A new study suggests that the round-the-clock availability that cell phone have brought to people’s lives may be taking a toll on family life, a new study suggests. The study, which followed more than 1,300 adults over 2 years, found that those who consistently used a mobile phone throughout the study period were more likely to report negative “spillover’’ between work and home life — and, in turn, less satisfaction with their family life.

    Spillover essentially means that the line between work and home begins to become unclear. Work life may invade home life when a parent is taking job-related calls at home, for instance, or family issues may start to take up work time. For example, a child may call mom at work, telling her “microwave exploded”, explained Noelle Chesley, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee and the author of the study. The problem with cell phones seems to be that they are allowing for ever more spillover between work and home. 

    This may be especially true for working women, the study found. Among men, consistent use of mobile phones seemed to allow more work issues to creep (潛入) into family time. But for women, the spillover tended to go in both directions. Being “connected” meant that work cut into home time，and family issues came into work life.

    Cell phones seem to be opening more lines for stressful exchanges among family members. But there may be ways to control the spillover, according to Chesley. Employers,  she said, could look at their policies on contacting employees after working hours to make sure their expectations are “reasonable”. For their part, employees could decide that cell phones go off during family time, Chesley said.

(Note: Write NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS for each question or statement.)

81.   By saying “may be taking a toll on family life”, the writer probably means that cell phone ____________.

82.   As a result of negative “spillover”, people will feel ______________.

83.   The writer gave the example of “microwave exploded” to indicate that ______________.

84. According to Chesley, what could employees do to avoid spillover when they are not at work?

It's logical to suppose that things like good labor relations, good working conditions, good wages and benefits and job security motivate workers, but one expert, Fredrick Herzberg argued that such conditions do not motivate workers. They are merely satisfiers. Motivators, in contrast, include things such as having a challenging and interesting job, recognition and responsibility. However, even with the development of computers and robotics, there're always plenty of boring, repetitive and mechanical jobs and lots of unskilled people who have to do them. So how do managers motivate people in such jobs? One solution is to give them some responsibilities, not as individuals, but as a part of a team. For example, some supermarkets can buy office stuff to people who fill the shelves, and the people who work at the check out into a team, and let them decide what product lines to stock, how to display them and so on. Many people now talk about the importance of a company's shared values or culture with which all the staff can identify, for example, being the best hotel chain, or making the best, the most user-friendly or the most reliable products in a particular field. Such values are more likely to motivate workers than financial targets which automatically only concern a few people. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of such goals to go around and by definition, not all the competing companies in that industry can seriously plan to be the best.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 8 WORDS.)

81: What can actually motivate workers according to Fredrick Herzberg?

__________________________________________________________

82: What does the speaker say about jobs in the computer era?

__________________________________________________________

83: What do some supermarkets do to motivate their employees?

__________________________________________________________

84: Why does the speaker say financial targets are less likely to motivate workers?

__________________________________________________________

Caring for animals, tutoring kids, helping seniors: Volunteer hours are more than a graduation must, they are life lessons.
    Vilma Sooknanan cleans cat cages, Max Carroll teaches children how to cook and Michael Rosenthal rolls wheelchairs at a hospital.
    What does this have to do with high school education?
    Everything.
    The three – and almost all other South Florida high school students – have to go outside of the classroom to earn their diplomas, doing what schools call “community service”.
    Broward public schools require 40 hours to graduate. Palm Beach County public schools require 20, and most private schools require at least that much.
    The purpose: To give students the chance to explore a career and create a habit of volunteering.
    “We hope that when they finish high school they’ll continue service,” says Mike Roland, student activities officer for the Broward School District.
    About half of U.S. public schools require community service, according to a national study. Broward School Board member Bob Parks says encouraging community service has launched all kinds of new projects, including tutoring and food collections.
    Sooknanan, a student at South Broward High School, is part of the Humane Society of Broward County’s volunteer program, which is so popular that even the waiting list is closed. Students work one four-hour shift a week for four months, and leave with 64 volunteer hours.
    Sooknanan changes litter boxes and puts down fresh newspaper for about 100 cats.
    Combined with her volunteer hours at beach cleanups and helping teachers at school, she’s well on her way toward 250 hours, which she hopes will catch the eye of Nova Southeastern University, where she wants to study marine biology.
    Carroll, a junior student at South Plantation High, has connected with FLIPANY, a nonprofit organization that offers cheap physical activity and food to low-income families. He helps teach children about cooking and healthy eating.
    “It has been a life-changing experience,” says Carroll, who is now leaning toward a career as a sports trainer. "I want to find a career encouraging people to lead a healthier lifestyle.”

