Let's be honest：If you like to take lots of vacation，the United States is not the place to work.Besides a handful of national holidays，the typical American worker gets two or three precious weeks off out of a whole year to relax and see the world—much less than what people in many other countries receive.Only 57% of the US workers use up all of the days they're entitled (授权) to，compared with 89% of workers in France, a recent research found.
So what's going on here？A big reason for the difference is that paid time off is supported by law in many parts of the world.Germany is among more than two dozen industrialized countries—from Australia to Slovenia to Japan—that require employers to offer four weeks or more of paid vacation to their workers，according to a 2009 study by the human resources consulting company Mercer.Finland, Brazil and France are the champions, guaranteeing six weeks of time off.
But employers in the United States have no duty under federal law to offer any paid vacation, so about a quarter of all American workers don't have access to it，government figures show.That makes the US the only advanced nation in the world that doesn't guarantee its workers annual leave，according to a report titled “NoVacation Nation” by the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a liberal policy group.
But the fear of layoffs(下岗) and the everfaster pace of work mean many Americans don't want to be absent from the office—anxious that they might look like they're not willing to work hard.Or they worry they won't be able to deal with the backlog (积压未办之事)of work waiting for them after a vacation.
Working more makes Americans happier than Europeans, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Happiness Studies.That may be because Americans believe more than Europeans do that hard work is associated with success, wrote Adam OkuliczKozaryn，the study's author and an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.“Americans increase their happiness by working, and Europeans increase their happiness through vacation，” he found.Which of the following countries has the longest paid vacation?
| A．America. | B．Germany. |
| C．Australia. | D．France. |
What does the underlined word “it”in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Federal law. | B．Paid vacation. |
| C．Annual leave. | D．Long vacation. |
Why are many Americans unwilling to be absent from the office?
a．They enjoy their work very much.
b．They are afraid of being fired.
c．They are not protected by law.
d．They are worried about falling behind.
| A．a，b | B．a，d |
| C．c，d | D．b，d |
What does the study in the Journal of Happiness Studies find?
| A．Americans get more happiness from work than Europeans. |
| B．Americans believe happiness is the most important thing. |
| C．Europeans believe more hard work leads to success. |
| D．Europeans do not like taking long vacations. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Why American workers have fewer vacations. |
| B．The reasons why American workers dislike work. |
| C．How workers in different countries take vacations. |
| D．Why American workers are happier than Europeans. |
The huge Florida wetland known as the Everglades is a slow-moving river 80 kilometres wide but only a few centimeters deep. People call the Everglades a “river of grass” because sawgrass covers most of it. Sawgrass is not really grass. It is a plant that has leaves edged with tiny sharp teeth that can easily cut through clothes—and skin!
Travel in the Everglades is difficult. You cannot walk through shallow water because the sawgrass will cut you. The water is too shallow for regular boats. So, we use an airboat. An airboat is a flat, open boat. Like an airplane, it has a big propeller to move it. The propeller is fixed on the rear of the boat. It makes a tremendous noise, but it does the job. The boat skims along the water’s surface. Although we can still get lost in an airboat, at least we are above the alligators(短吻鳄).
While hundreds of different kinds of animals live in the Everglades, the most famous is surely the alligator. Once endangered, alligators are now protected within Everglades National Park. Visitors are likely to see them both on land and in water.
For a long time, dangers have threatened the Everglades. Around 1900, some people felt this precious wetland should be drained (排干). They said it was just a big swamp and not good for anything. In the 1920s, there was a land boom in Florida. People wanted to build homes everywhere, including in the Everglades. They built canals, levees (防洪堤) , and other water systems that stopped the rivers flowing into the Everglades. Factories were built near rivers that flowed into the wetland. These factories dumped poisonous waste that damaged the Everglades ecosystem.
People are now working to preserve the Everglades National Park for the future. Right now, one big problem is the paperbark tree. This tree is an invader from Australia.
