1 . Whether work should be placed among the causes of happiness or among the causes of unhappiness may perhaps be regarded as a doubtful question. There is certainly much work which is exceedingly weary and an excess of work is always very painful. I think, however, that, provided work is not excessive in amount, even the dullest work is to most people less painful than idleness. There are in work all grades, from mere relief of tedium up to the profoundest delights, according to the nature of the work and the abilities of the worker most of the work that most people have to do is not in itself interesting, but even such work has certain great advantages.

To Begin with, it fills a good many hours of the day without the need of deciding what one shall do. Most people, when they are left free to fill their own time according to their own choice, are at a loss to think of anything sufficiently pleasant to be worth doing. And whatever they decided, they are troubled by the feeling that something else would have been pleasanter. To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. Moreover the exercise of choice is in itself tiresome. Except to people with unusual initiative it is positively agreeable to be told what to do at each hour of the day, provided the orders are not too unpleasant. Most of the idle rich suffer unspeakable boredom as the price of their freedom from exhausting work. At times they may find relief by hunting big game in Africa, or by flying round the world, but the number of such sensations is limited, especially after youth is past. Accordingly the more intelligent rich men work nearly as hard as if they were poor, while rich women for the most part keep themselves busy with innumerable trifles of those earth-shaking importance they are firmly persuaded.

Work therefore is desirable, first and foremost, as a preventive of boredom, for the boredom that a man feels when he is doing necessary though uninteresting work is as nothing in comparison with the boredom that he feels when he has nothing to do with his days. With this advantage of work another is associated, namely that it makes holidays much more delicious when they come. Provided a man does not have to work so hard as to impair his vigor he is likely to find far more pleasure in his free time than an idle man could possibly find.

The second advantage of most paid work and of some unpaid work is that it gives chances of success and opportunities for ambition. In most work success is measured by income, and while our capitalistic society continues, this is inevitable. It is only where the best work is concerned that this measure ceases to be the natural one to apply. The desire that men feel to increase their income is quite as much a desire for success as for the extra comforts that a higher income can acquire. However dull work may be, it becomes bearable if it is a means of building up a reputation, whether in the world at large or only in ones own circle.

1. What is the author’s opinion about work?

A．Work can keep people busy as if they were poor.

B．Work is a cause of the greatest delight of life.

C．Work is very tiresome, especially when too excessive.

D．Work can at least give relief from boredom

2. The reason why the more intelligent rich men still work hard is that ________.

A．they want to overcome boredom

B．they want to earn more in case they meet with business failure

C．they do not have any sensations in life

D．they have to pay the price of their freedom from hard work

3. In the author’s opinion, what is the last product of civilization?

A．To make wise use of leisure.	B．To be free from hard work
C．To keep oneself busy with trifles.	D．To work to some extent

4. As is put by the author, most of the work that most people have to do is ________.

A．delightful but time consuming	B．exceedingly dull and always painful
C．not worth doing and bearable at all	D．not interesting but rewarding

2 . Memorandum (备忘录)

TO: Leona Guo, President of English Salon FROM: Jarod Lu, Team Leader, Department of Education Promotion ( DEP) Division of English Salon DATE: Jul. 13th, 2011 SUBJECT: Confirmation of Future Career Plans Thank you, Ms. Guo, for the chance to sit down with you last Friday afternoon and discuss my career objectives and contributions to English Salon’s staff training program. If I am correct, we have agreed on the following matters: 1. Within six months or less, my job title will be changed to Vice President of English Salon. 2. My assignments will include all I am now doing; additionally, I will be allowed to sit in on administrative meetings and voice ideas about curriculum plans. 3. My salary will be raised to $26 ,000 at the time I assume this new title. 4. I’ll be given a car allowance of $75/ month to cover trips to outlying centers. If I’m correct about our agreement, would you sign this memo and return it to me for my files?

TO: Jarod Lu, Vice President of English Salon FROM: Leona Guo, President of English Salon DATE: Dec. 18th, 2011 SUBJECT: Leave of absence Realizing everything you’ve been through these past few months, Jarod, we’ve decided to approve your request for a two-month leave of absence. Needless to say, it won’t be easy without you around here, but we, are willing to make the added investment in you. So, take off at 5:30 today and we’ll see you in two months. I wish you the best.

