1 . William Gwyn Thomas, who used to be a dairy farmer in Lampeter, Ceredigion, has been cleaning trains at Carmarthen station for 25 years.
Gwyn is still working with a team as
Gwyn joined the train cleaning team in the late 1990s. He
Working from 7:30 pm to 2:30 am, Gwyn and his team clean each
The worst
“It’s annoying but there’s no point
TfW’s cleaning manager Wendy Jones described passionately Gwyn as “part of the
Wishing him a happy 80th birthday, he
| A．silently | B．gracefully | C．energetically | D．cautiously |
| A．working | B．driving | C．learning | D．farming |
| A．continue | B．concentrate | C．hesitate | D．finish |
| A．applies | B．exposes | C．owes | D．devotes |
| A．weaker | B．stronger | C．cheaper | D．colder |
| A．room | B．department | C．hall | D．carriage |
| A．cabs | B．shifts | C．performances | D．accidents |
| A．rewarding | B．exciting | C．challenging | D．surprising |
| A．dreaming about | B．complaining about | C．contributing to | D．submitting to |
| A．break away from | B．watch out for | C．give way to | D．get on with |
| A．conductors | B．workers | C．passengers | D．managers |
| A．structure | B．reform | C．schedule | D．platform |
| A．suggested | B．added | C．questioned | D．responded |
| A．true | B．poor | C．interesting | D．hopeful |
| A．depression | B．curiosity | C．bravery | D．pride |
2 . It’s not easy to find a job. Many jobs have age or experience requirements that you might not meet. On top of that, you need to juggle(应付)schoolwork, extracurriculars, and your social life. Fortunately, there are still some good jobs for you to start gaining working experience.
Tutor
Straight-A student? Then a job as a tutor(家庭教师)might be the best option for you. Helping younger students with their homework is a great way to put what you’ve studied to good use and make some extra money. One of the easiest ways to show that you’re qualified to teach other students is by listing your GPA(Grade Point Average) on your tutor resume.
Dog Walker
Love dogs? Then a position as a dog walker is the perfect fit for you. Dog walking requires no work experience and has flexible hours. However, you may need to do some shadowing or an interview before people trust you with their pets.
Delivery Driver
If you’re 16+ years old and have a driver’s license, you could try working as a delivery driver. Driving is a great way to gain relevant experience and show future employers that you’re responsible and work well under pressure.
Call Center Representative
If you don’t mind talking on the phone, then a job as a call center worker is a good choice for you. Working as a call center representative can even teach you some useful customer service skills that will help your career later on. To land a job at a call center, highlight your customer service and interpersonal skills on your resume.
1. Who are the passage intended for?| A．Parents. | B．Teachers. | C．Students. | D．Employers. |
| A．Relevant experience. | B．Timely homework completion. |
| C．Flexible time schedule. | D．Impressive academic performance. |
| A．Tutor. | B．Dog walker. |
| C．Delivery driver. | D．Call center representative. |
3 . At 98, Dick Van Dyke still sings with his group, The Vantastix, and still makes it all look easy. When asked how important it is that he’s having fun when he’s doing it, Van Dyke replied, “My whole career has relied on that. It’s such a blessing to find a way of making a living that you love. I feel so sorry for people who hate their job. I look forward to going to work every morning!”
And some of his work helped define a generation. Take “The Dick Van Dyke Show”; it ran for five years on CBS, and it was such a hit that they’re bringing it back. This week, CBS aired a two-hour tribute (致敬), “Dick Van Dyke, 98 Years of Magic”, and for the occasion, they recreated the original Dick Van Dyke Show” set, down to that well-known sofa.
Early in his career Van Dyke was quoted as saying he only wanted to make films his children could watch. That got the attention of Walt Disney, who promptly cast him in “Mary Poppins”. And his next few films were equally family-friendly, like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” which happened to have been co-written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. From then on, Van Dyke was almost always assigned to play the good guy, though he claims to have missed out on a choice part: “Yeah, I could have been James Bond. When Sean Connery left, the producer said, ‘Would you like to be the next Bond?’ I said, ‘Have you heard my British accent?’ That’s a true story!”
It seems that in show biz the true legends never stop. In an interview from 2017 with his friends, Van Dyke described what it was like hitting 90: “People are more afraid of aging than they are of death these days. And I want to say that remain young in heart and there’s a lot of good living to do.”
