1 . I am Nasilele, from Zambia, working as a UN Peacekeeper for the past two years. Though Zambia is a very ______ country I was aware that there are other countries in Africa, where there has been a lot of violent ______. I felt it was my ______ to help innocent people who are caught in the middle of these conflicts, so I ______ the United Nations.

My ______ are from many different countries, which is a good thing as it ensures that there are many different cultures and ______ all working towards the same goals. Our ______ vary with many different tasks from one day to the next. We ______ cities and villages to ensure that no conflict is occurring, help bring ______ of food and medicine to those who need it and write reports on everything we do and see.

As a woman, I am particularly ______ by the United Nations Peacekeepers as I can act as a role model for many women and girls in the country, helping them feel that they also ______ to be respected and treated ______.

My life as a peacekeeper is all about long hours in a very ______ environment. I have basic ______ with just a bed in a shared room and a small kitchen and bathroom. However, I know that what I do is ______.

1.

A．appealing

B．beautiful

C．peaceful

D．historical

2.

A．bond

B．friction

C．border

D．relation

3.

A．debt

B．determination

C．pleasure

D．obligation

4.

A．sign off

B．look for

C．signed up with

D．turn to

5.

A．colleagues

B．staff

C．soldiers

D．workers

6.

A．backgrounds

B．regions

C．groups

D．situations

7.

A．requests

B．beliefs

C．roles

D．choices

8.

A．investigate

B．monitor

C．resolve

D．urge

9.

A．orders

B．discoveries

C．offers

D．supplies

10.

A．valued

B．understood

C．agreed

D．helped

11.

A．require

B．deserve

C．tend

D．like

12.

A．differently

B．cautiously

C．rudely

D．equally

13.

A．harmonious

B．tough

C．attractive

D．boring

14.

A．adaptation

B．dedication

C．recommendation

D．accommodation

15.

A．valueless

B．affordable

C．worthwhile

D．successful

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A shorter work week was found to promote employees’ happiness.

Findings from a pilot program     1     (publish) after 61 British companies were enrolled in a trial four-day work week, with employees working an average of 34 hours per week between June and December 2022 without pay cuts.

The program has been considered as     2     great success in the past two months, as employees reported improved well-being and a     3     (major) of participating companies said they would keep the change.

The companies     4     adopted a four-day work week were from a wide range of sizes and were permitted     5     (design) a policy according to their own needs, with the only conditions being that pay was not cut and employees were given a “meaningful” reduction in work time. The employees surveyed said they     6     (feel) less anxious, less tired and were sleeping     7     (well), but the benefits were not limited to workers. Data also showed staff losses dropped     8     57 percent in the trial period.

At the end of the six-month trial, 56 of those companies decided to stick with a four-day work week, and 18 did so     9     (permanent). Charlotte Lockhart, co-founder and managing director of 4 Day Week Global, said the results were     10     (inspire) and findings from similar programs around the globe would be coming.

3 . I had a good job in the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company. After working for this first-class ________ for fourteen years, I got to ________ what it would be like to design a job around what I enjoyed most while using my strongest skills. I hoped to spend the next ________ of my career doing what I loved most and spend more time with the people I ________ most, my wife and sons.

My wife was a stay-at-home mom, so I would sacrifice (牺牲) our only income and insurance for nothing more than a ________ . Yet, after ________ extensive (广泛的) research, reading books on how to launch this type of business, calling the authors for additional details, freelancing (从事自由职业) for ad agencies and design firms to ensure I could write on any subject, and purchasing insurance, this goal slowly developed from ________ to probable.

I ________ then that author Henry David Thoreau was onto something when he said, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” At thirty-seven, I had a window of opportunity to ________ a dream — to run a home-based business and spend more time with my family. I pulled the plug (终止) — and ________ my advertising and executive speechwriting business in June 1991 — thirty-two years ago. While working with different clients and sharpening my writing skills on ________ subjects, I watched my sons grow up for ten years, played hundreds of unscheduled backyard baseball games, and enjoyed countless father/son ________ while walking around the block.

