题目内容

Across Britain, burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers. But, according to a new study, we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year.

Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work. Now, the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labours, they would earn as much as £172,000 a year.

The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do, as well as the hours they are working, to determine the figure. This would make their yearly income £30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns.

By analyzing the numbers, it found the average mother works 119 hours a week, 40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate 79 hours as overtime. After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18, it found that, on most days, mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm.

To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labour, it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on, including housekeeper, part-time lawyer, personal trainer and entertainer. Being a part-time lawyer, at £48,98 an hour, would prove to be the most profitable of the “mum jobs”, with psychologist(心理学家) a close second.

It also asked mothers about the challenges they face, with 80 per cent making emotional(情感的) demand as the hardest thing about motherhood.

Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends.

The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother’s Day. The emotional, physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending, but children are also sources of great joy and happiness. Investing(投入) in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent.

1.How much would a mother earn a year if working as the Prime Minister?

A. £30,000. B. £142,000.

C. £172,000. C. £202,000.

2.The biggest challenge for most mothers is from .

A. emotional demand

B. low pay for work

C. heavy workload

D. lack of training

3.What is stressed in the last paragraph?

A. mothers’ importance shows in family all year long.

B. The sacrifices mothers make are huge but worthwhile.

C. Mothers’ devotion to children can hardly be calculated.

D. Investing time in parenting would bring a financial return.

4.What can we conclude from the study?

A. Mothers’ working hours should be largely reduced.

B. Mothers should balance their time for work and rest.

C. Mothers’ labour is of a higher value than it is realized.

D. Mothers should be freed from housework for social life.

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The GREATEST Journey

I had lunch last week with a high-ranking business woman for a fortune 500 company. I asked her what tips she would give to someone early in their career. Without hesitation she jumped right into four keys to her professional climb:

Know your business. Never get satisfaction with your industry or your position. In most cases, the knowledge you hold now is not good enough to stand the test of time. Thus, you must keep working to stay on top of what’s new and what’s coming down the pipeline. This is what really counts, especially early in a professional career, as many entry level associates are content to be gainfully employed.

Pick careers with care. Again, early in your career it is easy to run after the job that offers the most money. In the case of a life-long career money cannot answer all things. If you are going to be an entrepreneur then you’ll probably start with a budget of zero. Yet, if you have the discipline, working for yourself could be the best choice you’ve ever made.

If you are going to work for a company you have to do your homework. If you find a company that consists with your values and produces a product that you 100% believe in, then you’ll have an easy time giving that organization your all.

Be personable. If everyone hates to be around you at the office, it’s time to check your attitude. We’ve all heard at least one anecdote about a great thinker with great skills who drove coworkers crazy. Someway, somehow many of the brightest and best lack the “people skills” to advance beyond an entry-level position.

In short, you must have the interpersonal insight to interact with internal and external contacts. If not, you may find that you are unimportant once someone with soft-skills joins the organization. Why? People have to buy you before they ever buy the product you’re selling.

Be willing to move. This is where I got puzzled. She shared how she lived in seven states still working for the same organization.

Much is made of moving in today’s attempts to climb the corporate ladder. As more and more companies extend to have a global reach, it is easy to understand why new opportunities birth in various locations.

Whatever the path, outline in your heart what destination you hope to reach and this will be a key indicator as to which journey will be greatest for you.

Title: The Greatest Journey

Passage Outlines

Supporting Details

Information about a business woman

●She held a high1. in a fortune 500 company.

●She worked for the same organization2. the fact that she lived in seven states.

3. on professional climb

Know your business

●Don’t fix eyes on the financial 4. in the initial stage.

●Be modest about your performance in the position, for you need to better your knowledge so as not to lag behind.

Pick careers 5.

●Don’t run after well-paying jobs early in your career.

●Work in an ideal company and you are willing to be 6. to that organization.

Be personable

●7. driving coworkers crazy for lack of social skills.

●Try to 8. others both internally and externally so that no one can shake your foundations in the organization.

Be willing to move

●As an increasing number of companies 9. their business globally, new opportunities arise accordingly.

Conclusion

●With your dreaming destination 10. in mind, you will be navigated through the greatest journey.

On his bench in Madison Square Soapy moved uneasily, and he realized the fact that the time had come for him to provide against the coming winter.

