1 . Since its founding in 1923, Yellow Corporation has been a leader in the transportation industry, using trucks to transport goods between points in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For decades, Yellow achieved success by concentrating virtually all of its attention on increasing efficiency at every turn. Yellow has long been a master at ensuring that trucks are full before they have a warehouse, and it has also developed precisely time delivery schedules.
Unfortunately, Yellow eventually fell victim to its own success. As operational efficiency increased, customer service received less and less attention, and before long, newer and more responsive companies were taking away the firm’s customers. Accompanying this problem was the fact that the customers most likely to seek a more service-oriented transportation provider were also the ones willing to pay high prices for the extra service. As a result, Yellow’s financial performance began to decline, slowly at first, but then more dramatically. Naturally, the decline in profit led to even worse across-the-board service.
To help turn Yellow around, the board of directors offered Bill Zollars the position of CEO. Already a highly respected manager, Zollars was attracted by the opportunity to revitalize the carrier. Zollars quickly learned that organizational change at Yellow would have to be fundamental. Over a period of decades, people throughout the company were often willing to do only the minimal amount necessary to get their jobs done. Zollars knew that he had to alter the attitudes, behavior, and performance of 30,000 employees. He began by improving communication. The CEO spent 18 months traveling to several hundred locations, and at each site, he talked face-to-face with customers and with employees at all levels. He asked for opinions and provided his own message---namely, that enhanced customer service was to become the firm’s new focus.
Zollars’s plan consisted of more than promises and motivational speeches. While previous leaders often didn’t focus on problems and refused to reveal information about the firm’s performance, Zollars openly acknowledged the company’s defect rate---the percentage of shipments that were late, wrong, or damaged. Employees were shocked to find that the rate was 40 percent, but that knowledge was necessary to enhance motivation and set a benchmark for improvement. Zollars also instituted the company’s first ongoing program for surveying customer satisfaction, and the results were reported openly throughout the company. Zollars made a real effort to listen to employees, gave them authority to make decisions, and developed an enviable reputation for honesty and commitment. “If people doing the work don’t believe what’s coming from the leadership,” says Zollars, “it doesn’t get implemented.”
1. What caused Yellow Corporation’s financial performance to decline?| A．There was suddenly some difficulty finding enough warehouses. |
| B．Fewer customers were willing to pay high prices for extra services. |
| C．More transportation providers emerged with the market expanding. |
| D．It put more emphasis on operational efficiency than on customer service. |
| A．He communicated with customers in person. |
| B．He employed some highly respected managers. |
| C．He reevaluated all the employee’s performance. |
| D．He estimated the minimal amount of job each should do. |
| A．the precise calculation of the company’s defect rate |
| B．the ongoing survey of the employers’ satisfaction |
| C．the improvement of the leadership’s confidence |
| D．the revelation of information to the employees |
| A．The CEOs of Yellow Corporation |
| B．The Future at Yellow Corporation |
| C．The Success of Yellow Corporation |
| D．The Turnaround at Yellow Corporation |
2 . Gone are the days when a mother’s place was in the home: in Britain women with children are now as likely to be in paid work as their unburdened sisters. Many put their little darlings in day care long before they start school. Mindful that a poor start can spoil a person’s chances of success later in life, the state has intervened ever more closely in how babies and toddlers are looked after. Inspectors call not only at nurseries but also at homes where youngsters are minded; three-year-olds follow the national curriculum. Child care has increasingly become a profession.
For years after the government first began in 2001 to twist the arms of anyone who looked after an unrelated child to register with the schools, the numbers so doing fell. Kind but clueless neighbours stopped looking after little ones, who were instead herded into formal nurseries or handed over to one of the ever-fewer registered child-minders. The decline in the number of people taking in children now appears to have halted. According to data released by the Office for Standards in Education on October 27th, the number of registered child-minders reached its lowest point in September 2010 and has since recovered slightly.
The new lot are certainly better qualified. In 2010 fully 82% of nursery workers held diplomas notionally equivalent to A-levels, the university-entrance exams taken mostly by 18-year-olds, up from 56% seven years earlier, says Anand Shukla of the Daycare Trust, a charity. Nurseries staffed by university graduates tend to be rated highest by inspectors, increasing their appeal to the pickiest parents. As a result, more graduates are being recruited.
But professionalization has also pushed up the price of child care, defying even the economic depression. A survey by the Daycare Trust finds that a full-time nursery place in England for a child aged under two, who must be intensively supervised, costs £194 ($310) per week, on average. Prices in London and the south-east are far higher. Parents in Britain spend more on child care than anywhere else in the world, according to the OECD, a think-tank. Some 68% of a typical second earner's net income is spent on freeing her to work, compared with an OECD average of 52%.
