Like most people, I’ve long understood that I’ll be judged by my occupation, that my profession is used by people to see how talented I am. Recently, however, I was disappointed to see that it also decides how I’m treated as a person.
Last year I left a professional position as a small-town reporter and took a job waiting tables. As someone paid to serve food to people, I had customers say and do things to me I suppose they’d never say or do to the people they know. One night a man talking on his cell phone waved me away, then called me back with his finger a minute later, saying angrily that he was ready to order and asking where I’d been.
I had waited tables during summers in college and was treated like a peon(勤杂工) by plenty of people. But at 19 years old, I believed I deserved inferior(低等的)treatment from professional adults. Besides, people responded to me differently after I told them I was in college. Customers would joke that one day I’d be sitting at their table, waiting to be served.
Once I graduated I took a job at a community newspaper. From my first day, I heard a respectful tone from everyone who called me. I assumed this was the way the professional world worked--- politely and formally.
I soon found out differently. I sat several feet away from a person in advertising department with a similar name. Our calls would often get mixed up and someone asking for Kristen would be transferred to Christie. The mistake was immediately clear. Perhaps it was because of money, but people used a tone with Kristen that they never used with me.
It’s no secret that there’s a lot to put up with when waiting tables, and fortunately, much of it can be easily forgotten when you pocket the tips. The service industry exists to meet others’ needs. Still, it seemed that many of my customers didn’t get the difference between server and servant.
I’m now applying to graduate school, which means someday I’ll return to a profession where people need to be nice to me in order to get what they want. I think I’ll take them to dinner first, and see how they treat someone whose job is to serve them.
68. What makes the author disappointed?
A. Professionals tend to look down upon workers.
B. Talented people have to do the job waiting tables.
C. One’s position is used to measure one’s intelligence.
D. Occupation affects the way one is treated as a person.
69. What does the author intend to say by the example in Paragraph 2?
A. Waiting tables is a hard job.
B. Some customers are difficult to deal with.
C. The man making a phone call is absent-minded.
D. Some customers show no respect to those who serve them.
70. How did the author feel when waiting tables at the age of 19?
A. She felt it unfair to be treated as a servant.
B. She found it natural for professionals to treat her as inferior.
C. She was embarrassed each time her customers joked with her.
D. She felt badly hurt when her customers regarded her as a peon.
71. The author says one day she’ll take her customers to dinner in order to _______.
A. see what kind of person they are
B. experience the feeling of being served
C. share her working experience with her customers
D. help them realize the difference between server and servant
About a year ago,if you had asked who Dinara Safina was,the answer would have been,“She is Marat Safin’s younger sister.” She was overshadowed by her wonder brother.But now she has made a name for herself:the world No.1 player in women’s tennis.
The 22yearold Russian overtook Serena Williams of the US for top ranking on April 20.“Before,every place I go,I am Marat’s sister.Nothing else,”she told New York Times.“I always wanted to be myself,and now finally the results come,and people can know me as Dinara Safina.”
Safina has made it to two great event finals,in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open,and won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Clearly,family isn’t the only connection Safina and her brother share.Their DNA burns with competitive fire.Safin has held the distinction for years of being a hottempered player on court.When he lost his temper,he would smash a racket (球拍).Safina is as emotionally explosive as her brother.A headline in the newspaper The Australian once described her as “mad as a snake”.The Sydney Morning Herald,during the Australian Open,summed up Safina’s volatile (不稳定的) emotional state with the headline—Safina goes from basket case to top of the world.
It’s not rare for a family to have two top tennis players.Safina’s father owns a tennis academy and her mother worked as a coach.“I had no choice but to become a tennis player,but I don’t mind being a tennis player,” Safina said.
From this talented family she is also given one of her best weapons on court,her size.She is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg.But it is hard work that led her to her recent success.
“I hope to prove to everyone over the coming months that I deserve the honor of being world No.1,”she said.What is the passage mainly about?
A.How Safina came first in women’s tennis. |
B.How the parents taught Safina to play tennis. |
C.How her brother helped Safina play tennis. |
D.How Safina beat her brother in playing tennis. |
Which one of the following doesn’t contribute to Safina’s success?
A.Her hard work and strong competitiveness. |
B.Her emotional explosion and volatile emotional state. |
C.The fact that she is 1.82 meters tall and weighs 70kg. |
D.The fact that her parents are both good tennis players. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Serena Williams was topped by Safina on ranking list on April 20. |
B.Dinara Safina was always very confident and eager to succeed. |
C.Safina was eager to become a tennis player when she was a child. |
D.Marat Safin won the two finals,in the 2008 French and in the 2009 Australian Open. |
What can we infer from the headline “Safina goes from basket case to top of the world”?
