teenagers in China， have a mental health challenge， reported China Daily．
Also， according to China Daily， Chinese people don't seek help with their mental problems． They fear that others will think less of them if they admit that they are in trouble． Many Chinese people are ashamed of their mental problems and mental illness is taboo（禁忌）in any Chinese families．
In the UK， over three-quarters of young people believe their mental health problems have a social shame and a quarter of young UK people wouldn't ask for help if they developed a mental problem．
Young people who don't seek help for their condition may be creating problems for themselves in the future． If you feel something is wrong within you - seek help．
Feeling down？ Here are three things to try if you feel low．
●Go to a psychology teacher． The teacher will listen to you and offer help - for free!
●Call 800-800-1100． It's the number of a hotline run by the Mental Health Research and Prevention Center． The line is open 24 hours a day．
● Tell your parents and visit the hospital if the situation gets out of control．
1. According to the WHO， about ______ of children and teenagers worldwide experience mental illness．| A．10 percent | B．one fifth |
| C．30 percent | D．three quarters |
| A．they think less of their mental problems |
| B．they fear that they may get into trouble |
| C．they are ashamed to admit having mental problems |
| D．they are unwilling to avoid their mental illness |
| A．consulting their teacher |
| B．calling a hotline for advice |
| C．communicating with their parents |
| D．hiding their mental illness from others |
| A．To analyze the major causes of young people's mental illness． |
| B．To describe the current situation of young people's mental health． |
| C．To encourage young people to deal with their mental problems properly． |
| D．To introduce mental problems to Chinese young people． |
7 . For an increasing number of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs, coupled with the aging of the baby-boom generation, a longer life span means that the nation’s elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995.The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions and in law and business as well. “In addition to the doctors, we’re going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers,” says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California’s (USC) School of Gerontology(老年学).
Lawyers can specialize in “elder law”, which covers everything from trusts and estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination. Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. “Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money,” one professor says.
Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was “really bored with bacteria.” So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, “I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying.”
1. With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit ________.| A．from the adoption of the “elder law” |
| B．from presenting their professional services to the elderly |
| C．by enriching their professional knowledge |
| D．by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests. |
| A．Retirees who are business-minded. |
| B．The volunteer workers in retirement homes. |
| C．college graduates with an MBA or law degree. |
| D．Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology. |
| A．Retirees are more generous in spending money. |
| B．They can employ more gerontologists. |
| C．The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power. |
| D．There are more elderly people working than before. |
8 . Nov 21 is United Nations' World Television Day. While many of us today take the television for granted, it's actually one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.
But there is undoubtedly a bad side to TV.
Still, the United Nations says that TV "continually invites people to explore beyond their living rooms," and that is undoubtedly true.
While television is indeed a brilliant tool, let's not forget about the people sitting next to us on the couch. After all, what good is watching something interesting if you don't want to share your opinions on it?
| A．Think about life before television. |
| B．What would our life be like without TV? |
| C．As we know, information is of great value to our life. |
| D．TV changed the way that we relate to the world forever. |
| E．People were able to communicate better and address issues faster. E. It could be said to have destroyed communication as much as it strengthened it. G. But sometimes, this "exploration" is at the expense of ignoring the people closest to us. |
9 . I was first introduced to Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) when I watched a special on Animal Planet. This non-profit organization is the brainchild of Gloria Gilbert Stoga, a kind-hearted woman from New York PBB is a program in which specially-selected prisoners from prisons are trained in the preparation of puppies to become service dogs for the handicapped(残疾人), or police dogs to serve police forces.
My wife and I were so moved when we watched the program. It is a win-win situation at all points. First, it makes a prisoner, who may never have the chance to be released, go back to the community by joining in this program and offering every minute of every day working, loving, and training a puppy for future service. It is difficult for them, but they realize the importance of this program. In addition, most of them have the chance ( for the first time in their lives) to experience warm love through an animal.
Second, the program saves tens of thousands of dollars that it would cost to train these dogs through traditional ways. All donations to the program are used to buy dog food, training supplies, and veterinary care.
Finally, our society benefits from service dogs which can protect people from danger, search and rescue humans after a serious disaster, or become the lifeline for a handicapped person. The last of these goes far beyond the fact that dogs can open.
Fridges, answer the phone or do a dozen other daily tasks. They give a sense of freedom back to a person who has had it taken away by illness, accident, or warfare.
Because of this we have given a lot of monetary support of this meaningful program.
1. What does the underlined word "brainchild" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Founder. |
| B．Idea. |
| C．Pain. |
| D．Wealth. |
| A．are being trained for the government |
| B．will be adopted by prisoners |
| C．will serve the disabled and police |
| D．can play games with children |
| A．be for policemen and prisoners |
| B．be spent on things for dogs |
| C．be used to train dogs in traditional ways |
| D．be handed out to the disabled |
| A．To ask people to support the police. |
| B．To indicate the significance of PBB. |
| C．To call on people to care for dogs. |
| D．To praise Gloria and her workmates. |
10 . You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature. But, rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation (撤离) of an island nation—the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.
During the 20th century, sea level rose 8—12 inches. As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water which has polluted the country’s drinking water.
Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.
Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, which are a main cause of global warming. “By refusing to sign the agreements the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years,” Laupepa told the BBC.
Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries, Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable (易受影响的) to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311,000 an “endangered nation”.
1. The text is mainly about .| A．rapid changes in earth’s temperature |
| B．bad effects of global warming |
| C．moving of a country to a new place |
| D．reasons for lowland flooding |
| A．greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations |
| B．higher surface water temperatures of the sea |
| C．continuous global warming |
| D．rising sea levels |
| A．agree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions |
| B．sign an agreement with Tuvalu |
| C．allow Tuvaluans to move to the US |
| D．believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real |
| A．Australia | B．New Zealand |
| C．the Maldives | D．the United States |