How would I have ________ if I had never taken a ten-year break from my corporate (公司的) career? It’s a question I've asked myself before. The answer? I’d have more money in the bank — but I would also have a major deficit (赤字) in my memory ________ .

Life provides windows of opportunity, but they close quickly. For me, to remain in my former company during this “window” came at a price too high. Thoreau was right; I wasn’t willing to ________ more of my family life for my professional life.

1.

A．college

B．company

C．gym

D．gallery

2.

A．submit to

B．jump at

C．think about

D．rule out

3.

A．stage

B．process

C．term

D．development

4.

A．met

B．witnessed

C．believed

D．loved

5.

A．dream

B．hope

C．request

D．prediction

6.

A．controlling

B．working

C．conducting

D．carrying

7.

A．incredible

B．impossible

C．average

D．unremarkable

8.

A．called

B．gained

C．misunderstood

D．realized

9.

A．chase

B．abandon

C．cite

D．refuse

10.

A．introduced

B．presented

C．launched

D．attended

11.

A．developmental

B．multiple

C．grateful

D．creative

12.

A．conferences

B．sessions

C．chats

D．workshops

13.

A．benefited

B．promoted

C．consumed

D．strengthened

14.

A．garden

B．bank

C．quarry

D．ward

15.

A．transform

B．alter

C．adapt

D．exchange

4 . You hate me. You don’t even know me and you hate me. Before we’ve even spoken, you hate me. At least that’s how it feels on my end of the call as a female collections officer at a call center.

I dread the moment when I have to log on to our phone system first thing in the morning because I never know who is going to be on the other end of that call.

Sometimes it’s an easy task. The caller is pleasant and has accepted personal responsibility for their debts, and we get through the phone call with ease. Then there are the ones who call in looking for a fight, or looking for someone to blame. Through the luck of the phone system, that person is me.

I’ve had people who shout at me, call me horrible names, accuse me personally of taking their money and threaten me. Why? I think it’s because I am invisible. I think I would be treated with the same level of disrespect if we were face to face. Fortunately for me, I have had years of experience in customer service, so I’m fairly rich in not letting the negative encounters bother me.

The biggest and most effective skill when it comes to the job is empathy (同理心). I can appreciate the situation which the caller is in because I’ve been there. That’s why I’m good at my job — I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to help.

Some days though, no matter how much I try to leave the stress behind when I hang up the phone, it stays with me. I may do some deep breathing, go for a quick walk or simply stick my head outside for a burst of fresh air. I do this so I don’t carry that negativity on to my next call. That next call may be a person having the worst day of their life, but I don’t want to ever be the one who makes it worse. We are all humans just trying to get by in life, which makes you and me equal. So please, the next time we talk, remember that.

1. What does the underlined word “dread” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Enjoy.

B．Fear.

C．Expect.

D．Avoid.

2. Why does the author think some callers treat her badly?

A．They get angry too easily.	B．They blame her for their debts.
C．They do not see her as a real person.	D．They accuse her of taking their money.

3. Why does the author think she is good at her job?

A．She can offer callers best advice.	B．She is always respected by callers.
C．She can put herself in others’ shoes.	D．She isn’t easily influenced by negativity.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in writing this text?

A．To call for understanding of her job.	B．To explain why she is good at her job.
C．To introduce what she is responsible for.	D．To complain about her being treated badly.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman plan to work as this summer?

A．A volunteer.

B．A nurse.

C．A doctor.

2. Who had medical examinations from July 15 to July 31 last year?

A．The elderly over 55.

B．The adults over 30.

C．The children under 5.

3. What does the woman say about the work?

A．Everyone has to be always polite.

B．Everyone has to arrive early.

C．None has much time to rest.

4. What does the woman advise the man to wear?

A．Comfortable shoes.

B．Light clothes.

C．Loose trousers.

10 . What might the woman be good at?

A．Looking after kids.

B．Taking care of elderly people.

C．Teaching people how to find a job.