Our lives were supposed to be more flexible and family­friendly thanks to the technology at our fingertips. But in this age of BlackBerrys, recession pressures, working at home after hours and on weekends, family time may not be working out the way we thought.

Busy parents who expected more time with the kids are finding that more work hours at home don't necessarily translate into quality time with them.

A new generation of parents need to discover the meaning of “quality time”， researchers say. “Personally, just given the life I lead, I think there is something to this idea of quality time—spending productive time with children vs. just being around，” says Peter Brandon, a professor at Carleton College. He says engaging or interacting with a child in activities such as reading or playing counts as quality time rather than “passive monitoring”， such as washing the dishes while the child is watching TV.

“This_time_with_children_pays_off，” Brandon says. He notes that good parent­child relationships result in children being happier and more successful, including at school.

As parents struggle to be more available to their kids, new research on work and family schedules to be presented Friday at the meeting in Dallas includes a study that shows parents' availability is on the decline because more parents are in the workforce. Although parents today may be spending more time on child care, they are less available overall.

Working parents who spend less time with their children should try to make sure the time they do spend is communicating with them, vs. doing the dishes or spending more time on themselves, Brandon says “The trade­off is not necessarily taking away time from your kid，” he says, “You're taking away time from other things.”

20．The first paragraph mainly intends to tell us that ________．

A．technology lets parents work at home

B．parents are satisfied with their work

C．technology makes our lives much easier

D．the family time is not always satisfying

21．We can learn from the third paragraph that ________．

A．some families are not experiencing quality time

B．it's enough for parents to stay with their children

C．parents enjoy engaging in work­at­home activities

D．working hours at home can transform into quality time

22．According to Brandon, the quality time means ________．

A．just being around with children

B．work time is separate from family time

C．spending interactive time with children

D．letting the children do whatever they want to do

23．The underlined sentence “This time with children pays off” means________．

A．the time with children is of little value

B．the time with children costs quite a lot

C．the time with children leads to good result

D．the time with children has a bad effect on them

24．What will the author most probably talk about in the next part of the passage?

A．How to spend more time at home.

B．How to do the dishes in a proper way.

C．How to spend more time in working at home.

D．How to take away time in a much proper way.

Today our lives are changing faster than at any time in history. Here we report on three important changes that will have a big impact on our everyday lives in the future．
The cashless society 
Cash and bank-notes will disappear almost completely. They will be replaced by smart cards, namely plastic cards: microchip（微芯片）processors（处理器）loaded with some money. When we pay for goods，the shop assistant will put our smart card into a payment terminal（终端）and money will come into his card from our card. When all the money is used up，we will be able to reloadit by putting it into a telephone，dialing our bank account and money will be put into the card from the account.
Interactive telephones 
Talking computers will play an important part. They will recognize speech, ask us what information we need, look through a database，and put the information into speech．If we want to book a flight or pay a bill by phone, we will interact with a talking computer to do so. Human telephone operators will be used only for more complex operations such as dealing with complaints or solving special problems.
Traffic jams in cities will be reduced because drivers will use electronic route maps to find the quickest route to their destination. Electronic systems will start changing motorists for driving in cities．As soon as motorists have to pay to drive in cities, they will stop using their cars and use public transport instead. Speed control systems will be built into cars. These systems will automatically（自动地）regulate the speed of the car to take account of traffic and weather conditions and prevent accidents. It will be many years before these changes bring results but when they do，there will be a titanic improvement in road safety.
With the development of science and technology, more and more advanced things will be invented or created. Life in the future is undoubtedly different from that at the present.
【小题1】Cash and bank-note will disappear because         .

The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驴子)
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury（埋） it!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel（铲子）and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.
A. it was dead                           B. it was tired
　C. it had given up trying                   D. it had a good way to survive
2. We know from the story that ________.
A. all the donkeys in the world are clever         
B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well
C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey
D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well
3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.
A. an optimistic person                  B. a pet lover
C. an animal protector                   D. a cold-hearted man
4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.
A. A cat has 9 lives                　  B. Facing difficulties, never give up
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed       D. No pains, no gains

The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驴子)

    One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury（埋） it!

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel（铲子）and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.

A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!

1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.

  A. it was dead                           B. it was tired

　C. it had given up trying                   D. it had a good way to survive

2. We know from the story that ________.

  A. all the donkeys in the world are clever         

B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well

  C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey

D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well

3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.

  A. an optimistic person                  B. a pet lover

   C. an animal protector                   D. a cold-hearted man

4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.

   A. A cat has 9 lives                 　  B. Facing difficulties, never give up

   C. A friend in need is a friend indeed       D. No pains, no gains

A. Part-time café assistant: This role consists of 2—3 shifts a week. Must have bartender and waiting experience. Fluent English required. Our café seats 12 and we are open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, 7 days a week. We are also open for private dinners so some extra evening work is available.

B. We require an experienced and responsible driver over 25 years old with a full clean UK driving license to deliver goods in and around London. Applicants must have a full permit for working in UK. Working hours 7 a.m. ~3 p.m., Mon~Sat. Pay will be ￡250 per week. Please call Robin on 07932 818257 daily until 5p.m..

C. A school in South-East London (Bromley) is seeking a maths teacher. They require someone with sound knowledge of the UK Curriculum and a strength in classroom management. You must have a Maths Teaching Qualification.

D. Fun person required (20 yrs and over) who enjoys children and playing but can also be strict when required --- for a live-out nurse position looking after 3 boys aged 4, 7 and 9. Full time 7:30~6:15. Job includes housework, boys’ laundry and general ironing. ￡270~￡300 depending on experience. South Woodford, E18.

E. We are looking for qualified English teachers to fill daytime vacancies. The hours range from 15 to 30 per week. If you are an English native speaker, with teaching experience, live in West London, and can start immediately, please send us your CV now!

F. A private ambulance company in Yorkshire requires a minibus / ambulance driver. Either full time (08:30 to 17:00 Mon to Fri) or on a part-time basis. A full driving license is needed. Some medical background or a first aid certificate would be an advantage. Please email lee@procare999.co.uk.

请阅读以下应聘者的信息，然后匹配应聘者和他们要应聘的职位：

56. Lucia Granderson. Lucia was born in New Ireland and has just arrived in London to unite with her husband. She used to be a high school teacher in her home country and wants to find a job in England.

57. Terence Nagata. Terence is a university student who will complete a double-major Maths / CS soon. He loves children and has obtained a certificate in maths teaching.

58. Jeremy Lillian. Jeremy doesn’t have a permanent job but he is helping his aunt who has a clinic in the suburb. Jeremy sends his aunt to work in her car every day. He desires a part-time job so as to earn more.

59. Norma Smith. Norma was just graduated from a medical college and was seeking a job such as a nurse or something alike. She lives in London with her parents at present.

60. Ella Brown. Ella is studying in a university majoring in the language of English and she would like to find a job to gain more experience of life. She once worked in a cafeteria in the campus.

       应聘者                                  应聘职位

56. Lucia Granderson                    A. Part-time café assistant

57. Terence Nagata                      B. An experienced and responsible driver

58. Jeremy Lillian                       C. A maths teacher

59. Norman                            D. A live-out nurse position

60. Ella Brown                         E. Qualified English teachers

                                     F. A minibus / ambulance driver