England is the largest country in Britain. Its capital is London, which is on the Thames. The port of London is one of the greatest ports in the world. Ships from all countries go up and down the Thames. They bring food to the people of Britain. Then they take British machines and other things back to the ports from which they come.
There are many scenic spots in the West of England. The lakes here are the most beautiful in England. There are trees, flowers and green grass round them.
The water is almost always very still，and you can see the green hills ,the brown mountains and everything else round the lake upside-down in the water. There are boats on all the larger lakes, which take people from one side to the other. There are always a lot of boats on the lakes in summer.
Travelers from many countries of the world go to the west of England in summer. There are boat races on the largest lakes, and people from many places in Great Britain and Europe come to see them. Young people travel from one place to another on their bicycles, or walk from one lake to another.
【小题1】 The port of London       .

A different sort of generation gap is developing in the workplace. Someone --- specifically the father-daughter team of Larry and Meagan Johnson --- has figured out that on some American job sites, five generations are working side by side.

In their new book about generations in the workplace the pair argue that while such an age difference adds a lot of texture and a variety of life experiences, it can also bring tensions and conflicts.

The Johnsons are human-resource trainers and public speakers. Dad Larry is a former health-care executive; daughter Meagan is a onetime high-level sales manager.

Here are the oldest and youngest of the five generations they identify:

They call the oldest group Traditionals, born before 1945. They were heavily influenced by the lessons of the Great Depression and World War Two. They respect authority, set a high standard of workmanship, and communicate easily and confidently. But they’re also stubbornly independent. They want their opinions heard.

At the other extreme are what the Johnsons call Linksters, born after 1995 into today’s more complicated, multi-media world. They live and breathe technology and are often social activists.

You won’t find many 15-year olds in the offices of large companies, except as volunteers, of course, but quite old and quite young workers do come together in sales environments like bike shops and ice-cream stores.

The Johnsons, Larry and Meagan, represent a generation gap themselves in their work with jobsite issues. The Johnsons’ point is that as the average lifespan continues to rise and retirement dates get delayed because of the tight economy, people of different generations are working side by side, more often bringing with them very different ideas about company loyalty and work values.

The five generations are heavily influenced by quite different events, social trends, and the cultural phenomena of their times. Their experiences shape their behavior and make it difficult, sometimes, for managers to achieve a strong and efficient workplace.

Larry and Meagan Johnson discuss all this in greater detail in a new book, “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters --- Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work,” published by Amacom Press, which is available in all good bookstore from this Friday.

1.The type of generation gap in paragraph 1 refers to the difference in beliefs ________.

A. between managers and workers

B. among family members

C. among employees

D. between older and newer companies

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true about Traditionals?

A. They’ve learned much from war and economic disaster.

B. They’re difficult to work with as they are stubborn.

C. They respect their boss and hope to be respected.

D. They’re independent workers with great confidence.

3. According to the passage, the Linksters are usually ________.

A. found working in the offices of large companies

B. influenced by media and technology

C. enthusiastic multi-media activists

D. ice-cream sellers

4. According to the passage, modern workforces are more diverse because ________.

A. people want to increase their average lifespan

B. many young people are entering the workforce

C. employees with different values can benefit their companies

D. retirement dates are being delayed for economic reasons

5.What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A. To promote a new book by Larry and Meagan Johnson.

B. To describe the five different workplace generations.

C. To introduce the Johnsons’ research about diverse workforces.

D. To identify a major problem in modern workforces.

STUDY  BOOKS

Basic Study Manual    Hardcover: $ 37.50

Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers, business trainers and by students themselves. Read this book and learn:

* What the three barriers to study are and what to do about them

* What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying

* Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding

Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.

Study Skills for Life    Hardcover: $31.99

L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them the ability to study and learn. Fully illustrated for easy comprehension.

Learning How to Learn   Hardcover: $24.99

The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year-olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book regain their liking for study and their ability to apply this knowledge in life. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!

How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children   Hardcover: $34.90

In spite of billions of dollars spent on ‘educational research’, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning, even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found no book that told them how to use a dictionary or that one should. Written for children 8 to 12-year-olds, this fully illustrated book will teach your child:

* How to find words in a dictionary

*The different ways that words are used

* What the different marks and symbols that are used in a dictionary mean

* How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words

It includes a section for parents and teachers showing you how to use this book with children. Buy this book and give it to your children to unlock their education.

What’s more, you’ll just pay 50% for it before May 1, 2006.

1.Some of the four books were illustrated in order to_________

2.Which one is the book written for 8 to 12 years old to use a dictionary?

3.If you buy the four books on April 1, 2006, your will have to pay _____ for them.

4.The purpose of the passage is to _______.

Here are the first three books of his poem works, with the fourth one to _________ next month.

A．publish           B．come out          C．turn out           D．replace

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Should Good Sportsmanship Be Taught in School?
Almost everyone feels that it is important for young people to win fairly and show respect toward others．Should good sportsmanship, then, be taught in school? Critics do not think so．     1    Presented here are the most important benefits of teaching sportsmanship．
Teaching good sportsmanship and having a positive attitude in activities like sports, class elections, and science fair competitions are critical to success in school．    2     Acting calmly under pressure helps young adults succeed not only in sports but also in life．
     3    A person cannot play by the rules if he or she does not understand what the rules are．Knowing the rules also applies to other activities．If students enter a science fair competition, for example, they must follow the guidelines． Those who know the rules are much more likely to succeed．When students learn sportsmanship, they discover, how knowing the rules relates to achievement．
Good players become skilled at handling responsibility．When people accept responsibility, they achieve their best．Positive thinkers, moreover, influence others, especially those who are struggling with a problem．A gifted basketball player, for example, might teach skills to a less-talented player．Helping others raises the performance of the entire team．The team, consequently, could reach new heights and set new records．     4    Those who do not practice sportsmanship pass off responsibility．For them, if an opportunity is lost, it is someone else' s fault．When students participate on a team, they benefit by learning to accept responsibility, encourage others and own up to（认错） mistakes．
Sportsmanship is a winning idea．It must be taught in school．Students need direction to become good sports"．Students will be responsible for their own actions and will have a positive influence on others．As students enter the workforce, businesses benefit．The community also benefits because these students will someday become leaders．     5