The price of child care is not only eye-watering, but has also become a barrier to work. Soon after it took power the coalition government pledged to ensure that people are better off in work than on benefits, but a recent survey by Save the Children, a charity, found that the high cost of day care prevented a quarter of low-paid workers from returning to their jobs once they had started a family. The government pays for free part-time nursery places for three-and four-year-olds, and contributes towards day-care costs for younger children from poor areas. Alas, extending such an aid during stressful economic times would appear to be anything but child’s play.
1. Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph?| A．Nursery education plays a leading role in one’s personal growth. |
| B．Pregnant women have to work to lighten families’ economic burden. |
| C．Children in nursery have to take uniform nation courses. |
| D．The supervision of the state makes child care professional. |
| A．the registered child-minders are required to take the university-entrance exams |
| B．the number of registered child-minders has been declining since 2001 |
| C．anyone who looks after children at home must register with the schools |
| D．the growing recognition encourages more graduates to work as child-minders |
| A．prevents mothers from getting employed |
| B．may further depress the national economy |
| C．makes many families live on benefits |
| D．is far more than parents can afford |
| A．The professionalization of child care has pushed up its price. |
| B．The high cost of child nursing makes many mothers give up their jobs. |
| C．The employment of more graduates makes nurseries more popular. |
| D．Parents in Britain pay most for child nursing throughout the world. |
Ind.Trading .com
Jakarta, Indonesia
Brief
Job Category: Media & Journalism
Job Type: Full-time
Salary Range: IDR 6,000,000-8,000,000
Industries: Classifieds, E-Commerce Platforms
Job Description &Requirements
Responsibilities:
Responsible for selecting the writers, planning the content and publishing schedule, assign them stories and edit their articles, write larger stories, oversee feature and business editors.
Responsible for creating original that fits our brand, engage customers across all marketing channels, including but not limited to websites and social media.
Responsible for setting the tone, editorial direction and policies.
Responsible for the overall and day to day management and supervision of the News Department.
Develop, implement and improve digital content & digital program.
Ensure the final draft is complete and there arc no omissions, cross-checking facts, spelling, grammar, writing style and page design.
Maintain and build good relationship with internal and external.
Motivate and develop News Department team.
Requirements:
Passionate about writing and journalism articles on business aspect & having a good leadership.
Familiar and able to write the articles in business aspect.
Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising/ Media/ Journalism, Mass Communications or equivalent.
Good in communication, content development and management skill.
At least 5 years of working experience in the related field.
Internet ability with a good sense of content that works well online.
Preferably Manager/ Assistant Managers specializing in Journalism/ Editor or equivalent.
A team player who cooperates well with internal teams on original ideas, best practices and optimalization.
Full-time position(s) available.
Applicants must be willing to work in JL. Meruya ilir Raya, Business Park Kebon Jeruk Jakarta Barat
Required skills
Copywriting & Editing, Creating Writing
1. This job advertisement is most likely to appear________ .
| A．in a magazine | B．in a newspaper | C．on a poster | D．on a website |
| A．establish good relationship with colleagues and customers |
| B．select capable writers and give them special training |
| C．decide on the tone, style and details of the articles |
| D．read the first draft carefully and correct errors |
| A．have the ability to plan the content |
| B．possess a bachelor’s degree in business |
| C．be able to write creative articles in different aspects |
| D．have the experience of being a manager or equivalent |
4 . Brief Introduction of 21st Century English Education Media
China Daily launched the first 21st Century newspaper on May 5, 1993 as an English education weekly for Chinese students to learn English. Today, the brand consists of both print and digital platform, through which it constantly provides quality content. The 21st Century brands involve print media, new media, teaching research, brand activities and research training, establishing it as China’s leading brand in English education.
We Are Looking For: native English-speaking sub-editor
Job Description:
1) copy-editing stories written by staff and from other media sources
2) writing headlines, checking and contributing ideas for story selection and writing
3) helping production and development of other editorial materials - producing written content, recording audio/video material, hosting new media programs, etc.
Job Requirements:
1) a university degree (bachelor's or master's) in journalism with over two years' work experience in either journalism or teaching English.
2) skillful at writing content, including headlines.
3) the capability to work to a deadline in a team atmosphere.
Location: Beijing
Benefit package:
1) salary with bonus with a 12-month contract renewed annually
2) free on-site accommodation with water, gas and electricity all covered
3) roundtrip airfare
4) medical insurance
5) paid vacations, free workday meals, etc.
