What does the author most probably do ...

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashion to change Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climate, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats. More American men have followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashions of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater, and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a nightclub. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either.Fashion magazines and TV advertisements seem to link fashion to _____.

A．confidence in life
B．social relationship
C．success in career
D．personal future

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works. Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options. The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints. The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas. But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise. I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.In the recent public meeting in Brisbane, people showed greatest dissatisfaction with _____.

A．the technical flaws of the air conditioners
B．the poor noise barriers around major roads
C．the inefficient system for noise complaints
D．the late working time of the building sites

单项选择题

Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can’t wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you’ve been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren’t turning out as you’d planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can’t afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he’s captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You’re not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren’t. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need.What do we most likely want during a long vacation, according to the author

A．To extend the vacation as long as possible.
B．To gain a balance between work and play.
C．To go back to work as soon as possible.
D．To relax completely, free from worry.

单项选择题

German Chancellor(首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy(遗产)includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.The world’s first workers’ compensation law was introduced by Bismarck______.

A．to make industrial production safer
B．to speed up the pace of industrialization
C．out of religious and political considerations
D．for fear of losing the support of the socialist labor movement

单项选择题

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works. Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options. The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints. The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas. But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise. I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.By saying that the complainants feel that "they are getting the run-round", the author means _____.

A．the complainants are unfairly treated by the government departments
B．the government departments seldom respond to the complaints
C．it is inexplicit which department is responsible for the complaints
D．complaints will be treated only after being approved by all three departments

单项选择题

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashion to change Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climate, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats. More American men have followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashions of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater, and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a nightclub. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either.Kennedy’s example is used to illustrate_____.

A．the change in fashion
B．a cause of fashion change
C．the celebrities’ influence on economy
D．the application of fashion to more than dress

单项选择题

Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can’t wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you’ve been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren’t turning out as you’d planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can’t afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he’s captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You’re not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren’t. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need.It is indicated in the passage that most people dislike their jobs because _____.

A．going to work is wasting their time
B．they can’t feel fulfilled in their jobs
C．they are confined to the jobs tightly
D．pay seldom corresponds with work

单项选择题

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works. Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options. The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints. The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas. But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise. I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.Which of the following measures is mentioned as not only beneficial environmentally but also economically

A．Enforcing stricter noise control on electrical apparatus.
B．Prohibiting heavy traffic from entering residential areas.
C．Launching a 24-hour noise hotline.
D．Increasing the charges for road use.

单项选择题

German Chancellor(首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy(遗产)includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.We learn from the passage that the process of industrialization in Europe _____.

A．was accompanied by an increased number of workshop accidents
B．resulted in the development of popular social insurance programs
C．required workers to be aware of the potential dangers at the workplace
D．met growing resistance from laborers working at machines

单项选择题

Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can’t wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you’ve been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren’t turning out as you’d planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can’t afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he’s captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You’re not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren’t. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need.When one considers changing job, the biggest difficulty is______.

A．leaving a company and a good boss
B．reducing the family burden
C．giving up a stable income
D．drawing up a better plan for the future

单项选择题

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashion to change Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climate, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats. More American men have followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashions of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater, and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a nightclub. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either.Present-day society is much freer and easier because it emphasizes_____.

A．practicality
B．efficiency
C．informality
D．individuality

单项选择题

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works. Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options. The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints. The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas. But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise. I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.What was the author’s attitude towards the industry awards for quieter equipment

A．Skeptical.
B．Disappointed.
C．Concerned.
D．Optimistic.

单项选择题

German Chancellor(首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy(遗产)includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.One of the problems the American injured workers faced in getting compensation in the early 19th century was that _____.

A．they had to have the courage to sue for damages in a court of law
B．different states in the U.S. had totally different compensation programs
C．America’s average compensation benefit was much lower than the cost of living
D．they had to produce evidence that their employers were responsible for the accident

单项选择题

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashion to change Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climate, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats. More American men have followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashions of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater, and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a nightclub. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either.The popularity of jeans and "untidy" look is possibly due to that they _____.