1. What can we infer from Dyke’s reply in Paragraph 1?| A．He enjoys his job. | B．He hates morning work. |
| C．He sees his job as a burden. | D．He prefers leisure to work. |
| A．They created a new set for his show. |
| B．They bought a famous sofa for him. |
| C．They made a special program for him. |
| D．They invited young generation to watch his show. |
| A．His films are rarely family-friendly. |
| B．His films are only made for his children. |
| C．Van Dyke was always playing the good guy. |
| D．Van Dyke had the chance to play James Bond. |
| A．Forever Young. | B．Work Comes First. |
| C．Always Have Fun. | D．Legends Are Timeless. |
4 . A walk around the workplace is also a trip back in time. The office is where colleagues meet, work and bond. But it is also a time capsule, a place where the traces of historic patterns of working are visible everywhere. The pandemic has heightened this sense of office as a dig site for corporate archaeologists.
The most obvious object is the landline phone(固定电话), a reminder of the days when mobility meant being able to stand up and keep talking. Long after people have junked them in their personal lives - less than 15% of Americans aged between 25 and 34 had one at home in the second half of 2021- landline phones survive in offices.
There might be good reasons for its persistence: they offer a more secure and stable connection than mobile phones, and no one worries that they are about to run out of battery. In practice, the habit of using them was definitely lost during the pandemic. Now they sit on desk after desk, rows of buttons unpressed, ring tones unheard.
Landline phones were already well on their way out before covid-19 struck. Whiteboard charts have suffered a swifter reverse. These objects signal a particular type of pain- people physically crowded together into a room while a manager sketches a graph with a marker pen and points meaningfully to the top-right-hand corner, giving requirements never to be satisfied. This manager is still making graphs but is now much more likely to use a PowerPoint. The crowd is still being tortured but is now much more likely to be watching on the screen. The office still has whiteboards, but they are left in corners and the charts on them are slowly yellowing.
Real archaeologists need tools and time to do their painstaking work: brushes, shovels and picks. Corporate archaeology is easier: you just need eyes and a memory of how things used to be. But you also need to be quick as more and more work places are revamped for the post-pandemic era. Now its time to take a careful look around the office: you may see something that will soon seem outdated.
1. Why does the author refer to the office as a time capsule?| A．You can travel back in time in the office. |
| B．You can dig out what has been buried for years in the office. |
| C．You can easily find some old-fashioned practices in the office. |
| D．You can work with archaeologists to study the history in the office. |
| A．Whiteboard charts went useless due to new technologies. |
| B．More employees prefer online meetings to physical gatherings. |
| C．Landline phones still exist in offices because they don’t need batteries. |
| D．Many employees show a negative attitude to some routine work in companies. |
| A．Transformed. | B．Abandoned. |
| C．Discovered. | D．Reserved. |
| A．The Impact of Pandemic on Workplace | B．The Archaeology of the Office |
| C．Why Landline Phones Went Outdated? | D．The History of Old-fashioned Objects |
5 . Career coaches provide a series of services, from helping you figure out what you want to do to exploring chances for career growth.
Know what type of professional you need to hire.
Try sample lessons to find the right one. Most coaches offer free sample lessons, which help you get to know their styles clearly. You may need a coach with career experiences, or you may need one who offers life advice. If you aren’t sure what you want, ask questions.
Consider cost, and make contact. Coaching fees are not the same. Some coaches charge more for polishing resumes, while others include that in the overall price.
| A．Make sure you have a well-designed resume. |
| B．You need to understand what you’re receiving for the expense. |
| C．Career coaches also provide services for your personal training. |
| D．Thus, you can assess whether the coach understands your needs. |
| E．Engaging with a career coach requires an investment of time and money. |
| F．Know which services you need and be open to services you don't know you need. |
| G．Career coaches can help you decide how to make full use of your professional potential. |
6 . I was 68 when I first stepped on stage as a standup comedian in 2003. I’d never set foot in a comedy club before. I’ve always been a performer - I’ve worked as a singer, actor and musician - but all that came to an end after 9/11. I live in New York, and we watched the twin towers fall from my apartment building. For a year afterwards, nobody wanted to go out or be entertained.
