Fred Michel is one of 7.2 million Americans who moonlight. Once a week, after his day job as medical director of a mental health center, the 40-year-old psychiatrist heads to a part-time job at a treatment center for young people. Twice a month, he travels three hours to another teenage treatment center.
Last year, 5.4 percent of the American workforce held second jobs, according to the US Labor Department, and that looks set to increase t
his year.
Many workers like the safety that moonlighting provides, says Carl Hausman , the writer of “Moonlighting: 148 Great Ways to Make Money to the Side”.
The information from the US Labor Department shows that 40 percent of US moonlighters take a second job to meet household expenses or pay off debts. Others save money or buy some special things.
People also take second jobs with an eye to the future -- wanting to try out a new field or gain experience.
Michel started moonlighting when medical systems were unstable. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t tied to one system that ended up failing.
Just as the purposes for moonlighting vary, the moonlighters cross all ages and racial groups. And they work in a variety of industries -- no longer just service, office and sales jobs.
“Technology just affects your ability to make money,” Hausman says. “That makes a frequent change in moonlighting.”
As its name means, moonlighting 
still occurs mostly at night. And that results in some pressures. Chief among them is time.
Full-time employers could misunderstand, too. Some companies do not allow after-hour work because they fear it will affect their employees’ 9-to-5 performance.
“The primary employer is saying, ‘Wait, I’m paying you for the sharp, fresh, energetic you,’” says Tom Gimbel, president and founder of LaSalle Staffing in Chicago. “If you’re burning yourself at both ends, it’s going to show.”
Still, the good done to the moonlighters can be great. Besides extra income, moonlighters enjoy variety, freedom and chance to do something new. They may also find their part-time jobs strengthen what they do full time.
Besides, “it’s fun,” Michel says. Not only do his part-time jobs offer a chance to network, stretch his professional skills and make more money, but they also give him the variety he wouldn’t find just in a full-time job.
“It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet,” he says, “and offering a little variety throughout the day.”The reason why Fred Michel began to moonlight is that ________.
| A．he found it exciting to do a part-time job |
| B．he needed to make ends meet with more money |
| C．he feared he would lose his present job one day |
D．he felt more and more pressure from his  employer |
Some companies don’t allow their workers to moonlight because they are afraid ________.
| A．their workers cannot do extra-hour work for them |
| B．their workers will be too tired to try their best at work |
| C．their workers will one day turn to some other different jobs |
| D．their workers will not get to work and be off work on time |
The underlined sentence “It’s a way of pulling from the spice cabinet.” in the last paragraph means ________.
| A．moonlighting gets you away from the job you don’t enjoy |
B．moonlighting offers y ou freedom to make extra money |
| C．moonlighting strengthens your professional skills |
| D．moonlighting brings you chances to do something different |
What is the article mainly about?
| A．The ways of moonlighting. | B．The reasons for moonlighting. |
| C．The problems with moonlighting. | D．The kinds of people who moonlight. |
Our environment isn’t as green and beautiful as it should be. There are steel monsters blocking out the sun, blowing out dangerous smoke, and letting out poisonous chemicals into rivers, cars producing harmful waste gas, people throwing out waste in a wrong way and all other kinds of sources that ruin the planet. Facing current environmental problems, people need to do their best to save the Earth.
You can see many big garbage dustbins in the streets. They’re not there for a show, but for you to drop your waste. We should realize that what a little we do does count. So next time you get that urge to throw gum or a chocolate package out of the car window, or “ accidentally” drop as you walk down the street, ask yourself how much waste you’ve been contributing to the environment with that bad habit going on for years.
At home, the first thing we can do to protect the environment is avoid letting water run continuously and make sure that taps（水龙头）are not leaky（泄露的），which would help greatly in scrimping. Another is to use energy-saving lights, and turn them off before you leave the rooms. It’s not only energy-saving, but also cuts down electricity costs.
Recycling is a method to make items reusable. Many things you want to throw out can be made into new products through the reproducing process. Use your imagination to come up with ways on things that you can use again.
