In some urban centers, workaholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual:
They accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D.C, for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don’t do this because they have to; they do it because they want to.
Workaholism can be a serious problem. Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they probably don’t know how to relax.
Is workaholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholies have great energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative.
Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they’re produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say, “I made that.” Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe-even an advantageous-one.
The passage indicates that workaholics .
A.just know work but nothing else |
B.are willing to work hard for long hours without pay |
C.find their work provide them more satisfaction and self confidence than how much they are paid |
D.has the work with more responsibility than others |
One of the reasons that some people are not willing to quit their jobs even in their eighties and nineties is that
A.they are in the need of financial security |
B.they would rather work than be disturbed by domestic affairs |
C.they long for a sense of identity and being accomplished |
D.they may have health problems from sheer boredom |
This passage is mainly about .
A.workaholics are usually successful people, but their lives are in a mess |
B.workaholism can lead to serious problems but it can also create a joyful life |
C.people who are absorbed in their work may enjoy movies, sports and other kinds of entertainment |
D.those who work even under difficult conditions may be very happy |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
A.in the eyes of all the common people workaholics are peculiar |
B.to workaholics, work is the sole source of happiness |
C.a piece of challenging work may provide the workaholics a sense of satisfaction |
D.workaholics are as addicted to their job as other people are to drugs or alcohol |
Spring is coming, and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing, our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.
A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身)nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do “cover” themselves in order to convey (传递)certain messages.What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are.Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies.Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.
Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees (雇员), because those people represent the companies to their customers.
As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers.Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.
There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.Which of the following is the newspaper editor’ opinion according to Paragraph 2?
A.People’s appearances carry messages about themselves. |
B.Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated. |
C.Customers’ choices influence dress standards in companies. |
D.Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace. |
What can be inferred from the text?
A.Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview. |
B.Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates. |
C.Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates. |
D.What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Appearances Matter | B.Personal Choices Matter |
C.Employees Matter | D.Hiring Managers Matter |
The author’s attitude towards strange dress styles in the workplace may best be described as_____.
A.enthusiastic | B.positive | C.negative | D.sympathetic |
Paula Radcliffe, chasing (角逐) a third London marathon title (马拉松冠军), says she has become a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Games.
Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: “Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism.”
“In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me.”
She didn’t care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure in Athens.
“Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn’t spoken to me since last year and if she really cared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted me.”
Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks after Athens.
“In New York I wasn’t in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the race.” Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday’s race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records.
However, Radcliffe has not ruled out (排除) in the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.
“I don't think that—although I can't put a number on it,” said Radcliffe. “That changes from person to person.”
Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in the United States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2002 and again 12 months later.
Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kilometer race three years ago.
Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later in Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 in the 2003 London event.Radcliffe’s failure in Athens made her .
A.develop respect for Liz. | B.love people around her more. |
C.rest for five months. | D.face criticism calmly. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Radcliffe broke the world record in the New York City marathon. |
B.Radcliffe didn't fully recover before the New York City marathon. |
C.Radcliffe won her first marathon title in the New York City marathon. |
D.Radcliffe had a 3-month training before the New York City marathon. |
By saying “I can't put a number on it,” Radcliffe means she’s not sure .
A.if she has the ability to set a new world record. |
B.if she can win another race though she has won many times. |
C.how many times a marathon runner can set the world record. |
D.if she has the ability to produce four or five world-class times. |
What can we learn from Radcliffe's story?
A.Practice makes perfect. | B.Well begun is half done. |
C.A friend in need is a friend indeed. | D.Where there is a will there is a way. |
Princeton University
Location
The University is in Princeton, New Jersey. It is an hour's train ride south of New York City and an hour's train ride north of Philadelphia.
Students
There are 4,600 undergraduates (本科生). There are also 1,900 graduate students, but Princeton is unusual among universities in having a student body made up largely of undergraduates.
Faculty
Princeton has about 700 full-time faculty members (教员). There are another 300 or so part-time and visiting faculty. All faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research.
