I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2008 after not being happy with my current job and financial status. I obtained my Associate’s Degree in May 2002 in Commercial Arts. After graduation, I had trouble obtaining a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another feeling unfilled, and I was not satisfied with the instability.
I decided to go back to school for either International Business or Psychology. I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and Psychology won. I like helping my friends and family, when they go through hard situations in their life by giving them sound advice and being honest with them. Also, I was interested in “the mind”.
I was searching for online schools because my work schedule at my current job would not allow me to attend a regular class. I was nervous about starting online classes because I heard mixed stories from other friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and reputable. Through my search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, which included writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, transferring my previous credits, etc.
I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance (自由撰稿) writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life.What did the author study originally when he was in college?
| A．Psychology | B．Commercial Arts | C．International Business | D．English Composition |
What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．He decided to study International Business at first. |
| B．He wanted to study two majors. |
| C．He liked Psychology better. |
| D．He chose his major with the help of his friends. |
Why was the author nervous about starting online classes?
| A．Because he heard some negative remarks about it. |
| B．Because he was worried that he didn’t have enough time to study. |
| C．Because he feared he would fail the entrance exam. |
| D．Because he was afraid that he didn’t have enough money. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s learning experience?
| A．Dull and challenging. | B．Interesting and easy. |
| C．Interesting and challenging. | D．Dull and easy |
According to the passage, the author _________.
| A．was not able to find a full-time job |
| B．is most interested in writing |
| C．pays for his schooling with the help of his family |
| D．is satisfied with his achievements. |
While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings , many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life.
Julie Astonis , an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example. Even though autumn is approaching Australia’s Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming （盛开的）flowers in Julie’s little garden. As she tells that in her community, “Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden.”
“Gardening is the most popular club in our community,” she says, “A lot of retired people don’t just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bloom in our gardens throughout the year.”
Talking about her people’s sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog’s waste . “In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass,” says Julie with a smile. “Taking care of the dog’s waste can also help to develop children’s sense of responsibility!”
As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families. Julie says, “We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!”She says almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use . They also connect the water tank with their toilets.From the first three paragraphs we learn that .
| A．gardening is popular in most part of Australia |
| B．April is a great time for people to enjoy flowers |
| C．it’s not easy to keep a garden without proper training |
| D．Julie’s community has a deep sense of caring for nature |
What do we know about Julie from this passage?
| A．She takes pride in her community |
| B．She once stepped on a dog’s waste |
| C．She is quite in favor of raising a dog |
| D．She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass |
From what Julie says in the last paragraph, we know .
| A．rainwater is not the best resource |
| B．her community owns a public tank |
| C．her community makes full use of resources |
| D．it is not necessary to water flowers very often |
How many examples are given to show the caring for the environment in Australia?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Love nature, the Australian way | B．How Australians save resources |
| C．How Australians lead their life | D．Protect nature, a must of life |
Audrey Hepburn（奥黛丽·赫本）won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953,But she is remembered as much for her aid work as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey’s father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood . During World war Ⅱ , she lived and studied in the Netherlands .Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks . Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college. But when she returned to London after the war she realized she wasn’t going to be a ballerina（芭蕾舞女演员）. So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn’s move to America that brought her true fame .In 1951 she played the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play of the same name to great critical praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey make more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was Hoolly Golinghtly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. There years later she played Eliza Doolittle in my Fair Lady.
She was married two times and had one by each husband. In 1989,the UN Children’s Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) projects .The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to gain money and support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her loyalty to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War II. She said she knew what it was like to be starving and to be saved by international aid . She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from colon cancer.In Paragraph 1,“her aid work”means .
| A．winning an Academy Award as Best Actress |
| B．taking acting parts in stage shows |
| C．making her own movies |
| D．acting as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF |
The reason why Audrey lived and studied in the Netherlands was that .
| A．she wanted to be a ballerina | B．her parents were from Britain |
| C．it was safe there | D．the education there was excellent |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．Audrey’s parents lived in Germany during World War II |
| B．Audrey lived in America in the 1950s |
| C．Audrey was made to give up dancing |
| D．the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play was her most popular role |
is NOT mentioned in the passage about Audrey Hepburn
| A．Marriage | B．Identity | C．Contribution | D．Religion |
is the right order for Audrey’s life.
