1 . 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

2 . Business has slowed, layoffs mount, but executive pay continues to roar—at least so far. Business Week’s annual survey finds that chief executive officers (CEOs) at 365 of the largest US companies got compensation last year averaging $3.1 million—up l.3 percent from 1994.

Why are the top bosses getting an estimated 485 times the pay of a typical factory worker? That is up from 475 times in 1999 and a mere 42 times in 1980. One reason may be what experts call the “Lake Wobegon effect”. Corporate boards tend to consider that “all CEOs are above average”—a play on Garrison Keillor’s famous line in his public radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, that all the town’s children are “above average”. Consultants provide boards with surveys of corporate CEO compensation. Since directors are reluctant to regard their CEOs as below average, the compensation committees of boards tend to set pay at an above-average level. The result: Pay levels get raised.

Defenders of lavish CEO pay argue there is such a strong demand for experienced CEOs that the free market forces their pay up. They further maintain most boards structure pay packages to reflect an executive’s performance. They get paid more if their companies and their stock do well. So companies with high-paid CEOs generate great wealth for their shareholders.

But the supposed cream-of-the-crop executives did surprisingly poorly for their shareholders in 1999, says Scott Klinger, author of this report by a Boston-based Organization United for a Fair Economy. If an investor had put $10,000 apiece at the end of 1999 into the stock of those companies with the 10 highest-paid CEOs, by year-end 2000 the investment would have shrunk to $8.132. If $10,000 had been put into the Standard & Poor’s 500 stocks, it would have been worth $9,090. To Mr. Klinger, these findings suggest that the theory that one person, the CEO, is responsible for creating most of a corporation’s value is dead wrong. “It takes many employees to make a corporation profitable.”

With profits down, corporate boards may make more effort to tame executive compensation. And executives are making greater efforts to avoid pay cut. Since CEOs, seeing their options “under water” or worthless because of falling stock prices, are seeking more pay in cash or in restricted stock.

1. What could be implied by “Lake Wobegon effect” according to the passage?

A．It is a fact that executives’ income must increases with time

B．When businesses have slowed, there must be more layoffs.

C．People tend to think themselves more significant than others.

D．Directors are reluctant to regard their CEOs as below average

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

3 . 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.

4 .

EDUCATION OUTREACH COORDINATOR (对外协调员) POSITION OVERVIEW Position title: Academic Coordinator I Percent time: 100% Expected start: April 10, 2022 or later Position duration: This position is funded for two years (possibility of extension based on performance and/or funding) POSITION DESCRIPTION The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara invites applications for a qualified Education Outreach Coordinator for the Biotech education outreach program. The person in this position will be coordinating teaching events which includes but is not limited to: • coordinating and setting up schedules between teachers, volunteers, and faculty members • assisting with organizing events, updating the website, helping with fundraising • assisting with administration related to the joint Master’s program • arrange meetings with partner institutions The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through teaching and service. The posting will remain open until filled. QUALIFICATIONS Basic qualifications (required at time of application) • BA in Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related field at time of application Additional qualifications (required at time of start) • A minimum of 2 years’ experience of scheduling and coordinating meetings • A minimum of 2 years’ experience of using Excel Preferred qualifications • An MA degree • A minimum of 2 years’ past work experience in education outreach or working with a nonprofit. • Event coordination with K-12 schools • Experience in Google platform • Experience of posting to social media • Experience of updating websites • Excellent interpersonal skills

1. Which of the following is true about the job advertised?

A．It’s a full-time job.	B．It’s a permanent job.
C．It’s volunteer work.	D．It’s academic work.

2. According to the job posting, an education outreach coordinator’s work mainly includes ________.

A．teaching volunteers and faculty members to set up schedules

B．helping the administrators to set up some education programs

C．organizing teaching events for the education outreach program

D．coordinating the programs between the academic communities

3. Suppose all the following candidates meet the basic qualifications, who is most qualified for the position?

A．A person who has excellent interpersonal skills.

B．A person who once worked in a company for three years.

C．A person who is good at using Excel and likes using social media.

D．A person who has 3 years’ experience of coordinating meetings.

5 . BANK OF BARODA

INDIA’S INTERNATIONAL BANK

Bank of Baroda, a principal India Public Sector Bank having Global presence in 25 countries and operating in UK for 60 years requires consultants for carrying out administrative jobs on a fixed term contract basis for our London branches and offices.

The candidates should possess at least a degree and basic accounting knowledge.

They should be familiar with computer — expert in MS Office, use of Internet with good communication skills, flexible in approach, self-motivated, able to work on their own initiatives as well as in teams.

Initial salary payable (all inclusive annually) will be approximately £17,000 — for consultants.

Applicants possessing the above and having the right to live and work in UK who are able to provide satisfactory references from two UK residents/employers will be considered for the position.To apply, please send your CV along with passport size photograph at htm.nk@bankofbaroda.com to reach on or before 15 February 2018

1. Which of the following is true of Bank of Baroda?

A．It has a recorded of 60 years.

B．It is enrolling consultants for London branches.