It was then that I started to think about comedy. I realised people needed to laugh, to enjoy themselves again, and thought that with a little training I could do it. I took a few classes, tried to work out a routine, and finally plucked up the courage to get up on stage. That first time was terrifying. I had no idea what the audience would make of me.
In New York, comedians are typically young men with beards. It’s hard enough to break through as a woman, even harder as someone old enough to be their grandmother. As I stepped on stage that first time, people laughed nervously. They were clearly surprised to see me. I introduced myself, stated my age and tried my first joke. There was silence. But by the time I got to the third line, people were properly laughing, I was addicted.
Now my sets differ. I might be on stage for 10 minutes in front of a dozen people, or my one-woman show is a full hour in front of a crowd of 100. Even today, I’m nervous before I step out. My first line is, “Hello, everybody. I’m 88 and three-quarters years old. I’m telling you that in case I don’t make it all the way through the show.” Then people laugh and I relax.
After a show, people young and old come up to me, saying what an inspiration I am. They say they want to be as active as me when they reach my age. I’m pleased I can show that as an older person you don’t need to take a back seat in life.
I’ve no intention of stopping comedy. I’m taking all these pills, trying to stay alive, and I hope to still be performing when I’m 100. My goal is to still be up there making people laugh. It’s hard work, but it stops me being bored. I’d only be playing golf otherwise
1. What made the writer take up comedy?| A．She wanted to overcome her fears | B．She wanted to brighten others’ lives |
| C．She was unwilling to quit performing | D．She wanted to work out a routine |
| A．To show the challenge she was facing |
| B．To explain her attraction to the job |
| C．To illustrate her special advantage |
| D．To describe her new friends in comedy |
| A．She now performs before larger audiences |
| B．She no longer feels nervous before performances |
| C．She remains on the stage for a longer time |
| D．She has learned to make a joke of her age |
| A．Age is just a number |
| B．Advancing years bring greater wisdom |
| C．Old age means a chance to sit back |
| D．Being elderly means you have to slow down |
7 . You may feel your backbreaking and low-paid part-time summer job isn’t worth you effort.
When landing a job, you’ll put yourself into unfamiliar territory and learn how to survive and develop there.
Hanging around all summer is a great way to relax, but it won’t contribute to your time management skill.
Chances are that your social circle is comprised of people in your age group. However, in a job, you’ll work with diverse groups of people, from whom you’ll learn varying viewpoints and experiences.
| A．Working will, though. |
| B．But such jobs uplift willpower |
| C．Not sure of your future profession? |
| D．Does a summer job help with college? |
| E．Actually, its added bonuses go beyond your wallet. |
| F．There’re various confidence-boosting challenges to overcome |
| G．You can develop friendships and increase your visibility as well |
8 . Martin was returning to work in his London office after spending two weeks with his brother in New York. He was coming back with a heavy heart. It was not just that it was the end of a wonderful holiday; it was not just that he invariably suffered badly from jet lag(时差); it was that Monday morning always began with a team meeting and , over the months, he had grown to hate them.
Martin was aware that colleagues approached these meetings with hidden agenda（会议议 程）; they indulged in(沉溺于）game playing ; and he knew that people were not being honest and open. The meetings themselves were bad enough---there was all the moaning afterwards at the meeting like “I could have improved on that idea, but I wasn’t going to say.”
As this morning’s meeting began, Martin prepared himself for the usual dullness and boredom. But, as the meeting progressed, he became aware of a strange background noise. At first, he thought that he was still hearing the engine noise from the aircraft that had brought him back to London. But as he concentrated on the noise, it became a little clearer.
He realized, to his amazement, that he could actually hear what they were thinking at the same time as they were speaking. What surprised him, even more than the acquisition of this strange power, was that he discovered that what people were saying was not really what they were thinking. They were not making clear their reservations. They were not supporting views which they thought might be popular. They were not contributing their new insights. They were not volunteering their new ideas.
Martin found it impossible not to respond to his new knowledge. So he started to make gentle interventions (干涉), based more on what he could hear his colleagues thinking than on what he could hear them saying. “So, John, are you really saying.....” “Susan, do you really think that?” “Tom, have you got an idea on how we could take this forward?” They looked at him, puzzled. In truth, he felt rather proud of his newly -acquired talent.
