| Posting 1. I haven’t got any formal qualifications - Will this stop me getting a good job? I’ve been doing the same job for ten years, but it’s going nowhere. I’m bored and poorly paid, and the managers who are assigning jobs to me to do are much younger than me. I want to get a better job, but I won’t be able to, because I haven’t got a degree. It seems really unfair. Annie | Replay A Not yet ________, no. Ask if they can give you some management training all firms should provide this if possible. Perhaps you’re not ready for your new responsibilities yet. But give your new job a chance first. And don’t worry about what your colleagues think! Good luck! Keith |
| Posting 2 My boss is always making me work over time. My job involves controlling budgets and making decisions, and the work is challenging and enjoyable. We get on very well in the office and outside. The problem is that I’m in the office almost every day, because my manager is always asking us to come in at weekends. I don’t want to say no, but the problem is that I hardly have any free time. Any advice? Hassan | Reply B Hello ________ I think you need to be more positive. If you don’t Pt apply, how will you know if they want you or not? If you don’t have lots of exams you’ve done on your resume, write about all the skills you have instead. Noreen |
| Posting 3 ________________ I was promoted and became a manager last year. To be honest, it’s not really ‘me’ to be assigning jobs to other people or interviewing job candidates. I’m not very good at making decisions or solving problems. I got on really well with my workmates before, but they’re not so friendly towards me now. What should I do just resign? Javier | Reply C Hi ________. Have you looked at your contract to see how many hours you should actually work? There must be something about your hours there. Also, if you say yes all the time, people probably think you’re happy to do all the work. Wildboy99 |
| A．I don’t think I’ve got the right management skills. |
| B．I don’t see any chance of further promotion. |
| C．I can’t get along well with my colleagues. |
| D．I can’t resign at the very moment. |
| A．Annie, Hassan, Javier | B．Hassan, Javier, Annie |
| C．Hassan, Annie, Javier | D．Javier, Annie, Hassan |
| A．Jobinterviewadvice. com | B．jobproblems.com |
| C．Jobvacanciesonline.com | D．Joboutlook.com |
2 . Business has slowed, layoffs mount, but executive pay continues to roar—at least so far. Business Week’s annual survey finds that chief executive officers (CEOs) at 365 of the largest US companies got compensation last year averaging $3.1 million—up l.3 percent from 1994.
Why are the top bosses getting an estimated 485 times the pay of a typical factory worker? That is up from 475 times in 1999 and a mere 42 times in 1980. One reason may be what experts call the “Lake Wobegon effect”. Corporate boards tend to consider that “all CEOs are above average”—a play on Garrison Keillor’s famous line in his public radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, that all the town’s children are “above average”. Consultants provide boards with surveys of corporate CEO compensation. Since directors are reluctant to regard their CEOs as below average, the compensation committees of boards tend to set pay at an above-average level. The result: Pay levels get raised.
Defenders of lavish CEO pay argue there is such a strong demand for experienced CEOs that the free market forces their pay up. They further maintain most boards structure pay packages to reflect an executive’s performance. They get paid more if their companies and their stock do well. So companies with high-paid CEOs generate great wealth for their shareholders.
But the supposed cream-of-the-crop executives did surprisingly poorly for their shareholders in 1999, says Scott Klinger, author of this report by a Boston-based Organization United for a Fair Economy. If an investor had put $10,000 apiece at the end of 1999 into the stock of those companies with the 10 highest-paid CEOs, by year-end 2000 the investment would have shrunk to $8.132. If $10,000 had been put into the Standard & Poor’s 500 stocks, it would have been worth $9,090. To Mr. Klinger, these findings suggest that the theory that one person, the CEO, is responsible for creating most of a corporation’s value is dead wrong. “It takes many employees to make a corporation profitable.”
With profits down, corporate boards may make more effort to tame executive compensation. And executives are making greater efforts to avoid pay cut. Since CEOs, seeing their options “under water” or worthless because of falling stock prices, are seeking more pay in cash or in restricted stock.
