1 . 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? |
2 . Life is like a roller coaster; every point has ups and downs. The truly victorious people stay committed to their broad goals even in unplanned circumstances. One true example of such people comes from a woman passionate about spreading happiness and helping others. Nicole Thornes is a mother, a former police officer, and now serving society as a death doula.
Believing small efforts could comfort individuals and unite society, Nicole thought a police officer had the opportunity to prevent crime, bring justice and create a better society for everyone. She was determined to become a police officer to protect life and bring prosperity. All her passion and motivation drove her to pursue a Criminal Justice degree to become a police officer.
Although she became a mother during her studies, she didn’t give up on her passion. Nicole could have called off her studies, but her passion for serving society didn’t let her step down. She took a break from her studies when her kids needed more attention but later came back to continue her study and completed her degree. Nicole finally became a police officer and everything went according to her plans.
But uncertainty put her in a challenging situation. Nicole suffered from an injury. The sudden medical retirement called off her journey as a police officer, but her dreams and passion did not let her stop. So, she became a death doula, allowing her to be there for people whenever needed and provide comfort to the dying and their families during difficult times. She chose this field after her grandfather’s death. She couldn’t bear the pain of losing him; therefore, she decided to become a death doula and contribute her services to help those suffering from the pain of losing their loved ones.
Nicole Thornes has written her book, Daddy’s Home, covering true events of losing someone and inspiring readers to cope with the feelings of emptiness and recover from mental illness after losing someone close. Daddy’s Home inspires readers and tells them the importance of a new beginning, helping people lighten the burden from their chest after the grief of losing someone.
1. What can be learned about Nicole Thornes?| A．Nicole Thornes dreamed of becoming a police officer since she was born. |
| B．Nicole Thornes pursued a Criminal Justice degree, but she gave up halfway. |
| C．Nicole Thornes took up a writing career immediately after getting physically hurt. |
| D．Nicole Thornes wrote a book, impressing on readers the significance of a new start. |
| A．The unbearable pain brought by her grandfather’s death. |
| B．Her break from academic studies to take care of her kids. |
| C．Her sudden medical retirement due to her incurable injury. |
| D．Her determination to finish writing her book, Daddy’s Home. |
| A．a death fighter | B．a special trainer |
| C．a support giver | D．a creative police officer |
| A．Nicole Thornes and her dream |
| B．The ups and downs of Nicole Thornes |
| C．Nicole Thornes: The writer of Daddy’s Home |
| D．Nicole Thornes: The journey from a police officer to a death doula |
3 . The local education department is looking to hire an additional two part-time employees to support its ongoing mobile library van project. The projected working hours shall be an average 23 hours per week spread out over 5 or 6 days from Tuesday to Sunday.
PAY RATESPay rates are competitive and are split into three pays bands: Weekdays 9am-6pm paid at $5.50 per hour, weekdays 6pm-9pm paid at $7.50 per hour, and work on weekends anytime 8:00am-8:00pm will be paid at $10 per hour.
QUALIFICATIONSQualifications for the position are minimal in that there are no specific qualifications required. However, regarding experience, previous library experience is preferred but not absolutely necessary. What is considered to be beneficial for the applicant is having good people skills and a strong desire to help people. A good knowledge of software programs and computers is required, so this position would favor an applicant with excellent computer skill. A valid driving license is essential.
BENEFITSThe employee will also be eligible for certain other benefits, such as full health insurance, whilst pension contributions and paid annual leave will be calculated on a pro rata basis. Free access to all library materials both physical and digital will be offered to the employee with certain limits depending on customer demand.
WORKING DAYSThese could be scheduled anytime from 9am-9pm midweek and 8am-8pm over the weekend Breaks (per day) will be calculated as follows: 0-3 hours = no break, 3-5 hours = 20 minutes, 5-7 hours = 40 minutes, 7-9 hours=60 minutes (taken as 2x 30 minutes), and working 9-11 hours =80 minutes (taken as 2x40 minutes). These breaks are mandatory by law.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS & NOTIFICATIONSFirstly and most importantly is that the employee must be completely flexible to work any shifts as needed, and that work schedules will be planned monthly in advance. On Mondays the mobile library van is closed for regular maintenance and cleaning. The employee will never be asked to work over 30 hours per week unless agreed upon in advance with the employee.
