1 . Personality may play only a small part in leadership effectiveness, but there is no doubt that some leaders have a certain magic that leaves peers envious and followers entranced. If you could bottle this leadership X-factor—charisma—the queue of interested executives would be a long-one. But what qualities can these often highly successful leaders be said to possess?

As individuals, charismatic leaders have highly developed communication skills, including the ability to convey emotions easily and naturally to others, says Ronald Riggio, professor of leadership and organizational psychology. “They are able to inspire and arouse the emotions of followers through their emotional expressiveness and verbal skills.”

“They connect with followers because they seem to truly understand others’ feelings and concerns.”

“And they are great role models because they have the ability to engage others socially and display appropriate role-playing skills that allow them to walk the talk” Professor Riggio says.

“One quality we like in our leaders is if they are seen to really represent us. We think someone is more charismatic, the more they represent our collective identity,” Professor Van Knippenberg says. In this way, a charismatic leader is somehow a larger-than-life version of ourselves.

Academics say that charismatic leaders also manage to stand out from the crowd. They might do this by being unconventional or by taking a different approach to problem-solving, for example.

“They are up for new things, and they are not stuck in the status quo. They are open to out-of-the-box thinking, etc. An optimistic, energetic quality helps us to see leadership qualities in them and makes us open to their influence,” he says.

“A lot of charismatic leadership, and leadership in general, is very contextual. It’s really good in entrepreneurial firms. It’s also good for turnarounds if the organization is in a bad state because it inspires”, says Kai Peters, the chief executive of Ashridge Business School.

But not every organization needs a charismatic leader. Leaders loaded with the X-factor can be narcissistic (自恋的), self-glorifying, exploitative and authoritarian. As Peters says: “Where it is a problem is where you have ‘look at me, I’m a star.’’’

1. Which word is closest in meaning to “charisma” in the first paragraph?

A．Charm.

B．Character.

C．Gratitude.

D．Optimism.

2. The charismatic leaders become great role models due to their ______.

A．proper role-playing skills	B．subtle emotional expressiveness
C．marvellous problem-solving ability	D．unconventionality in the crowds

3. According to Professor Knippenberg, what kind of leaders would be welcomed by us?

A．The one who has a heroical image.

B．The one who can speak for us.

C．The one who is a collective version of us.

D．The one who resembles us in characteristic.

4. What is Peters’ attitude towards the contextual feature of charismatic leadership?

A．Critical.

B．Approved.

C．Neutral.

D．Suspicious.

2 . In order to hold weight, a recommendation letter should come from a respected source. You would be a wonderful fit if you worked with the candidate in a supervisory position, say, a manager or boss of some sort, for an employer always wants a professional reference. Occasionally, letters from a colleague, a friend, neighbor, or family member will also do. And what elements should your recommendation letter include to be effective?

#1: Explaining Your Qualification

In the first paragraph, you should explain who you are, how you know the candidate and how long you worked with him. In this way, you are showing that you’re much qualified to give an honest assessment. Strong letters give positive descriptions of your qualifications in a concise and powerful way, which creates a professional and trustworthy image of you.

#2: Being Customized to the New Position

While you should speak to the candidate’s accomplishments in his past role, you should also show why he’d make a good fit in the next one. You should explain why he has the desired ability to do the job well, and attach the greatest importance to this, even if the candidate’s making a career change. The candidate should provide you with everything you need to know to customize your letter. By drawing on this information, you can express confidence that the candidate will succeed in the new role. Then when the hiring manager reads your letter, he’ll feel reassured that the candidate would make a good fit.

#3: Using Specific Examples

Finally, your letter should provide specific examples about the candidate. Don’t just list adjectives like, “friendly, intelligent, and hard-working”; instead, present circumstances in which the candidate demonstrated those qualities. Not only will examples point to the value the candidate brought to your organization or company, but they’ll also paint a picture of how he works in day-to-day operations. Using two to three specific examples in your letter will boost its level of persuasiveness.

1. Who are the intended readers of this passage?

A．Assessors.

B．Employers.

C．Candidates.

D．Recommenders.

