Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”

David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because       .

A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

David Smith wears casual clothes now, because     .

A. they make him feel at ease when working

B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C. he looks handsome in casual clothes

D. he no longer works for any company

According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.

B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.

C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.

D. All the employers in the US are for casual office wear.

In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT       .

A. saving employees’ money

B. making employees more attractive

C. improving employees’ motivation

D. making employees happier

When Ben Franklin was only a boy, he always wanted to know about things. He was always asking his father and brothers “What?” and “How?” and “Why?”

They couldn’t always tell him what he wanted to know.

When they couldn’t tell him, Ben tried to find out for himself.

Many times Ben did find out things that no one knew before. The other boys would say, “That Ben Franklin! He’s always finding out something new!”

Ben lived close to the water. He liked to go there to see the boats. He saw how the wind blew them across the water.

One day Ben said to himself, “Why can’t the wind help me float across the water? And I’m going to try.” Ben got his big kite. He took hold of the kite string and ran with it. The wind took the kite up into the air. Then Ben jumped into the water.

The wind blew the kite high into the air. Ben began to float across the water. Soon he was on the other side, and he had not worked at all.

One boy shouted, “Look at Ben floating across the water! His kite takes him to the other side without any work!”

“Yes,” said another. “He’s always finding new ways to do things.”

When he was only a child, Ben             .

A. liked to fly a kite by himself       B. always asked easy questions

C. always liked to play with water    D. always liked to find out how things worked

His father and brothers            .

A. couldn’t answer all his questions    B. could answer all his questions

C. tried hard to find out something new for him 

D. were too busy to answer his questions

How did Ben Franklin float across the water?

A. The other boy took him across it.      B. The water carried him across it.

C. The flying kite took him across it.      D. A boat took him across it.

He found out many things that            .

A. children didn’t know          B. his father and brothers knew

C. people didn’t know           D. most people knew

Dick lived in England. One day in January he said to his wife, "I'm going to fly to New York next week because I've got some work there." "Where are you going to stay there?" his wife asked. "I don't know yet." Dick answered. "Please send me your address from there in a telegram (电报)," his wife said. "All right," Dick answered.

He flew to New York on January 31st and found a nice hotel in the center of the city. He put his things in his room and then he sent his wife a telegram. He put the address of his hotel in it.

In the evening he didn't have any work, so he went to a cinema. He came out at nine o'clock and said, "Now I'm going back to my hotel and have a nice dinner."

He found a taxi and the driver said, "Where do you want to go?" But Dick didn't remember the name and address of his hotel.

"Which hotel are my things in?" he said, "And what am I going to do tonight?" But the driver of the taxi did not know. So Dick got out and went into a post office. There he sent his wife another telegram, and in it he wrote, "Please send me my address at this post office.

1.Dick flew to New York because ________.

A. he went there for a holiday             B. he had work there

C. he went there for sightseeing (观光)      D. his home was there

2.Why did his wife want a telegram from him?

A. Because she didn’t know his address yet.

B. Because she wanted to go to New York, too.

C. Because she might send him another telegram.

D. Because she couldn't leave her husband by himself in New York.

3.Where did Dick stay in New York?

A. In the center of the city.             B. In a hotel.

C. In a restaurant.                    D. At his friend's house.

4.Who would send him the name and address of his hotel?

A. The manager (经理) of his hotel.      B. The police office.

C. The taxi driver.                    D. His wife.

5.Which of the following is not true?

A. Dick stayed at a nice hotel in the center of the city.

B. Dick didn't work on the first night of his arrival.

C. Dick forgot to send his wife a telegram.

D. Dick wanted to go back to his hotel in a taxi.

 

Nearly a quarter-century after a German boy threw a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he’s received an answer.

  A 13-year-old Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something lying in the sand.

  “I saw that bottle and it looked interesting,” Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “it looked like a German beer bottle and there was a message inside. ”

  It said, “My name is Frank, and I’m five years old. My dad and I are traveling on a ship to Denmark. If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you.” The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.

  The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29. His parents still live at the letter’s address.

  The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month through an internet video link. The Russian boy said he did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea. He believed it had been hidden under the sand where he found it for a long time.

  Uesbeck was especially happy that he was able to have a positive effect on a life of a young person far away from Germany. “It‘s really a wonderful story,” he said. “And who knows? Perhaps one day we will actually be able to arrange a meeting in person. ”

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A. Traveling on a ship.                                             B. A beautiful beer bottle.

C. Message in a bottle.                                           D. Meeting an old friend.

2.When the German boy threw the bottle into the sea, ________________.

A. he was going back home.

B. he was traveling to Denmark by ship with his dad.

C. he was walking with his parents on a beach.

D. he was already 29 years old.

3.According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Korotkikh’s parents still live in the town of Coesfeld.

B. The German boy did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea.

C. Frank Uesbeck and Daniil Korotkikh have met each other in person.

D. Daniil Korotkikh and Frank Uesbeck have got in touch with each other.

4.Why was Uesbeck very happy when he got the information of the 24 years’ beer bottle?

A. Because he could have a new friend.

B. Because the two boys could surf the internet together.

C. Because he could have a positive influence on a life of a young person.

D. Because he finally got what he had lost.

 

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