A is for always getting to work on time.
B is for being extremely busy.
C is for the conscientious（勤勤恳恳的） way you do your job.
You may be all these things at the office, and more. But when it comes to getting ahead, experts say, the ABCs of business should include a P, for politics, as in office politics.
Dale Carnegie suggested as much more than 50 years ago: Hard work alone doesn’t ensure career advancement. You have to be able to sell yourself and your ideas, both publicly and behind the scenes. Yet, despite the obvious rewards of engaging in office politics—a better job, a raise, praise—many people are still unable or unwilling—to “play the game”.
“People assume that office politics involves some manipulative（工于心计的） behavior,” says Deborah Comer, an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University, “But politics derives from the word ‘polite’. It can mean lobbying（游说）and forming associations. It can mean being kind and helpful, or even trying to please your superior, and then expecting something in return.”
In fact, today, experts define office politics as proper behaviors used to pursue one’s own self-interest in the workplace. In many cases, this involves some forms of socializing within the office environment—not just in large companies, but in small workplaces as well.
“The first thing people are usually judged on is their ability to perform well on a consistent basis,” says Neil P.Lewis, a management psychologist. “But if two or three candidates are up for a promotion, each of whom has reasonably similar ability, a manager is going to promote the person he or she likes best. It’ s simple human nature.”
Yet, psychologists say, many employees and employers have trouble with the concept of politics in the office. Some people, they say, have an idealistic vision of work and what it takes to succeed. Still others associate politics with flattery(奉承), fearful that, if they speak up for themselves, they may appear to be flattering their boss for favors.
Experts suggest altering（改变） this negative picture by recognizing the need for some self-promotion.“Office politics” （Line 2,Para.4） is used in the passage to refer to____.
| A．the political views and beliefs of office workers |
| B．the interpersonal relationships within a company |
| C．the various qualities required for a successful career |
| D．the code of behavior for company staff |
Why are many people unwilling to "play the game" (Line 4, Para. 5) ?
| A．They believe that doing so is impractical. |
| B．They feel that such behavior is unprincipled(不道德的). |
| C．They are not good at manipulating colleagues. |
| D．They think the effort will get them nowhere. |
To get promoted, one must not only be competent but____.
| A．avoid being too outstanding |
| B．get along well with his colleagues |
| C．honest and loyal to his company |
| D．give his boss a good impression |
It is the author’ s view that____.
| A．self-promotion does not necessarily mean flattery |
| B．hard work contributes very little to one’ s promotion |
| C．many employees fail to recognize the need of flattery |
| D．speaking up for oneself is part of human nature |
An Ofsted (英国教育标准办公室）study reports that teachers are discouraging students who want to leave school and work as apprentices (学徒）in beauty salons (美容中心）or hair dressers.
Inspectors questioned 105 young people for a report on apprenticeships published on Wednesday. They found several examples of young people who felt they had been laughed at by their teachers for wanting to progress to work-based learning, particularly in care or hairdressing, rather than stay on at school.
Right or wrong, is it any surprise that this is happening? From 2014，the government will measure schools according to the rate of their pupils who go to university. Brian Lightman , general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says the government has already put teachers under “very great pressure to focus on academic subjects”
On the other hand, the Education Act 2011，which came into force in November, places schools under a duty to give fair career advice to pupils. This advice must include information on all post-16 education and training choices, including apprenticeships. This doesn’t appear to be happening in several schools, according to Ofsted9S report. Many of the young people the inspectors talked to said the advice they had received on apprenticeships was “unsatisfactory”.
Schools were also blamed for lack of work experience courses, which are particularly important for teenagers considering an apprenticeship. They help students decide whether they enjoy a line of work and enable employers to see whether those on work experience have the potential to be hired as apprentices in future years.
But there is a good reason why they can’t do this: they’d be unable to adapt to GCSE (英国齊通中等教育证书）exams if they did. Sometimes, it seems, schools just can’t win.Why do teachers oppose the students’ leaving school and working as apprentices?
| A．The government urges teachers to concentrate on academic subjects. |
| B．The students are only wasting time working as apprentices. |
| C．Employers are under great pressure of taking GCSE exams. |
| D．Employers don’t give students chances to work as apprentices |
Pressure for schools to provide pupils with career advice comes from ______.
| A．Association of School and College Leaders |
| B．Education Act 2011 |
| C．GCSE exams |
| D．OFSTED |
The underlined word “They” in Paragraph 5 refers to _____.
| A．schools |
| B．employers |
| C．work experience courses |
| D．teenagers considering an apprenticeship |
What does the author think of teachers’ discouraging students working as apprentices?
| A．Surprising | B．Understandable |
| C．Wrong | D．Right |
Amazing Rafting Adventures
White water rafting is one of the classic, wild, activities in the outdoors. It is also an opportunity for an unbelievable family adventure. Around the country, there are several rivers—and rafting outfitters—that are perfectly suited to the entire family.
Here are three of the best:
New River Gorge, West Virginia
Rafting in West Virginia is renowned for its established infrastructure, reliability, and easy access. These things make it an obvious choice for a family vacation. Famous areas, including the New River Gorge, offer everything from lazy floats to intense Class IV runs.
READ MORE: Water Water Rafting: Top 5 U.S. Locations
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole provides a full range of opportunities in the outdoors—and white water rafting is certainly one of them. Popular trips include the rough rapids of the Snake River and gentle floats in nearby Yellowstone National Park.
