Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer’s end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child’s schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child’s day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts(武术).
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of “enrichment,” three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child’s confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child’s time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it’s time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle (空闲的) time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That’s too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let’s be honest with ourselves – our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child’s.The author holds that it’s a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _____.
| A．a child’s schedule is too complex |
| B．activities suitable for kids are limited |
| C．parents are stuck in numerous choices |
| D．children always say no to parents’ advice |
What the two teachers say in Paragraph 2 implies that _____.
| A．children love to stay at school |
| B．they are popular with children |
| C．children dislike after-school classes |
| D．after-school classes are of poor quality |
According to the author, what is the real reason for parents to send their children to after-school classes?
| A．Parents want to make up for their own regrets. |
| B．After-school classes develop children’s potential. |
| C．Parents have doubt about their own ability to guide children. |
| D．After-school classes give parents an excuse for being absent. |
Which of the following will the author probably agree with?
| A．For children’s benefits, the earlier the better. |
| B．Children’s spare time should be carefully designed. |
| C．Idle time for children is becoming a thing of the past. |
| D．Parents should be forgiven if they have a good reason., |
Real Estate Accountant
Growing Real Estate Company located in New York City is currently seeking a qualified individual to assist the Controller.
The ideal candidate should have college credits and 2+ years experience in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger and tenant interface. Prior Real Estate experience is a must.
All resumes submitted MUST be e-mailed in Word format DIRECTLY to Trandon @trandon.com. Please include current salary requirements.
Bookkeeper
We are currently seeking an experienced Bookkeeper at our Newtown Square, PA office. The part-time, flexible, hourly position requires a conscientious, detail-oriented and organized individual who can work in a fast paced team environment and maintain a high degree of accuracy.. Excellent multi-tasking abilities, excellent math, written and verbal communication skills as well as proficiency in Microsoft Office and good interpersonal skills are required. Salary is based on experience. No benefits provided. Experience is preferred.
All resumes submitted MUST be e-mailed to NS@bookuser.com
Senior Sales Representative
We are currently seeking self-motivated, results oriented sales professionals eager to join our growing sales team. This position provides for ample growth opportunity.
The candidate should have demonstrated ability to negotiate and influence decision makers and bale to independently solve roadblocks and problems and develop creative sales solutions. 5 years sales experience (experience selling services will be considered a plus) is a must and college degree is preferred. You are also encouraged to be creative and take chances and work in a supportive team environment
Send resume via email to HR@utilisave.com
Data Analyst Specialist-NSH000201
The mission of our Data Analyst Specialist is to participate in the ongoing process to improve the data collection and reporting mechanisms necessary to facilitate patient care. In this role, you will be responsible for providing patient records, evaluating departmental performance and performing strategic planning.
Associates Degree in Business, Computer Science or Health related field is required. Bachelor's Degree is preferred. You are supposed to have minimum of three (3) years administrative experience (related experience will be considered a plus)with demonstrated ability in computer applications and current knowledge of related hardware, software and applications.
Please note: North Shore-LIJ is a smoke-free environment.
Send your resume via email to NS@.northshore.comWhat do these advertisements have in common?
| A．All the candidates should have experience. |
| B．All demand computer skills. |
| C．All require college degrees. |
| D．All are applied online. |
Mary is a mother of 2 children, but she wants to earn some extra money. She must cook 3 meals for her children. Which job do you think she is most suitable for?
| A．Real Estate Accountant. | B．Bookkeeper. |
| C．Senior Sales Representative. | D．Data Analyst Specialist. |
John is seeking for a job where he can improve himself; he should send his email to _____.
| A．HR@utilisave.com | B．NS@bookuser.com |
| C．NS@northshor.com | D．Trandon@trandon.com |
Traffic jams seem a sure companion of national holidays. On May 1, there were constant traffic jams on highways leading out of the several metropolises, the longest, according to reports, was 55 kilometers. Some blame the jams on the two-year-old policy that allows cars with no more than seven seats to use the highways for free on public holidays, but a Beijing News editorial said this is not the real cause of the jams.
The growing automobile culture is doubtlessly among the causes. Data shows that China’s production and sales of automobiles both went up by 20 million in 2013. But over the same period there has been no breakthrough in highway construction, and when there are too many birds the nest will naturally become crowded.
Growing tourism also leads to the jams. At the 2014 global summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, which ended last week, it was reported that Chinese people spent almost 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013, which took up more than 90 percent of hotel income and more than 80 percent of air and railway use.
Worse, Chinese have to travel during the same periods. As employees’ rights to paid leave often fail to be protected, many have no choice but to travel on the limited public holidays. From Oct 1 to 7, the so-called Golden Week, almost every tourist site will be full of visitors. Therefore it is wrong to blame the free-pass policy.