1. If Simon works 4 hours a day from Wednesday to Saturday, how much will he be paid at most per week?| A．$106. | B．$120. | C．$124. | D．$130. |
| A．Adequate computer skills. | B．Previous working experience. |
| C．Good communication skills. | D．An interest in literature. |
| A．Health & Diet section. |
| B．Job Hunting section. |
| C．Education section. |
| D．Book Review section. |
8: 45 AM.
Hi ladies. We have a new client that just called this morning. Are either of you free to take the job?
Athena
8: 46 AM.
What's the location of the job? And what is the client expecting?
Paula
8: 47 AM.
Mrs. Hunter lives at the intersection of Maple Street and Givers Rd. She has a fairly large 3500 square foot house, and would like someone to come for 5— 6 hours each week, preferably on a Monday, to clean it.
Athena
8: 48 AM.
Sorry, that's too far for me to go. And I already have a regular client in the afternoons on Mondays.
Julie
8: 49 AM.
I can probably do it. I don't have any clients on Mondays at the moment.
Athena
8: 50 AM.
Make sure you negotiate the hours with her. Or let her know how much you can physically clean in 5. 6 hours.
Julie
8: 51 AM
I think it'd be fine. I'm sure she's not expecting one person to clean the entire house in those hours.
Paula
8: 52 AM
I can call her back to get some more details. It's always better to make sure both parties have the same expectations.
Julie
8: 53 AM
OK. Both of you have way more experience than me so I'll definitely listen to your advice.
Paula
8: 54 AM
Julie, I'll let you know when I've talked to her. You might have to call her yourself later, too.
1. What could the name of this company be?
| A．Drivers for Hire | B．Maid Service Plus | C．Accountants R Us | D．Toys Toys Toys |
| A．Let the client know her age. | B．Clarify workload and working hours. |
| C．Give the client a piece of her mind. | D．Have an honest conversation with the client. |
| A．She's the organizer. | B．She's the new hire. |
| C．She's in the marketing department. | D．She's in the technology department. |
5 . People often imagine that a knowledge of languages is sufficient to make an interpreter. Of course it is a prerequisite, as are two hands to a professional boxer. But just as the fact of having two hands does not make a boxer, so the knowledge of different languages, be they many or few, does not make an interpreter. It is only an instrument which you must learn how to use in a particular way — for which you may or may not be gifted.
The basic qualities required of the interpreter are not exceptionally rare, but their combination is very uncommon. They are:
(1) A capacity for being passively receptive, i.e. for drinking in readily and without any personal reaction all that may be said by the speaker.
(2) The type of quick-wittedness which makes for prompt and effective repartee (妙语), interpretation being a sort of mental game of tennis.
(3) A good memory, because all the tricks of the trade are intended only to make up for its deficiencies. Two things are expected of the interpreter’s memory: first, that it should store up an exceptionally large vocabulary in the related languages and supply instantly the required word or phrase; second, that it should retain for a very brief period(seldom more than one hour) a picture as full, detailed, and accurate as possible of what has just been said after which the interpreter will be well advised to wash his mind clear of most of what he has memorized. In this latter function, the interpreter’s memory is therefore the reverse of the comedian’s. Whereas the actor has ample time to learn his part, gradually, and methodically, and is then expected to remember it over a long period and repeat it on a succession (连续) of occasions, the interpreter must wholly commit to his memory fleeting thoughts and words as they fly past, and then bring them back to mind only once, a very short while later.
The work of the translator and that of the interpreter are fundamentally different and can hardly be combined. Very rare indeed are people who can do both. The reason for this is clear: the translator can or should search at leisure for the accurate term, as well as effort to express himself in the best possible grammar and style; he may re-write the same paragraph ten times or more, improving it each time; he may consult all dictionaries and reference books, and ask for help and advice. The interpreter, on the other hand, is given hardly any time to think, can consult neither books nor friends, and must “put across”, immediately and as accurately as possible, whatever the speaker wishes to convey. But he may express nuances (微妙) by varying the tone of his voice, he may paraphrase when he does not find the exact word, he may repeat, correct or add to what he has just said, if he sees that he was not properly understood. These are in reality two contrary techniques.