To apply, please send your resume and article samples (particularly pieces on culture, arts, entertainment, sports and science) to: wangru@
| A．The 21st Century newspaper is aimed at helping Chinese students learn English. |
| B．The 21st Century newspaper is published every month. |
| C．We can either read the print or the digital version of the newspaper. |
| D．It plays an important role in China’s English education. |
| A．teaching Chinese students English. |
| B．editing the stories written by others. |
| C．propose ideas to story selection and writing. |
| D．helping with the work of other editorial materials. |
| A．should have a university degree in language education. |
| B．doesn’t need to have related working experience. |
| C．should include one of his/her articles in the application e-mail. |
| D．doesn’t need to have the ability to cooperate. |
5 . The professional life of 22-year-old David Bloomfield takes many shapes. You might see him as a bad-tempered businessman, a money-hungry nephew, a suspicious neighbour or a jealous husband. Sometimes he may be a murder victim — or he may be a cold-hearted killer. David is a member of an acting company called Nightshade, who create and perform “interactive murder mysteries”.
Although these events can be held in someone’s home, they usually take place in a hotel, where guests come for an evening or a weekend. Having planned out a story in which at least one character will be killed, the actors play the main parts themselves. There is no stage — the audience is part of the scene as the action unfolds. Members of the audience share meals and conversations with the characters, they can ask questions and they listen for clues. At the end, like Poirot or Miss Marple, they have to solve the mystery and work out who the killer is.
David has been working with Nightshade for two years. At school he studied drama and he had learned roles in school theatre productions. But he might never have thought of this particular job if he hadn’t had a stroke of luck. He explains, “I was working at weekends as a waiter at the Grange Hotel where the company performs regularly. I’d watched their performances and I knew how the event worked. So when one of the actors became ill, I volunteered to take his part. It was a last-minute decision and they were taking a big risk with me, but I must have done quite well because they invited me to stay with them for the rest of the season. And I’m still with them now.”
David is enthusiastic about his work. Mixing with the audience makes it a real challenge, he says, “Every event is different. You can’t just rely on a script like most actors and you never know quite what to expect. You have to be creative and quick-thinking to create a convincing character while keeping the mystery alive. I love all that. It must be great to work in films or on a TV mystery series like Poirot, but I know I’d miss what you get from interacting with a live audience.”
1. Which of the following statements is true of interactive murder mysteries?| A．Audience prefer to be given roles to play. |
| B．What actors can do includes changing the storyline. |
| C．Actors don’t know the endings before the performance. |
| D．It is usually the audience who find out who the murder is. |
| A．It happened by chance. | B．It was what he dreamed of. |
| C．He prepared for it for a long time. | D．He needed a part-time job then. |
| A．he was invited to keep acting with Nightshade |
| B．he volunteered to replace someone who was ill |
| C．Nightshade made a risky decision when they employed him |
| D．Nightshade waited until the last minute to decide to have him on the stage |
| A．The audience are enthusiastic. | B．The mysteries are hard to crack. |
| C．The scripts themselves are unusual. | D．The interactive events are unpredictable. |
6 . An employee whose personality traits closely match the traits that are ideal for his or her job is likely to earn more than an employee whose traits are less congruent (一致的), according to new research.
Findings from previous research have shown that some personality traits are generally beneficial when it comes to a work environment. Being highly conscientious (勤勉认真的), lead researcher Jaap J.A. Denissen notes, is connected with being hard-working and well-organized, qualities that are typically prized in employees. But Denissen questioned the idea that there is an ideal personality type. The researchers thought that the match, or mismatch, between a person's traits and job requirements, might be important when it comes to important outcomes like income.
The researchers developed a new way of directly comparing the fit between a given employee and a given job, using the well-established Big Five personality traits to quantify (量化) the traits that a job requires. The researchers examined personality, yearly income, and jobs of 8,458 persons living in Germany.
The results showed that fit really does matter, at least when it comes to extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experiences. For these three traits, greater congruence between an employee's own personality and a job's requirements was connected with higher income. Importantly, the data also showed that employees who were more agreeable, more conscientious, or more open to experiences than their jobs required actually earned less than people who had congruent levels of those traits.
The researchers note that additional studies will be required to understand how job experiences, job satisfaction, and job performance might influence the association between the individual job personality fit and income. The results of the present study do suggest that achieving the right fit requires a special approach to knowing both personal traits and job-related traits. Paying attention to the approach could have important implications for both employees and employers.
