I got a job offer from a high-tech company with a fairly satisfactory payment and benefits．Even the work environment is cool．But I heard that the job requires a lot of overtime and even weekends．I know it's important for newcomers to get their feet planted firmly on the ground to reach their goals, but I'm scared of the idea of having nearly no free time．I still need to find a girlfriend and look after my parents．So, shall I accept the job or give it up for another one with much less pay and more freedom?
Amoretto
Dear Amoretto,
I have two things to say：First, you're lucky to have such an excellent offer, especially at a time when so many talented people are struggling to find any work at all; and second, you can't figure out your work-life balance until you're actually working☆
Take the job．You'll be learning, doing interesting things, working in a cool environment, and making money．If you're given contract, make sure you understand the terms before you sign．Ask your boss how many hours a week you're expected to work．If he tells you a number that's much lower than what you find once you're working, you'll be in a better position to talk to him about it．
Give your work 100 percent．Work energetically and efficiently．If you're devoted and focused, you might achieve more than your co-workers in less time．Showing yourself to be a productive and talented worker from the beginning will give you more bargaining power．Finally, remember that taking a job doesn't have to be a life commitment．Try to give it at least a year(two is better)．If you're really miserable after that time, look for another job that will give you more freedom．By then, you'll have workplace experience, bosses and colleagues who can speak positively about your work and some savings as well．
Good luck!
Ariel
(1)
When considering the job offer, Amoretto is most concerned about whether he'll have ________．
[ ]
A．
a pay rise
B．
a girlfriend
C．
free time
D．
cool working condition
(2)
We can infer that Ariel thinks ________．
[ ]
A．
young people are faced with a fierce competition in job-hunting
B．
a good start and 100％devotion to the work are of great importance
C．
Amoretto should ask nothing until he actually works in the company
D．
beginning workers with bargaining power are not popular with bosses
(3)
Ariel recommended Amoretto to ________．
[ ]
A．
balance his life and work before taking the job
B．
analyze the contract carefully before signing it
C．
spare no effort to please his boss and colleagues
D．
be a lifelong worker for the company whatever happens
(4)
In the first letter, the underlined part “get their feet planted firmly on the ground” means ________．
I read Alison Burnham’s review of When we were 12, and I do not agree with her．I thought the programme was wonderful－I found the old news pictures really interesting－they helped to bring to life the stories the people were telling．
The programme reminds me of many things from my own childhood．For example, one day when I was about five, I was going to school on the bus by myself (this was the late 1960s)．My mother had given me exactly the right money for a return ticket．I held out my hand with the money in it－one big coin on top of one little coin．The bus conductor took the big top coin only and she gave me a ticket, but it was a pink one for a single journey．I needed a white one for a return journey, but I was too frightened to say anything．When school finished for the day, I couldn’t catch the bus home－I had to walk．As a grown-up, whenever I’ve been in a situation Where I need to say something or take some action, this early memory of my bus ride comes back to me, and I’m able to take control of the situation．
I would like to say to the director, Bret Chrysler, carry on making this kind of programme．Too much TV these days is quiz shows and so-called “reality programmes”．I appreciate the human story that can make me laugh and cry．
Yours faithfully,
Chris Daniels
(1)
What is Chris Daniels’ purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To persuade Bret Chrysler to turn away from quiz shows．
B．
To entertain other readers with old news pictures．
C．
To express his appreciation of the programme．
D．
To have his story told on the programme．
(2)
Chris Daniels tells the story about the bus ticket to ________．
[ ]
A．
describe how painful his early experience was
B．
draw a direct response from Alison Burnham
C．
show how the programme made him think
D．
teach the readers of TV Weekly a lesson
(3)
According to the passage, Chris Daniels had to walk because ________．
[ ]
A．
he hadn’t got a return ticket
B．
he had lost his bus ticket
C．
he didn’t like big crowds
D．
he missed the bus home
(4)
What does Chris Daniels now think about his experience on the bus?
[ ]
A．
He should have told the conductor then．
B．
He should have been．cell treated．
C．
He regrets going to school alone．
D．
He wishes it hadn’t happened．
阅读理解：
Letter to Editor of TV Weekly
Dear Sir/Madam,
I read Alison Burnham’s review of When we were 12, and I do not agree with her．I thought the programme was wonderful－I found the old news pictures really interesting－they helped to bring to life the stories the people were telling．
The programme reminds me of many things from my own childhood．For example, one day when I was about five, I was going to school on the bus by myself(this was the late 1960s)．My mother had given me exactly the right money for a return ticket．I held out my hand with the money in it－one big coin on top of one little coin．The bus conductor took the big top coin only and she gave me a ticket, but it was a pink one for a single journey．I needed a white one for a return journey, but I was too frightened to say anything．When school finished for the day, I couldn’t catch the bus home－I had to walk．As a grown-up, whenever I’ve been in a situation Where I need to say something or take some action, this early memory of my bus ride comes back to me, and I’m able to take control of the situation．
I would like to say to the director, Bret Chrysler, carry on making this kind of programme．Too much TV these days is quiz shows and so-called “reality programmes”．I appreciate the human story that can make me laugh and cry．
Yours faithfully,
Chris Daniels
(1)
Whet is Chris Daniels’ purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To persuade Bret Chrysler to turn away from quiz shows．
B．
To entertain other readers with old news pictures．
C．
To express his appreciation of the programme．
D．
To have his story told on the programme．
(2)
Chris Daniels tells the story about the bus ticket to ________．
[ ]
A．
describe how painful his early experience was
B．
draw a direct response from Alison Burnham
C．
show how the programme made him think
D．
teach the readers of TV Weekly a lesson
(3)
According to the passage, Chris Daniels had to walk because ________．
[ ]
A．
he hadn’t got a return ticket
B．
he had lost his bus ticket
C．
he didn’t like big crowds
D．
he missed the bus home
(4)
What does Chris Daniels now think about his experience on the bus?