TO: Leona Guo, President of English Salon FROM: Jarod Lu, Vice President of English Salon. DATE: Mar. 3rd, 2012 SUBJECT: Larger coffee machine The rapid growth of our department has resulted in an increase of coffee consumption. The original budget for coffee has been exceeded and our machine simply does not have the capacity to handle the increased usage. In short, we need a new and larger coffee machine. I hope you will approve this request in a timely and forthright fashion.

1. In the first memo, Jarod Lu intends to confirm that ________ .

A．he will be allowed to have more business trips

B．he can get promotion within half a year or less

C．some of his responsibilities can be handed over

D．his salary will be raised the moment the memo is signed

2. According to the second memo, the company is likely to ________ .

A．find another person to take the place of Jarod Lu .

B．refuse Lu’s request for a two- month leave of absence

C．require Lu to build a new team

D．wait for Lu to rejoin the company in two months

3. According to the third memo, a new coffee machine is needed because ________ .

A．the old machine can no longer meet the needs of coffee consumption

B．the old machine does not work properly

C．the price for the new machine has dropped dramatically

D．the quality of the new machine is desirable

3 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Ten years ago, after 2 years as a postdoc(博士后), I found myself wondering whether I should take a different road. Up to that point, I had stuck to a pretty traditional path investigating cancer genetics, but I was losing interest in the research. At the same time, federal funding had flattened, which added to my dissatisfaction.     1    . Then came the hard part: identifying a new career that would nurture my passion for science and allow me to make an impact with my work.

As I was considering my options, I found inspiration in my first graduate school research tutor, whose work reminded me that scientists’ efforts away from the bench can be incredibly powerful. But I still didn’t know exactly what I should do.     2     A colleague mentioned that a professor at a nearby 2-year college was training students to produce monoclonal antibodies for labs on campus. I was impressed that the professor and taken on this type of ambitious project with relatively inexperienced students. Curious to find out more, I set up a meeting with John and was struck by his sincerity and the way be prioritized student training above grants, publications, and personal ambition. I could also see his passion for teaching, which reminded me of the dream to become a high school biology teacher.

    3     I found a faculty position and joined John at the same quiet junior college. Now, I effectively hold two positions: classroom instructor and research co-adviser of 15 inexperienced but eager undergraduates. Both roles give me a chance to help students transform themselves, which is enormously rewarding.

    4     It is discouraging when others see both my students and me as less worthy because we are not at universities. We sometimes struggle to get access to federal funding, scientific conferences, and other resources and opportunities. My pay is below the standard at 4-year research institutions, even though my teaching workload is greater. But my occasional frustration is relieved by the thought of the students, who I have helped train.

Looking back at these 10 years, I realize how much my work on this campus has helped me grow, both as an academic and a tutor. I’m grateful that I stepped away from a traditional career path and found a way to serve both the student and research communities in my own way, modest though it may be.

A．However, my work has its challenges.

B．Then a second bit of inspiration came my way.

C．Distressed as I was, I resolved to pursue my interest in research.

D．Besides the spiritual reward, there are other less apparent benefits.

E．So I decided to leave the academic path to find a better match.

F．Here, at last, was a way to combine my interest in science with my passion for teaching.

4 . Much discussed and rarely achieved in full, work-life balance is an elusive prize in modern professional culture. While it can depend greatly on the priorities and values of an individual and their manager, some jobs provide strong opportunities for those looking to combine a fulfilling career with a thriving personal life.

“Work-life balance is not a situation anymore where you’re at work and then you’re at home, it’s more this balancing between the two,” said Lauren Griffin, senior vice president of Adecco Staffing U.S.

Topping the list of jobs that provide strong work-life balance is data scientist. According to IBM, “A data scientist represents an evolution from the business or data analyst role.” IBM notes that while the formal training in computer science and applications, modeling, statistics, analytics and math for these jobs is similar, “What sets the data scientist apart is strong business acumen, coupled with the ability to communicate findings to both business and IT leaders in a way that can influence how an organization approaches a business challenge.”

Stan Ahalt, director of the Renaissance Computing Institute at UNC Chapel Hill, said that the strong demand for data scientists, coupled with the anemic supply of these professionals currently available in talent pipelines, is likely creating a situation where companies will go above and beyond to attract the right talent.

