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

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

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

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

1. Before recording a book, Whelan __________.

A．acts out its narrated version

B．builds up strength through exercise

C．determines the focus of its subject

D．varies its emphasized words

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

A．dismissing

B．involving

C．maintaining

D．presenting

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

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

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

C．It provides her with diverse life experiences.

D．It reminds her to pursue her creative ambition.

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

A．Excellent narration is based on convincing stories.

B．Narrating is a more rewarding ambition than writing.

C．An influential writer is definitely a wonderful narrator.

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

2 . During the pandemic, millions of people replaced their large open-plan offices with their living rooms. Now, some companies say their employees need never come back in.

Brynn Harrington, Vice President of Facebook, said, “Facebook believes that remote work is the future. We want to be able to give our employees choice to live and build lives in places that they love, and we want to increase our ability to hire from places around the world, not just places where we currently have offices.”

Not everyone approves of working from home. Some people are eager to get back into the office. Facebook estimates that more than half of its staff could work remotely in the coming years, but it insists the move is not about saving costs. And it says it’s committed to keeping its offices open.

Other tech giants such as Microsoft and Twitter have also indicated staff could stay remote — even after lockdowns ease. On Wall Street, they seem less enthusiastic about the idea. The boss of Goldman Sachs rejected working from home as a new normal — labelling it an “aberration” instead. There are also fears that it could create more inequality.

For many companies, the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle — with workers dividing their time between office and home.

Tushar Agarwal from Hubble said, “The office does have a future. We believe the future is hybrid (混合). We believe the future is flexible. The demand for flexible workspace has just gone through the roof. Just in the month of March, we’re back to about sixty to seventy percent of pre-Covid levels, and actually huge amounts of companies that are demanding flexible space used to be in traditional rent space, so now people want more and more flexibility than ever before.”

One thing’s clear — the world of work will look very different to how it did before this crisis.

1. Why do some companies prefer home-working?

A．It can save cost.

B．It creates more equality.

C．It decreases interpersonal conflicts.

D．It offers more possibilities for companies.

2. What is the author’s attitude to the change of working place?

A．Objective.	B．Varied.
C．Intolerant.	D．Favorable.

3. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 4 mean?

A．A normal thing.	B．A flexible thing.
C．An interesting thing.	D．An untypical thing.

4. Which can present Tushar Agarwal’s view of the future office?

A．It will remain unchanged.

B．It will mainly be remote work.

C．It will mix different types of working places.

D．It will have an open space in a large building.

3 . Dear Mr. Wu,

This is to confirm my resignation (辞职) from the position of Good Morning Editor (编辑) at Formosa News, effective March 31, 2013.

There are several reasons for my resignation, but to put it simply, I am just too tired. To do my job well, I need to spend at least ten hours a day at the office, which leaves no time for anything else.

Because of this, I have recently accepted a job at Let’s Learn English Inc, where I will be editing textbooks for children. I will be working fewer hours a day, for almost as much money as at Formosa News. This will allow me to pursue (从事) other interests.

Regarding (关于) the salary at Formosa News, I feel it is reasonable. However, I believe that the company should consider creating a position for an assistant editor, as this job is really too much for one person.

Finally, I would like to thank you for giving me the chance to work at Formosa News. I wish you all the best in the future.

Sincerely,

Susan A. Wood

1. What is purpose of this letter?

A．To apologize.	B．To quit a job.
C．To ask for a salary rise.	D．To apply for a position.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Susan’s salary won’t change too much.

B．Susan will get the training from the new job.

C．Susan quits the job for the low salary.

D．Susan has to work longer in her new job.

3. What suggestion does Susan make?

A．Offer classes for employers.	B．Hire an assistant for the new editor.
C．Increase the pay for the new editor.	D．Reduce employees’ working hours.

5 . Whether you are looking for a chance to add to your work experience or push yourself outside of your comfort zone, volunteering abroad is a decision that will benefit you for the rest of your life.     1    

When volunteering overseas as an undergraduate, you can gain hands-on experience in your chosen field.     2     Besides, experiencing volunteer work abroad will also make you more open-minded, improve your understanding of the world, let you experience different cultures first-hand, sharpen your language skills and even change the course of your life!

Many of the college student volunteers travel independently, which pushes them out of their comfort zone and makes their confidence grow.     3     But you will never actually be alone. Many of your fellow volunteers will become your friends for life. You’ll also form strong connections with the local people you’ll be working with.

    4     Volunteer trips for college students are available year-round. If you want to join in a volunteer program abroad during your break, you can take the spring or winter break, which enables you to contribute to a meaningful project, meet people from across the globe and explore a new country!

You may also want to know how to find the best programs. As with choosing the right school, when it comes to volunteering abroad, research is important!     5     That will ensure you the right program for you. Consider your skills and motivations for volunteering abroad before making your choice.

A．You may also travel by yourself sometimes.

B．There are plenty more projects to choose from.

C．This is perfect if you are a person who loves to travel.

D．What’s more, choose a proper time to make your journey.

E．Here are what you need to know about volunteering abroad.

F．You need to check the program you intend to volunteer for.

G．More importantly, you can make a difference to communities in need.

7 . How to tell your career story

I believe telling your story is one of the most important life skills because it is the moment when you commit to the change what you want to make in your life     1    .

