1 . 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 RATESPay 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.
QUALIFICATIONSQualifications 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.
BENEFITSThe 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 DAYSThese 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 & NOTIFICATIONSFirstly 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. |
8: 45 AM.
Hi ladies. We have a new client that just called this morning. Are either of you free to take the job?
Athena
8: 46 AM.
What's the location of the job? And what is the client expecting?
Paula
8: 47 AM.
Mrs. Hunter lives at the intersection of Maple Street and Givers Rd. She has a fairly large 3500 square foot house, and would like someone to come for 5— 6 hours each week, preferably on a Monday, to clean it.
Athena
8: 48 AM.
Sorry, that's too far for me to go. And I already have a regular client in the afternoons on Mondays.
Julie
8: 49 AM.
I can probably do it. I don't have any clients on Mondays at the moment.
Athena
8: 50 AM.
Make sure you negotiate the hours with her. Or let her know how much you can physically clean in 5. 6 hours.
Julie
8: 51 AM
I think it'd be fine. I'm sure she's not expecting one person to clean the entire house in those hours.
Paula
8: 52 AM
I can call her back to get some more details. It's always better to make sure both parties have the same expectations.
Julie
8: 53 AM
OK. Both of you have way more experience than me so I'll definitely listen to your advice.
Paula
8: 54 AM
Julie, I'll let you know when I've talked to her. You might have to call her yourself later, too.
1. What could the name of this company be?
| A．Drivers for Hire | B．Maid Service Plus | C．Accountants R Us | D．Toys Toys Toys |
| A．Let the client know her age. | B．Clarify workload and working hours. |
| C．Give the client a piece of her mind. | D．Have an honest conversation with the client. |
| A．She's the organizer. | B．She's the new hire. |
| C．She's in the marketing department. | D．She's in the technology department. |
3 . Imagine if your journey to work was from your bedroom to your living room. More and more people in the UK are doing their jobs at home.
Baz works as an engineer in a West London factory. He’s been an engineer since he left school - but he’s not very optimistic about his future. Heavy industry in the UK has almost disappeared. More people work in Indian restaurants than in steel, coal and shipbuilding put together! Baz also often gets tired of his long journey to work. Whether he travels by car or by public transport, it can take up to two hours a day.
His sister, Liz, lives in the north of England. She’s an Information Technology (IT) trainer at a college. Once every four weeks, she meets her trainees in person, but most of her training is done through IT.
Baz’s wife, Helen, seldom travels to work at all. She’s a graphic designer for a London advertising company. Once she’s got the children off to school, she starts work in front of her computer screen. She’s currently designing publicity material for a major London festival. When she’s finished her designs, she sends them electronically to her director. He works from home too - occasionally they meet up for a coffee.
Most people in the UK, like Baz, spend hours travelling to work - and complain about it, too. But an increasing number of people work as telecommuters, like Helen or Liz. Almost all of their work is done online or by phone. There are a million telecommuters in the UK, about 10 percent of the workforce.
1. Heavy industry has almost disappeared, so________.| A．more people work in steel |
| B．more people work in restaurants |
| C．more people work in coal |
| D．more people work in ship-building |
| A．at a college | B．in person | C．through IT | D．by phone |
| A．people who work at home with the help of a phone and the network |
| B．people who send messages over long distances by telephone, radio, television, etc. |
| C．people who speak to each other using telephone and video connections |
| D．people who take photos for people from different places to make a living |
| A．Baz, Liz and Hellen |
| B．A new way of working |
| C．Jobs in the future |
| D．Technology creates new jobs |
4 . Trust me — I am expedition doctor
Ever since I was a young child, I’ve had a taste for adventure, but I never imagined I’d be able to satisfy this passion at regular intervals because of my chosen career.
My work as an expedition (探险队) doctor has taken me all over the world. However, my favourite trips, and the ones in which I now specialise, are those involving mountains. Never do I feel more inspired by nature than when I look up at their towering peaks and begin to prepare myself mentally for the challenges ahead.
I trained as a doctor in the UK, but there was little in that training to prepare me for binding up a broken leg during a storm on the side of a mountain! In fact, I’d say that medical skills come some way down the list of job requirements, after endurance, flexibility, problem-solving and communication.
This kind of medicine is a million miles away from the controlled, germ-free environment of a hospital, and your medical kit basically consists of whatever you can carry, so you sometimes have to be prepared to improvise (即兴做). For example, I’ve learned that some drugs can be used for several conditions, and I’ve even had to resort to cutting branches off a small tree to make a stick to support a broken arm.
That isn’t to say that you can’t train to be an expedition doctor; on the contrary, there are some excellent courses available. Not only do they teach medical techniques, but also practical skills such as carrying out risk assessments, crossing rivers safely and using satellite phones. The first course I did included a session on expedition dentistry, though I must admit I still don’t like the idea of pulling out someone’s tooth!
I do most of my work for adventure holiday companies, travelling to remote places. When I started out, these holidays were quite rare, but they have become much more mainstream now that we’ve all seen celebrities climbing Kilimanjaro or watched reality shows about people surviving in jungles.
I do have mixed feelings about all these people with large amounts of disposable income coming to poor areas just for their own enjoyment, so I try to make sure that the companies I work for have high ethical standards and benefit the local communities. And of course, tourism provides employment, and also opens the eyes of rich visitors to the hardship that many people are forced to endure.
I realise that this kind of life isn’t for everyone, but I’d recommend that all doctors try it at least once, if only to make them appreciate the comforts of their usual working environment!
1. The author feels that he has been________.| A．obliged to choose his career | B．lucky with his job |
| C．obsessed with his adventure | D．inspired by his patients |
| A．They are less important than practical skills. |
| B．They are strictly required as the most important. |
| C．They are adequately attained in medical schools. |
| D．They are an underlying part of practical skills. |
| A．They keep their equipment in a backpack. |
| B．Things can happen that they don’t expect. |
| C．They don’t have the resources of a hospital. |
| D．They are required by the patients on the trip. |
| A．they organise expeditions in the remote areas he enjoys visiting |
| B．they appreciate the comforts of the unusual working environments |
| C．he wants to make sure that his clients are safe at all times during the expedition |
| D．he feels uncomfortable about the difference between rich tourists and poor local people |
5 . 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. |
| A．proper role-playing skills | B．subtle emotional expressiveness |
| C．marvellous problem-solving ability | D．unconventionality in the crowds |
| 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. |
| A．Critical. | B．Approved. | C．Neutral. | D．Suspicious. |
6 . 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. |
| A．powerful friend | B．supervisory manager |
| C．respected neighbor | D．trustworthy colleague |
| 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. |
7 . How do companies decide who to send overseas?
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.
So how do companies judge if someone has the right competence for a job in another country?
So what else can a company do to make sure that a person is right for an overseas assignment?
| 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. |
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.” |
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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 |
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. |
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. |
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.
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. |