“The demand for people who are able to analyze massive amounts of data and extract actionable decisions has really blossomed,” said Ahalt. “The people who are being hired are being highly sought-after, so I suspect they’re getting relatively good offers, and offers that include flexibility in their hours and locations simply because there are many more jobs than there are people.”

The list is also diverse and representative of a broad spectrum of occupations, with part-time and seasonal jobs like lifeguard and substitute teacher holding spots, as well as corporate jobs and skilled trades.

And for job-seekers or those planning a career change who want to prioritize work-life balance in their next role, Griffin said the most important step is identifying your greatest personal commitment so you can target a job that’s accommodating by nature, or an employer that will work with you to reach a solution.

“You need to define what’s non-negotiable for you,” said Griffin. “What’s that specific thing that you know you need some balance for, is it dropping your kids off, or taking your mother to a doctor’s appointment twice a month? What are those key points for you? Because then you can have a more open conversation with your employer.”

1. A job of work-life balance is suitable for those ____.

A．who gain a prize in professional culture

B．whose managers care about their priorities and values

C．who expect satisfaction from both career and personal life

D．who prefer to work anytime and anywhere at their wills

2. "These jobs" in the third paragraph indicate jobs ____.

A．in the list which provide strong life-work balance

B．of the data scientists, the business analyst and the data analyst

C．that require strong business sense and communication skills

D．that influence new business challenge of an organization

3. Data scientists are people who ____.

A．are professionals likely to create a new situation in talent pipelines

B．can analyze massive amounts of data and extra actionable decisions

C．have relatively good offers including flexibility in their hours and locations

D．are more demanded than part-time lifeguards and substitute teachers

4. For job-seekers who want to highlight work life balance, they ____.

A．must be very committed to the targeted job personally

B．have to support employers decisions without negotiation

C．should first decide what the balance is needed for

D．should drop kids off on time and take care of mothers

5 . Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?”     1    .

There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time     2    . He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad （少年） offered to take his place.     3    .

This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself. If the lad had gone home to ponder （考虑） his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）.When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying.     4    . And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.

A．It is very important to seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

B．People find jobs in an infinite number of ways.

C．it’s almost impossible to find a good job by answering advertisement in newspapers.

D．Take for example the young man who wanted to be a sailor.

E．But there was one person who landed an excellent job by telling the interviewer all the company’s faults.

F．He spent the rest of his life happily sailing the ships he had always loved.

6 . For most dog owner, the expression “Work like a dog” doesn’t make much sense. The lovely pets usually live a life of leisure. They go from the simple days of childhood directly to the relaxation of retirement, skipping the working part of life completely.

But some dogs happily perform very difficult jobs for much of their life. They put in a full day’s work just like the rest of us. Guide dogs, one of the most familiar kinds of working dog, provide an important service to humans. During the Beijing Paralympics, guide dogs received much attention as they helped their masters--those blind athletes--get from place to place safely.

Dogs were first used to guide blind people in 1819. In 1916, Dr. Gerhard Stalling set up a school to train dogs to help German soldiers who had been blinded in World War I. As time passed, trainers began to recognize which kinds of dogs are best for guide work. Today, Golden Retrievers, Labradors and German Shepherds are favorites because they are smart and work hard.

Guide dogs help blind people get around in the world. To do this, they must know how to:

1. Keep on a direct route.

2. Keep a slow, even pace.

3. Stop at all curbs(路边) until told to start moving again.

4. Turn left and right and move forward and stop when told.

5. Recognize and avoid obstacles that the handler won’t be able to deal with.

6. Lie quietly when the handler is sitting down.

7. Help the handler to get on and move around buses, subways and other forms of public transportation.

As a guide dog, gets more experience with its handler, it may be able to take on even more responsibilities. For example, many guide dogs that have worked for years know all of places their master usually goes. All the handler has to tell them is “go to the office” or “find the coffee shop”, and the guide dog will follow the complete route!

