1 . Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal, but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to ask a person from the Philippines to one’s side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.
Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that “Gift” means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm’s length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.
Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the informality with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.
Even here in the United States, we make few compromises to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.
When we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. The attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives—usually the richer—who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation’s diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.
For many years, America and Americans could get by with cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance. After all, America was the most powerful country of the free world, the distributor of needed funds and goods.
But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A l979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always be the upper hand.
1. It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would most probably________.A.stand still | B.scream out | C.step forward | D.draw back |
A.cultural self-centeredness | B.casual manners |
C.indifference towards foreign visitors | D.blindness to native culture |
A.are isolated by the local people |
B.are not well informed due to the language barrier |
C.tend to get along well with the natives |
D.need interpreters in hotels and restaurants |
A.it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends |
B.it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs |
C.it is necessary to use several languages in public places |
D.it is time to get acquainted with other cultures |
学校规定,学生在校期间不得使用手机,有的同学认为这是一项非常好的制度,但也有同学不以为然。请谈谈你对这一规定的看法,并给出理由。
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3 . In the fog of uncertainty about how new technology will change the way we work, policymakers around the world say confidently that we will need to upskill the workforce in order to cope. The view sounds reassuringly sensible: if computers are growing smarter, humans will need to learn to use them or be replaced by them. But the truth is, the people who are being “upskilled” in today’s economy are the ones who need it the least.
Research shows that workers with degrees are over three times more likely to participate in training as adults than workers with no qualifications. That creates a virtuous circle for those who did well at school, and a vicious circle for those who did not. If the robots are coming for both the accountants and the taxi drivers, you can bet it is those working with money that will be more able to retrain themselves out of danger, because the better educated tend to have more confidence and money to pay for their own training.
Employers also invest in these workers more. In the UK, a surprising number of employers send their senior managers to business schools. It is no good blaming employers for directing investments at their highly-skilled workers. They are simply aiming for the highest return they can get. And, for some types of lower-paid work, it is not always true that technological progress requires more skills. Sometimes, technology can de-skill a job. Just look at Uber drivers who follow the driving routes set by their app, rather than expanding their own knowledge of the streets. The UK’s latest Employment and Skills Survey suggests the use of literacy and numeracy skills at work has fallen since 2012, even as the use of computers has increased. However, the trouble is, when the computer makes your job easier one day, it might make it redundant the next. Many of those affected by automation will need to switch occupations, or even industries. But a retailer or warehouse company is not going to retrain its staff to help them move to a different sector.
It is time to revisit older ideas. The UK once had a vibrant culture of night schools, for adults to attend after their day jobs. A revival of it could be exactly what the 21st century needs. Rather than just “upskilling” in a narrow way, people could choose to learn an entirely new skill or trade, or explore interests they never had a chance to nurture before.
It is still not clear whether the impact of new technology on the labour market will come in a trickle or a flood. But in an already unequal world, continuing to reserve all the lifeboats for the better-off would be a dangerous mistake.
1. According to the writer, policymakers’ belief in upskilling the workforce __________.A.is contrary to popular belief | B.is helpful in coping with new technology |
C.is too difficult to put it into practice | D.is not beneficial to those who need it most |
A.have confidence in outperforming those with degrees at school |
B.persuade their employers to make an investment in them |
C.minimize the risk of job loss caused by new technology |
D.assess how new technology will change the way they work |
A.unnecessary | B.undesirable | C.unskilled | D.unrewarding |
A.Workers’ literacy and numeracy skills should be enhanced without delay. |
B.Night schools can help to eliminate skill gaps among workers. |
C.Companies should attach much importance to retraining of workers. |
D.Those lower-skilled workers deserve giving more chances of retraining. |
4 . Worth nearly $1trn, Facebook is the world’s sixth-most-valuable company. Its revenues have grown by 56% in the past year, and its share price by more than a quarter. Nearly 3bn people use its products every month. Why would such a glittering success change its name, as the Verge, a news site, reports it plans to within days?
The likely official reason for the rebranding is that the firm has outgrown the social network that Mark Zuckerberg started 17 years ago in a Harvard dorm. Today it includes other social apps (Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger) and video hardware (Oculus, Portal). It has launched a digital wallet (Novi) and may yet offer a currency (Diem). Mr. Zuckerberg expects people eventually to associate his firm more with the “metaverse”, a virtual space for work, play and more, than with social media.
If the Facebook network is to take a back seat, there may be a case for regrouping under a new name. Facebook wouldn’t be the first tech giant to do so. In 2015 Google set up Alphabet, a holding company for the search engine and its many side projects. Under this model, Facebook would become just another app within a wider family, though by far its biggest earner. There is another possible motive for a makeover. For all its financial success, the Facebook brand has become tarnished. The social network is blamed for fueling everything from teenage anorexia (厌食症) to uprising at the US Capitol.
This month Frances Haugen, a former employee, told Congress that Facebook was failing to moderate content on its platform and covering up a drop in young American users (it denies this). Public trust in it is lower than in most tech giants, and falling. Although two years ago the firm started branding its apps as being “from Facebook”, its new “smart glasses”, which can record video and take phone calls, feature only the logo of its partner, Ray-Ban.
Mr. Zuckerberg himself has been a reason for much of the criticism of Facebook, and of bossy tech firms more generally. As the all-powerful founder, he has a higher profile than his opposite numbers at TikTok, YouTube and other social networks. Normally, a brand facing a reputational crisis might dump its unpopular CEO. But Mr. Zuckerberg’s position is unassailable (难以撼动的), which may explain why he would want to dump the brand instead.
