“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家),waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Choosing a good job is very important. |
B.Careers in teenagers’ mind. |
C.Teenagers in the UK like doctors. |
D.The choice of career needs challenge. |
What is the top career choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17 according to
the article?
A.Bank | B.Law | C.Medicine | D.Education |
According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor except_____.
A.respect from others | B.upward social mobility |
C.high pay | D.the oldest profession |
What do youngsters think is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of
a successful career?
A.Prestige | B.Fulfillment | C.Happiness | D.Wealth |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.According to your particular talents and skills, you can choose your favorite career. |
B.Specific education and training can help get a good job. |
C.Whatever career you choose, you should balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills. |
D.Responsibility is the most important when you choose a good job. |
Anchors(新闻节目主持人)on China Central Television(CCTV) will need to do some fast talking to replace the popular English acronyms(首字母缩略词)they are now banned from using. Shanghai Daily reports that “anchors at China Central Television have been banned from saying the English acronyms NBA, CBA, GDP, and the like in their programs.”
The replacement for those handy acronyms? Chinese presenters must use the full Chinese name, standardized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
Although CCTV(oops, we mean China Central Television) presenters must already have a score of at least 94 in their government-rated oral mandarin proficiency(普通话水平)exam, saying the full name of organizations like the CBA and WTO---10 and 6 characters’ long respectively---is sure to challenge even the most skillful anchors. CCTV sports anchor Sun Zhengping tells Shanghai Daily, “A full Chinese explanation of the English initials must be followed if my tongue slips. It is a little troublesome but a necessary one because not every member of the audience can understand the initials.”
Although the government isn’t giving any official explanation for the shift, it is believed to have something to do with a proposal by Huang Youyi, director of the China International Publishing Group, at March’s NPC meeting. In his speech, Huang said, “With more and more publications mixing Chinese with English, measures and regulations should be adopted to avoid English invading Chinese. If we don’t pay attention and don’t take measures to stop the expansion of mixing Chinese with English, Chinese won’t be a pure language in a couple of years.”
Although China is far from the first country to take measures to protect local languages, acronyms are more about saving time than they are about corrupting(破坏)a language, we would think. Good luck to the CCTV anchors.CCTV anchors have to “do some fast talking” because they can no longer ____________________.
A.speak as slowly as they like |
B.mix English into Chinese |
C.use shortened Chinese expressions |
D.have much time for their programs |
According to the writer, “CBA” is supposed to be replaced with “________________”by CCTV anchors.
A.中国男子篮球职业联赛 |
B.中国篮球协会全国男女篮球职业联赛 |
C.中国篮球联赛 |
D.男子篮球联赛 |
What’s Huang Youyi’s purpose?
E.Using full English names instead of short forms.
F.Translating Chinese terms into proper English.
G.Avoiding Chinese words being mixed into English.
H.Keeping our mother tongue a pure language.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
I.China has fallen behind in the matter of protection of its language.
J.The ban is not necessary.
K.Chinese shouldn’t be corrupted.
CCTV anchors will have a hard time.
Two traveling angles stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angles stay in the mansion’s guestroom. Instead the angles were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed in the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angle asked why, the older angle replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing the little food they had the couple let the angles sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angles found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angle was infuriated and asked the older angle how he could have let this happen. “The first man had everything, yet you helped him,” he accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die”.
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angle replied. “when we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it.”
“Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angle of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”What's the best title of the passage?
A.Two Angles Spread Love |
B.Things Aren’t Always What They Seem |
C.The Rich And The Poor |
D.Tales of Angles |
In paragraph 2, the underlined word “infuriated” most probably means ___________.
A.amused | B.angry | C.puzzled | D.disappointed |
According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
A.In the home of the wealthy family, the older angle put some gold into a hole in the wall. |
B.In![]() ![]() |
C.The younger angle agreed with what the older angle did at first. |
D.The angle of death is in charge of humans’ death. |
Every object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(独特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?
Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.
The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because ______.
A.it was an important clue to life in the past |
B.it was found on a famous trail |
C.it at one time belonged to a VIP |
D.it was a fashionable shoe at that time |
According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska ______.
A.eventually became millionaires | B.brought with them many shoes |
C.had conflicts with the Eskimos | D.were not properly equipped |
The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that ______.
A.they would not die of hunger and cold |
B.the army would have enough food for fighting a war |
C.they would change these goods with the Eskimos |
D.the supplies would make Alaska rich |
No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, ______.
A.she must have lived a happy life |
B.she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose |
C.her adventurous spirit is definitely admired |
D.her other shoes were equally fashionable |
For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “The Old Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today,
however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.
The passage mainly tells us something about ______.
A.the past and present of British pubs | B.the decline of British pubs |
C.the long history of British pubs | D.the importance of British pubs |
Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?
A.The credit crunch. | B.The present closing time. |
C.The ban of ![]() |
D.Having no spare money. |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.British people used to like drinking slowly |
B.closing the pubs early will reduce social problems |
C.binge drinking means drinking less beer |
D.British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking |
We can see from the last paragraph that the author _______.
A.is against the admission of too many women to the pubs |
B.holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs |
C.thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems |
D.thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need |
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any especially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older worker
s. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(认错的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
What is the passage mainly about?
A.The importance of working hard at school. |
B.Choosing a career according to one’s strengths. |
C.How to face one’s weakness. |
D.The value of school work. |
The writer thinks that a student have a part-time job is probably ______.
A.a good way to find out his weak points |
B.one of the best ways of earning extra money |
C.of great use for his work in the future |
D.a waste of time he could have spent on study |
From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _______.
A.should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities |
B.will be regretful about his bad results |
C.may also do well in his future work |
D.should restart his study in school |
The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para 3) probably means “_______”.
A.be clumsy at doing things | B.be skillful in doing things |
C.be not interested in certain things | D.be easily bored in doing things |