1. In Para. 2, the writer mentioned the guide dogs in Beijing Paralympics in order to _______.

A．arouse readers’ interest in reading the rest part

B．emphasize the importance of their hard work

C．compare the job of guide dogs with that of humans

D．tell the difference of the guide dogs and lovely pets

2. In order to serve the master, guide dogs must know all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A．avoid leading the handlers to some obstacles impossible to handle

B．keep a proper pace that is easy for the handlers to follow

C．assist the handlers when taking a bus, subway or train, etc.

D．look for some quiet places for the handlers to have rests

3. The more experience a guide dog gets with its handler, the more ________ the dog will be.

A．responsible	B．careful
C．obedient	D．approachable

7 . Many young people are excited by their first weeks on a new job. For others, this early period is disappointing. Some difficulties may be caused by the individual’s lack of information and preparation. Often, unpleasant surprises result from the unreal expectations aroused during the recruiting(招聘) process. Recruiters and interviewers overstate the attractiveness of a job to gain a large number of candidates. Applicants overstate their abilities and understate their needs to improve their chances of getting the job. At the same time, they may fail to study the company to which they are applying. Thus, each side offers a mixed bag of truth-all likely to cause problems when those hired begin to work.

The problem of over expectations can exist for anyone, but it may be especially severe for those young graduates who have done particularly well in their studies and/or have graduated from famous business school. They have been used to fast, regular feedback on their performance and to the atmosphere of the university. They expect to find the same conditions on their new job. But once on the job, they think their skills and abilities unused.

An individual whose expectations are inconsistent(不一致) with the realities of a new job is not likely to develop an effective and satisfying work role in the company. Edgar Schein found that almost 75% of the interviewed graduates changed jobs at least once over a five-year period. He also found that within five years, most companies lose over half of the college graduates they hire. Schein thinks that this is caused by the difference between the graduates’ expectations and the realities of the company. Similarly, in his study of a small group of American business school graduates working in South America, Schein found that job continuation and satisfaction were related to how closely the graduates’ original expectations matched the realities of their jobs.

1. That some young people are disappointed during their first weeks on a new job may be caused by________.

A．their over excitement

B．new working conditions

C．their lack of abilities and unreal expectations

D．the individual’s lack of information and preparation

2. College graduates overstate their abilities because they want to________.

A．get the job

B．attract more companies

C．get a higher payment

D．obtain a large number of candidates

3. According to the passage, ________.

A．an individual’s expectations are inconsistent

B．over half of the college graduates lost their jobs within five years

C．more than 75% interviewed graduates changed jobs over a 5-year period

D．one man is not likely to develop an effective and satisfying work role in the company

4. After reading the passage, you may conclude that________ .

A．companies like to hire old people

B．young people like to change their jobs

C．young people are more likely to change their jobs

D．young people’s skills and abilities are not needed in companies

8 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences given below. Each sentences can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

The Benefits of a Summer Job

Have you ever had a summer job? For many young people, summer is an exciting period where education stops and fun begins.     1     And the very group who have the time to benefit from the fun summer has to offer may not have the funds to do so. The solution? A summer job.

The concept of students and younger members of society being gainfully employed over the summer period is not a new one. And there are opportunities out there for those who want to earn.     2     In many cases, the jobs only pay minimum wages, which may only help you out. But the money is not the only thing that’s gained.

    3     Indeed, when talking about their experiences of summer jobs, people said they got “invaluable training” and learnt skills such as punctuality, tolerance, and the importance of hard work. These opportunities are thought to be so important that the UK government has placed 20,000 summer job vacancies on its Find a Job website.

    4     The percentage of young people working while studying has more than halved since 1997, falling from 42% to 18% in 2014. Those are the findings of a UK government report on the death of the Saturday job. Ester McVey believes this is because young people are choosing to focus more on education rather than earning extra money.

A．Summer and Saturday jobs prepare young people for successful careers in later life, teaching vital soft skills.

B．Students take summer jobs mainly to cover their tuition and this practice is highly appreciated by their parents.

C．That said, holidays, festivals and time spent with friends cost money.

D．This move comes at a time of apparent need.

E．Soft skills are so essential to students’ future career that they have to take summer jobs to acquire them.

F．Vacancies can range from roles as boring as fry cook, to seasonal work at a theme park.

9 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

No matter what the reason, though, juggling more than one job is guaranteed to be a crash course in time management. If you’re not careful, the word “crash” could become more than figurative.

