1 . In the fog of uncertainty about how new technology will change the way we work, policymakers around the world have flocked to the same idea. No matter what the future brings, they say confidently, we will need to upskill the workforce in order to cope.
The view sounds reassuringly sensible. If computers are growing smarter, humans will need to learn to use them to humans’ advantage. Otherwise, they may run the risk of being replaced by computers.
Research published by the Social Mobility Commission shows that workers with degrees are over three times more likely to participate in training as adults than workers with no qualifications. That creates a virtuous circle for those who did well at school, and vicious circle for those who did not. If the robots are coming for both the accountants and the taxi drivers, you can bet the bean counters will be more able to retrain themselves out of danger.
It is no good criticizing employers for directing investments at their highly skilled workers. They are simply aiming for the highest return they can get. And, for some types of lower-paid work, it is not always true that technological progress requires more skills. The UK’s latest Employment and Skills Survey, which is performed every five years, suggests the use of literacy and numeracy skills at work has fallen since 2012, even as the use of computers has increased. The trouble is, when the computer makes your job easier one day, it might make it unnecessary the next. Many of those affected by automation will need to switch occupations, or even industries.
It is time to revisit older ideas. The UK once had an energetic culture of night schools, for adults to attend after their day jobs. These institutions have been disappearing due to funding cuts. But a revival of night schools could be exactly what the 21st century needs.
It is still not clear whether the impact of new technology on the labour market will come in a trickle or aflood. But in an already unequal world, continuing to reserve all the lifeboats for the better-off would be a dangerous mistake.
A.Employers also invest more in better educated workers by launching employer-sponsored cmployee education programs. |
B.According to an Oxford University study, nowadays employers are more likely to hire the first-year apprentices. |
C.Rather than just “upskilling” in a narrow way, people could choose to learn an entirely new skill or trade. |
D.But the truth is, the people who are being “upskilled” in today’s economy are the ones who need it the least. |
E.People can effectively train or upskill themselves to meet their specific professional needs. |
F.But a retailer or warehouse company is not going to retrain its staff to help them move to a different sector. |
2 . Teaching is widely recognized to be a stressful occupation, characterized by numerous and varied challenges: administrative burdens, long hours, classroom management difficulties, to name but a few.
But if it’s clear that teacher stress is widespread, it’s not always clear how teacher stress should be defined. Traditionally, educational policy research has focused on working conditions (i.e., school administration) as the main driver of occupational health. That is, teacher stress tends to be viewed as a result of working in a stressful environment, often characterized as lacking sufficient funding or effective leadership.
Chris Kyriacou and others have argued that teacher stress is better understood as resulting from a mismatch between the pressures and demands made on educators and their ability to cope with those demands. Workforce conditions alone are not sufficient to explain why some teachers are highly stressed. Rather, what matters most is how each teacher sees the demands they face in relation to the resources they have available to meet those demands.
A.These demands take a toll, resulting in job dissatisfaction, workplace fatigue, burnout, and reduced occupational commitment. |
B.Just as beauty is said to be in the eye of the beholder, stress depends on the teacher’s unique view of their classroom. |
C.For example, this holds true for 25% of teachers in Great Britain and Italy; 20-22% in Malaysia and Germany; and 25-26% in Australia and the U.S. |
D.However, if only 20-25% of teachers report high levels of stress, then that would suggest that the working environment itself is only part of the issue. |
E.Teachers are isolated from colleagues for much of the day, spending less than 5% of their work time collaborating with peers. |
F.Clearly, then, there must be more to the story. |
3 . Today’s workplace is unique in history. Never before have we seen people working together who represent such different backgrounds and experiences. This difference of age, race, gender, and work style makes it very difficult to organize and run a company.
This has been an important realization. The management difficulties and challenges have led some experts to study intergenerational differences for an understanding of problems in the workplace. What they have discovered is interesting and may provide ways of improving working conditions in companies that employ individuals from different generations.
The first thing to realize, they say, is that differences of opinion about the importance of work and how to get work done are not a coincidence.
Resentment between members of different generations, if not attended to, can lead to extreme anger and unhappiness and even lasting enmity if people are not careful.
If you were raised in a time of plenty, when products were readily available and relatively inexpensive, you would believe that prosperity is natural and expectable. If, on the other hand, you were raised in a time of scarcity, you would always be careful not to waste things for fear you would not have enough. You would make angry people who seem to believe that problems will always solve themselves.
