A firm handshake is key to interview success. As any serious job-hunter knows, it helps to dress smartly and smile at that all-important interview. But research has showed that a firm handshake is what really matters when it comes to impressing potential employers.
The US research looked at 98 undergraduates taking part in mock (模拟) interviews with businesses. As each undergraduate was graded on their overall performance, five "handshake raters" also marked them on their grasp, strength, duration, vigor and eye contact.
Professor Greg Stewart, from the University of Iowa, who led the study, said those who scored highly with the handshake raters were also considered to be the most hirable by the interviewers. Students with " wimpy" shakes were judged to be more timid and less impressive.
The study also found women with a firm handshake were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Professor Stewart said: "We've always heard that interviewers make up their mind about a person in the first two or three minutes of an interview. But we found that the first impression begins with a handshake that sets the tone for the rest of the interview. We don't consciously remember a person's handshake but it is one of the first non-verbal clues we get about the person's overall personality, and that impression is what we remember."
Women were less likely to have a highly rated handshake, partly because traditionally they shake hands less than men. But when women did possess a firm handshake, they were likely to be evaluated more favorably than their male counterparts.
Body language experts warn, however, that the firmness needs to be just right, - as an over enthusiastic "bone crusher" handshake can indicate self-importance, a controlling personality and a lack of trustworthiness.
The handshake is thought to have originated in medieval Europe as a way for kings and knights to show that they did not intend to harm each other and possessed no hidden weapons.The passage is probably intended for ______.
| A．job-hunters | B．an undergraduate | C．employers | D．handshake raters |
From the first paragraph we know that in an interview ______.
| A．dressing smartly is more important than a firm handshake |
| B．smile has no effect on impressing potential employers |
| C．a firm handshake is more important than dressing smartly, and smile |
| D．dressing smartly, smile and a firm handshake are of the same importance |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The firmer your handshake is the better impression you leave. |
| B．The undergraduates without a firm handshake are thought to be less impressive. |
| C．Generally speaking, women shake hands less with others. |
| D．It's said that the handshake dates back to medieval Europe. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Women with a firm handshake were likely to leave a better impression than men. |
| B．A successful job interview starts with a firm handshake. |
| C．Dressing, smile and a firm handshake are all important to a successful job interview. |
| D．Job interview success depends on interviewees' body language. |
China needs to set absolute restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions(释放) if it is to fulfill its aim to set up a carbon market over the next five years, a cabinet office think tank said in a paper.
“It is only under an absolute emissions cap that carbon emission permits will become a scarce resource and possess the qualities of a commodity,” the State Council‟s Development and Research Center said in a paper in Seeking Truth, a magazine published by the ruling party.
China has traditionally baulked(犹豫) at the idea of emissions caps either on a regional basis or for industrial sectors, invoking a key Kyoto protocol principle that puts most of the burden of cutting green-house gases on developed countries.
China, the world ‘s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, has also been under external pressure to make stronger commitments in the battle against global warming .The country has been the biggest beneficiary(受益人) of the Clean Development Mechanism, a UN-backed scheme that allows industrialized countries to meet their CO2 reduction targets by purchasing certified emission reductions or CERs from low-carbon projects launched in developing nations.
However, the European Union, the biggest buyer of CERs, has said it will not accept CERs generated by Chinese projects once the first phase of its Emissions Trading Scheme ends in 2012, though projects already registered will remain valid. What does China hope to do in the next five years?
| A．to cut its emissions by 45% |
| B．to set up a carbon market |
| C．to have lower emissions than other countries |
| D．to increase both emissions and production |
China agreeing to limit emissions now because______
| A．they care about the environment |
| B．emissions harm people’s health |
| C．of pressure from other countries |
| D．they want more profit for their factories |
How does the CER scheme work?
| A．Countries can buy the right to produce as much carbon emissions as they like. |
| B．All countries are required to set a carbon emissions cap and can then get certificates on how developed their environmental programme is. |
| C．Developed countries are allowed to produce more emissions than industrial countries. |
| D．Developed countries can buy the right to produce more carbon emissions from developing countries that produce less. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Air pollution is still increasing the problem of climate change all over the world. |
| B．China is still resisting cutting emissions as it is necessary for the manufacturing industry. |
| C．China believes that it is free from meeting international standards on emissions. |
| D．China will need to cut its emissions in the near future in order to keep up with the international community |
The letter is probably from __________.
A. Supervisor Management Unit B Thames Valley Police
C. Criminal Justice System D. Crime Reduction Committee What’s the purpose of this letter?
| A．To thank Ms. Adamczak for her contribution to the security of her community. |
| B．To inform Ms. Adamczak of how the investigation of the crime she reported was going |
| C．To respond to Ms. Adamczak’s crime report |
| D．To inform Ms. Adamczak of the investigation result of crime she reported |
Which one is not the possible result of this reported crime?
| A．The police will pay a visit to Ms. Adamczak’s . |
| B．The police will contact Ms. Adamczak and give her an update. |
| C．The police will not send Ms. Adamczak any further letters. |
| D．Your report will be held on file as an undetected crime. |
What does the word “leads” most probably mean?
| A．Clue. | B．Darkness. | C．Investigation. | D．Contact. |
Expressing emotions is important rather than hiding them or keeping them inside. Everyone feels negative emotions such as anger and needs to deal with them. But there are healthy ways to express anger and ways to control it.
