阅读地带

A

What should you think about in trying to find your career？ You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand， you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job， they may have indirect value. Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs， but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.

Your school may have taught you skills， such as typing or technical drawing， which you can use in your work. You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.

If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer， think what you have got from it. If nothing else， you may have learned how to get to work on time， to follow instructions， and to get on well with senior workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop， for example. Just as important， you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.

Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you use tools； perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record， for example， may not be too good， yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic（抱歉的）about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？

A. It is important to do well at school.

B. Memory is ability useful in many ways.

C. School performance can help choose a career.

D. One should learn as many subjects as possible.

2. The writer thinks that for a student to have a part-time job is good to ___ .

A. make money

B. help his future work

C. spend his spare time

D. find out his weak point

3. What does the underlined phrase “be all thumbs” in the last paragraph most probably mean？

A. Be uncertain. B. Be interested.

C. Be happy. D. Be unskillful.

4. According to the passage， if a students school record is not good， ___ .

A. he must regret in the future

B. he may be a failure in future life

C. he can still do well in his future work

D. he will find it hard to get a suitable job

B

Should e-cigarettes （electronic cigarettes） be a new choice for smokers trying to get rid of the habit？ Reactions from Americans are mixed. More than half of the people questioned in a survey think e-cigarettes should be controlled by the US Food and Drug Administration， but 47 percent believe the e-cigarettes should be available to smokers who want to quit.

“In the hunt for a safer cigarette， e-cigarettes are becoming a popular choice among those either trying to quit or looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers（生产者）claim to be safer，” Zogby International， which conducted the survey， said in a statement.

About half of the 4，611 adults who took part in the survey had heard about e-cigarettes， which are battery-powered， or rechargeable（可再次充电的）cigarettes that vaporize（蒸发）a liquid nicotine. They do not produce smoke but a water vapor without smell. Sold mostly on the Internet， e-cigarettes were first made in China.

Last year the World Health Organization （WHO） warned against using e-cigarettes， saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or could help smokers break the habit. The WHO said people who smoke e-cigarettes breathe in a fine fog of nicotine into the lungs.

Nearly a third of people questioned in the survey think that e-cigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden， because they dont produce smoke， but 46 percent disagreed. Men who knew the availability of e-cigarettes were more likely than women to say they should be a choice available to smokers who want to quit. Young people， aged 18-29， and singles were the groups most open to trying e-cigarettes. Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide， according to the WHO.

5. What can we learn from Paragraph 1？

A. Many American smokers try e-cigarettes.

B. E-cigarettes will be forbidden in America.

C. Most Americans want to give up smoking.

D. Americans have different opinions about e-cigarettes.

6. According to Zogby International， e-cigarettes are ___ .

A. safer than common ones

B. produced in a cheaper way

C. popular among those trying to quit

D. meant to take the place of traditional ones

7. What is the reason why WHO is against using e-cigarettes？

a. Nobody proves their safety.

b. They were first made in China.

c. Nicotine still gets into the lungs.

d. It is unknown whether they could help break the habit.

A. a， b， c B. a， b， d

C. b， c， d D. a， c， d

8. What can be concluded from the last paragraph？

A. The youth tend to try e-cigarettes.

B. Most women agree to use e-cigarettes.

C. People can smoke e-cigarettes in public places.

D. Smoking is a serious problem around the world.

从下列方框里10个单词中选择8个适当单词的正确形式填入下列各句中，使其句意完整。每个单词只使用一次。

confuse compare differ obvious omit

queue remark settle variation variety

1. ____ it is very difficult to describe such a complex system in simple terms.

2. Its good manners to ____ up at the bus stop for the bus.

3. What he said was very ____ and I couldnt understand.

4. ____ with our first house， this new one has a better view.

