Dennis Sinar, 51, a doctor from New York, is quick to explain why he took a year-long break from his job. “I was pretty burned out after practicing medicine for 26 years. I needed a recharge.” So he took a “gap year”, from July 2011 to June 2012, to explore things like ancient buildings, and traditional Eastern medicine, in locations including Alaska, Nepal and Romania.
“Taking a break from work is an excellent way for adults to go into a new career or refresh an old one,” said Holly Bull, president of Princeton, N, J. “In recent years, mid-career breaks have been gaining more interest,” she said. A report on adult gap years published this year by a market research company also described the potential American market for gap years as a “sleeping giant.”
“A gap year is a challenge for the older individual to step out of a comfort zone and take a risk. I enjoyed that side most.” said Dr. Sinar, who kept a daily blog about his experience. His time studying Eastern medicine “assured the reasons I went into health care,” said Dr. Sinar, who returned to practice medicine at his old job, although he works fewer days. “I use those experiences to provide my patients with more care,” he added. “And I listen better than I did before.”
George Garritan, chairman of the Department of Leadership and Human Capital Management at New York University, certainly agrees with Dr. Sinar. He said a gap-year experience could be worthwhile for employees and companies. For employees, investing in themselves and improving skill sets is a move that will benefit throughout their career. He added that returning employees feel refreshed and have given more thought to their career. For companies, offering unpaid leaves makes good sense for attracting and keeping talented employees.Dr. Sinar took a gap year because he ______.
| A．had lost his old job |
| B．wanted to refresh after 26 years’ work |
| C．had a desire for travelling |
| D．became interested in historical research |
The phrase “sleeping giant” (in 2nd paragraph) indicates that ______.
| A．it’s too early for people to accept the concept of gap year |
| B．the effect of gap year policy remains to be seen |
| C．it’s difficult to foresee the gap year market |
| D．more American people will accept the gap year policy |
What’s George Garritan’s attitude toward the “gap year”?
| A．Positive. | B．Doubtful |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Uncertain. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．How an adult plans a mid-career gap year. |
| B．Why a gap year is worthwhile for adults. |
| C．Whether a gap year is popular with adults. |
| D．Why a gap year is challenging for individuals. |
Son’s Help
Mr. Smith worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup, he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Smith didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his six-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”Mr. Smith was paid much because _______.
| A．his wife helped him a lot |
| B．he worked in a factory |
| C．he was busy and had a lot of work to do |
| D．he had worked there for a long time |
Mrs. Smith did all housework because _______.
| A．she couldn’t find any work |
| B．she thought her husband was tired |
| C．her husband spent all time in gambling |
| D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling |
_____, so he was put into lockup.
| A．Mr. Smith often gambled |
| B．Mr. Smith was late for work |
| C．Mr. Smith didn’t help his wife at home |
| D．Mr. Smith wasn’t polite to the police |
The woman had to leave Mr. Smith because _______.
| A．he didn’t love her any longer |
| B．he wouldn’t stop gambling |
| C．he had been put into lockup |
| D．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?
| A．clinic | B．office | C．prison | D．restaurant |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed ---- no examination is perfect ---- but to have no external(外部的)tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them ---- a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
These people are not just against school organization, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive purposes. There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organized when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________.
| A．changing the standards could mean the end of equality |
| B．standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality |
| C．there would be no standards without external examinations |
| D．we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect |
In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
| A．There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence. |
| B．Children from poor families would not be able to change schools. |
| C．Going to a favored school should be the only way to get a good job. |
| D．Schools for bright children would lose their fame. |
The situation at the moment is that ________.
| A．many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability |
| B．a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate. |
| C．children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates. |
| D．a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job. |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．Most students from poor families can't get a good job. |
| B．Some people are using students to destroy our society. |
| C．The writer thinks it a good way to choose a job by computer. |
| D．The opponents of the examination want to reorganize schools. |
The opponents would agree that _________.
| A．computers should be selected to take over many jobs |
| B．particular people should not be chosen for particular jobs |
| C．well-respected schools should be got rid of as soon as possible |
| D．the students are not equally treated if they take external examinations |
One day an out of work mimic(滑稽演员) is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw the crowd，a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mimic that the zoo's most popular attraction，a gorilla(大猩猩)，has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mimic a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mimic accepts.
