I love sleeping. It’s something I’m good at. There’s nothing better than nodding off on the sofa in front of the TV and when my head hits the pillow at night, I have no problem falling into a deep sleep within minutes. There is one place where I never nap (打盹) and that’s at work--but new research suggests I should!
The idea of you and your colleagues heading off for a lie down in the afternoon may seem strange, but some companies such as Google and Facebook actually encourage it. Because it’s thought that a power-nap makes them more refreshed and more focused, and this in turn makes them more productive.
An Australian health writer called Victoria is a founder of a campaign called Nap Now which is trying to make sleeping at work more acceptable. She calls herself a “naptivist”! She says: “I think that our culture is a bit crazy not to accept it… It’s time to end the common work principle which is all about working longer and harder.”
So should we all be taking a sleeping bag and pillow to work with us? A few years ago, research by the East of England Development Agency found 30% of people have their best ideas in bed compared to just 11% who have them at their desk. That suggests people are more creative when they are relaxed--and the agency has called for companies to put beds in the workplace.
A nap in the afternoon is nothing new. In certain hot countries, such as Spain, a short rest or sleep in the afternoon-called a siesta-is perfectly normal. So maybe we should break from the traditional nine-to-five work culture and take up the siesta. The UK’s Sleep Council claims the nine-to-five working day does not fit into the natural sleeping pattern of the human race and says that bosses need to introduce a more sleep-friendly working day.Why are the employees of Google allowed to nap in the workplace?
| A．They are expected to work better. |
| B．They can’t focus their attention on the work. |
| C．They are running the Nap Now campaign. |
| D．They have difficulty in falling sleep at night. |
The underlined word “naptivist” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to someone who ______.
| A．takes no nap at work |
| B．enjoys napping at work |
| C．studies sleeping at work |
| D．fights against working long hours |
According to the passage, what can we learn about siesta?
| A．It is a newly practiced pattern. |
| B．It has been taken up in Finland. |
| C．It is sort of traditional work culture. |
| D．It fits into the natural sleeping pattern. |
What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To explain how to nap at work. |
| B．To show how the new study was carried out. |
| C．To tell us the importance of sleeping at work. |
| D．To call for the more sleep-friendly work culture. |
To Whom It May Concern:
On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松饼粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.
Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried prapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient(配料 ) . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce (沙司 ). I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.
When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect”muffins.
I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely ,
Michelle BauerThis letter is most likely addressed to _______.
| A．a local storeowner |
| B．the owner of the muffin mix company |
| C．the clerk at a local muffin bakery |
| D．George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix |
The tone(语气 ) of the author can best be described as ________.
| A．embarrassed | B．hopeless | C．disappointed | D．disgusted |
The author was unhappy with the product because________.
| A．the directions of the product contained a mistake |
| B．it was not up to the promise made on the box |
| C．it was too difficult to follow the directions |
| D．it was worth less money than she paid for it |
The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.
| A．prevent others from making the same mistake |
| B．persuade the company to change the wording on their box |
| C．get back all the money paid from the shop |
| D．complain about how bad the muffins tasted |
If you’re finding it tough to land a job, try expanding your job-hunting plan to include the following:
Set your target.
While you should always keep your options open to changing your mind , you should also be sure to target exactly what you want in a job. A job-hunt with a clear target will surely help you achieve better results than an aimless one.
Schedule plenty of interviews.
Use every possible method to get interviews-answering ads, using search firms , getting in touch with companies directly , surfing the Web, and networking(向同行请教 ). Even if a job is not perfect for you, every interview can become one of your positive experiences.
Follow up
Even if someone does not hire you ,write them a thank –you note for the interview. Then, some weeks later, send another brief letter to explain that you still have not found the perfect position and that you will be available to interview again if the original position you applied for—or any other position , for that matter –is open. Do this with every position you interview for, and you may just catch a break!
Make it your full-time job
You can’t find a job by looking sporadically( 断续地) . You have to make time for it. If you’re unemployed and looking , devote as much time as you would to a full –time job. If you have a job while you’re looking, figure out an organized schedule to maximize your searching time.
Network vertically(纵向地 )
In the search stage of your job hunt , talk to people who are on a level above you in your desired industry. They’ll have an accurate and deep understanding that people at your level won’t have , and will be in a good position to hire you or recommend you to be hired .
Keep your spirits up
Looking for a job is one of the toughest things you will ever have to do, keep up your confidence , continue your efforts, and think positively, and eventually you will get a job you want.From the passage , it can be learned that to get a job , one should absolutely avoid___.
| A．having as many interviews as possible |
| B．looking without a clear target |
| C．applying for the same position a second time |
| D．changing his goal set previously |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It will be of great help for you to seek advice from experienced job hunters |
| B．There can’t be too much time for you to hunt for a job if you are out of work |
| C．There is no point having the interview unless a job is perfect for you. |
| D．There is no need for you to write letters to the company that refused you |
According to the passage , it can better help job hunters get hired by ______.
| A．consulting higher level people in their desired industries in advance |
| B．working out a well organized timetable for their job interviews |
| C．recommending themselves to the company they desire to work for |
| D．taking a positive attitude toward their future job–hunt success |
What would be the best title for this passage ?
| A．Procedures in Searching for a job |
| B．Advice for Successful Job Hunters |
| C．Tricks for Job-hunt Success |
| D．Guidance from Successful Job Hunters |
My friend Jim and I finally decided to spend our 14 days off in the eastern country.We were arranged to stay with a local family, which made it possible for us to share a real life experience with the locals and in return bring ourselves a richer experience of the native culture and tradition.