A.That is, it is not an accident that young employees will be different from older employees. |
B.The weaknesses of human nature cause the disharmony among employees. |
C.As a result, companies are looking for individuals who can manage a wide range of employees effectively. |
D.Such optimism in the face of difficulties would be a source of unhappiness between you and them. |
E.Therefore, employers should pay attention to the different ways of expressing anger in the company. |
F.That individuals from different generations should come to view each other as if they were from different sides of warring countries should not be surprising. |
4 . 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 |
5 . If you try to explain to someone, without using pictures, how to build the building that you have designed, it would take an enormous amount of writing and might end up with a very funny-looking building. The architect uses pictures called details to show how many hundreds of parts go together to form a complete building. This type of drawing is called drafting and is done by people called draftsmen.
Draftsmen make up the largest group of the architectural offices’ work force. Because of the wide range of duties they perform, draftsmen are sometimes called architectural technicians. In a typical office, there are not only career draftsmen but also architectural graduates working as junior draftsmen to learn the trade. Career draftsmen are usually graduates from a two-year junior college called technical school. There was a time when architectural office used young people right out of high school as tracers. Their job was to trace over the other people’s details while learning to be a draftsman. This is no longer possible with the fast-pace of architects’ offices today although a junior draftsman is given guides by the more experienced employees.
So a good comprehensive architectural drafting course is a must before anyone seeks a job with an architectural firm. The job of the draftsmen is to translate the ideas and directions of architects, designers and engineers into complete and accurate working drawings. These become the plans and details used in the actual construction of a building. The project must be shown in great detail and drawn very clearly, so there is no chance for misunderstanding by the contractors(承包商). Every line and figure has an effect on the finished product.
As you can see, the draftsman is a key member of the architectural team. Of course, a junior draftsman is not expected to produce a complete set of working drawings. Depending on the size of the office and difficulty of the project, draftsmen may work in groups. The group leader coordinates the group and works closely with the project architect while the drawings are being produced.
Working conditions are mostly very pleasant as draftsmen’s work is intense and many people depend on accurate work. Each draftsman has a large combination drawing board and desk with various drawing aids. Almost without exception, members of the architectural team have at one time in their careers worked as draftsmen. This is essential to an architect education and most architects never get very far away from the drafting board.
1. According to the passage, career draftsmen are usually ______.A.experienced architects | B.architectural designers |
C.high school graduates | D.graduates of technical schools |
A.the architect’s rough drawings and directions |
B.the ideas and directions for the project |
C.the plans and details for the actual construction |
D.the designer’s handbooks, tables and building codes |
A.They all work in groups with a project architect. |
B.They are the main members of the architectural team. |
C.They provide labor and building materials. |
D.They give guides to inexperienced architects. |
A.An architect education. | B.The spirit of team work. |
C.Accuracy in the drawings. | D.Advanced drawing aids. |
6 . “Come in, Kim. Have a seat, please.” said Bill Williams, the manager. This was Kim’s first experience with an assessment. After only six months he was due for a raise if this assessment (测评) was satisfactory.
“Kim.” began Bill Williams. “I am very pleased with the quality of your work. I have nothing but praise for your devotion and your hard work. My only concern is that you are not active enough in putting forward your suggestions.”
“But,” replied Kim. “I have always completed every assignment you have given me. Mr. Williams.” “I know that, Kim. And please, call me Bill. But what I expect is for you to think independently and introduce new ideas. I need more input from you—more feedback on how things are going I don’t need a “yes man”. You never tell me what you think. You just smile as though everything is find.”
“But,” said Kim. “I feel that since you are my superior, it would be presumptuous of me to tell you what to do.”
“I’m not asking you to tell me what to do, but what you think we could do. To make suggestions. I employed you because I respect your experience in this field, but you are not communicating your thoughts to me.”
“Yes, I see. I’m not accustomed to this, but I will try to do as you say…, Bill”
“Good, then, I expect to hear more from you at staff meetings or at any other time you want to discuss an idea with me.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Mr. Will… Bill.”
1. Kim is the sort of employee who _______.A.does not speak out his own ideas | B.is not devoted to the job |
C.laughs too much over work | D.can not finish his work on time |
A.full of respect | B.too confident and rude |
C.lacking in experience | D.too shy and quiet |
A.Kim has been invited to take charge of the staff meetings. |
B.the manager appreciates those who just do what be tells them to do |
C.the manager is pleased with Kim’s hard work and his suggestions |
D.Kim is likely to have a higher salary if he can pass the assessment. |
7 . I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier(收银台)in her general store. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying “thank you”.
At first I was paid in candy.
By the time I was 12, My grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics(化妆品). I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as “What color do you think I should wear? ”I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup(化妆)ideas.
The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener.
