2 . 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.     1     Like previous such experiments, it is likely to be praised as a success. A mid-point survey by the trial’s organisers — researchers at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and Boston College — found that the transition had worked well for 88% of surveyed companies.

    2     In particular a four-day week forces firms to think harder about time management. Most businesses in the trial have encouraged employees to leave meetings when they are not contributing, and to be more selective about accepting invitations. Daryl Hine of Stellar, an asset-management company in London, calls this a “diary detox”. This also extends to reducing commutes.

Of the participating organisations, 46% reported maintaining overall output at the same level, and 49% said it had improved.     3     Its HR department has goals for response time to emails; its staff are given so-called net promoter scores, which track how colleagues rate their services. On both counts, they have made “rare” leaps, says Sharon Platts, the company’s chief people officer. Participants say that their employees feel more motivated.

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.     4    

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.

3 . 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

2. Which of the following DOESN’T contribute to hospitality workers in Kerala taking up jobs in Qatar?

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.

3. Which of the following difficulties do Kerala’s employers face due to lack of workers?

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.

4. What makes the reunions between Indian workers and employers probably a short-lived one?

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.

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.

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.

6 . 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.

7 . Editor in Chief
Ind.Trading .com
Jakarta, Indonesia
Brief       
Job Category: Media & Journalism       
Job Type: Full-time
Salary Range: IDR 6,000,000-8,000,000       
Industries: Classifieds, E-Commerce Platforms
Job Description &Requirements
Responsibilities:
Responsible for selecting the writers, planning the content and publishing schedule, assign them stories and edit their articles, write larger stories, oversee feature and business editors.
Responsible for creating original that fits our brand, engage customers across all marketing channels, including but not limited to websites and social media.
Responsible for setting the tone, editorial direction and policies.
Responsible for the overall and day to day management and supervision of the News Department.
Develop, implement and improve digital content & digital program.
Ensure the final draft is complete and there arc no omissions, cross-checking facts, spelling, grammar, writing style and page design.
Maintain and build good relationship with internal and external.
Motivate and develop News Department team.
Requirements:
Passionate about writing and journalism articles on business aspect & having a good leadership.
Familiar and able to write the articles in business aspect.
Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising/ Media/ Journalism,   Mass Communications or equivalent.
Good in communication, content development and management skill.
At least 5 years of working experience in the related field.
Internet ability with a good sense of content that works well online.
Preferably Manager/ Assistant Managers specializing in Journalism/ Editor or equivalent.
A team player who cooperates well with internal teams on original ideas, best practices and optimalization.
Full-time position(s) available.
Applicants must be willing to work in JL. Meruya ilir Raya, Business Park Kebon Jeruk Jakarta Barat
Required skills
Copywriting & Editing, Creating Writing
1. This job advertisement is most likely to appear________ .

A．in a magazine

B．in a newspaper

C．on a poster

D．on a website

2. An editor in chief is expected to________ .

A．establish good relationship with colleagues and customers

B．select capable writers and give them special training

C．decide on the tone, style and details of the articles

D．read the first draft carefully and correct errors

3. The applicants for the position must________ .

A．have the ability to plan the content

B．possess a bachelor’s degree in business

C．be able to write creative articles in different aspects

D．have the experience of being a manager or equivalent

9 . “Wanna buy a body?” That was the opening line of more than a few phone calls I got from self-employed photographers when I was a photo editor at U.S. New. Like many in the mainstream press, I wanted to separate the world of photographers into “them”, who trade in pictures of bodies or run after famous people like Princess Diana, and “us”, the serious newspeople. But after 16 years in that role, I came to wonder whether the two worlds were easily distinguishable.

Working in the reputable world of journalism, I told photographers to cover other people’s difficult life situations. I justified marching into moments of sadness, under the appearance of the reader’s right to know. I worked with professionals talking their way into situations or shooting from behind police lines. And I wasn’t alone.

In any American town, after a car crash or some other horrible incident when ordinary people are hurt or killed, you rarely see photographers pushing past rescue workers to take photos of the blood and injuries. But you are likely to see local newspaper and television photographers on the scene-and fast...

How can we justify doing this? Journalists are taught to separate, doing the job from worrying about the consequences of publishing what they record. Repeatedly, they are reminded of a news-business saying: Leave your conscience in the office. A victim may lie bleeding, unconscious, or dead. Your job is to record the image. You’re a photographer, not an emergency medical worker. You put away your feelings and document the scene.