A.Safina wanted to top the world in tennis when she was a baby in a basket. |
B.After she won the Australian Open,Dinara Safina cried. |
C.Too nervous at first,Safina finally gained confidence and won. |
D.Safina learnt from the basket case and finally came top of the world. |
You will go to college some day and college is one of the most exciting stages of one’s life.If you wish to make the most of your campus(校园) experience and become a better person after those four years,then first you ought to make friends.Close friends contribute to your selfgrowth for they provide you with moral support that is so important to survive the stressful college life.Friends can lend a helping hand when necessary like collecting your homework when you’re too sick to leave your dorm,and help you develop the right attitude by pointing out to you your weaknesses.
Being home most of your life and then suddenly finding yourself on your own in a large campus without your parents to hold your hand can be annoying.However,rather than thinking about your missing home too much,why not see this new stage in your life as an opportunity for selfgrowth and develop the right attitude that will prepare you for the rigors of postgraduation life,particularly when you join the workforce?
Specialinterest clubs or organizations are great for selfgrowth.Here,not only do you get the opportunity to meet with likeminded people,you can also discover more things about your field of interest.Club meetings usually include lively discussions,so go there with the right attitude.You should try to build a good name in the organization by being respectful,active and considerate to others.
You might not like all of your professors,but they are there to provide knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field.Thus,show up for each class with the right attitude and determination to learn.Whether you get along well with your professors or not has a huge effect on your selfgrowth as it is a measure of how well you can respect authority and obey requirements.
Actively participating in a class debate(辩论) or lecture contributes to your selfgrowth as it helps you build confidence in speaking up and improves your communication skills.It also helps you develop the right attitude by exercising diplomacy(外交术) when you choose your words carefully especially when discussing a very politically sensitive issue and exercising patience when dealing with classmates who shoot down your ideas.In the writer’s opinion,how can college students develop a positive attitude?
A.By joining specialinterest clubs. |
B.By focusing on their studies. |
C.By taking up parttime jobs. |
D.By making friends with others. |
According to the text,college students should do many things EXCEPT ________.
A.forget the family |
B.be respectful at club meetings |
C.try to attend each class |
D.take an active part in a class debate |
We can learn from the text that ________.
A.college life is very interesting |
B.friendship can help college students avoid stress |
C.students should choose words carefully at any occasion |
D.it is important to have a good teacherstudent relationship |
The purpose of the text is to ________.
A.introduce how to show yourself in college |
B.tell college students how to socialize with others |
C.give college students some advice on selfgrowth |
D.explain the importance of fouryear college life |
LONDON—Here’s a new warning from health experts:Sitting is deadly.
Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods—even if you also exercise regularly—could be bad for your health.And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place—at the office,at school,in the car or before a computer or TV—just the overall number of hours it occurs.Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat,have a heart attack or even die.
In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine,Elin EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.
While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity,they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
“After four hours of sitting,the body starts to send harmful signals,”said EkblomBak.She explained that genes regulating(调节) the amount of glucose(葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise,spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful.Tim Armstrong,a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization,said people who exercise every day—but still spend a lot of time sitting—might get more benefit if that exercise was spread across the day,rather than in a single bout(一回).
Still,in a study published in 2009 that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years,researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk,whether or not they exercised.
“We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad,” said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge,who led the Canadian study.“But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior,the better.”
Figures from a U.S. survey in 20032004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting,from working at their desks to sitting in cars.
Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous,and what might be possible to offset those effects.
“People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits,” EkblomBak said.“But when they’re in the office,they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible,” she said.What is the best title for the text?
A.Not Sitting Too Much While Working |
B.How to Avoid Sitting Too Much |
C.Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly |
D.More and More People Sit Too Much |
According to the research,________.
A.the more time you spend in exercising in a single bout(一回),the healthier you will be |
B.those who often sit too much are sure to grow fat or suffer from a heart attack |
C.regular exercise is effective to get rid of the side effects of sitting too much |
D.you had better not sit for more than four hours in a single bout |
How does the danger of sitting too much affect the human body?
A.It results in a higher death risk. |
B.It increases glucose and fat in the body. |
C.It makes a person unable to exercise long enough in a day. |
D.It causes the gene to fail to balance the glucose and fat in the body. |
The underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 10 most probably means “________”.