Pass the message of simple ways to save the environment on to kids. Starting with kids is a good way of teaching the message early in their lives, in the hope that they can carry it forward as they grow older.
With environmental protection awareness in mind, we can do what we can, for the results are to have a big effect on the planet. As long as we do our part, the world is one small step closer to being saved.The underlined word “scrimping” in the third paragraph can be replaced by _____.
| A．saving | B．cleaning | C．cooking | D．drinking |
From the fifth paragraph, we can know that ________.
| A．protecting the environment begins with small chores |
| B．protecting the environment should start from childhood. |
| C．wonderful life comes from environmental protection |
| D．protecting the environment benefits the country and the people |
Which of the following isn’t true?
| A．The more people do their part, the greener the environment will be. |
| B．Selling what you don’t want any more is a kind of recycling. |
| C．To protect the environment may help you save some money. |
| D．Your bad habits for the environment are a valuable contribution. |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Use of Garbage Dustbin |
| B．How to Save Water and Electricity |
| C．How to Save the Environment |
| D．Our Current Environmental Problems |
A famous Renoir had been stolen from a museum. Detective Earl Blackman was to work on the case.
Everyone was in the dark before an art professor came to point out the false picture. So the museum even didn’t know when the picture had been stolen. Thousands of people came to visit the museum every day. After long work, some art students were focused on.
The five students who had made copies of the Renoir during the last six months were asked to bring their copies to the museum. The fifth student said she had sold her copy, which was later proved to be the one in the museum. She, however, could only remember the buyer was a man with the little finger on his left hand missing.
Blackman went back and stayed in his office looking at all the pictures of known thieves. No success.
The next afternoon, at about closing time, Blackman went to the museum to ask if the cleaning men were in the museum after everyone else had left. The director told him they had no cleaning man but six cleaning women.
As the detective left the director’s office, he saw five cleaning women. He stopped one and asked about her work. Then came the sixth cleaning woman. She was dressed just like the other women except the gloves on her hands which made her different. Blackman watched her for some time. When she came near, Blackman caught her. The woman cried out in a man’s voice, “What was that?” Blackman was more sure.Everything came to light ________________.
| A．when an art student was asked |
| B．when the cleaning man came into the office |
| C．when Blackman looked at all the pictures |
| D．when the cleaning woman cried |
Arrange the following sentences in the right order.
a. The museum asked for help.
b. The four students showed their copies.
c. An art professor came.
d. The detective looked at all the pictures.
e. The thief bought a picture.
| A．a-c-e-d-b | B．c-a-d-s-b | C．e-c-a-b-d | D．e-a-b-d-c |
Blackman caught the cleaning woman because of __________.
| A．the glove | B．the clothes | C．her sex | D．her work |
Bamboo flooring（竹地板）is a growing trend in home flooring and is also a great improvement to traditional hardwood floors．It is the most environmentally friendly kind of natural flooring that you can select for your home．It is also a renewable（可再生的）resource,is stronger than steel,and does not suffer from problems as a result of temperature changes．
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth,and only takes five years to grow to adult form．Bamboo is harvested every five years,and starts to re-grow immediately after being harvested．For this reason,bamboo is a kind of grass,not a tree．Bamboo is hollow（空心的）but very hard and can stand up to 50,000 pounds of pressure per square inch．
Bamboo flooring has become very popular with its rich and beautiful golden earth colors．But it is important to shop around for a good-quality bamboo flooring product that contains no formaldehydes（甲醛）,which is said to be the best kind of bamboo flooring．Many brands use cheaper bamboo that may contain formaldehydes,and this can cause indoor air pollution problems as certain chemical materials in the bamboo slowly release their pollutants into the air．
So,why should we turn to bamboo to save the enviroment?In fact,bamboo cannot save the environment directly,but it is an excellent replacement product for much of the hardwood species of trees that are being harvested in rainforests．Once harvested,if these hardwood trees do grow back,it can take up to 200 years!Rainforests are the lungs of our planet and they make a significant contribution to global oxygen production．
By selecting bamoo flooring,you can reduce the demand for hardwood materials and help save the environment for future generations．Of course,everyone wants to buy good-quality bamboo flooring．The brands（品牌）from our shop are very high in quality and have received a lot of public praise．Bamboo is a kind of grass because _______．
| A．it grows quickly |
| B．it isn’t as high as a tree |
| C．it doesn’t grow in forests |
| D．it is hollow |
What kind of bamboo flooring is best?