1. What could be implied by “Lake Wobegon effect” according to the passage?| A．It is a fact that executives’ income must increases with time |
| B．When businesses have slowed, there must be more layoffs. |
| C．People tend to think themselves more significant than others. |
| D．Directors are reluctant to regard their CEOs as below average |
| A．All CEOs are above the average and they deserve an ever-rising pay. |
| B．Garrison Keillor is successful in promoting CEOs in A Prairie Home Companion. |
| C．Directors have a persistent, positive idea of the overall ability of the CEOs. |
| D．A top boss should earn hundreds of times more than a typical worker. |
| A．CEOs alone are not able to make a company prosperous. |
| B．All investors in the stock market will suffer from financial loss. |
| C．He had been an outstanding shareholder until 1999. |
| D．He has offered valuable advice on how to prosper a company. |
| A．delicious | B．enterprising | C．ablest | D．greedy |
3 . I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics (天体物理学), it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as 3 post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement — jobs, research papers, awards — was viewed through the lens of gender politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus right brain, or nature versus nurture, I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all annoyance: I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer: 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?| A．She is unhappy working in male-dominated fields. |
| B．She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination. |
| C．She is not good at telling stories of the kind at all. |
| D．She finds space research more important than that. |
| A．the very fact that she is just a woman |
| B．her involvement in gender politics |
| C．her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist |
| D．the burden she bears in a male-dominated society |
| A．Female students no longer have to worry about gender issues. |
| B．Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence. |
| C．Her female students can do just as well as male students. |
| D．More female students are pursuing science than before. |
| A．Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation. |
| B．Women have more barriers on their way to academic success. |
| C．Women can balance a career in science and having a family. |
| D．Women now have fewer discrimination problems about science career. |
4 . HOW TO GET A PAY RAISE
Advice from organizational psychologist Liane Davey, author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done.
CHOOSE YOUR MOMENT “Tie the timing of your request for a raise to positive results. If you have a notable success in the middle of the year, start the discussion soon afterwards. Even if the pay cycle means the raise cannot happen for some time you will have seeded the conversation at a moment when your manager is feeling positively inclined towards you.” |
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KNOW YOUR WORTH “Before making your request, write down a list of your accomplishments, and ask a trusted confidant what you bring to the team—particularly what is unique about your contribution—to ensure you get a comprehensive list. Be prepared to talk about the impact you have, rather than effort alone, as this is what makes your case for a raise compelling.” |
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PLAY IT COOL “In difficult conversations, your tone and body language are especially important. Go in calmly and projecting that you believe you are adding value. Don’t under-do it by dropping eye contact or making yourself smaller. But don’t over-do it by raising your chin too high or making statements you don’t intend to follow through—that will destroy your credibility.” |
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ASK FOR CLARITY “If you are unsuccessful, first find out why your request was denied. Do not let your manager get away with a superficial answer such as “we don’t have the budget”-there is always budget, so ask what else took priority. Next, ask what specific actions you can take that will make you more likely to be given a pay raise in the future.” |
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BE FLEXIBLE “Remember that pay is only one way your company can demonstrate your value. Some companies have little room for pay raises, but more room to negotiate on annual leave, flexible hours or working from home. If your efforts to get a rise are unsuccessful, do not give up without first searching for alternative sources of value.” |
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| A．Proposing your pay raise request at a wrong time. |
| B．Making a list of your efforts rather than impacts. |
| C．Making statements that you won’t follow through. |
| D．Asking what specific actions will ensure a pay raise. |
| A．more annual leave | B．free medical checkups |
| C．flexible working hours | D．the possibility of home-officing |
| A．Knowing your worth | B．Playing it cool |
| C．Asking for clarity | D．Being flexible |
5 . As a first lady, every workday is desirably different. However, there is one expectation that follows me, and others like me, wherever I go: that I play the role of a sidekick(助手)
This past summer, for instance, European Council President Donald Tusk shared a video online from the G7 meeting. The video was of spouses of U. S. President Donald Trump, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Mr. Tusk and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. The title: “The Light Side of the Force.”
The video made me feel uncomfortable. It is regrettable to see intelligent women reduced to props(道具)who exist to support their husbands’ political agendas - to see them celebrated first and foremost for their gentle demeanors(风度). In 2019, can we not do better than assume the spouses of our leaders have nothing more worthwhile to do than wander after their other halves to watch traditional performances and take in the view while their made counterparts take care of “serious business”?
It also made me think: On the occasions when I travel with my husband, am I contributing to the myth that female spouses are the “light” side of their powerful husbands?
Since becoming first lady of Iceland in 2016, I have had the chance to wrestle with the contradictions that come with this under-fined role. On the one hand, to serve my country in this way is an honor for which I am very grateful. It is also an opportunity: When choosing activities in which I wish to take part, I am guided by the assumptions of my role as spouse and how I wish to modernize them. On state visits, for example, one of my aims is to destroy the often-gendered expectations of what “the wife” should do - I participate in discussions about sustainable tourism, entre-preneurship and innovation, and yes, gender equality.
Yet I still hate the occasions when my presence is assumed rather than requested. I am not my husband’s handbag, to be seized as he runs out the door and displayed silently by his side during public appearances. It’s uncomfortable to be told I look much nicer with my hair longer or that I should not wear green again because it’s not my color. On almost every solo trip I make as first lady, I am asked who is looking after our four young children as if their father had no parental obligations. If I am ever asked about my professional background, it is always in the past tense, although I still continue much of my paid work. (Why should I get a new job because my husband was elected to one?)
