The question this week comes from our listener Herve Acard, who asks about the American word “OK”, which means “all right” or “acceptable”. It expresses agreement or approval. The word is used more often than any other word in the world.
Language expert Allen Walker Read said the word began as a short way of writing a different spelling of the words “all correct”. Old stories say some foreign-born people would write “all correct” as o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t and spoke it as “OK”. Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaws. The Choctaw word “okeh” means the same as the American word “OK”. Experts say early explorers in the Western America spoke the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century. The language spread across the country.
According to some people, “OK” was a way to shorten Greek words that mean everything is fine. It is also said that a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly invented the word. He is said to have put the first letters of his names — O and K — on each object people gave him to place on the train.
Another explanation is that “OK” was invented by a political organization that supported Martin Van Buren for president in the 1800s. They called their organization the OK Club. The letters O and K were taken from the name of the town where Martin Van Buren was born — Old Kinderhook, New York.
Not everyone agrees with these explanations, but experts do agree that the word is purely American and has spread to almost every country on Earth. Yet in the United States, it is used mostly in speech. Serious writers prefer using words, such as “agree”, “approve” or “confirm” instead.Where does the passage probably come from?
| A．A newspaper. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A radio program. | D．A language magazine. |
Of the following origins, which one has the same meaning as the American word “OK”?
| A．The OK Club |
| B．The Choctaw word “okeh” |
| C．The word invented by Martin Van Buren |
| D．The short form of “all correct” |
According to the passage, which statement is NOT true?
A. People disagree about the origin of “OK”.
B. “OK” is often used in formal writing in the USA.
C. The word “OK” is widely used all over the world.
D. Native American language once influenced American English.
Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress
Finding work-life balance in today’s frenetically paced world is no simple task.
Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.
Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress — along with its harmful effects — is the result.
The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance — and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance.
How work invades your personal life
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here’s why:
●Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs.
●International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting.
●Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.
●Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they’re scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations.
●Changes in family roles. Today’s married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.
Married to your work
It can be tempting to rack up the hours at work — especially if you’re trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child’s education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload.
But if you’re spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance:
●Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you’re tired. This means you’re less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation.
●Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your child’s first bike ride, your father’s 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones.
●Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if you’re spending time at the office instead of with them, you’ll find it difficult to nurture those friendships.
●Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges.
Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won’t be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when you’re too tired, when it’s affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.
Striking the best work-life balance
For most people, juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge. With so many demands on your time — from overtime to family obligations — it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.
Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that’s best for you:
●Learn to say no. Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it’s OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy.
●Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.
●Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it.
●Get enough sleep. There’s nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you’re sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
●Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.
●Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music.
●Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
Remember, striking a work-life balance isn’t a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesn’t mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle.What will happen if you’re spending most of your time at work?
| A．You might lose all your friends. |
| B．You will lose both health and wealth. |
| C．You perhaps be given more responsibility. |
| D．You may be misunderstood by your loved ones. |
According to the passage, you’d better say no to mandatory overtime when ___________.
| A．you get bored with the work |
| B．you are not interested in the work |
| C．you can’t get additional allowance |
| D．you have crucial family obligations |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．To do things people ask you to do can bring you a lot of joy. |
| B．You should do the things people ask you to do without feeling guilty. |
| C．You shouldn’t do the things people ask you to do if you don’t want to. |
| D．To do things for yourself is more meaningful than to do things for others. |
What will not happen if you don’t get enough sleep?
| A．You can make costly mistakes. |
| B．You will have low productivity. |
| C．You will feel stressed while working. |
| D．You will have no sense of exhaustion. |
What does the real balance mean according to the author?
| A．Being firm that working overtime will strike a work-life balance. |
| B．Examining priorities and deciding what is the most important to you. |
| C．Trying to carrying out everything you want to do whether you can do it or not. |
| D．Being cautious when saying no to somebody in a bid to maintain fine relationships. |
Yawning sends out certain messages---either “Oh, this movie is boring”or I probably need to get some sleep”. But did you know that a yawn can also help your brain to cool down when it is so overheated?