| A．The strongest kind． |
| B．The most expensive kind． |
| C．The kind that has a beautiful color． |
| D．The kind that contains no formaldehydes． |
How can bamboo make a contribution to the environment?
| A．It can directly improve the environment． |
| B．It does not release formalddehydes at all． |
| C．It can replace hardwood tree products． |
| D．It can produce a lot of oxygen． |
The author wrote this passage in order to _______．
| A．explain the importance of bamboo flooring |
| B．tell us his or her own bamboo flooring brands are good |
| C．tell people to care more about the environment |
| D．discuss the history of hardwood flooring |
You hear a rumor（谣言）from a friend,who heard it from another friend,who read it on a note passed in math class,which was written by somebody who probably just made it up．Chances are rumors are always spreading around your school．Sometimes it can be very hurtful．But why do people still do so?
When people are feeling bad about themselves,they sometimes think they’ll feel better if there were someone worse off than they are．It’s okey being near the bottom,as long as they’re not actually on the bottom．The easiest way for them to make sure someone else is on the bottom is to make up a rumor that puts him or her there．
If everybody else is spreading rumors,you might feel you have to do the same thing in order to fit in．Unfortunately,the person who the gossip or rumor is about is usually let out of the group for the same reason that you’re let into it．
When you know a secret that nobody knows,or are the first person in your group to hear a rumor,it can make you the center of attention．A rumor or piece of gossip is sometimes like money;telling it to people is like buying their attention．Certain people always want to be at the top of the ladder（梯子）．You probably know at least one person who wishes to be the leader,and make all the decisions．One way they do this is by reducing the status（地位）of another person．Spreading rumors and gossip is one way people reduce another person’s status．
Sometimes a period when everyone is happy and getting along just seems kind of dull．Spreading rumors might get two people to start a fight,and that would make life a little more exciting．All those newspapers and TV shows full of gossip about famous people are proving that rumors are a popular form of entertainment．We know from Paragraph 2 that some people spread rumors to _______．
| A．be more confident | B．feel like part of a group |
| C．attract attention | D．be more powerful |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 may mean some people _______．
| A．love looking down from a high position． |
| B．hope to become leaders． |
| C．are not afraid of falling down． |
| D．are fond of spreading rumors． |
What do we know from the last paragraph?
| A．Famous people like spreading rumors． |
| B．Rumors can make people feel bored． |
| C．Some people seek excitement from rumors． |
| D．There are many rumors in newspapers． |
The passage is mainly about ________．
| A．what rumors mean | B．how hurtful a rumor is |
| C．how people spread rumors | D．why people spread rumors |
Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer（可使用的）in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe．
France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index（指数）out today,according to the place comparison website Switch．com．
The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices．In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes．The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average．
Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK．People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons．And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe——and the UK state retirement age is set to rise．
Ann Robinson,of Switch．com,said:“There’s more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on （对……不再抱希望）the UK and heading to France and Spain．We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm” ． “It’s giving us a decent standard of living,but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy．For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life．”In Europe,to enjoy the best quality of life,you’d better live in _______．
| A．Britian and Ireland | B．Spain and France |
| C．Ireland and Poland | D．Britian and Italy |
Which of the following about the UK is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People in the UK pay more than the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes． |
| B．People in the UK enjoy the highest quality of life． |
| C．People in the UK spend most on the healthcare and education． |
| D．People in the UK die two years older than in France． |
The underlined word“decent”in the last paragraph means “_______”
| A．good enough | B．bad enough | C．ordinary | D．neither bad nor good |
What do you think would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Money is a must to make you live a good life． |
| B．High standard of living means good quality of life． |
| C．High standard of living is one thing and good quality of life is another． |
| D．To live a good life,go to Britian． |
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