In recent years many countries of the world have been faced with the problem of how to make their workers more productive. Some experts claim the answer is to make jobs more varied. But do more various jobs lead to greater productivity? There is evidence to suggest that while variety certainly makes the worker’s life more enjoyable, it does not actually make him work harder. As far as increasing productivity is concerned, then variety is not an important factor.
Other experts feel that giving the worker freedom to do his job in his own way is important, and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom cannot easily be given in the modern factory with its complicated machinery which must be used in a fixed way. Thus while freedom of choice may be important, there is usually very little that can be done to create it.
Another very important consideration is how each worker contributes to the product he is making. In most factories the worker sees only one part of the product. Some car factories are now experimenting with having many small production lines rather than one large one, so that each worker contributes more to the production of the cars on his line. It would seem that not only is degree of the worker contribution an important factor, therefore, but it is also one we can do something about.
To what extent does more money lead to greater productivity? The workers themselves certainly think this is important. But perhaps they want more money only because the work they do is boring. Money just lets them enjoy their spare time more. A similar argument may explain demands for shorter working hours. Perhaps if we succeed in making their jobs more interesting, they will neither want more money, nor will shorter working hours be so important to them. Which of the following is the best way to make workers work harder according to the author?
| A．Increasing their pay. |
| B．Giving them more spare time. |
| C．Making the work itself meaningful. |
| D．Replacing large production lines with small ones. |
The reason why a worker cannot have freedom in doing the job in his own way is that _______.
| A．the machinery is so complex that it should be fixed |
| B．the production lines are too large in modern factories |
| C．the bosses can create very little freedom of choices for workers |
| D．the machines must be operated strictly according to instructions and rules |
For a worker on an assembly line in a car factory, the job is not enjoyable because _______.
| A．he can only make a part of a car |
| B．he does not know what he is doing |
| C．his life in spare time is more interesting |
| D．the importance of his job is not clear to him |
In the article, the word “productivity” means _______.
| A．the activity of producing something |
| B．the production volume in a time unit |
| C．the plan and the method of production |
| D．both the quantity and quality of a product |
The best title for this passage may be _______.
| A．Problems of Modern Workers |
| B．Making Jobs More Interesting |
| C．Pushing Workers to Produce More |
| D．How to Improve Labor Conditions |
On the high-speed train Avignon to Paris, my husband and I landed in the only remaining seats on the train, in the middle of a car, directly opposite a Frenchwoman of middle years. It was an extremely uncomfortable arrangement to be looking straight into the eyes of a stranger. My husband and I pulled out books. The woman produced a large makeup case and made up her face. Except for a lunch break, she continued this activity for the entire three-hour trip. Every once in a while she surveyed the car with a bright-eyed glance, but never once did she catch my eye. My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.
I was amused, but some people would have felt uncomfortable , even repulsed(厌恶的）.there is something about making up in public that calls up strong emotional reactions. Partly it’s a question of hygiene. And it’s a matter of degree. Making up --- a private act--- has a way of neglecting the presence of others. I was once seated at a party with a model-actress who immediately waved a silly brush and began dusting her face at the table, demonstrating that while she was next to me, she was not with me.
In fact, I am generally prohibited from making up in public, except when I am in the company of cosmetics moment. In a gathering more professional than social, I would do so.
Kathy Peiss, a history professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst says that nose-powdering in the office was an occasion for outrage in 1920’s and 30’s. Deploring the practice as a waste of company time, trade journals advises managers to discourage it among workers. Peiss theorizes that it was female’s making up in what has been an all-male field that disturb some gentlemen.
Peiss tells me that after the 30’s , pulling out a make-up case was no longer an issue. It became an accepted practice. I asked if she feels free to apply lipstick at a professional lunch herself. Sounding mildly shocked, she says she would save that for the privacy of her car afterward. Why? Because it would be “a gesture of inappropriate feminity(女性化）.” One guess is that most professional women feel this way. There is evidence of the popularity of the new lipsticks that remain in place all day without retouching.According to the author, “My husband and I could have been a blanket wall.” (Line 6, Para.1) most probably means “________”.
| A．We were treated with an expressionless face. |
| B．We looked at the French woman expressionlessly |
| C．We used books as a wall to avoid the woman’s eyes |
| D．We were of no existence in the French woman’s eyes |
In the author’s opinion, she _______.
| A．allows public making up on certain occasions |
| B．feels comfortable when making up in public |
| C．only makes up on social occasions |
| D．makes up before any professional gatherings |
According to Peiss, nose powdering in an office was criticized mainly for the reason that ____.
| A．normal office work was disturbed |
| B．it discouraged women’s interest in career |
| C．make dominance was emphasized there |
| D．it distracted make workers’ focus on work |
Why do most professional women give up using lipsticks in public?
| A．Because they are worried about being looked down upon |
| B．Because it emphasizes their female features in wrong situations |
| C．Because it implies women’s disadvantages in academic fields |
| D．Because they are ashamed to be seen making up in front of males/ |
It can be inferred that in a highly open society, the differences between men and women ______.
| A．have attracted little attention |
| B．hinder the social development |
| C．are attractive topics in talk shows |
| D．still call for great concern |
How can we measure animals’ emotions? A new study of animal’s emotions suggests that, as in humans, emotions can tell animals about how dangerous their world is, and guide the choices that they make. The article of the study by Bristol University’s professor Mike Mendl was published online.