C．It is second to none India Public Sector Banks.

D．It needs office administrators who can work outside UK

2. As a qualified candidate, you are supposed to ________.

A．major in Accounting

B．be good at working with others

C．be critical in taking new approaches

D．have a basic knowledge of MS Office

3. To increase the chances of getting this position, you’d better _________.

A．have two British citizens recommend you

B．send your CV by the end of February, 2018

C．email your CV alone at htm.uk@bankofbaroda.com

D．be an overseas graduate with a passport that is still valid

6 . Since its founding in 1923, Yellow Corporation has been a leader in the transportation industry, using trucks to transport goods between points in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For decades, Yellow achieved success by concentrating virtually all of its attention on increasing efficiency at every turn. Yellow has long been a master at ensuring that trucks are full before they have a warehouse, and it has also developed precisely time delivery schedules.

Unfortunately, Yellow eventually fell victim to its own success. As operational efficiency increased, customer service received less and less attention, and before long, newer and more responsive companies were taking away the firm’s customers. Accompanying this problem was the fact that the customers most likely to seek a more service-oriented transportation provider were also the ones willing to pay high prices for the extra service. As a result, Yellow’s financial performance began to decline, slowly at first, but then more dramatically. Naturally, the decline in profit led to even worse across-the-board service.

To help turn Yellow around, the board of directors offered Bill Zollars the position of CEO. Already a highly respected manager, Zollars was attracted by the opportunity to revitalize the carrier. Zollars quickly learned that organizational change at Yellow would have to be fundamental. Over a period of decades, people throughout the company were often willing to do only the minimal amount necessary to get their jobs done. Zollars knew that he had to alter the attitudes, behavior, and performance of 30,000 employees. He began by improving communication. The CEO spent 18 months traveling to several hundred locations, and at each site, he talked face-to-face with customers and with employees at all levels.   He asked for opinions and provided his own message---namely, that enhanced customer service was to become the firm’s new focus.

Zollars’s plan consisted of more than promises and motivational speeches. While previous leaders often didn’t focus on problems and refused to reveal information about the firm’s   performance, Zollars openly acknowledged the company’s defect rate---the percentage of shipments that were late, wrong, or damaged. Employees were shocked to find that the rate was 40 percent, but that knowledge was necessary to enhance motivation and set a benchmark for improvement. Zollars also instituted the company’s first ongoing program for surveying customer satisfaction, and the results were reported openly throughout the company. Zollars made a real effort to listen to employees, gave them authority to make decisions, and developed an enviable reputation for honesty and commitment. “If people doing the work don’t believe what’s coming from the leadership,” says Zollars, “it doesn’t get implemented.”

1. What caused Yellow Corporation’s financial performance to decline?

A．There was suddenly some difficulty finding enough warehouses.

B．Fewer customers were willing to pay high prices for extra services.

C．More transportation providers emerged with the market expanding.

D．It put more emphasis on operational efficiency than on customer service.

2. What did Zollars do to facilitate the fundamental changes in Yellow Corporation?

A．He communicated with customers in person.

B．He employed some highly respected managers.

C．He reevaluated all the employee’s performance.

D．He estimated the minimal amount of job each should do.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that it was ______ that contributed to the success of Zollars’s plan.

A．the precise calculation of the company’s defect rate

B．the ongoing survey of the employers’ satisfaction

C．the improvement of the leadership’s confidence

D．the revelation of information to the employees

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

A．The CEOs of Yellow Corporation

B．The Future at Yellow Corporation

C．The Success of Yellow Corporation

D．The Turnaround at Yellow Corporation

8 . China: Making Graduates Employable

Universities in China are facing similar demands to improve the employability of their graduates as those in the UK, new research among employers has revealed.     1     In Britain, the government has set up its own internship scheme to help graduates find work during the recession.

But what are the skills employers want and how much do they differ between the two nations?     2     The partnerships are funded by the government through the British Council under the second phase of the Prime Minister’s Initiative for International Education. In this scheme, universities are encouraged to exchange ideas and develop programmes aimed at improving the entrepreneurship and employability of graduates. “We found employers in both countries put a great emphasis on leadership qualities and initiative – things that are learned through the activities students engage in and the responsibilities they take on during their time at university,” Heffernan told a conference in London organized by the council, which is inviting proposals for 10 new UK-China partnerships.

    3    

Generally, it includes family and friends and links with people working in other companies, voluntary organizations, or leisure activities. The Chinese also tend to take more time building up relationships with people before getting down to business. The University of Plymouth and its partner China Agricultural University in Beijing are working to determine the skills most likely to lead to employability and successful careers. Staff at both universities have conducted face-to-face and telephone interviews with local employers of graduates in three areas, marketing, human resources and finance-accounting.

    4     In the UK they chose communication including written and verbal communication, networking skills and foreign language ability - as the top priority followed by the ability to work in a team.

“Students in China generally lose touch with society and they need help to understand how companies work and what is involved in the different jobs and professions. They know very little outside the campus and that is where I think they differ from students in the UK. We can share our experiences.”