A new study, led by a research team of Princeton University, has indicated that yawning could be the brain’s natural way of regulating temperature. People yawn more often when the temperature outdoors is lower than their body temperature but are less likely to yawn when it is hotter outdoors, according to Sciencedaily.com.
The research team did an experiment on 160 people , 80 in summer and 80 in summer and 80 in winter, to examine how often they yawned at different air temperatures. The study found that people yawned more often in winter than in summer. Scientists say that when the air temperature is lower outside the body, there is heat exchange between the overheated brain and the cool air. But when the air temperature is higher than or equal to the body, people are less likely to yawn because the hot air they breathe in will make the brain even hotter.
When people yawn, their jaw is also stretched, which increases blood flow and may also help cool the brain.
The study showed that the amount someone yawned could be related to the amount of time they spent outside. The longer they spent outside in summer, the less they yawn. Nearly 40 percent of participants yawned within their first five minutes outside, but after that the percentage was reduced to less than 10 percent.
However, the result was the opposite in winter. The number of people who yawned increased when they spent more than five minutes outdoors. But the change was only slight compared to summertime.
According to Gallup, this is the first report to show that yawning frequencies change depending on season. This could help us to understand better the way our brains work. It may also help us understand the reason why frequent yawning can sometimes be a sign of brain disease.The purpose of the experiment is ________.
| A．to prove people yawn in winter and in summer equally. |
| B．to indicate brain can regulate temperature naturally |
| C．to find the frequency of people’s yawning |
| D．to show the real reason why people yawn |
The information we get from Paragraph 5 and 6 is that_______
| A．longer outdoor summertime results in more yawns. |
| B．yawning frequency changes with outdoor time |
| C．yawning frequency increases with outdoor time |
| D．longer outdoor wintertime leads to fewer yawns |
According to the text, people yawn more often________.
| A．when the air temperature is lower outside the body |
| B．when the hot air breathed in makes the brain hotter |
| C．when the air temperature is higher than the body |
| D．when the air temperature is equal to the body. |
What could be the best title for the text?
| A．Yawning is a Sign of Brain Disease |
| B．Yawning Carries Some Information |
| C．Yawning Benefits Your Body |
| D．Yawning Cools Your Brain |
One of the major functions of an iPhone is, of course, to play music. The iTunes app has been designed in such a way as to take advantage of the iPhone’s touch screen. But what if you want to listen to music that isn’t in your iTunes library, or you want to discover new music without sitting in front of computer?
There are plenty of ways to access music, but not everyone knows what options are available. Either that, or there are so many options that going through all of them is tiring. For these reasons, here we offer a few convenient ways of listening to music on your iPhone without using iTunes.
Stream some radio (Tuneln Radio)
Tunnel Radio provides a quick and easy way to listen thousands of Internet radio stations on your Apple products. In addition to local radio stations, this app compiles more than 40 000 radio stations from around the country. What makes the app special is that it allows you to pause and rewind live radio----pause your station to take a phone call or rewind to replay a favorite song. You can also browse by genre of location, and the app includes plenty of talks, news, sports and weather stations in addition to music.
From desktop to smartphone (QQ Music)
QQ Music seems like obvious choice, and it is. It’s a streaming service based on the Tencent technology that is already wildly popular on the Internet and now also offers a (free) app. Through this app you can listen to existing playlists or create new ones based on the patterns of music you like. It works amazingly well and everything can be saved to your QQ account for access from a computer.
