Dennis Sinar, 51, a doctor from Washington, N. C., is quick to explain why he took a yearlong break from his job. “I was pretty burned out after practicing medicine for 26 years. I needed a recharge.” So he took a “gap year”, from July 2011 to June 2012, to explore things like ancient buildings, antique restoration, and traditional Eastern medicine, in locations including Alaska, Nepal and Romania.
“Taking a break from work is an excellent way for adults to go into a new career or refresh an old one,” said Holly Bull, president of the Center for Interim（过渡时期）Programs in Princeton, N, J., which sets up gap-year programs. The group works mainly with college-age students, but it has also served older adults since it was formed 28 years ago. “In recent years, mid-career breaks have been gaining more interest,” she said. A report on adult gap years published this year by a market research company also described the potential（潜在的）American market for gap years as a “sleeping giant.”
“A gap year is a challenge for the older individual to step out of a comfort zone and take a risk. I enjoyed that side most.” said Dr. Sinar, who kept a daily blog about his experience. His time studying Eastern medicine “reaffirmed（再次肯定）the reasons I went into health care,” said Dr. Sinar, who returned to practice medicine at his old job, although he works fewer days. “I use those experiences to provide my patients with more care,” he added. “And I listen better than I did before.”
George Garritan, chairman of the Department of Leadership and Human Capital Management at New York University, certainly agrees with Dr. Sinar. He said a gap-year experience could be worthwhile for employees and companies. For employees, investing in themselves and improving skill sets is a move that will benefit throughout their career. He added that returning employees feel refreshed and have given more thought to their career. For companies, offering unpaid leaves makes good sense for attracting and keeping talented employees.
“My hope is that this takes off,” Dr. Garritan said. “We’re all thinking, ‘What’s my next act?’ ”Dr. Sinar took a gap year because he _________.
| A．gave up his old job |
| B．felt exhausted after 26 years’ work |
| C．wanted to travel very much |
| D．became interested in historical research |
After his gap year, Dr. Sinar _________.
| A．became more considerate in his job |
| B．regretted taking a “gap year” |
| C．was eager to explore ancient buildings |
| D．Improved his speaking ability |
What’s George Garritan’s attitude toward the “gap year”?
| A．Unhappy.. | B．Positive | C．Uninterested. | D．Negative. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Whether a gap year is popular with adults. |
| B．How an adult plans a mid-career gap year. |
| C．Why a gap year is worthwhile for adults. |
| D．Why a gap year is challenging for individuals. |
The video rooms have been open since Jan. 2. If successful, the chain hopes to expand the service to other provinces, or even other countries. In addition to the food, customers pay 200 yuan per hour for using the room.
''The video rooms have been fully booked in February,'' said Chen Yu, manager of the Wangfujing branch. The Video room in Beijing is about 30 square meters and large enough for six customers.
''Many customers prefer to use the room for dinners rather than lunch,'' Chen said, adding the average age of customers who booked the video hotpot(火锅) is about 30.
''The whole process is very smooth. The image and the voice transmission(转换) are as good as those of video conferencing at work, ''said one of Chen's colleagues surnamed Luo.
''I have a lot of friends in Beijing, whom I haven’t met for a long time because of being busy at work,'' said a woman surnamed Yu who is having dinner with her husband at Haidilao.''The new service gives us a chance to have a dinner together without traveling. I would like to give it a try.''
The video hotpot also helped establish a friendship between waitresses in the two cities.
Zhao Huanhuan, in her 20s, who is specially trained for serving in the video room in Shanghai, developed a friendship with a waitress named Lu Ke in the Beijing branch.
Zhao said excitedly: ''It was too amazing to believe. I'm so interested in using the special room and enjoy serving people there. I also talk about some interesting interactive games with Lu before guests come for dinner''.
Although Lu felt a little bit nervous when she first served in front of the screens, she said the new mode of communication also encouraged her to supply better services for customers.
''It's like a service competition. We saw each other through video and I could learn from Zhao's serving,'' Lu said, adding she will visit Zhao if she goes to Shanghai.