An animal living in an environment where it is often threatened by predators(捕食者）will develop a negative emotion or “mood”, such as anxiety. However, one in an environment with plenty of opportunities to get resources for survival will be in a more positive mood state.
The researchers say that these emotional states not only show the animal’s experiences, but also help it decide how to make choices, especially in unclear situations. This could have good or bad results. An animal in a negative mood state will make a safety-first with a “pessimistic” response to an unclear event. For example, it considers a noise in the grass as a signal of the predator. At the same time, an animal in a positive mood state will benefit from a more “optimistic” response. It considers the noise as a signal of prey(猎物）.
Professor Mike Mendl, head of the Animal Welfare and Behavior Research Group at Bristol University’s School of Clinical Veterinary Science said, “ We can use “optimistic” or “pessimistic”decision-making as a symbol of an animal’s emotional state. Recent studies by our group and others suggest that this is a meritorious new approach to studying a variety of animal species.”
“Public interest in animal welfare remains high, with widespread concern about the way in which animals are treated, used and included in society. To understand how animals should be treated, we need to better understand their emotional lives,” Mike Mendl said. The researchers believe Mike Mendl’s study can help them to better understand and assess an animal’s emotions.When an animal is in a negative mood state, _______.
| A．its response to an unclear event is pessimistic |
| B．it will pay little attention to an unclear event |
| C．it is easy for it to make right decisions |
| D．it has more opportunities to get food |
The underlined word “meritorious” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “_______”.
| A．valuable | B．useless | C．fashionable | D．hopeless |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．the animals with positive emotions live longer |
| B．there is no way to assess an animal’s emotions |
| C．few people care about animal welfare nowadays |
| D．the environment can influence animal’s emotions |
Mike Mendl advised people to better understand animal’s emotions in order to _____.
| A．tell people to build more protected areas for animals |
| B．explain animals should be regarded as people’s friends |
| C．raise people’s interest in studying animals |
| D．make people know how to treat animals properly |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Different kinds of Animals’ Emotions |
| B．Emotions Helps Animals to Make Choice |
| C．The Living Environment of Wild Animals |
| D．The Best Way to Measure Animals’ Emotions |
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account（交易账户）where you receive a key-card so you can get to your money 24/7—that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers：
No account keeping fees！
You ’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits（储蓄）without taking them out in a month.
Convenient!
Teenagers are busy—we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet…You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part-time job!
Magazine included!
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can’t wait to hear from you. It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
| A．Special gifts are ready for parents. |
| B．The bank opens only on work days. |
| C．Services are convenient for its members. |
| D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
The Winners Club provides magazines which_______.
| A．encourage spending |
| B．are free to all teenagers |
| C．are full of adventure stories. |
| D．help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must _________.
| A．be an Internet user | B．be permitted by your parent |
| C．have a lot of money | D．be in your twenties |
What is the purpose of this text?
| A．To set up a club. | B．To provide part-time jobs. |
| C．To organize key-cards. | D．To introduce a new banking service. |
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent. He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be canceled. I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later. So I waited and waited, but there was still no call. Three hours passing by, I became more and more impatient. I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn't care about me. I was overcome with that thought. I started to shout at the phone, "Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?"
At that time I didn't realize my wife was looking on. Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, "Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!" And she swept it into the wastebasket.
I stood watching her, speechless. What on earth?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the rest of the house, "Now hear this! All objects in this room—if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!"
Then she turned to me, kissed me, and said calmly, "Honey, you just have to learn how to take control." With that, she left the room.
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight, I noticed that something in my mood had changed. I was laughing. How could I have trouble with that phone? Her antics helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things. Twenty minutes later my agent did call. I was able to listen to him and talk to him calmly.Why did the author shout at the telephone?
| A．He was mad at the telephone. |
| B．He was angry with his agent. |
| C．He was anxious about his wife. |
| D．He was impatient with the secretary. |
What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
| A．She said nothing. | B．She shouted at him. |
| C．She called the agent. | D．She threw the phone away. |
What made the author laugh?
| A．His own crazy behavior. | B．His wife’s suggestions. |
| C．His changeable feeling. | D．His wife’s sweet kiss. |
What does the underlined word “ antics” refer to?
| A．Smart words | B．Unusual actions. | C．Surprising looks. | D．Anxious feelings |
Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different senses to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses, while most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type.The giant panda eats only one particular type of bamboo. Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet. The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health. Choosing the right food, therefore, has become an area of study in modern life.We can infer from the text that humans and animals ________.
| A．depend on one sense in choosing food |
| B．are not satisfied with their food |
| C．choose food in similar ways. |
| D．eat entirely different food |
Which of the following eats only one type of food?
| A．The white butterfly. | B．The small bird. |
| C．The bear | D．The fox |
Certain animals change their choice of food when ______.
| A．the season changes |
| B．The food color changes |
| C．They move to different places |
| D．They are attracted by different smells. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _____.
| A．food is chosen for a good reason. |
| B．Some people care little about healthy diet |
| C．some people have few choices of food |
| D．French and British food is good. |