The winter ambitions of Soapy were not of the highest. In them there were no dreams of Mediterranean voyages or blue Southern skies. Three months on the Island was what his soul desired. Three months of assured board and bed and good company, safe from north winds seemed to Soapy the most desirable thing.

Just as the more fortunate New Yorkers had bought their tickets to Palm Beach each winter, Soapy had made his arrangements for his annual journey to the Island. And now the time had come.

There were many institutions of charity in New York where he might receive lodging and food, but to Soapy’s proud spirit the gifts of charity were undesirable. You must pay in humiliation of spirit for everything received at the hands of mercy. So it was better to be a guest of the law.

Soapy, having decided to go to the Island, at once set about accomplishing his desire. He left his bench and went up Broadway. He stopped at the door of a glittering cafe. He was shaven and his coat was decent. If he could reach a table in the restaurant, the portion of him that would show above the table would raise no doubt in the waiter’s mind. A roasted duck, with a bottle of wine, a cigar and a cup of coffee would be enough. Such a dinner would make him happy, for the journey to his winter refuge.

But as Soapy entered the restaurant door, the head waiter’s eye fell upon his shabby trousers and old shoes. Strong hands pushed him in silence and haste out into the street.

Some other way of entering the desirable refuge must be found.

At a corner of Sixth Avenue Soapy took a stone and sent it through the glass of a glittering shop window. People came running around the corner, a policeman at the head of them. Soapy stood still, with his hands in his pockets, and smiled at the sight of the policeman.

“Where is the man that has done that?” asked the policeman.

“Don’t you think that I have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, friendly.

The policeman paid no attention to Soapy. Men who break windows don’t remain to speak with policemen. They run away. He saw a man running and rushed after him, stick in hand. Soapy, disgusted, walked along, twice unsuccessful.

On the opposite side of the street was a restaurant for people with large appetites and modest purses. Soapy entered this place without difficulty. He sat at a table and ate beefsteak and pie. And then he told the waiter he had no money.

“Go and call a cop,” said Soapy. “And don’t keep a gentleman waiting.”

“No cop for you,” said the waiter. “Hey!”

Then Soapy found himself lying upon his left ear on the pavement. He arose with difficulty, and beat the dust from his clothes. Arrest seemed a rosy dream. The Island seemed far away.

After another unsuccessful attempt to be arrested for harassing a young woman, Soapy went further toward the district of theatres.

When he saw a policeman standing in front of a glittering theatre, he thought of “disorderly conduct”. On the sidewalk Soapy began to sing drunken songs at the top of his voice. He danced, cried, and otherwise disturbed the peace.

The policeman turned his back to Soapy, and said to a citizen, “It is one of the Yale boys celebrating their football victory. Noisy, but no harm.”

Sadly, Soapy stopped his useless singing and dancing. The Island seemed unattainable. He buttoned his thin coat against the north wind.

In a cigar store he saw a well-dressed man who had set his silk umbrella by the door. Soapy entered the store, took the umbrella, and went out with it slowly. The man with the cigar followed hastily.

“My umbrella,” he said.

“Oh, is it?” said Soapy. “Well, why don’t you call a policeman? I took your umbrella! Why don’t you call a cop? There stands one on the corner.”

The umbrella owner slowed his steps. Soapy did likewise. The policeman looked at them curiously.

“Of course,” said the umbrella man, “well, you know how these mistakes occur…if it’s your umbrella I hope you’ll excuse me – I picked it up this morning in a restaurant – if it’s yours, I hope you’ll…”

“Of course it’s mine,” said Soapy.

The ex-umbrella man retreated. The policeman hurried to help a well-dressed woman across the street.

Soapy threw the umbrella angrily. He was angry with the men who wear helmets and carry clubs. They seemed to regard him as a king who could do no wrong.

At last Soapy stopped before an old church on a quiet corner. Through one window a soft light glowed, where, the organist played a Sunday anthem. For there came to Soapy’s ears sweet music that caught and held him at the iron fence.

The moon was shining; cars and pedestrians were few; birds twittered sleepily under the roof. And the anthem that the organist played cemented Soapy to the iron fence, for he had known it well in the days when his life contained such things as mothers and roses and ambitions and friends.

The influence of the music and the old church produced a sudden and wonderful change in Soapy’s soul. He thought of his degraded days, dead hopes and wrecked faculties.