5. Two groups were ____ from the survey—the old and women.

6. There is a wide ____ of projects to choose from in building this house.

7. Early ____ had an extremely difficult life in opening up and developing the new continent.

8. James was ____ upon the subject when I came into the room.

下列各句每句有1个错误。

1. It was obviously to everyone that the child had been badly treated. ____

2. He didnt come to my birthday party for variety of reasons.

____

3. The two sisters differ widely with their hobbies. ____

4. It was a very confused situation and we didnt know how to deal with it. ____

1. 除了说同一种语言之外，我们没有什么共同点。

2. 化学老师告诉我们食用过多的糖会引起健康问题。

3. 他是否出席会议对我来说无关紧要。

4. 如果你在理解这篇文章上有什么困难的话，请立刻告诉我。

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Q&A

Question： I have recently got a senior position within my company. One of my new tasks is to make monthly progress reports on my department in front of other senior officials. During my first meeting， I presented and then opened the floor to questions. 1 My first reaction was to answer defensively（防御地）. Later， I realized that I shouldnt have felt that way. But how can I keep cool and effectively answer questions in this type of settings？

Answer： 2 Presenting in front of your peers（同事）is a hard task in itself， and it becomes much more difficult when a question-and-answer period is required. The question-and-answer period is a great way to clarify（阐明） the message and strengthen key points. Here are some ideas that can help you prepare for your next meeting.

● 3

When a person is asking a question， show interest and a desire to understand the question by listening and asking for clarification.

● Buy time.

When facing a hard question， most people cant give an answer immediately. Buy time by repeating the question in your own words. 4 These techniques allow you to quickly organize your thoughts as well as to make sure you will be correctly answering the question.

● Suggest a private meeting.

A one-on-one meeting is a calmer setting than speaking in front of your peers. 5

A. Show your true interest.

B. Some ideas can be quite concrete.

C. Say the question again with respect.

D. There were many difficult questions.

E. Congratulations on your new position！

F. It can also be more effective in exchanging ideas.

G. You may also ask for clarification on the question.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Two parachutists（伞兵）had been flown behind enemy lines early in the morning. They were 1 to gain as much information as possible on a new experimental factory.

The two men 2 their parachutes and dressed as laborers to avoid being easily 3 . Soon they reached a road. At the roadside， they noticed a deep pit（矿井）where rainwater had been 4 ， with some tools， and a broken-down truck nearby. The men were making their way 5 towards the truck when the sound of a truck in the distance made them dash for 6 . At that moment， they had no choice but to jump into the pit， as the countryside was so 7 . There was a great splash （飞溅声）， and very soon all was 8 . The water was quite shallow（浅的）， and the men had to press themselves

9 the sides of the pit wondering if they had attracted the attention of the truck driver. They 10 anxiously as the truck came nearer and nearer， and hoped it would 11 . But， much to their disappointment， the truck seemed to stop almost directly 12 them. They heard voices and the truck door shut loudly overhead. From their discussion， they 13 that some men in the truck had come to collect the 14 . Suddenly， the men were frightened by a piece of wood which was 15 into the pit and which struck the water just behind them. They could do nothing but 16 their breath and wondered what would happen next. Then the sound of the engine started up again， setting them 17 ， for they knew as the men were leaving， they had narrowly 18 being caught. But very soon， their joy quickly turned to 19 ， because when they looked up， they found that the pit was much 20 than they had thought. Its sides were wet and slippery and there was no way out.

1. A. warned B. instructed C. advised D. allowed

2. A. destroyed B. found C. took D. forgot

3. A. defeated B. spotted C. killed D. disturbed

4. A. dropped B. dried C. kept D. collected

5. A. carefully B. impatiently C. awkwardly D. easily

6. A. water B. cover C. enemy D. help

7. A. bare B. strange C. poor D. dangerous

8. A. dark B. still C. unusual D. clear

9. A. in B. from C. against D. with

10. A. listened B. watched C. stood D. wondered

11. A. stop B. pass C. stay D. work

12. A. near B. beside C. above D. behind

13. A. understood B. hoped C. imagined D. pretended

14. A. wood B. sticks C. weapons D. tools

15. A. struck B. poured C. forced D. laid

16. A. take B. hold C. save D. lose

17. A. at ease B. in surprise C. in fear D. on guard

18. A. risked B. escaped C. survived D. remembered

19. A. expectation B. anger C. reality D. sorrow

20. A. wider B. bigger C. deeper D. narrower