1. What does the previous research show?| A．Conscientious people earn much. |
| B．Certain personality traits are advantageous in jobs. |
| C．Job requirements are decisive in choosing an employee. |
| D．People's income can be predicted simply by the work environment. |
| A．How the new research was done. |
| B．A study on Big Five personality traits. |
| C．Denissen's opinions on previous research. |
| D．Why certain personalities are needed for a job. |
| A．Employees with a strong personality earn more than others. |
| B．Having too little of a given trait will cause less job satisfaction. |
| C．A perfect individual job personality fit contributes to higher income. |
| D．Conscientious employees earn more than those who are open to experiences. |
| A．It still needs further studies. |
| B．It has been applied to job interviews. |
| C．It will help people find the right job easily. |
| D．It has proved the previous study totally wrong. |
7 . Millions of people pass through the gates of Disney’s entertainment parks in California, Florida and Japan each year. What makes these places an almost universal attraction? What makes foreign kings and queens and other important people want to visit these Disney parks? Well, one reason is the way they’re treated once they get there. The people at Disney go out of their way to serve their “guests”, as they prefer to call them, and to see that they enjoy themselves.
All new employees, from vice presidents to part-time workers, begin their employment by attending Disney University and taking “Traditions I”. Here, they learn about the company’s history, how it is managed, and why it is successful. They are shown how each department relates to the whole. All employees are shown how their part is important in making the park a success.
After passing “Traditions I”, the employees go on to do more specialized training for their specific jobs. No detail is missed. A simple job like taking tickets requires four eight-hour days of training. When one ticket taker was asked why it took so much training for such a simple, ordinary job, he replied, “What happens if someone wants to know where the restrooms are, when the parade starts or what bus to take back to the campgrounds? We need to know the answers or where to get them quickly. Our constant aim is to helps our guests enjoy the party.”
Even Disney’s managers get involved in the daily management of the park. Every year, the mangers leave their desks and business suits and put on special service clothes. For a full week, the bosses sell hot dogs or ice cream, take tickets or drive the monorail (单轨车), and take up any of the 100 jobs that make the entertainment park come alive. The managers agree that this week helps them to see the company’s goals more clearly.
All these efforts to serve the public well have made Walt Disney Productions famous. Disney is considered by many as the best mass service provider in America or the world. As one longtime business observer once said, “How Disney treats people, communicates with them, rewards them, is in my view the very reason for his fifty years of success… I have watched, very carefully and with great respect and admiration, the theory and with great respect and admiration, the theory and practice of selling satisfaction and serving millions of people on a daily basis, successfully. It is what Disney does best.”
1. The first day they come to Disney parks, all new employees ________.| A．begin by receiving on-the-job training |
| B．must learn several jobs |
| C．begin as ticket takers |
| D．have started to get specialized training |
| A．set a good example for employees |
| B．remind themselves of their beginnings at Disney |
| C．gain a better view of the company’s objectives |
| D．replace employees on holiday |
| A．Tourists learn the history of Disney in its entertainment parks. |
| B．Disney attracts people almost from all over the world. |
| C．Parades are regularly held in Disney’s entertainment parks. |
| D．Disney’s managers are able to do almost all kinds of work in the Disney parks. |
| A．how Disney employees are trained |
| B．the history and traditions of the Disney enterprises |
| C．why Disney enterprises make a lot of money |
| D．the importance Disney places on serving people well |
8 . What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrion, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job, after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.
1. What does the “cool field” refer to according to the passage?| A．chemistry experimenting. | B．Ice-cream manufacturing. |
| C．Ice-creaming tasting. | D．food science researching. |
| A．keep a diary of work | B．have a degree in related subjects |
| C．have new ideas every day | D．find out new flavors each day |
| A．He stirs the ice cream. | B．He examines the color of the ice cream. |
| C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. | D．He lets the ice cream warm up. |
9 . Jackson & Brown Ltd
Head Office, Bradford House,
234 Manning-ham Road Bolton BL3 5QS
t: 01204 249241 f: 01204 790061
1 June 2020
Dear Colleague
Re: __60___
I am writing to make you ware of some forthcoming changes to the payment dates for your salary. During the past few weeks, we have been discussing with your trade union representatives our intention to change the frequency of the payment of your salary from monthly to every four weeks. The reason for this change is to enable us to improve the efficiency of the payroll system and to make it easier for you to understand what you have been paid.
