She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts (工作班次) are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”
So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 a.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”
The hours she’ s chosen to work meant that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.
Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”
The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself——and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”
Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret. “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”
1. Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______
A.she wanted to earn more money to support her family |
B.she had suffered a lot of mental pressure |
C.she needed the right time to look after her children |
D.she felt tired of taking care of patients |
A.they never clean their offices |
B.they look down upon cleaners |
C.they never do their work carefully |
D.they always make a mess in their offices |
A.light-hearted because of her fellow workers |
B.happy because the building is fully lit |
C.tired because of the heavy workload |
D.bored because time passed slowly |
A.help care for her children |
B.regret what they had said |
C.show sympathy for her |
D.feel disappointed in her |
We’re looking for producers to join us in the second of London 100FM. You’ll work on the station’s music programmes. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply(申请) in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss100.
Father Christmas
We’re looking for a very special person preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December17 to December24 except Sunday, 10:30—16:00
Excellent pay.
Please contact(联系)the Enterprise Shopping Center, Station Parade, Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join them in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver of for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing. You will be allowed to make our decision, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of £15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.
1. Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station?
A.Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100. |
B.Mrs R.Oglivie,Palmlace Limited. |
C.The Enterprise Shopping Centre |
D.Wealden District Council. |
A.is aged between 24 and 40 |
B.may do some training work |
C.should deal with general duties |
D.can work for about a month |
A.One with GCSE grade C level. |
B.One with some office experience. |
C.One having good computer knowledge |
D.One trained in producing music programmes. |
3 . The following card includes a brief summary and a short assessment of a research paper. It can provide a guide for further reading on the topic.
Trevor, C. O., Lansford, B. and Black, J. W., 2004, “Employee turnover (人事变更) and job performance: monitoring the influences of salary growth and promotion”, Journal of Armchair Psychology, vol. 113, no.1, pp. 56-64.
In this article Trevor et al. review the influences of pay and job opportunities in respect of job performance, turnover rates and employees’ job attitude. The authors use data gained through organizational surveys of blue-chip companies in Vancouver, Canada to try to identify the main cause of employee turnover and whether it is linked to salary growth. Their research focuses on assessing a range of pay structures such as pay for performance and organizational reward plans. The article is useful as Trevor et al. suggest that there are numerous reasons for employee turnover and a variety of differences in employees’ job attitude and performance. The main limitation of the article is that the survey sample was restricted to mid-level management, thus the authors indicate that further, more extensive research needs to be undertaken to develop a more in-depth understanding of employee turnover and job performance. As this article was published in a professional journal, the findings can be considered reliable. It will be useful additional information for the research on pay structures.
1. The research paper published is primarily concerned with .A.the way of preventing employee turnover |
B.methods of improving employee performance |
C.factors affecting employee turnover and performance |
D.pay structures based on employee performance |
A.the data analysis is hardly reliable | B.the research sample is not wide enough |
C.the findings are of no practical value | D.the research method is out-of-date |
A.Job hunters. | B.Employees in blue-chip companies. |
C.Mid-level managers. | D.Researchers on employee turnover. |
I graduated from Boston University and was doing theater in New York when I got cast in a Korean miniseries(电视连续剧). We started shooting the show in New York, and then went to Korea to finish it up. They said I would be there for three weeks, but it ended up being two months. The miniseries took off, and overnight, I became recognizable. It was sort of like Lost. It blew up. Then amazing projects were offered to me. I kept thinking, “ I’ll do one more and then go back to the US.” I ended up staying for seven years.
Some people described me as the Julia Roberts of Korea, which is a bad comparison because she’s the queen of romantic comedy. I became famous in Korea for a dramatic role in a film called Shiri. I played a “La Femme Nikita” type of role. I was the girl with the gun—all action.
1. The writer’s parents moved to America so as to ________.
A.offer a good chance to their children. |
B.receive a good education in performing |
C.seek a successful life in America |
D.film a Korean miniseries |
A.were both in favor of her | B.felt very ashamed of her |
C.didn’t agree at first | D.took it for granted |
A.The author’s performing life in America. |
B.The difficulties of filming abroad. |
C.The popularity of the miniseries Lost. |
D.The author’s first performing breakthrough. |
A.she looked down upon Julia Roberts |
B.she disliked to be compared with others |
C.she had a different style of performing |
D.she was better at dramatic roles than Julia |
5 . Besides relevant theories and keen logic, a scientist who does research in economic psychology and who wants to predict the way in which consumers will spend their money must study consumer behavior. It’s vital for his credit as a qualified economist. He must obtain numbers and material both on the resources of consumers and on the efforts that tend to encourage or discourage money spending.
If an economist were asked which of the three groups borrow most——people with rising incomes, stable incomes or declining incomes——he would probably answer: those with declining incomes. Actually, in the past 5 years, the answer was: people with rising incomes. This shows us that traditional assumptions about earning and spending are not always reliable. Another traditional assumption is that if people who have money expect prices to go up, they will hurry to buy. If they expect prices to go down, they will postpone buying. But research surveys have shown that this is also not always the case. Their expectations of price increases may not stimulate buying. One typical attitude was expressed by the wife of a mechanic in an interview at a time of rising prices. “In a few months,” she said, “we’ll have to pay more for meat and milk. We’ll have less to spend on other things.” Her family had been planning to buy a new car but they postponed this purchase. Furthermore, the rise in prices that has already taken place may be hated and buyer’s resistance may be caused. This is shown by the following typical comment of the wife: “I just don’t pay these prices: they are too high.”
Traditional assumptions should be investigated carefully, and factors of time and place should be considered. The investigations mentioned above were carried out in America. Research conducted at the same time in Great Britain, however, produced results that were more in agreement with traditional assumptions about saving and spending patterns. The condition most beneficial to spending appears to be price stability. If prices have been stable and people have become accustomed to considering the current prices “right”, they are likely to buy. Thus, in a society of good economy which maintains consumer confidence, it appears that the common business policy of maintaining stable prices with occasional sales or discounts is based on a correct understanding of consumer psychology.
1. According to the passage, it is essential for a successful economist to ______.A.know about economic theories |
B.be capable of logical thinking |
C.predict the latest national economy |
D.to understand consumers’ spending habits |
A.people tend to buy more when prices are expected to fall |
B.people tend to buy less when prices are expected to fall |
C.people tend to buy more when prices are expected to rise |
D.people tend to buy less when prices are expected to rise |
A.consumer behaviour may vary in different places |
B.Britain and America share similar saving and spending patterns |
C.Britain is important in economic research |
D.occasional discounts and sales are important |
A.Big discount. |
B.Good consumer confidence. |
C.Steady price. |
D.Positive consumer psychology. |