2. According to the passage, a candidate’s ______ is usually the most suitable to write a recommendation letter.

A．powerful friend	B．supervisory manager
C．respected neighbor	D．trustworthy colleague

3. What should a writer put emphasis on in a recommendation letter?

A．Presenting the reader with the candidate’s ability.

B．Exhibiting his knowledge about the new industry.

C．Customizing the letter with eye-catching drawings.

D．Showing the candidate’s intelligence with examples.

3 . Julia Whelan climbed into the recording room in her home office. In preparation, she had avoided alcohol the night before, had avoided milk since waking at 6 a.m. and had run through the warm-up voice exercises.

Whelan, 38, is the calm, confident female voice behind more than 400 other audiobooks, as well as the narrated versions(叙事版本) of many articles. Once she has taken on a project, she reads through the book once or twice, deciding on themes to highlight when she gets into the recording room by using different tones and accents, and emphasizing certain words. “Narrating a book really is a performance,” she said, “and it can be harder to do than acting, because I can’t use my eyes or facial expressions to convey something to the audience.”

As she spent time subsuming herself in the writing of others, she began to think more about her own creative ambitions. Just before the pandemic, she began “Thank You for Listening,” combining her writing with the experiences she has collected as a narrator.

Writers say that Whelan has helped them understand their own work. “When I listen to Julia read my stories, it sounds like she is calling you over to tell you a great story,” said Nuzzi, whose work has been narrated by Whelan. “When I write now, I try to think like that, that I am calling a reader over to tell him a great story. It has completely changed my approach.” Whelan said that she also learns about her writing when she experiences it as a narrator. “There is something about it that changes when you’re performing it,” she said. “I read the book out loud during every stage of its revisions but it’s different when you sit down and have the microphone in front of you, when I finally am in all the characters and the story comes to life.”

1. Before recording a book, Whelan __________.

A．acts out its narrated version

B．builds up strength through exercise

C．determines the focus of its subject

D．varies its emphasized words

2. The underlined phrase “subsuming herself in the writing of others” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to “__________ herself in the writing of others”.

A．dismissing

B．involving

C．maintaining

D．presenting

3. How does narrating help Whelan do her own writing better?

A．It enables her to think in readers’ view.

B．It inspires her to be absorbed in the story.

C．It provides her with diverse life experiences.

D．It reminds her to pursue her creative ambition.

4. What can be concluded from Whelan’s experience as a narrator and writer?

A．Excellent narration is based on convincing stories.

B．Narrating is a more rewarding ambition than writing.

C．An influential writer is definitely a wonderful narrator.

D．Experiences as a narrator can change the writing approach.

4 . How do companies decide who to send overseas?     1     Just find someone with the right background, ask them if they wanted to go, and that was it. So an engineer just needed to be able to offer the technical expertise required to do the job, a manager simply needed to know the right people, an accountant needed to know how the books worked and nothing else. If they could speak English, then they could probably do the job.

But times are changing. More and more overseas assignments are failing. The reason? Lack of intercultural competence. Companies have discovered that finding the right person for the job is much more than simply identifying the person who could have done the job if it had been in their home country.     2     And this failure is more than irritating. It costs companies a lot of money to replace someone who does not fit in.

So how do companies judge if someone has the right competence for a job in another country?     3     Are they interested in other ways of doing things? Can they see advantages and disadvantages, or only their own viewpoint? Sensitivity is a key factor too. Is the person able to deal with other ways of looking at a problem? How do they deal with authority? What about motivation? Are they willing to treat others with respect and understanding? Such questions can be answered partly by the use of questionnaires and interviews, but of course only real experience can give the final answer.

So what else can a company do to make sure that a person is right for an overseas assignment?     4     Experienced colleagues can also be used to ease someone through the first stages. And another key area is to make sure that the relatives receive similar backup and training: it’s no good having a happy employee who is under pressure from his or her partner to come home.

A．Working with other cultures is not for everyone.

B．One way is training, and many companies now invest substantial amounts of money to prepare people to cope with living and working in another culture.

C．It used to be so easy.

D．The ideal person for an overseas assignment has to be delegated when necessary.

E．One way is to try and find out how aware they are of other cultures.

F．They need to be able to accept other ways of doing things.