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 15 WORDS.)

81. How many hours of community service are students required to do to graduate from most U.S. private schools?

Why do some U.S. schools require students to do community service to graduate?

83. The reason Sooknanan take up so many kinds of volunteer work is that ___________.

84. Volunteer work is popular in many high schools in the U.S., not only because ___________,

but also because ___________.

In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of “mastery” — feeling important and worthwhile — and the sources of what we call a sense of “pleasure”— finding life enjoyable — are not always the same. Women often are told “You can’t have it all.” Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is: “You choose a career, so you can’t expect to have closer relationships or a happy family life.” or “You have a wonderful husband and children — what’s all this about wanting a career?” But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves.

Our study shows that, for women, well-being has two aspects. One is mastery, which includes self-respect, a sense of control over your life, and low levels of anxiety and depression. Mastery is closely related to the “doing” side of life, to work and activity. Pleasure is the other aspect, and it is made up of happiness, satisfaction and optimism. It is tied more closely to the “feeling” side of life. The two are independent of each other. A woman could be high in mastery and low in pleasure, and vice versa（反之亦然）. For example, a woman who has a good job, but whose mother has just died, might be feeling very good about herself and in control of her work life, but the pleasure side could be damaged for a time.

The concepts of mastery and pleasure can help us identify the sources of well-being for women, and correct past mistakes. In the past, women were encouraged to look only at the feeling side of life as the source of all well-being. But we know that both mastery and pleasure are important. And mastery seems to be achieved largely through work. In our study, all the groups of employed women were valued significantly higher in mastery than women who were not employed.

A woman’s well-being is developed when she takes on multiple roles. At least by middle adulthood, the women who were involved in a combination of roles — marriages, motherhood, and employment — were the highest in well-being, in spite of warnings about stress and strain.

65. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.

A. for women, a sense of “mastery” is more important than a sense of “pleasure”

B. for women, a sense of “pleasure” is more important than a sense of “mastery”

C. women can’t have a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” at the same time

D. a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” are both necessary to women

66. The author’s attitude towards women having a career is________.

A. negative                   B. positive                    C. indifferent                D. realistic

67. One can conclude from the passage that if a woman takes on several social roles, ________.

A. it will be easier for her to overcome stress and strain

B. she will be more successful in her career

C. her chances of getting promoted will be greater

D. her life will be richer and more meaningful

68. Which of the following can be considered as a source of “pleasure” for women?

A. Family life                                                  B. Multiple roles in society

C. Regular employment                                    D. Freedom from anxiety

The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to people’s desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers’ money.

       Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of bread was offered to dieters（節(jié)食者）with the message that there were fewer calories（熱量單位，大卡）in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic（適合于節(jié)食的）, but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.

       On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer’s real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.

       Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.

72.   Advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by _________.

       A. stressing their high quality

       B. convincing him of their low price

       C. maintaining a balance between quality and price

       D. appealing to his buying motives

73.   The reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that ________.

       A. thin slices of bread could contain more calories

       B. the loaf was cut into regular slices

       C. the bread was not genuine bread

       D. the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same

74.   It can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should _________.

       A. think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements

       B. guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements

       C. be familiar with various advertising strategies

       D. avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal

75.   The passage is mainly about ________.

       A. how to make a wise buying decision

       B. ways to protect the interests of the consumer

       C. the positive and negative aspects of advertising

       D. the function of advertisements in promoting sales

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes---khaki pants and sports shirt---to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”

72. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because_______.