A.improve | B.avoid |
C.ignore | D.achieve |
Being organized is an important skill for school and life.When you’re well organized,you can stay focused,instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked.What does it mean to be organized?For schoolwork,it means having one notebook or place where you store all your assignments,so you know what you have to do and when.Keeping clearly labeled binders or folders for handouts and keeping all your schoolwork neat and in a specific place—these are the main parts of organization.
For home stuff,being organized means having a place to put your things and putting them back as you go.It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.It means keeping your schoolbag,your shoes,and your clean underwear in the same places so you always know where to find them.
Planning is part of being organized,too.Planning means deciding what you will do and when you will do it.Calendars,lists,and schedules can help you plan.You can buy or draw a calendar and keep it near your workplace.Making a schedule or a “todo” list for yourself is a good idea.Looking at your list helps you keep track of what you need to do.Add new things as you get assignments,and check off things when you’ve done them.Use your list to help you decide which thing is the most important to work on first.
It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.But once you’re organized,you feel great.The less time you spend hunting around for things or panicking about homework,the more time you have for better things,like reading a good book or playing.According to the first paragraph,“being organized” probably means “________”.
A.looking for something with others here and there |
B.doing something according to the plan made ahead of time |
C.getting together every now and then |
D.telling you what you have to do every day |
If you are well organized at home,you will________.
A.leave all the things as they are |
B.hang your coat on a chair |
C.know where your clean underwear is |
D.ask your mom where your shoes are |
Which one of the following is the right order of being organized?
a.Deciding what you have to do and when.
b.Finding a notebook where you can write down your “todo” list.
c.Getting rid of the things that have been done in the list.
d.Making a “todo” list for yourself.
A.b,a,d,c | B.a,d,c,b |
C.c,b,a,d | D.d,c,b,a |
What may be the best title for this passage?
A.Planning Is Part of Being Organized |
B.A Good Beginning Is Half Done |
C.Being Organized—an Important Skill |
D.Where There Is a Will There Is a Way |
The dark chocolate is one of the favourite food choices by many.The taste is simply irresistible,the smell is tempting and the feel of every bite is surely what you are craving for.
Aside from the taste,you simply cannot resist it because it has a lot of benefits when it comes to your health.Our health is our priority(首要事情) when it comes to the choice of our foods.If you worry that the chocolate is bad for your health then here is a list of the effects of dark chocolate to health especially when taken with the right amount every day.
First of all,it contains a component called flavonoid(类黄酮) which acts as an antioxidant(抗氧化剂).The_antioxidants_fight_the_common_signs_of_aging.The antioxidants are also good for the heart.Studies have shown that people who ate foods rich in antioxidants have low incidence of heart diseases.
Aside from the antiaging and healthy heart benefits,the dark chocolate can also lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol(胆固醇) to as high as 10%.Lowering of blood pressure in patients of high blood level is good because it will lower the risks of stroke and certain health crisis.Low levels of blood cholesterol are also good for the heart and take away the risk of blood vessels which may harden for too much cholesterol in them.
Lastly,do you know the feeling of being overjoyed after jogging?This feeling is like extreme happiness.Dark chocolates will give you the feeling of pleasure and happiness.If you are feeling that the world has turned against you,then a chocolate can be a mood lifter.It is an antidepressant.Usually when we feel so bad,we would crave to eat more food.If you are looking for something to eat during your bad moments try to take a bite from a dark chocolate and feel good somehow after it.
These are commonly the effects of chocolates to health.It can benefit you especially if taken in moderate amounts.Approximately,100 grams of chocolate or less a day is already enough according to studies.If you have taken too much,try to lessen on your other meals for the day.It is all about nutrition and taking the right amount of food in order to get the health benefits that it can provide to you.According to the text,________.
A.many people like the dark chocolate for its taste |
B.the dark chocolate is the best choice for most people |
C.nobody could resist the tempting smell of the dark chocolate |
D.only a bite of the dark chocolate will make you addicted to it |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 suggests that dark chocolates ________.
A.are the best choices for the aged |
B.are usually used as an antioxidant |
C.can keep you stay young forever |
D.can make you look younger than your real age |
What can we learn from Paragraph 5?
A.If you are depressed dark chocolates will make you delighted. |
B.If you are feeling bad you will crave to eat dark chocolates. |
C.If you eat some dark chocolates you will get overjoyed. |
D.If you are hungry the best food is dark chocolates. |
What is the purpose of the author writing this text?
A.To introduce the black chocolate to patients with high blood level. |
B.To encourage us to eat as many chocolates as we can. |
C.To introduce the black chocolate and its health effects. |
D.To increase the sale of the black chocolate. |