On Thursday 30 August, you will be paid your monthly basic pay up to and including 31 August. The last Thursday in the month is the normal monthly pay day. On 13 September, you will be paid basic pay up to and including 14 September. You will then be paid again 4 weeks later on 11 October, for time up to 12 October. The timetable of 4-weekly payments for the remainder of the financial year is listed
| below: | ||
| 8 | November | 31 January |
| 6 | December | 28 February |
| 3 | January 2021 | 28 March |
I understand that the transfer to a four-weekly pay cycle may cause some of you disruption to your monthly pay routines, for example mortgage（按揭）or rent repayments. In recognition of this initial disturbance and to assist you through this time, we are offering a-loan facility for a maximum of three weeks' wages (net pay), for those who may find it difficult to budget for this change. I have enclosed a form detailing this loan. Please ensure you complete and return the form by 30 June if you wish to take advantage of this offer. If you choose to use the loan facility, this will be paid on 13 September.
Of course, should you wish to discuss the contents of this letter, your line manager will have further information. If you still have any concerns or you have a personal query you wish to discuss, then from 13 June until 1 July you can call the following number: 01204 249259.
I hope that this letter clarifies the changes for you and would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your co-operation. Further information to explain how your new payslip will look will be available over the coming months.
Yours sincerely
Tina Grey
Group General Manager, Personnel Services
1. Which of the following best fits the blank labeled with "60" in the paragraph?| A．Notice of pay rise | B．Changes to pay cycle |
| C．Information of pay | D．Cancellation of payslips |
| A．The company's financial year ends every March |
| B．It's not easy to understand the new payment system. |
| C．The system of 4-weekly payments is thought inefficient. |
| D．Employees will be paid on the last Thursday of the month. |
| A．Employees can apply through the hotline available until 1 July. |
| B．Everyone can apply for a loan that equals four week's wages. |
| C．The applicants will receive the loan every month. |
| D．The deadline for the application is 30 June. |
10 . Too much work, too little money and not enough opportunity for promotion, .or growth are stressing us out on the job, according to a new survey from the American Psychological Association.
We all know that stress reduces all of the things that help productivity— mental clarity (清晰), short-term memory, decision-making and moods. One-third of employees experience lasting stress related to work, the survey found. Fifty-four percent of the 1,501 employed adults surveyed say they feel they are paid too little for their contributions, and 61% said their jobs don’t offer adequate opportunities to advance. Only half of the adults surveyed said they feel valued at work.
Besides, women’s stress is rising as families rely more on women’s earnings. An employed wife’s contribution to family earnings has reached, on average, 47% since 2009, so women feel especially stuck and tense. Thirty-two percent of women said their employers don’t provide sufficient opportunities for internal advancement, compared with 30% of men. Women are more likely to feel tense during a typical workday, reporting more often that their employer doesn’t appreciate what they do.
Physically, the body responds to stress by secreting hormones into the bloodstream that stimulate accelerated (加速的) heart rate and breathing and tensing of muscles. People who experience stress as a positive often have increased blood flow to the brain, muscles and limbs, similar to the effects of aerobic exercise. Those who feel frightened or threatened, however, often have an unstable heart rate and constricting wood vessels (血管). Their blood pressure rises and hands and feet may grow cold. They may become agitated, speak more loudly or experience errors in judgment.
Emotional responses to stress often divide along gender lines, with men more likely to have a “fight or flight” reaction while women are more likely to have a tend and befriend” response, seeking comfort in relationships and care of loved ones, according to the research.
Women tend to “internalize”, which contributes to their stress. Many women hesitate to speak up for themselves or challenge behavior they see as unfair. Kay Keaney, interior designer, 40, rose fast at a California medical group, taking on responsibility for interior and facility planning. With her 60-hour workweeks, plus early-morning and late-night meetings and a 1.5-hour commute each way, she seldom had time with her two small children. Whether stuck in traffic on her way to a 6 p.m. pickup at day care, or tom between her children and urgent work emails, “I just wanted to crawl out of my skin,” she says. “I was overwhelmed.” Yet she hesitated to complain. “There was too much work to be done, and playing the Mommy card was bad form.” But the experts suggest that women should give themselves a voice.
1. The underlined word “agitated” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ________.| A．fearful | B．optimistic | C．anxious | D．ambitious |
| A．Everyone has a painful sense of being under-appreciated or under-paid. |
| B．An increasing number of people feel satisfied with work-life balance. |
| C．An improving job market is making some people’s work lives easier. |
| D．Most women have higher levels of work stress than the opposite sex. |
| A．relieving oneself from stress involves being frank as well as brave |
| B．experiencing symptoms of lasting stress causes communication barriers |
| C．seeking comfort from friends or relatives has little to do with office stress |
| D．being challenged or devalued by others leads to numerous health problems |
| A．Other aspects in life affected by stress in work. |
| B．Tips to help women handle their hard times properly. |
| C．Examples to show the different gender responses to stress. |
| D．Reasons why people are likely to feel tense when working. |
