New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly increased by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a kind of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments (指派) are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive (行政) ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to manage back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices (装置) with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight (洞察力) to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign customers over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset (有价值的人或物) to the firm. With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople ________.
| A．are eager to work overseas |
| B．have to get familiar with modern technology |
| C．are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations |
| D．are attaching more importance to their overseas business |
In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means ________.
| A．leaving all care and worry behind |
| B．being unable to think properly for lack of insight |
| C．being totally out of touch with business at home |
| D．missing opportunities for promotion when abroad |
According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?
| A．Ability to speak the customer’s language. |
| B．Connections with businesses overseas. |
| C．Technical know-how. |
| D．Business experience. |
The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can ________.
| A．fast-forward their proposals to headquarters |
| B．better control the whole negotiation process |
| C．easily make friends with businesspeople abroad |
| D．easily find new approaches to meet market needs |
Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years ago, the planet was much colder than it is now. During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.
A new study from Switzerland, sheds light on where ice sheets melted during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.
This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere(半球) during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land. If surrounded by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.
The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact(影响) on ocean currents(洋流) and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.The North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that ________.
| A．most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere |
| B．most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere |
| C．The North Pole is colder than South Pole |
| D．The South Pole is colder than North Pole |
We can infer from the passage ________.
| A．the ice can easily just slip into the ocean |
| B．volcanoes caused the ice to melt |
| C．melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible |
| D．researchers often use the computer models help their research work. |
The scientists are not sure ________.
| A．how long the ice age lasted |
| B．where ice sheets melted during the ice age |
| C．what caused the temperature changes |
| D．what the earth is made up of |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A computer model |
| B．Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age |
| C．Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere during the 30,000-year long ice age. |
| D．A survey result |
“Seven out of ten people have tried to learn a language at some point in their life and most wish they could speak one more fluently,” a survey found. “And nine out of ten people want their children to learn foreign languages at primary school,” said the poll for the OCR Examing Board (牛津剑桥皇家考试委员会).Languages are no longer compulsory(义务的)for pupils aged 14 and over. But the government wants all primary school pupils in England to learn a language by the end of the decade.
A survey of 1000 people was carried out, which is organised by the National Centre of Language .The study suggested people in London were the most likely(78%) to have studied another language, Scots were next at 74%, followed by the northeast of England (71%).In the west of England, more than six in ten have knowledge of another language.
Barrie Hunt from OCR said, “People are often very negative about Britain，s grasp of foreign languages but in reality the number of people who can speak a second language is impressive. The great joke is that many of these people will have no formal qualification to show their family, friends and employers what they can do. Whether they are fluent or just able to hold a short conversation in another language is unknown.”
He said OCR had set a new language scheme called Asset Languages to encourage people of all ages to learn languages in bite-sized amounts and get a qualification.
The scheme also provides assessment for community languages spoken at home, such as Chinese, Urdu and Punjabi.
Isabella Moore from the National Centre of Languages said, “Employers want evidence of good communication skills, confidence and outward-looking attitudes, so a language qualification is an important addition to anyone，s resume.”It can be inferred that___________________________ .
| A．foreign language study is popular in UK |
| B．foreign language study is a must for people of all ages |
| C．it is especially easy for British people to study foreign languages |
| D．students of over 14 no longer study foreign languages |
Which of the following has the most to have studied a foreign language?
| A．People from Scotland. | B．People from the northeast of England. |
| C．People in London. | D．People from the west of England. |
Which statement is true according to the text?
| A．A language qualification is the only evidence of a high-quality employee. |
| B．Speaking foreign languages is the most important skill required in employment among all. |
| C．A language qualification is very difficult to get in UK. |
| D．Many people in UK don，t have a qualification although they can speak foreign languages. |
What’s the best title for the text?
| A．An Interesting Survey | B．UK Loves After All |
| C．Language Teaching in UK | D．Better to Get a Language Qualification |
When your pet meets your infant(婴儿)，it might not be love at first sniff. When Jennifer brought her baby home from the hospital, her cherished dogs had very different reactions. Her Boxer, Sonya, was immediately gentle and protective. But Tiger, the Pomeranian, was less welcoming. “If any diapers(尿布)or toys were on the floor, he peed on them,” says the Greenbrier, mom. In the eyes of a pet, there’s a new star in home who’s stealing his spotlight. Even the gentlest animal will probably act up if he doesn’t get his usual attention. These simple steps will help your pet adjust and keep your baby safe.