READ MORE: What You Need to Know Before Visiting Yellowstone National Park
Grand Canyon, Arizona
For really bold families, a multi-day trip down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is the penultimate adventure. Guided trips typically pack in boats-worth of supplies so the overnight adventures are far from “roughing it.” Instead, evenings are catered in a rugged luxury style, allowing everyone to rest up for the next day’s activities.
Whether looking for a casual float or a challenging adventure, white water rafting is a great option for any active family vacation. What is the common feature of the three rafting adventures?
| A．All three rafting rivers are suitable for the whole family. |
| B．All three rafting rivers are boring to access and reliable |
| C．All three rafting rivers are suitable for active families |
| D．All three rafting rivers offer overnight adventures |
Which of the following about Grand Canyon, Arizona is NOT true?
| A．A multi-day trip down the Colorado River is really challenging. |
| B．Really brave families will like to have a multi-day trip down the river |
| C．Everyone can rest for the next day’s activities. |
| D．People can only enjoy the rough rapids down the river |
What is the author’s attitude to white water rafting?
| A．Passive | B．Encouraging | C．Discouraging | D．Negative |
There are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future and to things about which there is something to be done.
It is unwise to be too attached to the youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are cold to you.
I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with you children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.
Some old people are afraid of death. But in fact the best way is to make your interests gradually wider and ore impersonal. An individual human existence should be like a river-small at fist, rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider and the banks move back and in the end they become mixed in the sea without any visible break.
The old man who can see life in this way will not suffer from the fear of growing old and death.The author suggests that old people should_______.
| A．develop impersonal interests with proper activities. |
| B．tell their children not to make mistakes |
| C．concern themselves with their children |
| D．not give their children an allowance |
The underlined word “render” in Paragraph 3 is close to the meaning of “_____”.
| A．return | B．reward | C．offer | D．demand |
The author compares an individual human existence to a river because _____.
| A．Life is like a river, first small, and then it becomes wide |
| B．life is like a river finally flowing into the sea |
| C．old age and death are both natural just like a river |
| D．old people will be mixed in the crowd like a river mixed in the sea |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Setting Sun Is Beautiful | B．Growing Old Successfully |
| C．Why Fear Getting Old | D．Caring for Olds More |
I’m not so sure I like my friends any more. I used to like them-to be honest. We’d have lunch, talk on the phone or exchange emails, and they all seemed normal enough. But then came Face Book, and I was introduced to a sad fact: many of my friends have dark sides that they had kept from me.
Today my friends show off the more unpleasant aspects of their personalities via FaceBook. No longer hidden, they’re thrown in my face like TV commercials -unavoidable and endless advertisements for the worst of their personalities.
Take Fred. If you were to have lunch with him, you’d find him warm, and self-effacing（谦逊的）.Read his FaceBook and you’ll realize he’s an unbearable, food-obsessed boring man. He’d pause to have a cup of coffee on his way to save a drowning man-and then write about it.
Take Andy. You won’t find a smarter CEO anywhere, but now he’s a CEO without a company to run. So he plays Mafia Wars on FaceBook. He’s doing well-level 731. Thanks to FaceBook, I know he’s playing about 18 hours a day. Andy, you’ve run four companies-and this is how you spend your downtime? What happned to golf?What happened to getting another job?
Take Liz. She is positive that the flu vaccine will kill us all and that we should avoid it. And then comes Chris who likes to post at least 20 times a day on every website he can find, so I get to read his thoughts twice, once on FaceBook and once on Twitter.
In real life, I don’t see these sides of people. Face to face, my friends show me their best. They’re nice, smart people. But face to FaceBook, my friends is like a blind date which goes horribly wrong.
I’m left with a dilemma. Who is my real friend?Is it the Liz I have lunch with or the anti-vaccine madman on FaceBook? Is it the Fred I can grab a sandwich with or the Fred who weeps if he’s at a party and the wine isn’t up to his standard? Who is opposed to the flu vaccine in the text?
| A．Fred | B．Andy | C．Liz | D．Chris |
What’s Andy probably busy in doing now?
| A．He’s running his company |
| B．He’s playing golf all day |
| C．He’s looking for another job |
| D．He’s playing computer games |
According to the text, FaceBook tends to _______.
| A．present another side of people |
| B．offer some foods for free |
| C．show endless advertisements |
| D．get you to more parties |
The text is developed mainly by _____.
| A．giving examples | B．following the time order |
| C．listing figures | D．raising questions |
Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism (新陈代谢) that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious（恶性的）circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize (使…中和) the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods. |
| B．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods. |
| C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods. |
| D．To warn people of the problem of obesity. |
It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.
| A．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs |
| B．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit |
| C．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods |
| D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle |
Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.
| A．destroy body’s cells | B．are difficult to digest |
| C．may lead to obesity | D．stop body’s metabolism |
What is likely to be talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Active approaches to avoid acid. |
| B．Different causes of acid accumulation. |
| C．Correct ways to cook raw foods. |
| D．Suitable types of raw and whole foods. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Processed foods are good for our appetite mechanism. |
| B．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods does good to our body. |
| C．The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion more effective. |
| D．Processed foods also comfort the digestive tract. |