So the next morning the mimic puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants，play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mimic. However，eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on wires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience，he climbs to the top of his cage，crawls across a partition(隔离物)，and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course，this makes the lion very angry，but the crowd loves it.
At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mimic a raise for being such a good attraction. Well，this goes on for some time－the mimic keeps taunting the lion，the crowds grow larger，and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the angry lion he slips and falls. The mimic is terrified.
The lion gathers itself and prepares to attack. The mimic is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally，the mimic starts screaming and yelling，“Help me，help me！”But the lion is quick and attacks. The mimic soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says，“Shut up，you idiot！Do you want to get us both fired？”The mimic visits the zoo to________.
| A．take care of the dying gorilla | B．beg some money from the zoo keeper |
| C．ask for a job there | D．perform and earn some money there |
The zoo keeper offers the mimic a job to act as the gorilla because________.
| A．it is more expensive to hire a real gorilla |
| B．the real gorilla died but the keeper does not want to lose its visitors |
| C．he likes the mimic's performance |
| D．he wants to help the mimic who is out of work |
What does the mimic feel about the new job at first?
| A．He likes it because he has enough freedom in the job. |
| B．He likes it but he prefers to working as a mimic. |
| C．He doesn't like it for people do not respect him. |
| D．He doesn't like it because he gets little pay. |
The mimic climbs to the lion's cage because________.
| A．he finds it more interesting to climb the cage |
| B．he wants to play with the lion |
| C．he wants to attract the attention of his audience |
| D．he has never seen a lion before |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．The mimic and his job | B．The mimic and his success |
| C．The actor and the mimic | D．The mimic and his animals |
What should you think about in 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 specially strong or weak 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. 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.
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 get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. 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 bitter to face any weaknesses 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 about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work. Which of the following best sums up the first paragraph?
| A．The importance of doing well at school. |
| B．Using school performance to help to choose a career. |
| C．The importance of being good at all subjects. |
| D．The indirect value of school work. |
The writer thinks that for a student to have a part-time job is probably.
| A．a waste of time that could have been spent on study |
| B．useful for his future work |
| C．a good way to earn extra money |
| D．a good way to find out his weak points |
According to the passage, if a students school record is not good, he ____.
| A．will be a complete failure in his future work |
| B．will not be able to find a suitable job |
| C．will regret not having worked harder at school |
| D．may do well in his future work |
Which subject is supposed to have no direct value for job hunting?
| A．Mathematics. | B．English. | C．Technical Drawing. | D．History. |
The whole passage centers on ____.
| A．choosing a career according to what one is skilled in |
| B．acquiring knowledge by working hard at school |
| C．developing ones personalities for the future. |
| D．finding ones strong and weak points |
It was in the Victorian Era (维多利亚时期) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronté sisters and others.
Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes.
The Bronté sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year.
An interest in rural(田园的) matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others.
Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well-known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children’s books, which featured (以……为特色) animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902.What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text?
| A．He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing. |
| B．He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside |
| C．He wrote about the struggles of the poor in London? |
| D．He published the highly successful children’s book |
Which is TRUE about the Bronté sisters?
| A．They were English writers of the 1830s. |
| B．They paid to have their first book published. |
| C．They began their writing from the rural life. |
| D．Their first book was successful. |
Who wrote the famous children’s book The Tale of Peter Rabbit according to the text?
| A．Lewis Carroll. | B．The Brontésisters. |
| C．Thomas Hardy. | D．Helen Beatrix Potter. |
The author states in the last paragraph that ________.
| A．Edward Lear was famous for writing about animals |
| B．adventure novels were not written for children at first |
| C．Thomas Hardy was not as famous as Lewis Carroll |
| D．society changed rapidly in the Victorian Era |
This text is mainly about ________.
| A．literature in the Victorian Era |
| B．writing styles in the Victorian Era |
| C．famous works in the Victorian Era |
| D．the importance of literature in the Victorian Era |