What was that song? (Shazam)
Shazam is an innovative and free app that cures your“what was that song?”problem. It happens to all of us : we hear a song (on TV or in a store ), love it, know we have heard it before but just can’t remember what it is called . With Shazam you don’t need to. Just hold your iPhone up and through its microphone, Shazam will identify the album, artist and song title for you. You can then either purchase the song in iTunes or search it on other apps for streaming. How cool is that?All of the options are strongly recommended to the users of ________.
| A．iTunes | B．iPhones | C．computers | D．microphones |
If you are to enjoy the freedom to go backward or make a phone call without missing anything your are listening, you can turn to_________.
| A．Tuneln Radio | B．iTunes | C．Shazam | D．QQ Music |
What is possibly the best title for the passage?
| A．Beyond the Music | B．Streaming Service of Music |
| C．Get easier accesses to music | D．Get Familiar t o Each Song |
UGG boots have been a winter-weather fashion for several years now, combining function, comfort, warmth and even some style. What many UGG enthusiasts don’t know is that their boots are a breeding ground for bacteria and causes foot problems.
Doctors believe the boots, which are particularly popular among young teenage girls, are leading to a rise in the number of people suffering pains in their feet and knees.
Dr. Ian Drysdale, head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, believes because the foot does not get the proper support on the inside, it will lead to more ankle, knee, hip and back problems. “ These boots are not designed for outside wear. Just because something becomes a trend or fashionable doesn’t mean it’s good or right,” he said. “ The particular problem with this type of footwear is that it is unsupported. It is a slipper. You wouldn’t normally expect to be doing outdoor activities from something that’s indoor. If you decide to wear your pajamas outside all the time, someone will come up and say it’s not a good idea.” Dr. Drysdale explained that the feet issues become a particular problem among young teenage girls, whose bones are “plastic” and developing when they are growing. “ If that structure is developing in an inappropriate way,” he said, “then the ultimate structure will be deformed.”
UGG Australia, who makes the designer version of the boots, told The Daily Mirror that their boots are “comfort” rather than “performance” footwear and consumers should be aware of “knockoffs(仿制品)” which lack reinforce heels in their boots. Teenage girls prefer to wear UGG boots because of the following except__________.
| A．design | B．comfort | C．quality | D．warmth |
According to Dr.Ian Drysdale,____________.
| A．there is a possibility that bacteria will multiply in UGG boots |
| B．wearing UGG boots will lead to more ankle and toe problems |
| C．it’s not a good idea to wear boots like UGG outside all the time. |
| D．teenage girls’ bones are plastic enough to wear UGG boots |
The underline word “deformed” is closest in meaning to_______.
| A．shaped | B．strengthened | C．reformed | D．damaged |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．Potential Harm of UGG Boots | B．The Popularity of UGG Boots |
| C．The Unique Design of UGG Boots | D．Benefits of UGG Boots |
One day, I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physical problem, while the student claimed a perfect score. I was elected as their arbiter( 仲裁人). I read the examination problem：“Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer(气压计).” The student had answered:“Take the barometer to the top of the building，attach a long rope to it，lower it to the street，and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of it is the height of the building. ”
The student had really answered the question completely ，but the answer didn’t confirm his competence in physics. I suggested the student try again. I gave him six minutes to answer the question, warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. Five minutes later, he said he had many answers and clashed off one, which read：“Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, use the physical formula (公式）to calculate the height of the building. ”
At this point, my colleague had to accept it, and then the student made almost full marks. I couldn’t help asking the student what the other answers were. He listed many others and then added “Probably the best is to take the barometer to the administrator and said to him，' Sir, here is a fine barometer. If you tell me the height of the building, I will give it to you.，”
Then, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did,but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.
The name of the student was Bohr who later was famous all over the world. He won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1922.The student got a zero at the beginning because_______.
| A．the teacher wasn’t satisfied with him. |
| B．his answer wasn’t complete or correct |
| C．his answer didn’t show his knowledge of physics |
| D．the teacher didn’t fully understand his answer |
We know from the passage that______ .
| A．the administrator told Bohr the height |
| B．the student knew the expected answer |
| C．the author preferred Bohr’s last answer |
| D．the teacher was a very stubborn person |
We can learn from the passage that______.
| A．instructors can teach students how to think |
| B．arbiters can help students to get high scores |
| C．teachers should make students use physical formulas |
| D．students should be given more freedom in thinking |
What was Bohr’s attitude toward his schooling?
| A．Critical | B．Optimistic | C．Approving | D．Ambiguous |
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