A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

73. David Smith wears casual clothes now, because________.

   A. they make him feel at ease when working

   B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

   C. he looks handsome in casual clothes

   D. he no longer works for any company

74. According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code..

B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.

C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.

D. All the employers in the U.S are for casual office wear.

75. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except ______.

A. saving employees’ money                     B. making employees more attractive

C. improving employees’ motivation          D. making employees happier

Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge (大雜燴) of environmental claims made by household products, according to a “green labeling” study published by Consumers International Friday.

Among the report’s more outrageous (令人無法容忍的) findings, a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”, a brand of flour said it was “non-polluting” and a British toilet paper claimed to be “environmentally friendlier”.

The study was written and researched by Britain’s National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.

“While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,” said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.

The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain. Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average.

The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent (洗滌劑), insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.

Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too unclear or too misleading to meet ISO standards.

“Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,”said report researcher Philip Page.

“Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.” he said.

The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as “environmentally friendly” and “non-polluting” cannot be tested. “What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.” said Page.

According to the passage, the NCC found it outrageous that ____.

A. all the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards

B. the claims made by products are often unclear or misleading

C. consumers would believe many of the manufactures’claim

D. few products actually prove to be environmentally friendly

A study was carried out by Britain’s NCC to ____.

A. find out how many claims made by products fail to meet environmental standards

B. inform the consumers of the environmental impact of the products they buy

C. examine claims made by products against ISO standards

D. test the guidelines set by the International Standards Organization

What is one of the consequences caused by the many claims of household products?

A. They are likely to lead to serious environmental problems

B. Consumers find it difficult to tell the true from the false

C. They could arouse widespread anger among consumer

D. Consumers will tend to buy products they don’t need

It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to ____.

A. make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements

B. see all household products meet environmental standards

C. warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products

D. prove the efforts of non-polluting products

Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:

1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?

There are isolating(使孤立) jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.

2) How do you handle change?

Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.

3) Do you enjoy working with computers?

I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.

4) What type of work environment do you enjoy? 

This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.

5) How do you like to get paid?  

Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.

Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.

49．This passage mainly talks about the importance of _______.

       A．different jobs       B．personalities

       C．personal skills      D．job’s pay

50．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

      A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.

      B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.

      C．Extreme people tend to work with others.

      D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.

51．What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?

      A．Design    B．Skills      C．Cooperation    D．Hobbies

52．What is the best title for this passage?

       A．Lifestyles and Job Pay    B．Jobs and Environment

       C．Job Skills and Abilities    D．Personalities and Jobs

Unfortunately, concerned about instability in the job market, many students are worried about facing an ever more uncertain future and consequently they have begun to feel lost, according to a survey. The survey, conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China, covers more than 2,000 college students from big cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Tapping into (利用) this vast network of students, the survey revealed about 75 percent enjoy their lives on campus, feel free from restraints (限制) and are filled with enthusiasm. Nevertheless, 16.7 percent “l(fā)ost ones” of the students refer to life as boring and aimless while 8.3 percent complain about the heavier study load they must now bear. Undoubtedly, pressure exists, and 75 percent of the students are worried about finding a job upon graduation. Around half of all participants have no clear career plan after graduation and a high 41.7 percent admit they have not thought about it. Only 8.3 percent have a clear idea of what they want to do and are confident of achieving their hopes and dreams.

The question “Are you a popular guy” seemed to provoke a mixed response from participants with 58.3 percent answering positively, leaving 41.7 percent as unsure, 91.7 percent of the students thought they got along very well with others, the final 8.3 percent finding it difficult to choose a particular answer. Independent answers such as “do things in your own way” and “forget other people’s opinions” seemed to be popular among modern college students with 75 percent conforming more or less to this attitude. 25 percent alone admitted to worrying about comments from other people.

