Try this little test. A man dressed completely in black is sitting at a bar in a country pub. He is drinking one whisky after another. After three hours, the man in black leaves the pub and walks drunkenly down a small country road. There are no lights, and there is no moon. A car without headlights approaches. The driver notices the man, however, and is able to brake in time to avoid an accident. How could the driver see the man in black? Think about this.
The reason we can get stuck with this – and other problems in life—is that we make assumptions. If we assume that the man in black is out for an evening drink, then the problem is a hard one to solve.
The dictionary describes an assumption as something we take for granted or suppose to be true. Assumptions are essential to logical thinking and decision-making, but what happens if they are false?
Sometimes false assumptions can lead to disaster. On 8 January 1989, a British Midland Airways Boeing took off from Heathrow for Belfast. The number-two (right) engine, which had caused trouble on the previous flight, had been cleared. Twenty minutes after take-off, the plane began to shake violently. The flight recorder later showed what had happened. The captain asked the co-pilot what the problem was. “It’s the f-ing right engine again!” he replied. The captain ordered no.2 engine to be shut down, and the lefthand (no.1) engine to be turned on for an emergency landing. The 737 crashed on the edge of the M1 motorway. The cause of the crash? The captain and copilot made a false assumption and shut down the wrong engine. Of the 118 passengers, 39 died and 74 suffered serious injury.
The more risky or the more expensive the decision, the more important it is to check assumptions. There is a nice way to remember the importance of assumption checking. Look at the letters in the word ASSUME, and note that taking things for granted can make an ASS(傻瓜) of U and ME.
1. What purpose does Paragraph 1 serve in the passage?
A. To provide background information of the topic.
B. To attract readers attention to the topic.
C. To use an example to support the topic.
D. To offer basic knowledge of the topic.
2. The main purpose of the passage is to remind the readers _________.
A. of the importance of making assumptions
B. of the danger of making assumptions
C. to make assumptions before dealing with problems
D. to check assumptions before dealing with problems
3. The best title for this passage may probably be __________.
A. Assumptions Lead To Disaster
B. Ways of Avoiding False Assumption
C. When Things Are Not as They First Seem
D. Assumptions and Decision-making
4. The most probable reason that the driver can see the man in black is that       .
A. there were bright stars in the sky when the accident happened.
B. the driver had very good eyesight.
C. the accident happened where the lights were bright.
D. the accident happened during the afternoon, in daylight.

Workplaces all over the UK are preparing for Christmas and all the traditions and customs that come with it. But will this Christmas be a cause of happiness and celebration, or of disappointment and embarrassment?
At this time of year, colleges show their appreciation of each other by doing a “Secret Santa”. Secret Santa involves people who work together buying gifts for each other without saying who they are from.
Co-workers all write their names on pieces of paper, then organize a lottery in which each worker picks a colleague’s name at random. He then has to buy a present for that colleague, usually on a small budget of five or ten pounds.
Since the givers are unknown, the quality of presents can vary greatly. In an Internet survey of Secret Santa presents, the gifts that people received range from tickets to the opera to an air freshener for a car.
Another common workplace tradition is the office Christmas party, at which workmates put on their best clothes and enjoy lots of free wine.
Most parties go without a hitch, but sometimes the alcohol cause party-goers to behave in a way that they later regret.
The BBC invited people to share their most embarrassing Christmas office party stories, and received hundreds of funny ones. For example, a man split his trousers while dancing; a drunken lady spent the whole night with the edge of her dress folded into her pants, and later looked at photos that proved it at work.
But the funniest story must be that of Stuart Vanies, who got so drunk that he put his boss’s head into the toilet. Unsurprisingly, he was fired the very next day.
【小题1】 How many Christmas traditions are mentioned?

A.One.B.Two.C.Three.D.Four.
【小题2】 We learn from this article that for Christmas ____________________.
A.few people buy presents for their colleagues in Britain
B.British workers write their names on the presents they give their colleagues
C.people usually give their colleagues presents of high quality
D.British workers buy their presents based on an agreed budget
【小题3】The underlined phrase “without a hitch” in the sixth paragraph means _______________.
A.quite smoothlyB.without a result
C.with some difficultyD.quite unexpectedly
【小题4】The examples in the last two paragraphs are to ______________________.
A.show that most British people enjoy drinking wine
B.advise readers not to drink wine at parties
C.prove that funny things often happen at office Christmas parties
D.criticize the bad habits of the British

It is easy to understand the way a culture approaches disagreements by looking at the communication styles in that culture. In societies where open discussion is encouraged, conflict is much more common and accepted. On the other hand, cultures that strive to reduce conflicts and maintain harmony do not see such interaction appropriate, particularly in the workplace.

In Australia, Great Britain, and the United States, for example, disagreements are considered a natural part of communication. People in these countries typically have open and honest discussions, even if people’s differences of opinion lead to confrontation(对抗,对立). In business setting, this may mean debating with a colleague or a supervisor over the approach to a task. Or, co-workers might have a discussion about whether an agenda(议程)item during a meeting is suitable or not. Conflict is not necessarily negative ,though. And many people feel that debating an issue is as rewarding as resolving it. Successful conflict resolution(冲突解决) is also seen as a valuable skill, most people at the management level are expected to be very good at handling conflicts that arise in the workplace.