And also in a moment a strong impulse moved him to battle with his desperate fate. He would pull himself out of this pit; he would make a man of himself again. Those sweet notes had set up a revolution in him. Tomorrow he would be somebody in the world. He would…

Soapy felt a hand on his arm. He looked quickly around into the broad face of a policeman.

“What are you doing here?”

“Nothing.”

“Then come along,” said the policeman.

“Three months on the Island,” said the Judge the next morning.

1.Which of the following is the reason for Soapy’s not turning to charity?

A. His pride gets in the way.

B. What the institutions of charity offer isn’t what Soapy needs.

C. He wants to be a citizen who obeys the law.

D. The institutions of charity are not located on the island.

2.From the passage, we can see what the two restaurants have in common is that __________.

A. they are both fancy upper class restaurants

B. neither of them served Soapy

C. they both drove Soapy out of the restaurant after he finished his meal

D. neither of them called cops

3.Hearing the Sunday anthem at the church, Soapy was reminded of __________.

A. his good old days and wanted to play the anthem again

B. his unaccomplished ambition and was determined to get to the Island

C. his disgraceful past and determined to transform himself

D. his rosy dream and wished to realize it

4.By ending the story this way, the author means to __________.

A. show that one always gets what he/she wants with enough efforts

B. make a contrast and criticize the sick society

C. surprise readers by proving justice was done after all

D. put a tragic end to Soapy’s life and show his sympathy for Soapy

How words came into being is unknown. All we assume (猜测) is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.

The power of words, then, lies in their associations—the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.

Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style (文体). Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.

1.We learn from the text that language might have begun with _______.

A. expressions B. actions C. signs D. sounds

2.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A. The learning of new words.

B. The importance of old words.

C. The relation of human experience with words.

D. The gradual change and development of words.

3.In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?

A. Use words skillfully. B. Make musical speeches.

C. Learn poems by heart. D. Associate with listeners.

After a particularly busy period at work, I decided to get away from it all by going on a hike in the mountains in southern France.

Before I left, I read an interesting story in a magazine. It read, “Once, while I was riding on a crowded bus, the man sitting next to me threw his cell phone out of the window when his phone rang. I was surprised. He looked at me, shrugged (耸耸肩) and looked away. I had no idea whether it was his or stolen or whether he even knew what a cell phone was or not, but he clearly wanted to be free of it, because it clearly troubled him. ”

Billions of people across the world use cell phones. Though cell phones are a wonderful way for communication, they often do the exact opposite. Using cell phones can increase stress within families and friends.

So when I recently returned home, I got rid of my cell phone. Now I go outside without taking my phone with me. I’ve noticed things in my neighborhood I never noticed before, such as gardens. I’ve met new people, started conversations with neighbors I didn’t speak to before and talked with some of my friends face to face instead of chatting over the phone.

Instead of keeping me off from the world, stopping using my cell phone has helped me get even closer to my family and friends.

1.According to the story, the man on the bus threw away his cell phone because ______.

A. it didn’t work properly

B. it was stolen from someone else

C. he didn’t like the phone’s style

D. he didn’t want to be bothered by it

2.We can learn from the passage that cell phones _____.

A. are too expensive for many people

B. can also get people into trouble

C. stop people from communicating face to face

D. can make life more interesting

3.What can we learn about the author?

A. He wants to own a garden now.

B. He always chatted with his neighbors.

C. He used to take his cell phone when going outside.

D. He once rode on a crowded bus in France.

4.The main purpose of the passage is to _______.

A. tell us not to let cell phones control our lives

B. encourage others to hike with him in France

C. share his experiences in France with us

D. teach us how to get along with neighbors

____under the tree was a charming girl aged about seventeen or eighteen．

A．Sat B．Sitting

C．To sit D．Sit

— Dear，the skirt I received today is not the same as is shown online．

— _________? But I promise you that we’ll 1ook into it right away．

A． Who says B． How come

C． What for D． Why worry

Controlling traffic is a complex and high cost problem in many developed countries. It becomes more difficult and costly with the ever- increasing number of cars on the roads. But scientists and students at the CATT, at the University of Maryland are working to solve this problem. They are using simulation(模拟) technologies to help government and private business control and react to changing traffic conditions.

The online economics magazine Forbes.com says traffic congestion(拥挤) cost Americans $ 124 billion in 2014 and that number could rise to $ 186 billion by 2030.