Share what you really want to do

If you know what you really want to do for work, tell people even if you haven’t taken your first step down that path. Don’t hold back, go for it!     2    , not what you are doing right now. When you talk about the work you’ve always wanted to do, you’ll naturally sound more excited, and other people will sense your excitement.

Share your motivation

As soon as you tell someone about the work you’ve always wanted to do, immediately tell them about your motivation for doing it. Communicate your “why”, your purpose, and your reason for making a change in your work.    3    if they believe your intentions are reliable. You might even share a personal story.

    4    ?

Your past experiences have value. They provided you with marketable skills that you can use in new ways to support your new work. They are part of your new story. When you talk to someone about what you want to do, share how your past experiences make you uniquely qualified to do it. How did they lead you here to take this next step? Show how they’re helping you work toward your new purpose. For example, my work at CBS News helped me to tell stories. My work at dot-coms helped me understand the possibilities of the digital media.    5    . My work as an entrepreneur helped me understand how to build communities.

A．How are you uniquely qualified

B．Focus on where you want your life to go

C．Here are some “rules” for telling your career story

D．What’s the difference between old experiences and new stories

E．I believe everyone has a great untold story that deserves to be told

F．My work as a sales trainer taught me how to inspire people to change

G．People will be more engaged and even more motivated to offer you help

8 . In many practical ways, I chose a nursing career because I wanted to improve lives.

My mom was a nurse, so I knew something about the profession. Her nursing magazines lay around our house, and I’d pick them up and read them when ran out on the back of the breakfast box. Some of the stories were pretty interesting. So between my freshman and sophomore years of college, I enrolled in a nurses’ aide course. I figured the class was a chance to explore the world of nursing while earning money for college.

If I liked the class, I told myself, I’d major in nursing. After all, it was a stable, respectable profession.

To be honest, the class wasn’t always exciting. I learned how to make beds! And I also learned about diseases, dementia (痴呆) and documentation. I leanred how to assess vital signs, how-to help .patients with activities of daily living, and-how to communicate to our supervising nurses. Before long, I was released onto the floor to practice our new skills — and that’s when things got interesting.

Nursing is not about the role (机械的) application of procedures; nursing is about people. Out on the floor, I worked with a 90-year-old woman who’d come over on a boat from the Old Country, alone, at the age of 13. I cared for a man who’d reverted to his native language, and quickly learned that I could ease his confusion by telling him “Gut en Natch” ( “good night” ) before tucking him into bed.

What I learned that summer is that nursing is about people, and that nurses help those who are struggling with both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. When things got tough — and they did, nursing can be an incredibly demanding job — it was my patients who pulled me through. They needed me, and their stories inspired me to help them anyway. That summer, I decided to become a nurse.

1. Why did the author take a nurses’ aide course?

A．She wanted to read more interesting stories about nursing.

B．Her mom encouraged her to take the course.

C．She wanted to improve lives.

D．She wanted to know more about nursing and make money for college.

2. Which of the following sentence is NOT TRUE?

A．She learned how to evaluate vital signs.

B．What she learned in the class were not exciting at all.

C．Practicing new skills on the floor interested her.

D．Helping patients with living activities didn’t make things interesting.

3. What does the underlined word “tucking” in Para.5 probably mean?

A．Covering

B．pulling

C．putting

D．pushing

4. What is Para.6 mainly about?

A．She found the true meaning of nursing.

B．The nursing course made her to be needed by her patients.

C．Nursing was tough for her.

D．She pulled her patients through.

9 . Summer jobs for teens are worth saving. These seasonal jobs offer more than money. Summer jobs can teach important life skills and give teens real-world experience.

“We don't naturally know how to be good employees(雇员), ”says Kathy Kristof, who works for SideHusl, a part-time employment. “We learn with practice. ”

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Survey 2018, while 89. 4% of recent college graduates considered themselves as having good work skills, only 42. 5% of surveyed employers shared that opinion.

“You have 22-year-olds who might have an excellent academic(学业的)record but they've never held a job, ”says Andrew Challenger, vice president of firm Challenger. “They've missed out on some important life skills. ”

Summer jobs can help high school and college students perform better in the classroom, according to recent research. But parents often believe that summer school and volunteer work will be more helpful for college applications than paid work.

“It's not really going to matter what you do, as long as you're doing something besides just playing video games, ”Challenger says.

Where summer jobs can really help is in the job market after graduation. The jobs most teens do help them build “soft skills” that employers value and that lead to higher-paying jobs. Dealing with customers and coworkers helps them with communication and problem-solving skills, for example. Dealing with a boss gives them the ability to accept and learn from criticism(批评) .

This summer's job market is expected to be a good one, Challenger says. Where there are few workers on hand, there will be chances.

1. What does the 2018 survey suggest?

A．Employers value work experience more than academic records.

B．Many college graduates don't meet employers' expectations.

C．Most college graduates have a satisfying academic record.

D．Employers think highly of today's college graduates.

2. What do parents usually want their teens to do during the summer vacation?

A．Study at home.	B．Do summer jobs.
C．Do volunteer work.	D．Help around the house.

3. What does the underlined word “them” in the last but one paragraph refer to?

A．Employers.

B．Teen workers.

C．Customers.

D．Coworkers.

4. What's the author's attitude towards teens doing summer jobs?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncertain.

D．Uninterested.

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

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

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

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

A．Working with other cultures is not for everyone.

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

C．It used to be so easy.

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

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

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