A．highlight one’s personality
B．are suitable for various social situations
C．have the advantages of being convenient and practical
D．are not as expensive as clothing produced by top fashion houses

单项选择题

Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can’t wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you’ve been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren’t turning out as you’d planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can’t afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he’s captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You’re not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren’t. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need.The author suggests that, by having a "cyanide capsule" at work, one will _____.

A．find a satisfactory job soon
B．be as brave as the hero in spy movies
C．be more tolerant with the present job
D．have the courage to give up the unbearable job

单项选择题

People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works. Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another—traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options. The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour, noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints. The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy—and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer(缓冲)zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas. But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don’t want the problem of road noise. I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.The passage points out daylight saving could be adopted in order to _____.

A．prolong the daytime
B．advance the working time
C．shorten the working time
D．save time and energy

单项选择题

Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can’t wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you’ve been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren’t turning out as you’d planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can’t afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he’s captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You’re not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren’t. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need.You will change your attitude towards your job when _____.

A．you are provided with the chance to choose
B．you are responsible for your present job
C．you get ready your up-to-date resume
D．you get what you need from your job

单项选择题

How we look and how we appear to others probably worries us more when we are in our teens or early twenties than at any other time in our life. Few of us are content to accept ourselves as we are, and few are brave enough to ignore the trends of fashion. Most fashion magazines or TV advertisements try to persuade us that we should dress in a certain way or behave in a certain manner. If we do, they tell us, we will be able to meet new people with confidence and deal with every situation confidently and without embarrassment. Changing fashion, of course, does not apply just to dress. A barber today does not cut a boy’s hair in the same way as he used to, and girls do not make up in the same way as their mothers and grandmothers did. The advertisers show us the latest fashionable styles and we are constantly under pressure to follow the fashion in case our friends think we are odd or dull. What causes fashion to change Sometimes convenience or practical necessity or just the fancy of an influential person can establish a fashion. Take hats for example. In cold climate, early buildings were cold inside, so people wore hats indoors as well as outside. In recent times, the late President Kennedy caused a depression in the American hat industry by not wearing hats. More American men have followed his example. There is also a cyclical pattern in fashion. In the 1920s in Europe and America, short skirts became fashionable. After World War Two, they dropped to ankle length. Then they got shorter and shorter until the miniskirt was in fashion. After a few more years, skirts became longer again. Today, society is much freer and easier than it used to be. It is no longer necessary to dress like everyone else. Within reason, you can dress as you like or do your hair the way you like instead of the way you should because it is the fashion. The popularity of jeans and the "untidy" look seems to be a reaction against the increasingly expensive fashions of the top fashion houses. At the same time, appearance is still important in certain circumstances and then we must choose our clothes carefully. It would be foolish to go to an interview for a job in a law firm wearing jeans and a sweater, and it would be discourteous to visit some distinguished scholar looking as if we were going to the beach or a nightclub. However, you need never feel depressed if you don’t look like the latest fashion photo. Look around you and you’ll see that no one else does either.What does the author most probably do with the latest fashion

A．The author may be brave enough to ignore the latest fashion.
B．The author may follow the latest fashion most faithfully.
C．The author may take jeans and "untidy" look as the latest fashion.
D．The author may find the latest fashion increasingly expensive.

单项选择题

German Chancellor(首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy(遗产)includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.After 1972 workers’ compensation insurance in the U.S. became more favorable to workers so that_____.

A．the poverty level for a family of four went up drastically
B．there were fewer legal barriers when they filed for claims
C．the number of workers suing for damages increased
D．more money was allocated to their compensation system

单项选择题

German Chancellor(首相)Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic talent, but his legacy(遗产)includes many of today’s social insurance programs. During the middle of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian compassion(怜悯)for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to undercut the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world’s first workers’ compensation law in 1884. By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers’ compensation insurance. America’s injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers’ compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation. After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers’ compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states’ average weekly wages. In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states’ average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 percent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers’ compensation system, it’s not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie.The author ends the passage with the implication that_____.

A．compensation benefits in America are soaring to new heights
B．the workers are not the only ones to benefit from the compensation system
C．people from all walks of life can benefit from the compensation system
D．money floating in the compensation system is a huge drain on the U.S. economy

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