As the meeting progressed, it was clear to him that each member of the meeting was learning how to hear the thoughts of the others. The game playing started to fall away; people started to speak more directly; views became better understood; the atmosphere became more open and trusting.
The meeting ended. As people left the room, Martin found that he could still hear what they were thinking. “That was the best meeting we’ve ever had.” “All meetings should be like that,” “ In future, I’m going to say what I think.”
1. It is known from the first paragraph that Martin_____.| A．just came back from his business trip in New York |
| B．was found to suffer from a serious heart disease during the trip |
| C．had a good time during his fortnight’s stay in New York |
| D．didn’t like his work in his London office |
| A．Because it had to be held every Monday morning. |
| B．Because he was tired of hosting such a meeting |
| C．Because he couldn’t control the meeting that was out of order. |
| D．Because the meeting atmosphere wasn’t open and trusting. |
| A．still hear the engine noise of the plane though he was back |
| B．clearly hear what the members of the meeting were saying |
| C．actually control the thoughts of the members of the meeting |
| D．express what the meeting members were thinking based on their words and their thoughts |
| A．Martin made people say what they were thinking immediately the meeting began. |
| B．Martin was angry at the dullness of the meeting at the beginning of the meeting.. |
| C．Martin led people to express their real thoughts with the meeting progressing. |
| D．Many members of the meeting played games and told lies at the meeting all the time. |
| A．I was thinking of making a suggestion ---but I couldn’t be bothered. |
| B．I have got an idea on how we could take this forward. I think we should... |
| C．The usual people say the usual things, so I have no other new ideas. |
| D．I could have imagined on that idea, but I wasn’t going to say. |
1. What is the man doing?
| A．Placing an order. | B．Selling insurance | C．Conducting an interview |
| A．Finance | B．Education | C．Public Relations |
| A．Greater contributions to the neighborhood |
| B．Closer employer-employee relationship |
| C．More flexibility in providing services |
| A．To visit her parents | B．To call her relatives | C．To finish her work |
10 . Jenn Larson was just 14 years old when she took over the bookkeeping for her family’s dairy farm near Firth, Idaho. She soon saw firsthand how challenging it was for her parents, who lacked any college education, to properly manage the unpredictable earnings of farming. This started a lifelong passion for finance, and it led her down an unexpected path to becoming a role model she never had.
Yet, such ambitions ran in obvious contrast to everything familiar to her. “I didn’t have any advisors,” Larson says. “I didn’t have anyone to look up to for a professional example. All the women I associated with were stay-at-home moms.” Despite having parents who couldn’t fully understand her ambitions, Larson went to the BYU Marriott School, where she earned a business degree and focused much of her coursework on international finance.
Larson worked for seven years as a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual, advising clients on important financial decisions. Larson returned to BYU Marriott in 2008 to earn an MBA, and accepted a position in the school as an assistant professor following her graduation. For more than a decade, Larson has taught finance classes to undergraduate and MBA students. While she teaches finance, Larson tries to help her students see how mastering finance principles can also impact their personal lives.
Constantly balancing motherhood and work, Larson makes adjustments to the way she teaches. She gave birth to her first three children in three years while teaching at BYU Marriott, wondering at times if labor might start while in front of a class full of students. During the pandemic, Larson taught online classes from her dining room table while taking care of a newborn and other young children at home.
As a female instructor in the often male-dominated finance industry, Larson works to inspire other women who seek a similar path to hers. Larson became the role model that she never had — the example that a 14-year-old girl staring at a farming expense sheet couldn’t find. Now, Labor on’s children and students will always have that example.
1. What motivated Larson to major in finance?| A．Her experience of managing accounts. |
| B．Her strong desire for college education. |
| C．The high expectations from her parents. |
| D．The challenging labor on her dairy farm. |
| A．She had no one to ask for advice. |
| B．She was unsure about the coursework. |
| C．She was misunderstood by her neighbours. |
| D．She was unfamiliar with everything at school. |
| A．The work of looking after a baby. |
| B．The process of dealing with students. |
| C．The process of giving birth to a baby. |
| D．The work of adjusting teaching methods. |
| A．Following Your Interest |
| B．Balancing Work and Family |
| C．Becoming Your Own Role Model |
| D．Seeking a Way to Become a Role Model |