Degrees
Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees:the bachelor (学士) of arts (A. B. ) degree and the bachelor of science in engineering (B. S. E.) degree.
Academic Year
An academic year runs from September to late May and lasts two terms (fall and spring). A normal course load is four or five courses per term, although many students take extra courses.
Residences
Princeton provides housing for all undergraduate students. Freshmen and second-year students are required to spend their first two years in one of five colleges. Each college has its own dining hall, common rooms and computer centers.
Fees and Expenses (Academic Year 2011-2012)
Tuition (学费): $29,910
Room and board: $ 8,387
Other expenses (books, telephone, etc.): $ 3,083
Total: $ 41,380 How many kinds of faculty members are there in Princeton University?
A.One | B.Two | C.Three | D.Four |
In Princeton University, an undergraduate will have to pay ______for the Academic Year 2011-2012.
A.$11,470 | B.$ 52,850 | C.$ 41,380 | D.$ 8, 387 |
In what way is Princeton University different from other American universities according to the text?
A.It has five colleges. |
B.Its students are mainly undergraduates. |
C.It provides housing for all undergraduate students. |
D.All the faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees. |
B.An academic year lasts about nine months in Princeton University. |
C.Undergraduates should spend their first two years in one of five colleges. |
D.It's about an hour's train ride from Princeton University to the north of New York City. |
Recently, one of my best friends, whom I’d shared just about everything with since the first day of kindergarten, spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we’d both always looked forward to the few times a year when we could see each other.
Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how she experimented with drugs and was into other bad habits. I was blown away! She told me how she had been lying to her parents because they didn’t want her around him.
I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. But she didn’t believe me. Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared. I just couldn’t believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang out with such a loser.
By the time she left, I was really worried about her. It had been so discouraging, and I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship—but I didn’t. I put the power of friendship to the ultimate(最终的)test. We’d been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer (克服)anything.
A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation,and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend.I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding moments in my life.
Never had I been so proud of a friend.From the beginning of the text,we can learn that the author.
A.lost touch with the girl several years ago. |
B.used to spend weekends with the girl. |
C.moved to the same town as the girl. |
D.kept in touch with the girl. |
It can be inferred that the girl .
A.knew she was in danger. | B.took the author seriously. |
C.lost hope of a bright future. | D.used to quarrel with her parents. |
What’s the author’s purpose in telling the story?
A.To show the power of friendship. |
B.To describe the troubles of friendship. |
C.To tell the necessity of trusting friends. |
D.To tell the importance of keeping up with friends. |
根据短文内容, 从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
You may know the benefits of laughter on the mind and spirit. _1___ Norman Cousins used to say that laughter has such a good effect on your body that it is like “inner jogging”.
Mayo Clinic Health Letter reports that laughter aids breathing by incresing your breathing rate.. It can even help clear mucus(黏液) from your lungs.
__2__ It increases circulation(循环) and improves the flow of oxgen and nutrition to tissues(血管) throught your body..It can help protect you against a heart attack.
__3___ It helps fight off colds, flu,etc. by increasing the concentration of immunolobulin (免疫球蛋白A) in your saliva(唾液) .And it may help control pain by raising the levels of certain brain chemicals.
In addition, it is a natural stress reliever(缓解).Have you ever laughed so hard that you bent over, fell off your chair, or spit out your food? __4___
I read that a child laughs 400 times a day on average, while an adult laughs only 15 times each day. The good news is that you are allowed more than 15 laughs a day! Go ahead and double it and make it 30 times today. You may begin to notice immediate improvement in your relationships! Then double it again! __5___ People will enjoy being around you as well.
Laughter: it’s the best medicine!
A.Laughter is also good for your heart.
B.Laughter can bring some relief from mental stress.
C.A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension(紧张) and stress.
D.However, it is confusing why laughter makes people feel so good.
E.A good laugh helps build up your body to protect against diseases
F.You are likely to feel even better and deal with problems more effectively.
G.However, are you aware of how much a good laugh can help you physically?