In the company of one of our well-informed local tour leaders, we started one of the trips to the nearby town . As we were passing elephants, we stopped , confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by a small rope tied to their front legs . No chains, no cages. It was obvious that these elephants could, at any time, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not . My friend went up to the trainer and asked why these beautiful animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,”he said , “When they were young and much smaller we used the same size rope to tie them and at that age, it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are accustomed to believing that they can not break away. They believe that the rope can hold them, so they never try to break free. We were amazed . These animals could at any time break away from their ropes but just because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we can not do something , simply because we failed at it once before ? How many of us are being held by outdated belief that no longer serves us ? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limited belief? Worse still , how many of us are being held back by someone else’s limiting beliefs? Your attempt may fail but never fail to make an attempt.What was the author most interested in during his visit?
| A．The local people and elephants |
| B．The local culture and tradition |
| C．The history of the eastern country |
| D．The local food and scenery |
What amazed them was to see__________.
| A．the trainer playing skillfully with the huge animals |
| B．the trainer attracting the visitors’s attention in such a way |
| C．the huge elephants tied only by a small rope |
| D．the elephants being trained with small ropes |
The elephants never tried to get away because_______.
| A．they believed they couldn’t break away from the small ropes |
| B．they got used to being raised and controlled by human beings |
| C．they had a very close relationship with their trainers |
| D．it was hard to break away from the strong and powerful ropes |
The author holds the view that _______.
| A．people should never fail to make an attempt or get held by false beliefs |
| B．people should travel around and try new things |
| C．animals should be trained to obey their masters |
| D．it’s necessary to train creatures when they are young |
Through history, children have played with toys and they help to prepare children for adult life. But the toys are changing all the time. As science and technology have changed the way adults live, the toys children play with have changed as well. Developments in science and technology have had a big effect on the toys that children play with. Today trains and mobile phones are popular toys for young children, but there were no toys of this kind before real trains and mobile phones were invented. The materials that toys are made of have also changed. Today lots of toys are made of plastic. Plastic is a modern, man-made material that did not exist (存在) in the past. On the other hand, some other toys that you have might not be all that different from the ones children played with 1,000 years ago. Scientists have found some bone dice (骰子)in Aberdeen. In medieval (中世纪的)times dice were used for playing games as much as they are today.
A recent survey found that half of all the children aged from 4 to 6 have played video games, a quarter of them regularly. The increasing use of electronic toys troubles Dr Singer, a professor at Yale. “One thing we know is that kids in early years need to be in touch with the real world,” he said, “No matter how brilliant they are, they’re not going to learn to walk, to move or to talk to others unless their hands or feet have a direct role in such activities.”
Some toy experts argue that the best toys are the ones that increase a child’s creativity and imagination. Traditional toys can be used for different kinds of purposes and be used in group settings, individually(单独地), and one-to-one. They are also used differently depending on the child’s age and skill level. And these toys made of natural materials are valuable for children because they teach children what the world is made of.In how many ways do toys change according to the first paragraph?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D． Four. |
From the article, we can know that.
| A．only children like to play with toys |
| B．toys have nothing to do with children’s future life |
| C．the development of toys is related to science and technology |
| D．plastic is the best material for making toys |
According to Dr Singer,.
| A．the electronic toys are good for children if they play often enough |
| B．the electronic toys prevent children keeping in touch with the real world |
| C．children should be stopped from being hurt by the danger coming from the outside world |
| D．children should play with electronic toys instead of the traditional ones |
There are a number of special days of the year that are celebrated in different countries. The origins of most of the days are unknown. They were certainly not created by individual people. Other days, however, especially those celebrated in western countries, often owe their origins to a particular person. One of the most popular of these, even though it is fairly recent, is Mother’s Day. Mothers have always been highly regarded in all cultures. The ancient Romans had a festival known as Hilaria, during which children took presents to the temple of the “Mother of the Gods”. The Christian Church adopted this idea and called it Mothering Sunday. However, over the years this custom was gradually forgotten and almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century.
Born in 1864 in Virginia, USA, Anna Jarvis was a school teacher and believed children should show gratitude to their mothers for all their love and care. Encouraged by a friend, she wrote to thousands of important people—politicians, churchmen, doctors, city officials—and asked them to support her idea: a special day of the year for thanking mothers.
In 1910 the Governor of West Virginia introduced Mother’s Day into the state. The date chosen was May 10—the second Sunday in May, which is still observed in America today. This date was chosen because May 10 was the date on which in 1908 Anna Jarvis’s mother had died. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made May 10 the official date for Mother’s Day throughout the United States.
Soon there was a Mother’s Day International Association and the custom began to be adopted in many countries of the world.
Anna Jarvis, a sad and disillusioned（失望的） woman, died in 1948. The custom she had worked so hard to establish and which had become almost universal had lost its original purpose. It had been taken over by business. Like Christmas, the giving of presents and the sending of cards had become a multi-million-dollar industry. The story is about.
| A．Mothering Sunday for Christmas |
| B．the origin of a special day for mothers |
| C．President Wilson and Anna Jarvis |
| D．how people celebrate Mothers Day |
Anna Jarvis wanted to .
| A．thank her mother for her care |
| B．introduce a celebration for mothers |
| C．meet thousands of important people |
| D．make her pupils celebrate her on Mother’s Day |
May 10 became the date for Mother’s Day because .
| A．May is in the American spring |
| B．it was the second Sunday in May in 1910 |
| C．President Wilson liked the date |
| D．this was the date on which Anna Jarvis’s mother died |
Unfortunately, Anna Jarvis was not happy with Mother’s Day when she died because.
| A．her mother was not there to see it |
| B．she had never been a mother herself |
| C．people were too interested in making it a business |
| D．no one gave any presents or cards to their mothers |