Bui scientists at the CATT lab are trying to reduce those costs. They are developing a system that helps traffic managers. planners, emergency workers and businesses plan and react better. Michael Pack is CATT director. He says the system is important to help emergency workers, or first responders，reach an accident area faster.

The CATT Lab collects information from many sources, including roadside devices, GPS (global positioning system) equipment and wireless phones.

About 60 students and 30 software developers observe traffic flow and manage the computer servers at all times. They also work to develop software and applications that can help traffic run smoother and safer, Some of them turn the information gathered into so-called "visualizations". These visual representations help emergency workers better understand what is happening.

The center shares its findings with firefighters, police，Transportation departments and the military. They also share information with universities and transportation company. The technology company Google uses the data for its traffic-related websites. Michael Pack says, the information is then shared with anyone who wants to help traffic run more smoothly.

Mr. Pack says the goal is to help develop an intelligent system of road signals that will communicate with each other and with vehicles on the road.

1.The second paragraph is written to

A. attract more people to look through Forbes.com.

B. tell readers what Forbes.com says on its website

C. show how much money controlling costs America

D. prove it is very expensive for some developed countries to control traffic

2.What benefit can emergency workers get from the system developed by the CATT lab?

A. They can be safer.

B. They can reach an accident area faster.

C. They can get more advice from people.

D. They can share their information with others.

3.Which of the following is NOT true about the developers and the students at the CATT?

A. They observe traffic flow continuously.

B. They develop software and applications.

C. They control the computer servers occasionally.

D. They change the information gathered into visual image.

4.1n which column of the newspaper can you read this text?

A. Daily life. B. Science. C. Education. D. Exploration.

Cheaters called “pirates” often use camcorders(便携式摄像机) and cell phones to make illegal copies of blockbusters in the local theater. These pirates then sell those recordings on the street or over the Internet for very low prices. Some share them for free.

“It’s unfair for people to pirate movies,” says 15-year-old Hadaia Azad Ezzulddin. Movie piracy “takes money out of the pockets of thousands of people in the movie industry,” she notes. Victims include famous actors and directors as well as local theater owners and their employees.

Hadaia came up with an idea that could help stop movie piracy. Hadaia’s idea uses infrared(红外线的) light. This range of light is invisible to the human eye. It is visible, however, to many types of cameras. Theater owners could place small infrared lights on their movie screens. The lights would not disturb people watching the movie. It would, however, distort the recordings made by many types of cameras.

To test her idea, Hadaia built a box with a movie screen inside. Then, she projected images on that screen through a hole in the box. She took recordings of those images, using nine different types of cameras. These included the types found in cell phones as well as camcorders. During some tests, she also turned on light emitting diodes(发光二极管), or LEDs. The LEDs were embedded（植入的）in a certain place behind the movie screen. They gave out infrared light.

Sure enough, she showed, a pirated movie included odd stripes or spots if it had been recorded while the LEDs were on. It might be possible to use the LEDs to flash the date and time on the movie screen. The information would then appear in the illegal recordings. Theater owners or police might use the information to track down the pirates.

Cutting down on piracy might get more people into theaters to watch the real movie instead of an illegal copy. Six out of every ten films now produced aren’t profitable. They don’t make enough money to recover how much was spent to make and market them. Such a poor payback can discourage filmmakers from producing anything but the types expected to become blockbuster hits. It might also keep smaller theaters from showing a wider variety of movie types.

1.From what Hadaia says in Paragraph 2, we can infer that _______.

A. most people spend less money on pirates moves

B. the pirates don’t have to pay for the movie tickets

C. theater owners will increase the price of movie tickets

D. she strongly criticizes those who video movies in the theater

2.Infrared lights are put on the movie screens to _______.

A. adjust the brightness of the movie screens

B. make sure the images of movies are dark

C. make illegal copies of movies unpleasant to see

D. protect the eyesight of viewers in the darkness

3.What is the correct order of the steps in Hadaia’s test?

a. She projected pictures on the screen.

b. She used cameras to record the pictures.

c. She turned on the LEDs placed behind the screen.

d. She made a special box with a movie screen inside.

A. d c a b B. d b a c

C. b a c d D. b c a d

4.According to the last paragraph, we can know that _______.

A. forty percent of movies now are profitable

B. small theaters often choose to show low-cost movies

C. more and more people go to theaters to fight movie piracy

D. filmmakers prefer to produce ordinary movies than blockbusters

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