The survey also discovered a strong feeling of confidence among students when dealing with interpersonal relationships and that personalities were slightly influenced by the surrounding environment. Most students criticized the phenomenon of suicide on campus. 58.3 percent urged authorities to discover hidden social reasons behind suicide, thus helping to prevent it. 33.3 percent thought students who try to commit suicide will not be able to face life’s bigger challenges in the future even if they survive. Surprisingly, 8.3 percent confessed that they once wanted to kill themselves, but finally decided against it.

45. What is college life like in the eyes of most students according to the passage?

A. Easy                       B. Interesting         C. Stressed              D. Aimless

46. How many students refer to life as boring in the survey?

A. More than 334     B. More than 166   C More than 1,500   D. More than 625.

47. The underlined phrased “provoke a mixed response” (in Paragraph 4) probably means “          ”.

A. answer in a mixed way                                 B. give a variety of answers

C. have sympathy for other students                   D. suddenly begin to affect someone

48. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. What should college life be like?                   B. Lost students in China

C. Do things in your own way.                          D. Frustrated college life

“Up until about five years ago, students at this school could have worn anything they wanted on Halloween,” said Rosemarie Nielson, a sixth-grade teacher at St. Theresa School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx where there is a prohibition on toy weapons.  

“When you consider all the horrific things that have happened in recent years, including 9/11, I can’t blame any school for wanting to stay away from anything that might promote violence,” Ms. Nielson said.

Mary Ellen Manniello, whose daughter, Courtney, 9, is a fourth grader at St. Gabriel School, a Roman Catholic elementary school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, said she understood why officials had banned weapons with costumes. “They’re learning more about guns from issues in the street than educational issues.”

This year, the school has gone one step further and is prohibiting all costumes at its Halloween festivities. Ms. Manniello said it had become “a chaotic scene,” with parents helping their children change into their costumes at school.

Some parents said the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes went too far and denied children a chance to express themselves.  

“Halloween has always been the one day when it was acceptable for our children to be dressed like somebody they are not, like a cowboy or a pirate or a person from outer space, and now we’re taking that away from them,” said Laura Santoro, a nurse from New Milford, Conn., whose 7-year-old son, Johnny, is a second grader at Northville Elementary School there.

Ms. Santoro said that her son would dress as Capt. Jack Sparrow, the character played by Johnny Depp in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, at the school’s Halloween party, but that he would not be allowed to take a sword — part of a policy that caught her by surprise last Halloween. 

“I sent my son to school last year dressed as a special force Power Ranger, and he was told that he couldn’t take along his red laser blaster, which really surprised me, because the laser is red and made of plastic and lights up, and it could never, ever be mistaken for a real gun,” Ms. Santoro said. “I mean, come on, the whole thing is getting really sad.”

53. What do you think is the writer’s purpose of writing the passage?

   A. To introduce to the public the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   B. To state parents’ attitudes towards the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes.

   C. To tell the public that children should bring any weapons for Halloween costumes.

   D. To analyse the fact that the no-weapons policy for Halloween costumes goes too far.

54. According to the passage, some parents understand the no-weapon policy for Halloween costumes because ____________.

   A. schools should take a cautious approach to Halloween to prevent violence.

   B. children are buying real guns in the street and there is always violence now.

   C. those parents like to help their children change into their costumes at school.

   D. children are learning more about guns from educational issues.

55. Which of the following is probably right according to the passage?

   A. Children could bring any weapons into school five or six years ago.

   B. The parents surveyed are those whose children are in elementary schools.

   C. Guns are necessary on Halloween for children to express themselves.

   D. Jack Sparrow is an actor who at one time acted as a pirate in a movie.

56. What do the underlined words “laser blaster” in the last paragraph refer to?

   A. A kind of costume.                          B. A real gun.

C. A toy weapon.                              D. A kind of plastic.