Paperbark trees soak up a lot of water. In the early 1900s, people brought them to Florida because they thought they would help drain the Everglades. However, the invaders adapted too well. Paperbark trees have taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of the Everglades and killed other trees. Scientists are cutting down these invaders or spraying them with herbicides (除草剂) to kill them. Which helps to explain why it is difficult to travel in Everglades?
| A．Airboats may make a very big noise. |
| B．You may get lost when passing through. |
| C．Paperbark trees soak up too much water there. |
| D．Many different kinds of animals are to be protected. |
Why do people use airboats instead of normal boats?
| A．They have big propellers to move them faster than alligators. |
| B．The propeller makes loud noise so as to scare alligators. |
| C．Their flat bottom can skim along the water surface. |
| D．They can watch alligators without hurting them. |
The following measures were taken to drain the Everglades except that people______.
| A．built canals and levees to stop the rivers flowing into Everglades |
| B．built factories near rivers that flowed into the wetland |
| C．brought Paperbark to soak up water in Everglades |
| D．are cutting down these Paperbark trees |
The underlined word "invader" probably means something______.
| A．that moves in from another place | B．that enters and takes control |
| C．that has been brought in | D．that is in danger |
That “Monday morning feeling” could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2,600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 per cent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 per cent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11,000 Italians proved 8 am on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewer heart attacks in both countries.
The findings could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol（胆固醇）but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them,” he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal（内分泌）changes in their bodies,” Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavourable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot（血凝块）in the arteries（动脉）which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activity,” said Willich.Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, .
| A．is not so serious as people thought |
| B．is harmful to working people in developed countries. |
| C．is the first killer in Germany and Italy. |
| D．is created by researchers in Germany and Italy |
To protect people from suffering from heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to.
| A．people’s working time | B．people’s living place |
| C．people’s diet and lifestyle | D．people’s nationalities |
It can be learned from this passage that heart attack has nothing to do with.
| A．blood pressure | B．heart rate | C．hormonal changes | D．blood group |
If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be?
| A．Stop working on Monday | B．Create a pleasant working environment |
| C．Get up late on Monday morning | D．Go to work with a doctor |
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously , did not give her good service , pretended not to understand her , or even acted as if they did not hear her .
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人).I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan..”
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week lone.”
And then, in perfect English I said : “I’m getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.From Paragorph 2, we know that the author was .
| A．good at pretending | B．rude to the stockbroker |
| C．unwilling to phone for her mother | D．ready to help her mother |
After the author made the phone call, .
| A．they forgave the stockbroker | B．they went to New York immediately |
| C．they failed to get the check | D．they spoke to their boss at once |
What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
| A．It confuses her. | B．It embarrasses her. |
| C．It helps her tolerate rude people. | D．It helps her understand the world. |
We can inter from the passage that Chinese English .
| A．is clear and natural to non-native speakers |
| B．is vivid and direct to non-native speakers |
| C．may bring inconvenience in America |
| D．has a very bad reputation in America |
Charles Blackman: Alice in Wonderland
An Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria （NGV）, Australia
10 June—12 August 2009
Venue（地点） The Ian Potter Centre
Admission Free entry
Charles Blackman is famous for his beautiful painting of dreams. In 1956, he heard for the first time Lewis Carroll’s extraordinary tale of Alice in Wonderland — the story of a Victorian girl who falls down a rabbit hole, meets a lot of funny characters and experience all kinds of things .At that time, Blackman’s wife was suffering form progressive blindness. The story of Alice moving through the strange situations, often disheartened by various events, was similar to his wife’s experiences. It also reflected so much of his own life. All this contributed to the completion of the Alice in Wonderland paintings.
Illustrator Workshop
Go straight to the experts for an introductory course in book illustration. The course includes an introduction to the process of illustration and its techniques, workshop exercise and group projects.
DatesSunday 17 June &Sunday 5Aug.10am—1pm
VenueGas Works Arts Park
Wonderful World
Celebrate the exhibition and Children’s Book Week with special activities just for the day, including a special visit from Alice and the White Rabbit.