It seems that video hotpot doesn't satisfy everyone's taste, however.From the passage we know that ______.
| A．the video room service has been open for a long time |
| B．the video room service has been open in many provinces in China |
| C．using the video room, you have to pay extra 200 yuan per hour |
| D．the Video room in Beijing is only designed for six people to use |
Haidilao may be the name of ______.
| A．a theatre | B．a restaurant | C．a cinema | D．a hotel |
Why do many customers choose the video room service?
| A．Because the service there is excellent. |
| B．Because they can have dinner with friends without traveling. |
| C．Because the food there is delicious. |
| D．Because the room is large enough for six people. |
We can learn from the passage that Zhao Huanhuan ______.
| A．enjoys communicating with Lu Ke |
| B．hasn't met Lu Ke for a long time |
| C．is twenty years old now |
| D．learned a lot from Lu Ke |
What do you suppose will be talked about in the paragraph to be followed?
| A．Lu's visit to Zhao in Shanghai. |
| B．Other customers' praise for the service. |
| C．How to improve the service. |
| D．Other customers' complaint about the service. |
In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to supply players.
When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters（花名册） will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.
The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.
“Our experience in China has been that it is going to be explosive in its growth,” said Stem. The strategy (战略，策略)in China is television. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that it needs a global market to condensate for tough times on home soil.
“It doesn’t matter where the players come from, all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout（寻找，觅得） internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number two overall in this year’s draft — are icons（偶像）in-waiting. It is the ultimate（最后的，根本的） revolution — the rest of the world teaching the US how to play basketball. According to the report, .
| A．Michael Jordan is still playing a very important role in NBA |
| B．the part played by the foreign players in NBA will be great |
| C．Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA |
| D．European countries will host the 2004 NBA games |
The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the meaning of _______ ___.
| A．NBA intends to make China its “marketing center” |
| B．NBA is planning to set up some training centers in China |
| C．there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to play against the Sacramento Kings |
| D．the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on all the TVs in China |
What seems to be the biggest change that is happening to NBA?
A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the league.
B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.
C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.
D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play basketball.When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was referring to _ _.
| A．farms in the States | B．native Americans |
| C．the NBA training center | D．the USA |
Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?
| A．The Non-American Basketball Players |
| B．NBA Is Coming to China |
| C．The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA |
| D．NBA Is Making Big Progress |
Danielle Steel,America’s sweetheart,is one of the hardest working women in the book business.Unlike other productive authors who write one book at a time,she can work on up to five.Her research alone before writing takes at least three years.Once she has fully studied her subjects,ready to dive into a book,she can spend twenty hours nonstop at her desk.
Danielle Steel comes from New York and was sent to France for her education.After graduation,she worked in the public relations and advertising industries.Later she started a job as a writer which she was best fit for.Her achievements are unbelievable:390 million copies of books in print,nearly fifty New York Times best-selling novels, and a series of “Max and Martha” picture books for children to help them deal with the real-life problems of death,new hobbies and new schools. Her 1998 book about the death of her son shot to the top of the New York Times best-selling list as soon as it came out.Twenty-eight of her books have been made into films.She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for one of her books being the Times best-seller for 381 weeks straight.
Not content with a big house,a loving family,and a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Danielle Steel considers her readers to be the most important resource(资源) and has kept in touch with them by e-mail.While she is often compared to the heroines(女主人公) of her own invention,her life is undoubtedly much quieter.But,if she does have anything in common with them,it is her strength of will and her inimitable style.There is only one Danielle Steel.Danielle Steel is different from other writers in that .
| A．she can write several books at the same time |
| B．she often does some research before writing a book |
| C．she is one of the most popular American women writers |
| D．she can keep writing for quite a long time without a break |
Children who have read “Max and Martha” picture books may know .
| A．how to deal with affairs at school |
| B．what to do if Max and Martha die |
| C．what to do when new babies are born into their families |
| D．how to solve the difficult problems in their writing classes |
One of Danielle Steel’ achievements is that .