[ ]
A．
He should have told the conductor then．
B．
He should have been．cell treated．
C．
He regrets going to school alone．
D．
He wishes it hadn’t happened．
阅读理解：
B Glynis Davis：I first piled on the pounds when I was in the family way and I couldn’t lose them afterwards．Then I joined a slimming club．My target was 140 pounds and I lost 30 pounds in six months．I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked．But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits．I told myself I’d lose the weight at slimming classes in the new year but it didn’t happen．Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on．I’d lost willpower and tried to believe that the odd bag of crisps didn’t make any difference---but the scales don’t lie．
Roz Juma：To be honest, I never weigh myself any more I’ve learnt to be happy with myself．It seemed to me that I would feel sorry about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips．My idea is simple．You shouldn’t be too much thinking about food and dieting．Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming of a supper-thin body．This is obviously the size I’m meant to be and, most of all, I’m happy with it．
Lesley Codwin：I was very happy about winning Young Slimmer of the Year．I’d look in the mirror unable to believe this slim lady was me!That might have been my problem---perhaps from then on I didn’t pay any attention to myself．Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though, because you feel the eyes of the world are fixed upon you．I feel a complete failure because I’ve put on weight again．
Ros Langfod：Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I’d always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant housework went straight to my waist and I put on 15 pounds in a year．Every so often I try to go on a diet … I’m really good in a few days, then end up having the children’s leftovers or eating happily chocolate---my weakness．I’d like to be slim, but right now my duty is the children and home．I might take more exercise when my kids are older．
(1)
What do you think the four women were all talking about?
[ ]
A．
Their own slimming matter．
B．
Their life after marriage．
C．
Their work as a housewife．
D．
Different diets they prefer．
(2)
Where are these short passages most likely to be taken from?
[ ]
A．
Talks on the air．
B．
Advertisements on the wall．
C．
Book in a library．
D．
Magazines for children．
(3)
What does the underlined word“scales”possibly mean?
[ ]
A．
The coach(教练)in the slimming club
B．
Some tool to measure weight
C．
Glynis Davis’ dear husband
D．
The salesperson in a food shop
阅读理解：
I met the old man at a cafe．“Did you hear the radio news yesterday?” he asked me．“No,” I replied．“Anything exciting?” “Exciting? NO! Something very sad．A group of hungry dogs killed and ate my best friend．”
“Oh, dear!” I cried．“How did it happen?” “He was working on the hillside when the dogs attacked him．When he didn't return, I went to the hillside and found…” “His body?” I asked．The old fellow drank half of his coffee．“No．I told you they were hungry dogs, didn't I? The big bones were lying every where．But they found this．” He pushed open a match box he was holding in his hand．In it was a man's thumb, lying on some white bloody material．
“This is my friend's right thumb．The dogs ate the rest of him”．The old man began to cry．He finished his coffee quickly and left the cafe．I drank mine and called the waiter．“I'll pay the gentleman's bill．His poor friend－how terrible!” “You've heard the news?” The waiter laughed．“Sure．There's a hole in the bottom of the match box．He put his own thumb through the hole．The blood is red ink, I believe．Is the story worth a cup of coffee, sir?” “But he held the box in his right hand．” “Yes, but listeners look into the box．They just can't take their sight off that terrible thing．” “And when he tells the story, he gets free cup of coffee!” I said, laughing．“Yes, sir, but only from strangers who come to this town, and, of course, he does us no harm!”
(1)
We can learn from this passage ________．
[ ]
A．
the writer came to the cafe for the first time
B．
the old man made a living by telling jokes in the cafe
C．
the writer had known about the old man before
D．
what had happened to his best friend made the old man mad
(2)
Having heard the old man's story, the writer ________．
[ ]
A．
couldn't help laughing immediately
B．
showed great mercy upon him
C．
didn't believe him at all
D．
bought the old man another cup of coffee
(3)
It turned out that the thumb in the match box was actually ________．
[ ]
A．
the right thumb of his best friend
B．
the thumb he stole from the dead body of an unknown person
C．
something made of bloody white materials
D．
his own right thumb
(4)
The waiter hadn't let out the truth of the old man's story earlier because ________．
[ ]
A．
he was nobody but the best friend of the old man
B．
the old man wouldn't pay for his coffee if he did
C．
the waiter hadn't seen through the old man's trick
D．
the old man helped the cafe in some way
(5)
As suggested by the passage, what might happen in the end?
[ ]
A．
The writer refused to pay the old man's bill．
B．
The writer decided to make the trick known to the public．
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