That does not mean the government should stand idle doing nothing. As traffic jams during the holidays are predictable, they could develop more public transport and strengthen legal supervision to ensure that every employee enjoys their entitlement to a paid vacation or offer free passes on other days to encourage people to travel on days other than public holidays. The measures might not prevent traffic jams, but they may at least ease the jams.How many factors are mentioned in the passage accounting for the traffic jam on the highway?
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Traffic jams often happen on highways on national holidays. |
| B．People prefer to stay at home because of traffic jams. |
| C．Chinese people spent over 3 trillion yuan on tourism in 2013. |
| D．There is nothing the government can do to prevent traffic jams. |
What does the underlined sentence (Para.2) mean?
| A．highway construction cannot meet the demand of increasing cars. |
| B．the more highways are built, the less crowded it will become. |
| C．the rapid increase of cars is the direct cause of traffic jam on highways. |
| D．limits should be set on the use of private cars. |
Which of the following ways can ease the jams according to the passage?
| A．People drive private cars to spend holiday. |
| B．People take trains to spend their holiday. |
| C．Employees can have an expense-paid vacation. |
| D．People make use of public holidays to enjoy themselves. |
A student is learning to speak British English.He wonders：Can I communicate with Americans？Can they understand me？Learners of English often ask：What are the differences between British and American English？How important are these differences?
Certainly，there are some differences between British and American English.There are a few differences in grammar.For example，speakers of British English say“in hospital”and“Have you a pen？”；Americans say “in the hospital”and“Do you have a pen？”．Pronunciation is sometimes different.Americans usually sound “r”s in words like“bird”and“hurt”．Speakers of British English do not sound “r” in these words.There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary.For example，“colour”and“honour”are British；“color”and“honor”are American.
These differences in grammar，pronunciation，spelling and vocabulary are not important，however.For the most part，British and American English are the same language.According to this passage，a student who is learning to speak American English might be afraid that ______.
| A．British people cannot understand him |
| B．American people cannot understand him |
| C．the grammar is too hard for him |
| D．the spelling is too hard for him |
American English and British English are different in ________.
| A．spelling | B．pronunciation |
| C．grammar | D．all of the above |
What is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English. |
| B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two. |
| C．How the differences between British English and American English came about. |
| D．How important the differences are. |
A qualified doctor who rarely practiced but instead devoted his life to writing. He once said: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my lover.” Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was a great playwright and one of the masters of the modern short story.
When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family. After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less. Chekhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference (冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events. In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories.
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia. Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair.
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays. He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters. Chekhov’s work combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist.
Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s. One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students.Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a. became a doctor
b. became a full time writer
c. started to publish comic short stories
d. wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
e. entered the Moscow University Medical School
| A．e→c→b→a→d | B．e→c→a→d→b |
| C．d→a→b→c→e | D．a→e→d→c→b |
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ________.
| A．was a competent doctor | B．had a lawful lover |
| C．used to be a lawyer | D．as an illegal writer |
In 1880, Chekhov ________.
| A．became a full-time writer |
| B．published his most memorable stories |
| C．studied medicine in Moscow University |
| D．practiced medicine in his hometown |
Which of the following adjectives can’t be used to describe Chekhov?
| A．Sensitive. | B．Cool. |
| C．Quick-minded. | D．Warm-hearted. |
The young boy was sitting on the ground in the refugee(难民)camp playing with an empty tin．Other children were standing around watching him with envious eyes．
Envy? Of an empty tin?
This tin was indeed no worthless piece of trash—it was a splendid truck，complete with wheels and grille(铁栅) and floor．The vehicle even had remote control，a frayed piece of string from the“engine”to the hand of the owner．
The tin had lost all its original markings．But its first load had probably been sardines(沙丁鱼)．Later the tin had been left with other rubbish behind the refugee camp clinic，and the boy had found it on one of his daily expeditions into the“big world”．
For thousands of refugee children，a tin 1ike this rates high on their list of wants．It can be used for many purposes，as jewellery，as a toy，for drinking or as a medicine box．
Many refugee children would consider it the happiest day of their lives if they received a handful of marbles(弹珠) as a present．
They dream of gifts which children in developed countries take for granted．Maybe a book to read．or a pencil and an exercise book of their very own．
Their imagination can create toys，but it cannot create books．Someone else must provide them．A more costly and valuable gift they cannot imagine．How do you think the youn eel when he gets something to read?
| A．depressed | B．frustrated |
| C．excited | D．frightened |
Other children envied the young boy because the boy．
| A．had something to play with | B．got some sardines to eat |
| C．received a handful of marbles | D．had a real truck toy |
What is implied in the last paragraph of the text?
| A．The society should donate(捐)some toys for the refugee children |
| B．The refugee children are more imaginative rather than creative |
| C．The refugee children are more creative rather than imaginative |
| D．The society should offer the refugee children things for study |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Enviable Toy Present | B． Sardine Tin—A Precious Toy |
| C．A Splendid Truck Toy | D．A Poor Refugee Cam |