A．“However, there are some clear differences in the emphasis put on different attributes, such as the value placed by the Chinese on ‘guanxi’, the network of connections that a person has built up.” he said.

B．Employers in both countries valued the personal skills of graduates seeking work in human resources.

C．The Chinese employers said the person who could complete a job and get things done was highly prized

D．That is the question Dr. Troy Heffernan, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Plymouth, set out to answer through his involvement in one of 13 partnerships between institutions in the UK and China.

E．A draft of a report to be published later this year shows marketing executives in both countries put a high emphasis on good communication skills.

F．The Chinese government issued a circular earlier this year urging universities and colleges to strengthen their efforts in preparing students for the workplace.

9 . Brief Introduction of 21st Century English Education Media

China Daily launched the first 21st Century newspaper on May 5, 1993 as an English education weekly for Chinese students to learn English. Today, the brand consists of both print and digital platform, through which it constantly provides quality content. The 21st Century brands involve print media, new media, teaching research, brand activities and research training, establishing it as China’s leading brand in English education.

We Are Looking For: native English-speaking sub-editor

Job Description:

1) copy-editing stories written by staff and from other media sources

2) writing headlines, checking and contributing ideas for story selection and writing

3) helping production and development of other editorial materials - producing written content, recording audio/video material, hosting new media programs, etc.

Job Requirements:

1) a university degree (bachelor's or master's) in journalism with over two years' work experience in either journalism or teaching English.

2) skillful at writing content, including headlines.

3) the capability to work to a deadline in a team atmosphere.

Location: Beijing

Benefit package:

1) salary with bonus with a 12-month contract renewed annually

2) free on-site accommodation with water, gas and electricity all covered

3) roundtrip airfare

4) medical insurance

5) paid vacations, free workday meals, etc.

To apply, please send your resume and article samples (particularly pieces on culture, arts, entertainment, sports and science) to: wangru@_______stcentury.com.cn

1. Which of the following about 21^stCentury English Education Media is NOT true?

A．The 21st Century newspaper is aimed at helping Chinese students learn English.

B．The 21st Century newspaper is published every month.

C．We can either read the print or the digital version of the newspaper.

D．It plays an important role in China’s English education.

2. The job of the native English-speaking sub-editor involves the following EXCEPT ________.

A．teaching Chinese students English.

B．editing the stories written by others.

C．propose ideas to story selection and writing.

D．helping with the work of other editorial materials.

3. If one wants to apply for this job, he/she ________.

A．should have a university degree in language education.

B．doesn’t need to have related working experience.

C．should include one of his/her articles in the application e-mail.

D．doesn’t need to have the ability to cooperate.

10 . The professional life of 22-year-old David Bloomfield takes many shapes. You might see him as a bad-tempered businessman, a money-hungry nephew, a suspicious neighbour or a jealous husband. Sometimes he may be a murder victim — or he may be a cold-hearted killer. David is a member of an acting company called Nightshade, who create and perform “interactive murder mysteries”.

Although these events can be held in someone’s home, they usually take place in a hotel, where guests come for an evening or a weekend. Having planned out a story in which at least one character will be killed, the actors play the main parts themselves. There is no stage — the audience is part of the scene as the action unfolds. Members of the audience share meals and conversations with the characters, they can ask questions and they listen for clues. At the end, like Poirot or Miss Marple, they have to solve the mystery and work out who the killer is.

David has been working with Nightshade for two years. At school he studied drama and he had learned roles in school theatre productions. But he might never have thought of this particular job if he hadn’t had a stroke of luck. He explains, “I was working at weekends as a waiter at the Grange Hotel where the company performs regularly. I’d watched their performances and I knew how the event worked. So when one of the actors became ill, I volunteered to take his part. It was a last-minute decision and they were taking a big risk with me, but I must have done quite well because they invited me to stay with them for the rest of the season. And I’m still with them now.”

David is enthusiastic about his work. Mixing with the audience makes it a real challenge, he says, “Every event is different. You can’t just rely on a script like most actors and you never know quite what to expect. You have to be creative and quick-thinking to create a convincing character while keeping the mystery alive. I love all that. It must be great to work in films or on a TV mystery series like Poirot, but I know I’d miss what you get from interacting with a live audience.”

1. Which of the following statements is true of interactive murder mysteries?

A．Audience prefer to be given roles to play.

B．What actors can do includes changing the storyline.

C．Actors don’t know the endings before the performance.

D．It is usually the audience who find out who the murder is.

2. What did David say about his joining Nightshade?

A．It happened by chance.	B．It was what he dreamed of.
C．He prepared for it for a long time.	D．He needed a part-time job then.

3. David must have given a good performance when he first acted in a Nightshade performance because ________.

A．he was invited to keep acting with Nightshade

B．he volunteered to replace someone who was ill

C．Nightshade made a risky decision when they employed him

D．Nightshade waited until the last minute to decide to have him on the stage

4. According to David, how is his work different from other acting jobs?

A．The audience are enthusiastic.	B．The mysteries are hard to crack.
C．The scripts themselves are unusual.	D．The interactive events are unpredictable.