①The first time she began to play in movies
②She returned to London from the Netherlands
③She won an Academy Award as Best Actress
④She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects
⑤She played a part in My Fair Lady
| A．②①③⑤④ | B．①②③⑤④ | C．②①⑤③④ | D．①②⑤③④ |
Linda Evans was my best friend –like the sister I never had ,We did everything together: piano lessons ,movies, swimming , horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away . Linda and I kept in touch through letters ,and we saw each other on special times — like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often .One day a card that I sent came back , stamped “Address Unknown”. I had no idea about how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren . And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died, There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day, I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman —Linda’s married name.“There must be thousands of Wagmans.”I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter, “Mrs , Tobin!”she said excitedly, “Linda Ev-ans Wagman is my mother.”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I recognized at once, even after 40 years . We laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure; We won’t lose each other again!The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans .
| A．at the age of 13 | B．before she got married |
| C．before the writer’s family moved away | D．after they moved to new homes |
They didn’t often write to each other because they .
| A．got married | B．had little time to do so |
| C．didn’t like writing letters | D．could see each other on special times |
There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she .
| A．was in trouble |
| B．didn’t know Linda’s address |
| C．received the card that she sent |
| D．didn’t have a friend like Linda |
The writer was happy when she .
| A．read the newspaper |
| B．heard Linda’s voice on the phone |
| C．met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda |
| D．wrote to the woman whose last name was Wangman |
They haven’t kept in touch .
| A．for about 40 years | B．for about 27 years |
| C．since they got married | D．since the writer’s family moved away |
Do you want to love what you do for a living? Follow your passion. This piece of advice provides the foundation for modern thinking on career satisfaction. But this can be a problem.
I've spent the past several years researching and writing about the different strategies we use to seek happiness in our work. It became clear early in the process that the suggestion to “follow your passion” was flawed (有缺陷), for it lacks scientific evidence. However, it doesn't mean you should abandon the goal of feeling passionate about your work. The reality emphasizes that things are quite complicated.
Passion is earned. Different people are looking for different things in their work, but generally, people with satisfying careers enjoy some combination of the following features: autonomy，respect, competence, creativity, and a sense of impact. In other words，if you want to feel passionate about your livelihood，don't seek the perfect job，but seek to get more of these features in the job you already have.
Passion is elusive (难捉摸的). Many people develop the rare and valuable skills leading to passion, but still end up unhappy in their work. The problem is that the features leading you to love your work are more likely to be useful to you than your organization. As you become increasingly “valuable”，for example, your boss might push you toward traditional promotions that come with more pay and more responsibility, as this is what is most useful to your company. However, you might find more passion by applying your value to gain autonomy in your schedule or project selection.
Passion is dangerous. I've watched too many of my peers fall into anxiety and chronic(慢性的) job-hopping (跳槽) due to the “follow your passion” advice. The issue is expectations. If you believe we all have a pre-existing passion, and that matching it to a job will lead to instant workplace happiness, reality will always pale in comparison.
Work is hard. Not every day is fun. If you're seeking a dream job, you'll end up frustrated, again and again. Don't set out to discover passion. Instead, set out to develop it. This path might be longer and more complicated than what most cheerful career guides might advocate, but it's a path much more likely to lead you somewhere worth going.People satisfied with their careers are _______.
| A．autonomous and passionate | B．creative and passionate |
| C．respectable and sensitive | D．creative and competent |
What is the author's advice on achieving career satisfaction?
| A．Figuring out early what one will do in the future. |
| B．Matching the pre-existing passion to one's work. |
| C．Developing passion for what one is doing. |
| D．Discovering skills that lead to interesting careers. |
The underlined sentence in Para. 5 probably means that _______.
| A．it is not easy to match our passion with our jobs |
| B．we shouldn't think everyone has a pre-existing passion |
| C．workplace happiness does not require a pre-existing passion |
| D．high expectations of passion in jobs bring disappointment |
What's the author's attitude towards the advice of “following your passion”?
| A．Disapproving. | B．Supportive. | C．Cautious. | D．Unclear. |
Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders (教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government’s Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would-be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency (实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other’s patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _____.
| A．a church | B．a city | C．a corporation | D．a state |
According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
| A．About twelve years. | B．Eight years. |
| C．Ten years. | D．About seven year. |
Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.
| A．there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them |
| B．they can take turns to work long hours |
| C．no one wants to assume too much responsibility |
| D．facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder |
Which of the following statements could fully express the author’s view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
| A．It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous. |
| B．For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay. |
| C．Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions. |
| D．Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded. |