How to Argue with Your Boss

I live in a very over populated beach area in the Los Angeles, and I love the beautiful scenery! But because of many people, lots of things are easy to be out of order, and sometimes it’s also easy to lose your cool. Today was a day I wish I did not get out of bed. I mean that if I did not have to wake up and deal with all the things that I deal with on a daily basis, it would have been wonderful.
I had a cup of coffee this morning and that was my meal for breakfast, not healthy I know. Anyway, my stomach was sounding like a truck. So, I jumped in my car and decided to buy some food.
I was in line at Taco Bell (一家墨西哥速食店) and the line was like a long snake! Finally I got to place my order, but a young girl in nice clothes pulled in and was stuck in such a way that unless I moved for her, she wouldn’t be able to get out. So I backed up and waved her into my place in the front of the line.
To my surprise, this young girl did not say thanks. I was cool with it because I thought that I had done something nice for a change. After the girl received her food and pulled away, I pulled into the ordering spot, not mad, but hungry, and the employee said, “Hi, that girl just paid for your food.”
That food was the most satisfying nourishment (营养品) my body had ever taken! If just by chance you are that person who bought my food, I should say “Thank you!”
【小题1】The underlined part in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.

请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意:请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填一个单词。

There are many things that we wish to achieve in life. For some, we set goals and objectives, and for some we don’t. Try to remember the last time you set a goal to achieve a certain task. Were you able to complete the task in an effective manner? The tasks which are done by setting and meeting daily goals will definitely be useful and rewarding experiences. A step-by-step approach towards achieving smaller goals is the key to achieving larger ones.

When it comes to the workplace, each and every employee is expected to meet daily responsibilities and expectations. With organizations becoming more and more competitive, the importance of goal-setting for employees is increasing. It helps the employee to perform better and increases his or her efficiency and time management. It’s also important for every student to set high academic goals so as to be able to build a good career.

Setting goals for completing the daily schedule helps an employee to finish the assigned tasks and targets in a timely manner. If an employee is performing the way he or she is expected to, then this will automatically increase the performance, output and productivity of both the employee and the organization. Daily study targets are the same. This helps you complete your assignments within the set time, thus putting less pressure on you during exams and increasing your chances of performing well.

How many times you have to be at work on a weekend just to complete your work? How many times you have had to stay up all night to complete your homework or study for your exams? Had you followed your set goals and targets right from the beginning, you would have spent the time relaxing rather than being busy working or studying! Setting up goals and objectives helps you organize your time and efforts in an efficient manner.

In performing your work diligently, you are likely to keep a steady pace when it comes to fulfilling your set targets. Because you are already on track, there will be no unnecessary workload and time limits over your head. Therefore, another benefit of effective goal-setting is lack of stress and a more calm and relaxed mind. Only a stress-free and calm mind can house progressive and productive thoughts. A calm mind causes positivity, which goes a long way towards increasing your ability to achieve the personal goals you have set for yourself.

Each and every human being aims to achieve two things: to fulfill desires and to enjoy life. This is possible only through proper discipline and time management. Goal-setting leads to not only professional growth but also personal growth and development. You are expected to know that every step counts and that setting up goals is easy, but following them on a consistent basis is difficult. Therefore, if you want to be successful and also harvest the fruits of your hard work, you need to stick to your set goals and be focused towards achieving them. Realize the significant role that goal-setting plays in your life, make sure that you do all you can to achieve what you want., set your goals, work towards achieving them and celebrate your success!

Olivia and Jack are the most popular names in Britain for babies born in 2008, according to a survey made by the website Bounty. Jack has been top for 14 years since it took over from Thomas.

Grace — made famous by the Hollywood star Grace Kelly — slipped back into third place behind Ruby, the name of singer Charlotte Church’s daughter.

Summer climbed 28 places from 44th to 16th. Ava — the name of singer Myleene Klass’s daughter — also leapt 15 places to 19th.

The troubles of the singer Amy Winehouse perhaps had an effect on the popularity of the name. It dropped three places to 23rd. Rebecca is also on the wane(变弱), ranking 48th. So is Courtney, which ranked 88th.

Theo, obviously inspired by England’s teenage football hero Theo Walcott, is among the biggest climbers in the boy’s list, rising from 70th to 58th.

An employee of Bounty said, “Baby names have witnessed the biggest changes over the last decade as parents are increasingly influenced by celebrities. The Bounty baby name poll also shows parents are continuing to be creative and inspirational about the names they choose for their children. Some parents want a name that’s totally unique, and names such as Zebedee, Selim and Zenon are now emerging and growing in popularity. Others are simply breaking with convention and becoming bolder in their choice of names.”

“While politicians’ names may be growing in popularity in America, British politicians don’t influence our choice of names in the UK. Traditional royal names continue to be supreme(最高的) in the boys’ top 100,” The employee said.

1.Which of the following girl names ranks the second?

2.Baby names changed a lot mainly because of the influence of ______.

3.What kind of names covers the most in the top 100 boys’ names?

4.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has changed the way we work. Already we’re partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth (广度) of the economic transformation can’t be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a basic new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held concepts about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers — all these are being challenged.
We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip (芯片), would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow’s achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more important, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing (制造业) or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant (最重要的). It will be the way you do your job.
【小题1】One of the great changes caused by the knowledge society is that ______.