The Asian style of communication is quite different. In almost parts of eastern Asia, individuals present their ideas and then wait for others to do the same. They prefer to seek agreement from a group without rejecting another’s opinions out loud. In business meetings, subordinates (下级) will hardly disagree openly with their supervisor. This shows respect for supervisor, and it reflects the cultural importance placed on politeness and building harmony and trust.

1. The best title for this passage is ______.

A. Approaching Disagreements                    B. Differences of Opinion

C. Culture and Communication                    D. Conflict Resolution

2. In Australia, people would consider disagreement______.

A. a negative part of communication             B. necessary in their communication

C. normal and beneficial                            D. Unimportant in communication

3. Which of the following is true according to the author?

A. Subordinates in the USA don’t try to show their respect in the supervisors.

B. Asian people at management level are not good at handling conflicts.

C. People in Asia always try to avoid conflicts.

D. People in some western countries like to have conflicts.

4. What does the underlined word “harmony” probably mean?

A. Difference           B. Agreement     C. Respects        D. Communication

 

Learning English is a great challenge, but with a little help from technology it can be as easy as a piece of cake.

As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programs can play an active role in helping learn English. The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn.  This website is co-established by the British Council, the BBC World Service and Central Radio and TV University. It provides cultural information about Britain and has an example of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) that students can use for practice. Different levels of grammar tests can also be found.

Make friends online

Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is: Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.

Users have the opportunity to make friends with people who share their interests.

In the teaching and learning section, there are reading and vocabulary tips for students.

Compared with the Internet, TV programs have their own advantages: one does not have to sit at a computer and the audio and visual effects can even be relaxing.

One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses on oral English in practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.

The short dialogues and useful phrases may help students to express themselves if they go abroad or meet foreigners in China. More than 50 TV stations in about 300 cities have aired the program.

Word to World

If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". On this show Professor Wang Qiang from New Oriental School hosts "From Word to World".

He selects words with a deep cultural background and teaches useful phrases related to that word. Cartoons are also used to explain how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.

China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.

1. This passage ______.

A.introduces some new websites and TV and radio programs

B.focuses on advantages and disadvantages of different medium forms

C.recommends technological help in learning English

D.aims at advertising various English courses

2. If you want to read an English newspaper and make comments on different topics, you try_____.

A.www.in2english.com.cn.

B.www.21st.com.cn.

C.Modern English

D.Studio Classroom

3.One can practise oral English in everyday situations in _____.

A.Studio Classroom

B.From Word to World

C.Study Abroad

D.Modern English

4.According to the author, one advantage of TV programs over the Internet is that they ____.

A.offer more English learning resources

B.cost you nothing

C.have better audio and visual effects

D.have English courses available whenever you need them

5.The author wants the readers to know that learning English ______.

A.is difficult

B.is easy

C.is neither easy nor difficult

D.can be made much easier with a little help of modern technology

 

Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.

A.Who does freelancing?

B.The advantages and disadvantages of freelance

C.The definition of freelance

D.Key to freelance success

E.What is freelancing really like?

F.The best way to develop a career

1.

 

       Freelance is a word that goes back to medieval times when it was used to describe soldiers who sold their skills to those prepared to pay their market rate, Today it’s an increasingly common way of working for people in a range of occupations and appeals to many who feel constrained by corporate culture.

2.

       What you gain is freedom of movement, what you can lose is a sense of belonging. You can end up feeling isolated from normal support networks, because suddenly you are responsible for your own welfare, training, safety, career development, equipment, professional updating and a thousand other things, it is easy to remain unaware of these things in the relatively cosseted existence of full-time employment. So before you leap up into this exciting and potentially rewarding way of working, stand back and take a look at the risks.

3.

       Freelancing has always been a common way of working for writers, artists and performers, but the range of occupations with a substantial number of freelancers is growing steadily. Anyone with a marketable skill can choose to go it alone. Websites offer a free directory listing for those with skills to sell. Their categories include accountants, healthcare consultants, landscape architects and computer trainers, Areas of work that have problems recruiting staff are always keen to employ freelancers.

4.

       Being a freelance is different from other forms of self-employment-you still work for an employer or several employers but have to develop a completely different set of relationships with them. Employers are now your customers, you are their supplier. You have to become indispensable to them, providing solutions to their problems, some of which they may not even realize they have. In many ways you have to behave like their dream employee, being more willing and available than you may have got used to while in a “proper job”.

5.

       You also have to be aware of, and sensitive to ,the fact that you can be seen as a threat by your customer’s conventional employees, who may regard you as taking work they can do. Successful freelancing relies on the co-operation of everyone you come into contact with. Work that brings you into conflict with an existing workforce can be more trouble than it’s worth.

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