Interviewing someone for a job is not as easy as it looks. First, as the interviewer, you’re tasked with finding the person who will not only do the job well but also fit in well with the other employees.

You have to make an evaluation of abstract qualities that can’t be found on a résumé. Because you have to repeat the process for every potential employee, you end up asking question after question, applicant after applicant.

Still, interviewers need to be told something: “What is your biggest weakness?” is not a good question. It just isn’t.

Now, job seekers have to understand that interviewers want to find some way to know what makes an applicant different from others. Asking questions that are seemingly impossible to answer is one way to see who can think creatively. Then what may be a proper way to respond to such a question?

Honesty, with a twist(新手法)

“‘What are your three strengths and three weaknesses?’ is a classic, but not too many people know how to answer this,” says Kenneth C. Wisnefski, founder and CEO of WebiMax, an online marketing company.

“As an interviewer, we want to hear strengths that describe initiative(主动性), motivation and dedication. The best way to respond is to include these qualities into specific ‘personal statements.’”

“Similarly, weaknesses should be positioned as a strength that can benefit the employer.”

“I like to hear applicants state an exaggerated strength, and put an interesting twist on it. An example of this is, ‘My initiative is so strong, that sometimes I take on too many projects at a time.’”

This answer leads with a strength that employers want —initiative —and still acknowledges that you’re not perfect.

Although you might consider this acknowledgement too honest, it works because it proves you’re being honest.

Honesty, with progress

When you consider what your weaknesses are, think about how you have attempted to overcome them. No one is perfect, so pretending that you are a perfectionist will come across as insincere.

Debra Davenport, author of “Career Shuffle,” believes citing(引用) examples are the best approach.

“My preferred response for this question is to tell the truth without damaging the applicant’s image.” Davenport explains.

“A better response might be, ‘I’ve had some challenges with work-life balance in the past and I realize that a life out of balance isn’t good for me, my family or my employer. I’ve taken the time to learn better time and project management, and I’m also committed to my overall wellness.’”

The answer adds some dimension to the question, and proves you’ve thought beyond the answer. You’ve actually changed your behavior to address the situation, even if you haven’t completely overcome the weakness.

Put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes

However you decide to answer, Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide,” recommends job seekers imagine themselves sitting on the other side of the desk.

“If you were doing the hiring, what would you be looking for? What would be your motivation for asking certain questions? Who would you be trying to weed out? If you can empathize (共鸣) with the interviewer, you can better understand what they want and need, and then frame your qualifications to meet their needs for the position you seek.”

Once you consider what the goal of the question is and figure out what your honest answer is, you’ll be able to give the best possible answer to a tricky question.

On receiving my learner driver license a couple of months ago, I started driving lessons straight away. In New Zealand, the __33__ driving age is 15.

   However it wasn't __34__ two days ago that Dad finally allowed me to drive on the motorway. Our __35__ was Orewa, a seaside town about 60 kilometers away from my home in Auckland. That morning I __36__ sure I had enough to drink and went to the toilet (厕所) about three times __37__ we left. I thought I was totally __38__ for the journey, but nothing could have prepared me for my family's __39__. "Relax! Don't hold the steering wheel (方向盘) so __40__. The car is going zigzag (弯弯曲曲的)," called a nervous voice from the __41__. "Speed up. 70km/h isn't fast enough. You are holding up the traffic," another voice ordered from the seat next to mine.

  How __42__ ! My parents were really starting to get on my nerves. To satisfy them I sped up and within a second, an angry voice began to yell again. "Stop! __43__! Are you crazy? ” Everything did not go fine until I pulled off the motorway and drove into the city, __44__ the speed limit was only 50km/h.

  My family seemed relieved (放心的) and __45__ telling me what to do. They all looked out of the windows and enjoyed the scenery .  __46__, that silence didn't last very long. My mum suddenly cried out, "Look at those birds above us. __47__ they lovely?"

  How did she expect me to look up in the __49__? As the driver I had to __48__ . Who knows what would have happened if I had taken my eyes off the __50__? Four hours later we drove home. This time the journey was much __51__ than before as everyone else __52__ fast asleep. So, I just took my time and enjoyed the drive.