| A．some TV plays were based on her books |
| B．her picture books attracted a lot of young men |
| C．one of her books became a best-seller in 1998 |
| D．she wrote the Guinness Book of World Records |
We can learn from the passage that Danielle Steel .
| A．lives an exciting life | B．values her readers a lot |
| C．writes about quiet women | D．is pleased with her achievements |
What does the underlined word “inimitable” mean?
| A．hardworking | B．attractive |
| C．strange | D．unique |
A “blogger” is a person who writes on an Internet computer Web site called a “blog（博客）”.The word “blog” is a short way of saying Web log, or personal Web site. Anyone can start a blog, and they can write about anything they like. There are millions of blogs on the Internet today. They provide news, information，advertisements, advice and ideas for many people who read them. They contain links to other Web sites. And they provide a place for people to write about their ideas and react to the ideas of others.
A research company called Perscus has studied more than 300 Web logs. It says that blogs are most popular with teenage girls. They use them to let their friends know what is happening in their lives. The study also says that more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity after a year.
However, some people develop serious blogs to present political and other ideas. For example, the Republican and Democratic parties in the southern state of Kentucky recently started their own blogs. And American companies are beginning to use blogs to advertise their products. At the same time, some long-standing blogs have ended. Last week, blogging leader Dave Winer closed his free blog service “weblogs. com”. He says the site became too costly to continue. He started the blog four years ago. And thousands of people had written on it. They are now upset because they did not know that the site was closing. One blog that is still going strong is called Rebecca’s Pocket. Rebecca Blood created the Web-site in 1999. She wrote about the history of blogs on the site. That article led to a book called “The Weblog Handbook”. It has been translated into four languages so far. Ms. Blood says Rebecea’s Pocket gets about 30,000 visitors a month. She writes about anything and everything — politics, culture and movies. She recently provided medical advice. And she wrote about how to prevent people from stealing money from on -line bank accounts. The author wrote this passage mainly to _________.
| A．introduce an Internet computer Web site called “blog” |
| B．introduce a short way of saying Weblog |
| C．tell readers how to write blogs |
| D．tell readers about blogs |
From the passage we can learn that blogs cover almost everything EXCEPT ______.
| A．account passwords | B．medical advice |
| C．advertisements | D．different ideas |
Dave Winer closed his “weblogs. Com” because __________.
| A．more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity |
| B．American companies used blogs to advertise their products |
| C．people stole money from on -line bank accounts |
| D．He couldn’t afford the increasing money needed to run the blogs |
The reason why Rebecca’s Pocket is still going strong is that ______.
| A．it was created by a woman |
| B．it is about the history of blogs |
| C．it provides useful information and advice |
| D．it has editions in at least four different languages |
What is the author’s attitude toward blog?
| A．Objective | B．Sceptical |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
In the case of mobile phones, change is everything. Recent research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well．
First, let's talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and its parent, the fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a landline goes to a place. If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it．
This has several implications（含义）. The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the “meeting” influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now，however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer “see you there at 8”，but "text me around 8 and we'll see where we all are."
Texting changes people as well. In their paper, “Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text Messaging", two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the “talkers” and the “texters”－those who prefer voice to text messages and those who prefer text to voice.
They found that the mobile phone's individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well．
Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the “speakeasy”: the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the “spacemaker”: these people focus on themselves and keep out other people.
Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera- phones intrude（侵入）on people's privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn't worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.According to the two British researchers, the social and psychological effects are mostly likely to be seen on
| A．talkers | B．the “speakeasy” | C．the “spacemaker" | D．texters |
We can infer from the passage that the texts sent by texters are
| A．quite revealing | B．well written |
| C．unacceptable by others | D．shocking to others |
According to the passage, who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile?
| A．Talkers. | B．The“speakeasy” |
| C．The “spacemaker”. | D．Texters. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The SMS Effect |
| B．Cultural implications of Mobile Phone Use |
| C．Changes in the Use of the Mobile |
| D．Body Language and the Mobile Phone |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号