1. Interpretation is similar to playing tennis in that both need _________.| A．two hands | B．quick response |
| C．mental fitness | D．good muscle memory |
| A．memorize all that is said and remember it for a long time |
| B．memorize the important part of what is said and remember it for a long time |
| C．memorize for a short period all that is said and then forget about it |
| D．memorize all that is said gradually and completely |
| A．It is not necessary for the interpreter to possess all the basic qualities. |
| B．It is uncommon for the interpreter to possess all the basic qualities. |
| C．Certain qualities are more important than the others. |
| D．Only two of the qualities are actually required. |
| A．The qualities required of a translator are basically opposite what is required of an interpreter. |
| B．Being an interpreter is more stressful because an interpreter cannot take back what has been said. |
| C．Putting effort into combing the qualities of a translator and an interpreter can enhance their performance. |
| D．The qualities of a translator are easier to obtain than those of an interpreter. |
6 . Imagine if your journey to work was from your bedroom to your living room. More and more people in the UK are doing their jobs at home.
Baz works as an engineer in a West London factory. He’s been an engineer since he left school - but he’s not very optimistic about his future. Heavy industry in the UK has almost disappeared. More people work in Indian restaurants than in steel, coal and shipbuilding put together! Baz also often gets tired of his long journey to work. Whether he travels by car or by public transport, it can take up to two hours a day.
His sister, Liz, lives in the north of England. She’s an Information Technology (IT) trainer at a college. Once every four weeks, she meets her trainees in person, but most of her training is done through IT.
Baz’s wife, Helen, seldom travels to work at all. She’s a graphic designer for a London advertising company. Once she’s got the children off to school, she starts work in front of her computer screen. She’s currently designing publicity material for a major London festival. When she’s finished her designs, she sends them electronically to her director. He works from home too - occasionally they meet up for a coffee.
Most people in the UK, like Baz, spend hours travelling to work - and complain about it, too. But an increasing number of people work as telecommuters, like Helen or Liz. Almost all of their work is done online or by phone. There are a million telecommuters in the UK, about 10 percent of the workforce.
1. Heavy industry has almost disappeared, so________.| A．more people work in steel |
| B．more people work in restaurants |
| C．more people work in coal |
| D．more people work in ship-building |
| A．at a college | B．in person | C．through IT | D．by phone |
| A．people who work at home with the help of a phone and the network |
| B．people who send messages over long distances by telephone, radio, television, etc. |
| C．people who speak to each other using telephone and video connections |
| D．people who take photos for people from different places to make a living |
| A．Baz, Liz and Hellen |
| B．A new way of working |
| C．Jobs in the future |
| D．Technology creates new jobs |
7 . Trust me — I am expedition doctor
Ever since I was a young child, I’ve had a taste for adventure, but I never imagined I’d be able to satisfy this passion at regular intervals because of my chosen career.
My work as an expedition (探险队) doctor has taken me all over the world. However, my favourite trips, and the ones in which I now specialise, are those involving mountains. Never do I feel more inspired by nature than when I look up at their towering peaks and begin to prepare myself mentally for the challenges ahead.
I trained as a doctor in the UK, but there was little in that training to prepare me for binding up a broken leg during a storm on the side of a mountain! In fact, I’d say that medical skills come some way down the list of job requirements, after endurance, flexibility, problem-solving and communication.
This kind of medicine is a million miles away from the controlled, germ-free environment of a hospital, and your medical kit basically consists of whatever you can carry, so you sometimes have to be prepared to improvise (即兴做). For example, I’ve learned that some drugs can be used for several conditions, and I’ve even had to resort to cutting branches off a small tree to make a stick to support a broken arm.
That isn’t to say that you can’t train to be an expedition doctor; on the contrary, there are some excellent courses available. Not only do they teach medical techniques, but also practical skills such as carrying out risk assessments, crossing rivers safely and using satellite phones. The first course I did included a session on expedition dentistry, though I must admit I still don’t like the idea of pulling out someone’s tooth!
I do most of my work for adventure holiday companies, travelling to remote places. When I started out, these holidays were quite rare, but they have become much more mainstream now that we’ve all seen celebrities climbing Kilimanjaro or watched reality shows about people surviving in jungles.