1.A. oldest                           B. youngest                  C. best                  D. worst

2.A. until                                B. unless                      C. after                 D. when

3.A. destination                    B. home                       C. city                   D. aim

4.A. thought                        B. decided                    C. kept                  D. made

5.A. when                           B. since                        C. before               D. as

6.A. disappointed                 B. prepared                   C. excited              D. upset

7.A. praises                         B. encouragements        C. complaints         D. cries

8.A. tightly                          B. lightly                      C. loosely             D. happily

9.A. front sear                         B. back seat                  C. top seat          D. empty seat

10.A. interesting                  B. moving                    C. puzzling         D. annoying

11.A. Get out                       B. Move on                  C. Slow down     D. Speed up

12.A. where                         B. while                       C. which               D. why

13.A. began                        B. stopped                    C. continued          D. forgot

14.A. Luckily                      B. Probably                  C. Warmly             D. Sadly

15.A. Can’t                         B. Don’t                       C. Aren’t               D. Won’t

16.A. air                             B. water                       C. ground              D. woods

17.A. see                             B. concentrate               C. check                D. care

18.A. bird                               B. dog                          C. road                  D. car

19.A. easier                         B. flatter                      C. harder               D. lower

20.A. felt                                   B. began                       C. fell                   D. kept

29．— How do you Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Day?

— Well，it depends．For me，I usually sit in the yard，________the full moon with my family．

完型填空（共20 小题；每小题1．5分；满分30分）

    阅读下面短文，然后从下列各题所给的A、 B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects (缺陷) that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things   36  !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe   37  .

These comments may come from stories about us that have been   38   for years—often from   39   childhood. These stories may have no   40   in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical (操作机械的) skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations   41   my development? I was never   42   to work on cars or be around    43  . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!

Six years later,   44  , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I   45    down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the   46   side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”

Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life   47   and told him about my   48   performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “  49   is it that you can solve    50   mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”

Suddenly I realized that I didn’t   51   from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to   52  . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been   53   my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true.   54   , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost   55   we choose.

1. A. away          B. down                 C. up               D. off

2. A. yourself     B. myself           C. them                 D. others 

3. A. said              B. repeated         C. spread       D. spoken

4. A. as long as        B. as much as       C. as well as  D. as far back as

5.A. cause          B. plot         C. basis        D. meaning 

6. A. affect            B. improve          C. lead     D. change 

7.A. hoped          B. demanded     C. encouraged       D. agreed 

8.A. means          B. hammers   C. facilities       D. tools

9.A. therefore          B. however     C. instead      D. somehow

10.A. took          B. turned       C. settled          D. got 

11.A. negative      B. active  C. passive          D. subjective 

12. A. roads       B. trips    C. experiences      D. paths 

13. A. unexpected  B. average      C. excellent            D. poor

14.A. When          B. Why      C. How              D. What

15.A. common        B. advanced         C. complex          D. primary 

16.A. suffer        B. separate         C. arise       D. come 

17.A. adopt         B. suspect          C. believe      D. receive 

18. A. weakening    B. accepting            C. abandoning       D. strengthening

19. A. As a result          B. On the contrary     

C. In addition         D. At the same time

20. A. nothing          B. something        C. anything D. all

Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horse back riding.

When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time—like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown. ” I had no idea how to find Linda.

Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.

One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman — Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought, but I still wrote to her.

She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagman is my mother. ”

Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again!

1.The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans        .

A．at the age of 13                   B．before she got married

C．after they moved to new homes      D．before the writer’s family moved away

2.They didn’t often write to each other because they        .

A．got married                          B．had little time to do so

C．didn’t like writing letters         D．could see each other on special time

3.There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she        .

A．was in trouble  

B．didn’t know Linda’s address

C．received the card that she sent

D．didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness

4.The writer was happy when she        .

A．read the newspaper

B．heard Linda’s voice on the phone

C．met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda

D．wrote to the woman whose last name was Wagman

5.They haven’t kept in touch        .

A．for about 40 years                   B．for about 27 years

C．since they got married               D．since the writer’s family moved away