5 . Once you choose to become an actor, many people who you thought were your closest friends will tell you you’re crazy, though some may react quite differently. No two people will give you the same advice. But it is a very personal choice you are making, and only you can take responsibility for yourself and for realising your ambition.

There are no easy ways of getting there — no written examination to pass, and no absolute guarantee that when you have successfully completed your training you will automatically make your way in the profession. It’s a matter of luck plus talent.

I have frequently been asked to define this magical thing called talent, which everyone is looking out for. I believe it is best described as natural skill plus imagination — the latter being the most difficult quality to assess. And it has a lot to do with the person’s courage and their belief in what they are doing and the way they are putting it across.

Where does the desire to act come from? It is often very difficult to put into words your own reasons for wanting to act. Certainly, in the theatre the significant thing is that moment of contact between the actor on the stage and a particular audience. And making this brief contact is central to all acting, wherever it takes place — it is what drives all actors to act.

If you ask actors how they have done well in the profession, the response will most likely be a shrug. They will not know. They will know certain things about themselves and aspects of their own technique and the techniques of others. But they will take nothing for granted, because they know that they are only as good as their current job, and that their fame may not continue.

Disappointment is the greatest enemy of the actor. Last month you may have been out of work, selling clothes or waitressing. Suddenly you are asked to audition (试镜) for a part, but however much you want the job, the truth is that it maybe denied you. So actors tend not to talk about their chances. They come up with ways of protecting themselves against the stress of competing for a part and the possibility of rejection.

1. If you decide to take up acting, you may well receive a lot of _____ from your close friends.

A．encouragement	B．sympathy
C．jealousy	D．objection

2. Which of the following is the writer most likely to agree with in terms of acting?

A．Good actors know very well about their secret of success.

B．Talented actors are usually those with a vivid imagination.

C．There should be training and exams to qualify potential actors.

D．Not all actors like the contact with the audience while on the stage.

3. What does the writer imply about disappointment?

A．It is what actors often talk about.

B．Actors should compete to avoid it.

C．Actors should get accustomed to it.

D．It will surely affect actors’ performance.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．So you want to be an actor

B．Wanting to be an actor? Don’t hesitate

C．Why acting appeals to young people?

D．Acting: riskier than expected

6 .

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

1. Which of the following might be the best title of Posting 3?

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.

2. The names that fit the blanks in Reply A, Reply B and Reply C, respectively, are________.

A．Annie, Hassan, Javier	B．Hassan, Javier, Annie
C．Hassan, Annie, Javier	D．Javier, Annie, Hassan

3. The posts and replies are most likely to be found on the website of ___.

A．Jobinterviewadvice. com	B．jobproblems.com
C．Jobvacanciesonline.com	D．Joboutlook.com

7 . 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

2. What is the major cause of the CEO’s pay rise according to paragraph two?

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.

3. Concerning Scott Klinger’s idea or description, which of the following is probably correct?

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.

4. The underlined part “cream-of-the-crop" is closest in meaning to ________.

A．delicious

B．enterprising

C．ablest

D．greedy

8 . 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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”

1. Which of the following actions may hurt your credibility?

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.

2. According to the passage, all of the following are alternative sources of value except ______.

A．more annual leave	B．free medical checkups
C．flexible working hours	D．the possibility of home-officing

3. ______ will help you clearly understand the company’s priority that will secure a pay raise.

A．Knowing your worth	B．Playing it cool
C．Asking for clarity	D．Being flexible

9 . 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.

2. According to the author, most people assume a first lady’s duties include ________.
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

3. We can learn from the article that ________.

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

4. By writing this article, the author mainly wanted to ________.

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.

10 . 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.     1    

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”.

    2     But he believes the future problems have been overestimated without historical evidence to back up the predictions.

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.     3     It says this growth, along with other economic influences, could help offset (弥补) the displacement of millions of workers. “All workers will need to adapt, as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines,” the report said. This will require ongoing retraining of workers. In addition, employees will be spending more time on activities difficult to automate.

    4     These include jobs depending on human motor skills, positions requiring creative thinking and actions, and jobs dealing with intense social interaction.

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.