I do have mixed feelings about all these people with large amounts of disposable income coming to poor areas just for their own enjoyment, so I try to make sure that the companies I work for have high ethical standards and benefit the local communities. And of course, tourism provides employment, and also opens the eyes of rich visitors to the hardship that many people are forced to endure.
I realise that this kind of life isn’t for everyone, but I’d recommend that all doctors try it at least once, if only to make them appreciate the comforts of their usual working environment!
1. The author feels that he has been________.| A．obliged to choose his career | B．lucky with his job |
| C．obsessed with his adventure | D．inspired by his patients |
| A．They are less important than practical skills. |
| B．They are strictly required as the most important. |
| C．They are adequately attained in medical schools. |
| D．They are an underlying part of practical skills. |
| A．They keep their equipment in a backpack. |
| B．Things can happen that they don’t expect. |
| C．They don’t have the resources of a hospital. |
| D．They are required by the patients on the trip. |
| A．they organise expeditions in the remote areas he enjoys visiting |
| B．they appreciate the comforts of the unusual working environments |
| C．he wants to make sure that his clients are safe at all times during the expedition |
| D．he feels uncomfortable about the difference between rich tourists and poor local people |
| To: ackard@mkk.com From: sandyp@mkk.com Subject: Confidential: Managerial Advice Date: Feb. 16, 2022 |
| Hi Dan, I’m writing to ask if you could give me advice. Please note that this must all be kept secret. I am emailing you because I know that you are a trusted friend, and you have had experience in this area. I’ve been obliged to reduce my department’s budget within the month, too. I’m not looking forward to this and am not sure where to begin since I hope that I won’t have to create any layoffs. Long story short, I would really appreciate meeting with you at some point to see if you can offer up any advice or suggestions. Thanks in advance. Regards, Sandy |
| To: sandyp@mkk.com From: ackard@mkk.com Subject: Re: Confidential: Managerial Advice Date: Feb. 17, 2022 |
| Hi Sandy, I’m glad that you thought of me as someone to go to. I definitely don’t mind being your sounding board, and I can meet with you anytime starting next Monday. I realize that you may want to start thinking of some ideas sooner than later. My biggest piece of advice to you is to make sure you feel your way among your staff to get an impression of how people are currently coping with our company’s economic situation. Talk to them and find out what’s important to them. Of course, do it casually so that no one’s guard is up. Email or call me to let me know when you want to meet. Dan |
| A．Firing bad employees |
| B．Cutting costs and expenses |
| C．Figuring out the new computer program |
| D．Combining the two divisions of the company |
| A．Start questioning all workers under her. |
| B．Act carefully and find out employees’ thoughts. |
| C．Give out a questionnaire (问卷) for everyone to fill out. |
| D．Require extra overtime from staff members. |
| A．listener | B．examiner | C．designer | D．informer |
9 . Women are still underrepresented in top academic positions. One of the possible explanations for this is the increasing importance of obtaining research funding. Women are often less successful in this than men. Psychology researchers Dr. Romy van der Lee and professor Naomi Ellemers investigated whether this difference also occurs at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and examined potential explanations.
The researchers were assigned by NWO to carry out this study as part of the broader evaluation of NWO’s procedures and its gender diversity policy. The aim was to gain more insight into the causes of the differences in awarding rates for male and female applicants for research funding. The analysis addressed an important “talent programme” of NWO, the Veni grant. “Whoever receives this grant has a greater chance of obtaining an important appointment at a university, ” says Naomi Ellemers.
Van der Lee and Ellemers investigated all the applications submitted by male and female researchers over a period of three years: a total of 2823 applications. Under the direction of NWO these applications were assessed by scientific committees consisting of men and women. The results demonstrate that the awarding rates for female applicants (14.9%) are systematically lower than those for male applicants (17.7%). “If we compare the proportion of women among the applicants with the proportion of women among those awarded funding, we see a loss of 4%,” said Ellemers.
The study reveals that women are less positively evaluated for their qualities as researcher than men are, “Interestingly the research proposals of women and men are evaluated equally positively. In other words, the reviewers see no difference in the quality of the proposals that men and women submit,” says Romy van der Lee.