Introduce Them with Care
Your newborn and per’s first encounter can set the tone for their relationship. To make it as smooth as possible, try this trick from Caryn Ruiz：“Before we left the hospital, my husband took blankets home to our dog, Daisy, so she’d know our newborn Devon’s smell.” When you get home, have your husband carry the baby so you can greet your pet without worrying about her jumping on you. A cat will likely walk away at first, while a dog probably wants to investigate right away.
To introduce your baby, get down on your pet’s level and let her have a hello sniff. Don’t panic and pull your baby away unless your pet is barking or hissing, because it’ll send the message that the baby is a threat.
Learn the Safety Basics
No matter how smoothly the introduction goes, there are certain safety rules you should follow. Never leave your baby alone with the pet. Even the gentlest animal can react unpredictably. Your baby’s crying could frighten your cat, or your dog could suddenly become territorial. Consider setting up baby gates to limit your pet’s access. To keep your cat from jumping into the bassinet(有篷盖的摇篮), try putting mosquito netting over the top. Cats hate sticky paws, so keep the crib(有栏杆的婴儿床)and changing table off-limits by lining the edges with sticky strips made for furniture. You can also train your dog to sleep in a crate(大木箱).At the beginning of the passage, the author uses the stories to_____.
| A．illustrate possible reactions when pets meet a newborn baby |
| B．show that pets don’t like a newborn baby |
| C．prove how friendly a pet is when it meets a newborn baby |
| D．introduce how terrible the pets are when a mother gets a baby home |
Who is Sonya mentioned in the 1 st paragraph?
| A．Jennifer’s dog. | B．Jennifer’s baby. |
| C．Jennifer’s husband. | D．A pet expert. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Cats are more welcoming than dogs when they meet a newborn baby. |
| B．You must show your baby to your pet dog when it is barking. |
| C．You should never keep a baby together with your pet. |
| D．The first introduction of your newborn baby to your pet is important. |
According to the passage, to keep your baby safe, you should do the following things EXCEPT_____.
| A．introducing your baby to your pet with care |
| B．leaving your baby alone with your pet at the first day when they meet |
| C．setting up baby gates to limit your baby |
| D．keeping your pet away from your baby |
When we think of leadership ,we often think of strength and power .But what are these really ,and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things .If this is even possible .it is short-term ,and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must , but the anger they feel will do more harm in the long-term ,They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down , making the person unable to function at his or her best .If they associate you with this emotion of fear. They will become less functional around you ,and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot .but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively .Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion .We can order someone to do something ,which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level ,so they became fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation(积极性)。Today’s work place is all about relationships as a human being as well as a worker .Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like .Leaders understand the way things work .They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor (因素) in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence---knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others . Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to develop your relationships with people around you , which is the key to the leadership skills . An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when___.
A. he is forced to do things
B. be cannot work at his best
C. he feels his brain shut down
D he thinks of his work as too heavy Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A People tend to associate leadership with fear
B Working conditions affect people’s physical health
C Good relationship is the key to business success
D Smart people are more functional in the work place. To positively influence employees a leader should first of all __
A provide better suggestions
B develop his own personality
C five his employees a pay raise
D hide his own emotion of fear Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to___
| A．provide a variety of project for employees |
| B．help raise employee’s living standards |
| C．give employees specific instructions |
| D．deal wisely with employees’ emotions |
In meditation(冥想)，people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath .As they breathe in and out ,they attend to their feelings .As thoughts go through their minds. They let them go. Breathe .Let go .Breathe .Let go .
According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre,Massachusetts. Three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a market change in how the brain allocates(分配) attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli( 刺激),like facial expressions.
The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day .A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period .Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers , their brain activity was recorded.
Everyone could catch the first number .But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number .Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number .as if letting it go ,which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number ,This shows that attention can change with practice.
Just ask Daniel Levision , who meditated for three months as part of the study .”I am a much better listener,” he said . “ I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying.” The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to __________ .
| A． feelings | B．minds | C．people | D．thoughts |
Meditations manage their daily tasks better because they ________ .
| A．are given less pressure |
| B．allocate their attention better |
| C．have more stimuli for life |
| D．practice them more frequently |
In the experiment ,volunteers doing meditation for longer hours _____ .
| A．were more likely to catch both of the members |
| B．were used to memorizing numbers in groups |
| C．usually ignored the first number observed |
| D．paid more attention to numbers than to letters |
The study proves that _____ .
| A．meditation improves one’s health |
| B．brain activity can be recorded |
| C．human attention can be trained |
| D．mediators have a good sense of hearing |
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