We all know that we’ll have to figure out a time management system when we take on a second job. Equally obvious is the fact that what works for one person (and their jobs) probably won’t work for anyone else.     1     There are a few tricks, though, that can help.

    2    . Even if you are the boss on your second job——you’re working for yourself——you have an obligation to keep that work separate from you day job. Focus on what’s in front of you. There’s actually a benefit to punching a clock when you work for more than one supervisor. When you’re on the clock for Company A, you know exactly which projects you should be working on. If Company A is paying for this time, you should be theirs, heart and soul, at least until you clock out.

Good records can also help. I’m not just talking about the calendars and task lists most of us rely on, either. Making sure that you have any contact information available no matter whether you’re   at   Job     A,     Job     B     or     home     can     take     some     extra     effort,     but     it’s     worth it.     3    

I know plenty of people who bring their work to their primary job. It seems to be a favorite tactic of folks starting up a freelancing career or small business. I don’t think that’s the best way to manage a packed schedule. If you don’t have your primary employer’s permission, the best advice is to just keep things quiet. Give preference to the employer who is paying you for this specific chunk of time.

Some companies don’t want you to work anywhere else. They want you to put in your eight hours, go home, sleep well and come back rested. Others consider employees who go looking for other projects as its benefits —— such employees have a jump start on networking and have a wider variety of experiences.

    4    . Because it can be very hard to figure out your boss’s attitude, the general rule seems to be that you keep quiet on your extracurricular activities. I wouldn’t talk about Job A at Job B, although, if my boss was to bring up the matter, I’d be entirely truthful.

A．Priority should definitely be given to your day job.

B．The same goes for your notes and other paperwork.

C．It’s up to you to find a system and stick with it.

D．Sometimes it is no easy task to make decisions between Job A and Job B.

E．Keep firm dividers between your different jobs.

F．Unfortunately, most supervisors do not come with a label which variety they are.

10 .

More On: Go to greg Is omitting jobs from a resume lying? ----------------------- How to handle stress at work ------------------------ How can men and women work better together? ------------------------ How will cancer treatment affect my son’s resume? ------------------------ What to do if you drank too much at the company holiday party

Letter 1 January 28, 2018 | 3:31pm I work for an e-commerce Website. If one of our merchandisers has a question or wants to make a correction, they e-mail the entire department. In my opinion, this is rude and unnecessary. It seems to me that mass e-mail is appropriate for good or neutral news, rather than making a correction. Do you agree? Moreover, if you were the recipient of the correction, how would you respond? The only people who should be included in an e-mail are those who need to know or respond. Including everyone is rude and unprofessional as well as annoying to recipients. It’s not like we don’t have enough in our inbox already. I don’t agree that e-mail is only for good or neutral news, however. Sometimes you need to alert people or create a record of bad news. But no one should use e-mail to blame other people. If you’ve got a problem with someone, pick up the phone or take it outside (for a coffee, not a fist fight…geez). As for how to respond, e-mail is usually ineffective for resolving conflict. Have a conversation with the sender and explain why his or her approach isn’t the best and what you recommend.

Letter 2 January 14, 2018 | 9:24 pm It’s the start of a new year and I believe it’s time for a change. What’s the best way to explain to a prospective employer that you are in need of something new without seeming flighty and without complaining about your current employer? The new year is as good a time as any to take stock, but not the only reason for making a change. At least, that’s not what you communicate to a prospective employer. Your reason for looking for a new job is less important to your new employer than why you want to work there. Needing a change might be the catalyst(催化剂), but the job search is like dating, and you wouldn’t ask someone out and explain you’re just bored in your current relationship, right? At least I hope not, otherwise you’re likely to be as lonely as Barry Manilow sounds when he sings “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve”.

1. What is discussed in the first letter?

A．How to ask questions in a polite way.	B．How to respond to a false charge.
C．How to make a correction at work.	D．How to handle rude mass emails at work.

2. According to Greg, expressing your dissatisfaction with your present job in an interview would be the same as __________.

A．talking about your family issues in public

B．complaining about your prior partner on a first date

C．demonstrating your qualifications to your new boss

D．bragging about your experience to your partner

3. It can be inferred that “go to greg” mainly offers advice on people’s __________.

A．career choices	B．social relationships
C．working problems	D．health problems