Date Sunday 24 June, 11am—4pm
VenueExhibition Space, Level 3
Topsy- Turvy
Visit the exhibition or discover wonderful curiosities in artworks in the NGV Collection and make a magic world in a box. Alice and the White Rabbit will be with you. Walt Disney’s Alice in Wonderland will be screened.
Dates Sunday 8,15,22,29 July ,and Tuesday 24—Friday 27 July ,12noon—3pm
Venue Theatre, NGV Australia
Drawing Workshop
Distortions of scale (比例失真) can make artworks strange but interesting.Find out how Charles Blackman distorted scale in his paintings to create a curious world, then experiment with scale in your own drawings. More information upon booking.
DateFriday 27 July, 10:30am—3pm
Venue Foyer, Level 3Charles Blackman’s paintings come from _______.
| A．his admiration for Lewis Carroll | B．his dream of becoming a famous artist |
| C．his wish to express his own feelings | D．his eagerness to cure his wife’s illness |
Which two activities can you participate in on the same day?
| A．Illustrator Workshop and Wonderful World |
| B．Illustrator Workshop and Drawing Workshop. |
| C．Wonderful World and Topsy –Turvy. |
| D．Topsy-Turvy and Drawing Workshop. |
To understand the Alice in Wonderland paintings, you should go to _______.
| A．Exhibition Space. Level 3 | B．Gas Works Arts Park |
| C．Theatre, NGV Australia | D．Foyer, Level 3 |
Activities concerning children’s books are to be held _______.
| A．on June 24, 2009 | B．on July15, 2009 |
| C．on July 27, 2009 | D．on August 5, 2009 |
English Teacher Needed
We are one of the biggest English Teacher agency in China, we refer lots of foreign teacher/employee to university or company daily. We provide this service to teacher for free.
What you need to do is log on our website www.languageteaching.com.cn and register, we will put your resume(简历) on Chinese website except contact details. There are thousand potential clients who will view your information daily, once they choose you we will contact(联系) with you. For any more details you also can send email to admin@languageteaching.com.cn
Part Time English Tutor wanted
We are looking for a part time English teacher, the teacher should come from U.S.A, Canada, UK, New Zealand or Australia. We would like to have 2 lessons a week, 2 hours each lesson.
Please send me your Resume with photo if you are interested, email: admin@languageteaching.com.cn
Private English Tutor Wanted
Senior Chinese manager is looking for a one-on-one English tutor for several hours per week. He would like to learn British pronunciation, so UK nationals will be preferred. Tutors should be fairly flexible to suit his busy schedule and be of professional appearance. Pay is to be discussed directly and will be very high for the right candidate. Teaching experience is not a must.
If interested, please send an email with your background information, pay expectations and a recent picture to dhanyatk@hotmail.com.
CALLING – Teacher/Librarian!
We are a small Kindergarten to Grade 6 international school in Beijing. We need a teacher/ librarian. The teacher we are looking for will: - Be a Chinese /English speaking librarian.
Qualifications
Be self-starters, active team players,
Have a positive attitude and love to work with kids
Provide an exciting and innovative library program to students.
If you meet the above qualifications, please send your CV and a current picture to principalinchina@yahoo.ca .
66.The purpose of the advertisements is________.
A. to start a business
B. to employ English teachers
C. to provide the latest jobs
D. to help people find a suitable job
67. According to the first advertisement, we can learn that_______.
A. English Teacher agency charges teacher for this service
B. you must go online to offer your basic information first
C. you may call to get more information about the job
D. once you English Teacher agency, you will get a job
68. In the third advertisement, the private English tutor should________
A. be an English language expert from UK
B. speak American English
C. have rich teaching experience
D. have the ability to deal with changing situations
69. If you didn’t pass the interview for Teacher/Librarian, the probable reason should be that ________.
A. you like working with children
B. you have a strong team spirit
C. you lack teaching experience
D. you can only speak English
70. The underlines word “CALLING” in the fourth advertisement most means_________.
A. job or profession B. wish C. interest D. chance