When I share these opinion of being able to help shape debate surrounding gender equality because of something my husband has achieved. I am proud of my husband and his achievements - but no one wants to be judged as her partner’s decoration.
The author, Elisa Jean Reid, is the first lady of Iceland
1. What probably led the author to write this article?| A．Her husband’s expectation of her to play the role of a sidekick. |
| B．A video posted online by Europeans Council President Donald Tusk. |
| C．The universal expectations of what first ladies should do. |
| D．The contradictions that had bothered her since she became first lady. |
① travelling with her husband
② taking care of political issues.
③ participating in discussions about gender equality
④ exchanging opinions with first ladies of other nations
| A．only ① | B．① and ② | C．only ④ | D．① and ④ |
| A．the author is not on friendly terms with Donald Tusk |
| B．being first lady of Iceland is not the author’s formal job |
| C．the author is unsatisfied with her current position - first lady of Iceland |
| D．the author has found that she can hardly modernize people’s expectation of first ladies |
| A．encourage other first ladies to voice their complains |
| B．complain that her husband rarely looks after their four young children |
| C．argue against the general assumption of first ladies |
| D．express her gratitude for being given the opportunity to shape debate surrounding gender equality. |
6 . How Will Machines and AI Change the Future of Work?
Several recent studies have examined how machine automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will change the future of work.
The Rand Corporation recently issued its own report on the future effects of automation and AI on jobs and the workplace. Osonde Osoba was a co-author of the report.
In 16th century England, Queen Elizabeth famously refused an inventor’s request for a patent for a device to make material for clothing. The Queen explained that the device would lead to major job losses, forcing affected workers to become “beggars”.
The McKinsey Global Institute has also studied the issue. Its research suggests that up to one-third of work activities across 46 nations could be displaced by 2030.
Rand Corporation’s Osonde Osoba agrees with McKinsey. He also thinks that it will be very difficult for companies to completely automate most jobs, because they require a worker to perform many different duties and to react to unexpected situations.
| A．Osoba says this can be problematic for machines, which do not understand cultural norms in the population. |
| B．McKinsey identifies three job types that will be very difficult to replace with a machine. |
| C．He noted that fears over machines taking jobs from humans goes back centuries. |
| D．The study also predicts rising demand for educators, and “creatives”, a group of workers including artists, performers and entertainers. |
| E．The study says automation will also raise productivity and economic growth. |
| F．Osoba agrees there will be major job destruction due to AI and automation, especially for lower skilled workers. |
 EDUCATION OUTREACH COORDINATOR (对外协调员)
 | ||||
| A．It’s a full-time job. | B．It’s a permanent job. |
| C．It’s volunteer work. | D．It’s academic work. |
| A．teaching volunteers and faculty members to set up schedules |
| B．helping the administrators to set up some education programs |
| C．organizing teaching events for the education outreach program |
| D．coordinating the programs between the academic communities |
| A．A person who has excellent interpersonal skills. |
| B．A person who once worked in a company for three years. |
| C．A person who is good at using Excel and likes using social media. |
| D．A person who has 3 years’ experience of coordinating meetings. |
8 . BANK OF BARODA
INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL BANK
Bank of Baroda, a principal India Public Sector Bank having Global presence in 25 countries and operating in UK for 60 years requires consultants for carrying out administrative jobs on a fixed term contract basis for our London branches and offices.
The candidates should possess at least a degree and basic accounting knowledge.
They should be familiar with computer — expert in MS Office, use of Internet with good communication skills, flexible in approach, self-motivated, able to work on their own initiatives as well as in teams.
Initial salary payable (all inclusive annually) will be approximately £17,000 — for consultants.
Applicants possessing the above and having the right to live and work in UK who are able to provide satisfactory references from two UK residents/employers will be considered for the position.To apply, please send your CV along with passport size photograph at htm.nk@bankofbaroda.com to reach on or before 15 February 2018
1. Which of the following is true of Bank of Baroda?| A．It has a recorded of 60 years. |
| B．It is enrolling consultants for London branches. |
| C．It is second to none India Public Sector Banks. |
| D．It needs office administrators who can work outside UK |
| A．major in Accounting |
| B．be good at working with others |
| C．be critical in taking new approaches |
| D．have a basic knowledge of MS Office |
| A．have two British citizens recommend you |
| B．send your CV by the end of February, 2018 |
| C．email your CV alone at htm.uk@bankofbaroda.com |
| D．be an overseas graduate with a passport that is still valid |
9 . 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 |
10 . 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. |