But catastrophic events often bring out the worst in photographers and photo editors. In the first minutes and hours after a disaster occurs, photo agencies buy pictures. They rush to obtain the rights to be the only one to own these shocking images and death is usually the subject Often, an agency buys a picture from a local newspaper or an amateur photographer and puts it up for bid by major magazines. The most sought-after special pictures commend tens of thousands of dollars through bidding contests.

I worked on all those stories and many like them. When they happen, you move quickly: buying, dealing, trying to beat the agencies to the pictures.

Now, many people believe journalists are the hypocrites(伪君子) who need to be brought down, and it’s our pictures that most anger others. Readers may not believe, as we do, that there is a distinction between clear-minded ‘us" and mean-spirited “them”. In too many cases, by our choices of images as well as how we get them, we prove our readers right.

1. We can learn from the passage that________.

A．The author told photographers to take pictures of people’s happy life situations

B．Professional newspeople may talk their way into situations or shooting from behind police lines

C．In America, local newspaper and television photographers rarely push on the scene to take pictures of the victims

D．In America, photographers always push past rescue workers to take pictures of the victims

2. When journalists are working, they are told to________.

A．work with their conscience	B．respect the privacy of the victim
C．separate their work from feelings	D．ask police for permission to take photos

3. The 5th and 6th paragraphs mainly tell us that________.

A．speed determines the success of a news story

B．photo agencies are greedier than serious newspeople

C．photographers have free access to photos of accidents

D．profit is the driving force behind the competition for photos

4. It can be learned from the last paragraph that serious newspeople________.

A．obtain photos differently from news agencies

B．are no better than self-employed photographers

C．are more devoted to work than non-professionals

D．have a higher moral standard than self-employed photographers

10 . There are few spectacles more unpleasant than a television presenter trying to hang on to a job. When one of the presenters of the BBC program Crimewatch resigned recently, rather than suffer the inevitable indignity of being unfinished and replaced by a younger version, he made the usual hurt noises about his masters' overemphasis on youth. People in the media listened sympathetically before he slid from view to join the ranks of television's has-beens.

The presenter's argument, that the views don't care how old you are so long as you can “do the job,” unfortunately is not backed up by the evidence. When you're on TV, viewers are always thinking about whether you're losing your hair or your figure and, lately, whether you've had cosmetic work done. This is what they're actually doing when you think they're listening to the wise things you say. Viewers actually don't understand much of what the job involves, they just see you sitting there looking the part. Like the ability to pet one's head while rubbing one's stomach, TV presenting is just one of those sills. Some of those who possess this skill can hit the big name, inevitably as they become more attached to the lifestyle this brings, however, the more likely they are to overstate the skill.

In reality, if somebody is paying you a lot of money to do a job, it's often on the tacit （心照不宣的） understanding that you may be fired suddenly-it's part of the deal. Unlike football managers, TV presenters pretend not to understand this. If they've had many years being paid silly sums to read a script from an autocue （ 自动题词机），it's difficult for them to accept that they've been the beneficiary of good fortune rather than anything else; even harder to face the fact that an editor could all too easily send them to the shopping channels.

Something similar eventually awaits all the people who are currently making fortunes that would have been unimaginable to earlier generations of presenters. One day we'll decide that their face no longer fits and they'll be dragged away complaining about the same ageist policy from which they no doubt previously profited. Show business is a brutal （残忍的） business. The one thing it reliably punishes is age, particularly among women. That's why, at the age of fifty, female TV presenters become female radio presenters and why girl bands planning to re-form need to get it done before they're forty, after which it will get too hard for everyone to suspend their collective disbelief.

1. What does the writer imply about the Crimewatch presenter he mentions in the first paragraph?

A．He was unwise to resign when he did.

B．He will soon be forgotten by the viewers.

C．He may well have had a valid point to make.

D．He was treated insensitively by his employers.

2. The underlined pronoun “this” in paragraph 2 refers to________.

A．a public image	B．a level of success
C．an overstatement	D．a common misunderstanding

3. Why does the writer mention football managers in paragraph 3?

A．To support his view that presenters are overpaid.

B．To stress how important luck is in certain occupations.

C．To show how relatively secure TV presents are in their jobs.

D．To illustrate a general rule that applies to certain types of job.

4. According to the writer, TV personalities who may worry about ageism ________.

A．should look for work in other forms of broadcasting

B．may have benefited from it themselves at some point

C．are less well respected than presenters of the past

D．are being unfair to up-and-coming younger colleagues