In search for a possible cause for the differences in awarding rates and evaluations, the researchers also investigated the language use in the instructions and forms used to assess the quality of applications. This clearly revealed the occurrence of gendered language. The words that are used to indicate quality are frequently words that were established in previous research as referring mainly to the male gender stereotype (such as challenging and excellent). Romy van der Lee explains: “As a result, it appears that men more easily satisfy the assessment criteria, because these better fit the characteristics stereoty-pically associated with men.”
In response to the results of this research, NWO will devote more attention to the gender awareness of reviewers in its methods and procedures. It will also be investigated which changes to the assessment procedures and criteria can most strongly contribute to more equal chances for men and women to obtain research funding. This will include an examination of the language used by NWO. NWO chair Jos Engelens said, “The research has yielded valuable results and insights. Based on the recommendations made by the researchers we will therefore focus in the coming period on the development of evidence-based measures to reduce the difference in awarding rates.”
1. Van der Lee and Ellemers carried out the research to find out whether _________.| A．women are less successful than men in top academic positions |
| B．female applicants are at a disadvantage in getting research funding |
| C．NOW’s procedures and gender diversity policy enhance fair play |
| D．there are equal chances for men and women to be admitted to a university |
| A．grant receivers were more likely to get appointments at universities |
| B．men applicants for research funding outnumbered women applicants |
| C．the research proposals of women are equally treated with those of men |
| D．the reviewers have narrow, prejudiced conceptions of women candidates |
| A．The words used in the instructions and forms. |
| B．The reviewers’ preference to applications. |
| C．The methods and procedures for evaluation. |
| D．The vague and unclear assessment criteria. |
| A．Eliminate possibilities for difference in awarding rates. |
| B．Design a language examination for all the reviewers. |
| C．Emphasize the importance of gender awareness. |
| D．Improve the assessment procedures and criteria. |
10 . Personality may play only a small part in leadership effectiveness, but there is no doubt that some leaders have a certain magic that leaves peers envious and followers entranced. If you could bottle this leadership X-factor—charisma—the queue of interested executives would be a long-one. But what qualities can these often highly successful leaders be said to possess?
As individuals, charismatic leaders have highly developed communication skills, including the ability to convey emotions easily and naturally to others, says Ronald Riggio, professor of leadership and organizational psychology. “They are able to inspire and arouse the emotions of followers through their emotional expressiveness and verbal skills.”
“They connect with followers because they seem to truly understand others’ feelings and concerns.”
“And they are great role models because they have the ability to engage others socially and display appropriate role-playing skills that allow them to walk the talk” Professor Riggio says.
“One quality we like in our leaders is if they are seen to really represent us. We think someone is more charismatic, the more they represent our collective identity,” Professor Van Knippenberg says. In this way, a charismatic leader is somehow a larger-than-life version of ourselves.
Academics say that charismatic leaders also manage to stand out from the crowd. They might do this by being unconventional or by taking a different approach to problem-solving, for example.
“They are up for new things, and they are not stuck in the status quo. They are open to out-of-the-box thinking, etc. An optimistic, energetic quality helps us to see leadership qualities in them and makes us open to their influence,” he says.
“A lot of charismatic leadership, and leadership in general, is very contextual. It’s really good in entrepreneurial firms. It’s also good for turnarounds if the organization is in a bad state because it inspires”, says Kai Peters, the chief executive of Ashridge Business School.
But not every organization needs a charismatic leader. Leaders loaded with the X-factor can be narcissistic (自恋的), self-glorifying, exploitative and authoritarian. As Peters says: “Where it is a problem is where you have ‘look at me, I’m a star.’’’
1. Which word is closest in meaning to “charisma” in the first paragraph?| A．Charm. | B．Character. | C．Gratitude. | D．Optimism. |
| A．proper role-playing skills | B．subtle emotional expressiveness |
| C．marvellous problem-solving ability | D．unconventionality in the crowds |
| A．The one who has a heroical image. |
| B．The one who can speak for us. |
| C．The one who is a collective version of us. |
| D．The one who resembles us in characteristic. |
| A．Critical. | B．Approved. | C．Neutral. | D．Suspicious. |