Shouting bad words at someone will hurt the other person or make them angry too. If you feel angry, it is best to think before you speak. Some people in the UK use the expression “take a deep breath and count to 10”, meaning take a pause, breathe deeply and let yourself calm down instead of getting angry.
Another expression people use to say they are controlling their anger is “biting their lip”. This means not letting the bad words come out of their mouth. If you cannot think of anything but bad words, it is probably best to “bite your lip.”
But sometimes letting all your anger out can be cathartic(宣泄情绪), as long as you do it at the right place and time. If you have just had a bad day, you could go into a room by yourself and scream or yell very loudly. Or if you want to hit someone or smash something, you could hit a pillow instead. Then after you let your frustration out this way, you’ll be able to deal with your problems more calmly.
If you do lose your temper with someone and swear at them, though, you need to apologize. One way to do this is to say “pardon my French”. This expression has been used for many years as an apology for bad language. Then you can calmly explain what made you upset. According to the passage, what does the expression “pardon my French” mean?
A. “Please let me through”.
B “I can’t speak French well”.
C. “Sorry I said a bad word”.
D. “I’m very angry with you”.What does letting out your frustration help you to do?
| A．Make others more upset. |
| B．Feel happier about yourself . |
| C．Solve a problem calmly. |
| D．It is no help at all. |
Who is this passage most likely written for?
| A．All kinds of people |
| B．Young children |
| C．Very angry people |
| D．People who like to swear |
How does this passage view expressing emotions?
| A．They should be kept very private. |
| B．They need to be expressed but in a way that hurts no one. |
| C．They should be expressed any way you like. |
| D．They should only be expressed if they are positive. |
Over 60﹪of pupils in South African schools choose English for learning and teaching, but only 7﹪of pupils speak English as their home language, a recent South Africa survey shows.
Out of the country’s 12.2 million pupils only 851,536 speak English at home, yet 7.6 million pupils choose English as their favorite language of learning and teaching. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language, spoken by over 3.1 million pupils. However, less than a third of them choose to be taught in Zulu. The same thing is true of Pedi-speaking pupils, only a third of such pupils choosing to be taught in their home language. Besides English,
Afrikaans is the only language that has more pupils choosing it as their language of instruction than it has pupils who speak it at home. In primary schools, most pupils will choose African languages. As early as grade four, many would choose English or Afrikaans in their lessons.
The rising number of English-learning pupils is mainly caused by social and cultural reasons. English is the most common spoken language in official and public life in South Africa, the survey reports. In April 2011, the leaders of higher education and training said that they would take some steps to improve the university teaching and prevent the continuing decline of African languages. They suggested that in future every South African university student could be required to learn at least one African language in order to complete their studies at school. We can learn from the passage that most South African pupils__________.
| A．speak English both at home and at school |
| B．are required to learn two languages at school |
| C．choose English as their primary school language |
| D．are expected to speak their native language at home. |
It can be inferred from the passage that__________________.
| A．Afrikaans is the most popular home language in South Africa |
| B．it’s easier for South African pupils to learn Afrikaans at school. |
| C．the number of South African pupils learning Afrikaans has increased |
| D．many South African pupils use Afrikaans at school instead of at home. |
The underlined word “decline” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “_________”.
| A．going downhill |
| B．spreading widely |
| C．growing upwards |
| D．developing further |
What is the survey in the passage mainly about?
| A．The use of native languages in South African families. |
| B．The language choice and use among South African pupils. |
| C．The progress in South Africa’s language teaching education |
| D．The spread of English at schools in South Africa. |
Pasta is the world’s favorite food. Asurveytaken in 17 countriesconfirmedthat pasta is what people like to eat most. Not only is pasta the number one food in its home country -Italy, but is alsoenjoyedin faraway places like the Philippines, Mexico andSouth Africa.
Pasta has become popular, for one thing, because it is cheap and easy to prepare. Just cook noodles or other forms of pasta, make a sauce to go with it and you’re finished. Many different types of meals can becreatedwith pasta. It tastes good and fills your stomach. It produces energy in the form ofcarbohydrates(碳水化合物)， which is whyathleteseat pasta regularly. Pasta can also be kept for a longer time. You don’t have to use it up at once.
Pasta has also become popular because it stands for the Italian way of life. People all over the world like it because it’s so simple. It has two basic ingredients(成分), wheatand water, just like bread.
Legend has itthat Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy with him but this is not true. Arabs probably brought a noodle-likedishtoSicilyin the 8th century. Farmers have been growing wheat, the mainingredientof pasta, there for ages.
The worldwide sales of pasta have risen sharply over the past decade. Italy leads the pasta-eatingcommunityof the world. The Italians are the number one consumers followed by Venezuela and Tunisia.In which country do people eat pasta most?
| A．Mexico | B．Venezuela | C．The Philippines | D．South Africa |
Sports people often have pasta because_________.
| A．it costs less money |
| B．it can be kept longer |
| C．it provides proper energy |
| D．it contains no carbohydrates |
One reason why pasta is favored is that_______.
| A．people like a simple lifestyle |
| B．it smells just like bread |
| C．it is rich in nutrition |
| D．Italian food stands for fansition. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The origin of pasta |
| B．Italians’ love for pasta |
| C．Pasta is changing people’s way of life |
| D．Pasta—the world’s favorite food |