1. Facebook plans to change its name mainly because ________.A.it wants people to associate its name with social media |
B.it is trying to follow the fashion led by Google |
C.it looks to expand its business to a wider range |
D.its former name has brought bad reputation to the company |
A.It was founded by Zuckerberg in his college dormitory. |
B.It has a favorable influence on teenagers’ mind and behavior. |
C.It is as popular among youngsters in the US as it used to be. |
D.It produced smart glasses with its logo on it. |
A.abandoned | B.discriminated | C.globalized | D.compromised |
A.a science review | B.a business magazine |
C.a technical report | D.the website of Facebook |
The internet and its cultural impact are most often viewed through the lens of the “tech bro”. Biographies, and memoirs about these big-tech bosses have shaped readers’ understanding of
Influencers—the (usually female) people behind the most popular accounts on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube—have large followings, often in the hundreds of thousands or millions. People like Jackie Aina, Matilda Djerf and Molly-Mae Hague earn a living from a combination of sponsored posts, commissions
Though they shape digital culture, too often influencers
Taylor Lorenz,
Ms. Lorenz makes the case that, despite its bad rap, influencing has “given more people the chance to benefit directly from their labor than at any other time in history”,
Some experts estimate as much as 90% of online content could be AI-generated by 2026.
6 . Today’s youth will drive tomorrow’s growth. Young people have always confused their elders. Today’s youngsters are no different. They have thin wallets but
A good place to start analyzing the psyche of young consumer is to consider the
These two big
In many ways youngsters’ shopping habits, like their lives, are defined by the “
These “always-on purchasers” often avoid a weekly shop so that they can have quicker
The internet has also changed how the young discover brands. Print, billboard or TV advertising has
How the young shop is clearly shifting. What they buy, too, is changing. What older generations consider optional, such as wellness and luxury, has become
More broadly, young consumers claim to be more
A.pleasant | B.expensive | C.mild | D.refreshing |
A.prize | B.boast | C.mix | D.challenge |
A.recycle | B.desire | C.deliver | D.package |
A.education | B.institution | C.family | D.economy |
A.busier | B.luckier | C.stronger | D.calmer |
A.reforms | B.ends | C.trends | D.shocks |
A.doubt | B.opposition | C.criticism | D.ignorance |
A.bubble | B.attention | C.knowledge | D.green |
A.refunds | B.possessions | C.fixes | D.trials |
A.approved | B.facilitated | C.reversed | D.updated |
A.made peace with | B.made up for | C.run parallel to | D.given way to |
A.looks | B.scents | C.textures | D.atmospheres |
A.However | B.Hence | C.Apparently | D.Otherwise |
A.souvenirs | B.essentials | C.memories | D.treasures |
A.dream-connected | B.hobbies-motivated | C.values-driven | D.money-focused |
More Americans are opting to work well
One in three Americans who are at least 40 have or plan to have a job in retirement to prepare for a longer life, according to a survey
Financial needs aren’t the only culprit for “the unretirement” trend.
“The concept of retirement is evolving,” said Christine Russel, senior manager of retirement at TD Ameritrade. “It’s not just about finances. The value of work is also driving folks
One reason for the change in retirement patterns: Americans are living longer. The share of the population 65 and older was 16% in 2018, up 3.2% from the prior year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s also up 30.2% since 2010. Older Americans are also the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce, and boomers are expected to live longer than previous generations. The percentage of retirement-age people in the labour force has doubled over the past three decades. About 20% of people 65 and older were in the workforce in February, up from an all-time low of 10% in January in 1985, according to money manager United Income.
Unfortunately, many people who
“
A.Admiration for one’s own appearance. | B.A need for popularity. |
C.A need to belong to a group. | D.A love for photography. |
A.Women are more likely to be famous. |
B.Men are more eager to be seen as popular. |
C.Man tends to post selfies more often. |
D.Women use editing software more frequently. |
A.Photos have to be looked at. |
B.Cameras are mostly used for selfies. |
C.Clicking “like” doesn’t necessarily mean photos have been seen. |
D.It is the same experience as the traditional one. |
Why You Need a Network of Casual Friends
When I was laid off in 2015, I tweeted it the way any young people would in the hope that someone in my social network would point me to potential opportunities. To my surprise, a friend of a friend alerted me to an opening in her department by Facebook message, and she became my boss three rounds of interviews later.
Think of the parents you see in the drop-off zone at school, your favorite waiter, the other dog owners at the park. Sociologists call these relationships “weak ties.” Not only can these connections affect our job prospects, but they can also have a positive impact on our well-being.
Maintaining the network of acquaintances can help you feel more connected. The desire to belong and form social attachments is a basic human need, alongside food, sleep and safety. But once we hit 25, the number of friends we have peaks and becomes smaller over time, according to a 2016 study. As we get older and priorities shift from after-work bowling league to after-school pickup, maintaining a loaded social calendar becomes less important. Staying socially engaged, then, is integral to personal fulfillment.
Besides, having at least a few acquaintances can connect us with a larger circle of people, which is fantastic news, say, for job hunters. Even if our friends want to help us find a job, the weak ties are often the ones who widen the job-search playing field.
Those acquaintances also provide us with a wider worldview. Regularly interacting with people who have different experiences than we do allows us to be more mindful of others’ circumstances. This, in turn, builds empathy.
Still, casual friends have a lot to offer. Uncovering surprising tidbits(花边新闻) about the regular players in one’s life—discovering that your neighbor is an accomplished dancer, for instance—can spice up your day.
So next time you see a friendly face when you’ re out and about, you might as well try to initiate small talks.
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现在城市里有很多家庭请家政服务(housekeeping service),请你对此现象发表你的看法。内容必须包括:
◆概述城市里有很多家庭请家政服务现象
◆此现象对家庭和社会产生的影响
◆你对此现象的看法
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