A.Later I received 50 cents an hour. |
B.I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics. |
C.Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers. |
D.My grandma’s trust taught me how to handle responsibility. |
E.Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before. |
F.Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought. |
8 . The Four-day Work Week
If Liz Truss can reduce a whole premiership to seven weeks, why can’t a standard working week be squashed into something shorter? A six-month pilot (试点) scheme, in which around 3,300 workers from 70 companies are testing out a four-day workweek, is due to conclude this month.
Of the participating organisations, 46% reported maintaining overall output at the same level, and 49% said it had improved.
Becoming a four-day operation can be hard in a five-day world, however. Bookishly, an online shop, chose Wednesdays off to avoid having three days in a row when packages are not mailed out; people are warned about the new schedule before they order.
More tests are on the horizon. In January South Cambridge shire District Council will become the first British local authority to try out a four-day week. The lessons learned are likely to be valuable even if the idea does not spread.
A.Sceptics might observe that the companies involved are self-selecting. |
B.Advocates say a shorter week delivers a better work-life balance without hurting overall output. |
C.The trial’s largest company, Outcomes First Group, tracks indicators for its 1,027 participating employees. |
D.The scheme holds useful lessons about productivity. |
E.Platten’s, a fish-and-chip shop in Norfolk, gives its 50-or-so employees two days on and two days off to cover the week. |
F.But customers are not always prepared to wait, so most firms in the scheme have tried to spread staff more thinly. |
9 . As is the fate of anyone running a hotel in Kerala these days, Bijoy George is a man with too much to do. Before pandemic-caused lockdowns began in 2020, he managed 40 employees at the Eighth Bastion Hotel in the charming historic quarter of Kochi, a bustling coastal city. Now that business is back to pre-covid levels he needs the same number of staff again. But he has only 20 workers. His plight is shared with every other hotel, café and bar. It is a result of the state’s hospitality (招待) employees moving all together in large numbers to Qatar, not to watch football but to take up employment tied to the World Cup.
As the start of the competition approaches on November 20th, workers are quitting at a rate Mr. George says he has never seen in his 22 years in the business. Qatar, a country with a population of under 3m, will have welcomed more than 1.5m visitors before the matches conclude on December 18th. That means finding staff to run all the new hotels that have been built along with other venues that have been pressed into service to profit from the sports fans.
Kerala has long been a significant source of hospitality workers for Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries. Its state government provides good schools with English-language instruction but few jobs. More than 2m people, 17% of its working population, already work overseas, largely in the Gulf.
The appeal of Qatar is straightforward. Starting salaries approach $1,000 a month, more than six times the level for similar jobs in Kerala. To replace those who have left, Kerala’s employers have been casting their nets wider. Recruiters have been extending their searches to many other Indian cities. But that means the most common word on name-tags pinned to the breast pockets of workers is “trainee”.
Among the many skills that need to be taught, says Mr. George, is smiling at customers — the failure to do so a result of shyness among those new to the workforce. The danger is that after a week or so when confidence grows, even these employees may slip away to the Gulf.
Most contracts run for three months, concluding at the end of December, not long after the World Cup final. Returning workers will be welcomed back with open arms. Filling the gaps is even more important as Indian tourism and weddings have restarted. The reunions, though, may be short-lived. The game these workers will have learned from the World Cup is how to be paid better. That means leaving India.
1. The underlined sentence in paragraph one implies that __________.A.other hotels, cafes and bars will share Bijoy’s 20 employees |
B.other hotels, cafes and bars will have to lay off some workers |
C.other hotels, cafes and bars also send the workers to Qatar |
D.other hotels, cafes and bars also find it hard to employ enough workers |
A.Millions of tourists have to be served during the World Cup. |
B.Hospitality workers are in high demand with new hotels and venues open for business in Qatar. |
C.Qatar provides good education and English training for potential workers in Kerala. |
D.The salaries of similar jobs in Kerala are much lower than those in Qatar. |
A.Kerala’s employers have to take on new employees in Asian cities. |
B.Many of the new employees will pin their name tags to their breast pockets. |
C.The new employees will not greet the customers as a result of shyness. |
D.The new employees may soon follow the trend of going to the Gulf. |
A.Jobs outside India can provide Indian workers with a more decent life. |
B.It will soon be the off season for Indian tourism and weddings. |
C.Another grand occasion will soon begin in the Gulf. |
D.The workers only sign short-term contracts with the employers in India. |
10 . 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 RATES
Pay 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.
QUALIFICATIONS
Qualifications 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.
BENEFITS
The 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 DAYS
These 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 & NOTIFICATIONS
Firstly 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. |