Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don't have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.
Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2,159 hours a year. That means(意味着) a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.
Why do people work so many hours? Some people work extra hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies(公司) don't pay overtime(加班工资). Their workers don't get more money for more work. Some people think it's their duty(职责) to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don't work more hours.
Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than(少于) half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull (迟钝的) boy." If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.
1.A Japanese worker works ________ more hours a year than a French one.
A. 513 B. 1,646 C. 2,159 D. 3,805
2.The word "extra" in Paragraph 3 means _________.
A. 正常的 B. 额外的 C. 有用的 D. 少量的
3.People in ________ get only two weeks of paid vacation a year.
A. France B. Germany C. the United States D. Great Britain
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. No companies offer(提供) vacations to their workers.
B. Many people say they have enough time to relax.
C. Not all workers can get more money for more work.
D. More than half of workers use all their vacation days.
5.What can we infer(推断) from the passage?
A. Workers in the United States get the longest paid vacation.
B. Many people have vacations long enough.
C. Work hours are the same around the world.
D. There are a lot of dull people in the world.
It was Jimmy's birthday, and he was five years old. He got quite a lot of nice birthday presents from his family, and one of them was a beautiful big drum(鼓).
"Who gave him that thing?" Jimmy's father said when he saw it. "His grandfather did," answered Jimmy's mother. "Oh," said his father. Of course , Jimmy liked his drum very much. He made a terrible noise(噪音) with it, but his father did not mind(介意). His father was working during the day, and Jimmy was in bed when he got home in the evening, so he did not hear the noise.
But one of the neighbors(邻居) did not like the noise at all , so a few days later, she took a sharp(锋利的) knife and went to Jimmy's house while Jimmy was hitting(击打) his drum. She said to him, "Hello, Jimmy. Do you know, there's something very nice inside your drum. Here's a knife. Open the drum and let's find it. "
1.Jimmy got quite a lot of nice presents from his ________ .
A. classmates B. friends C. teachers D. family
2.Who gave Jimmy the drum? ________ .
A. His father B. His mother C. His neighbor D. His grandfather
3.Why did Jimmy's father not stop him making a noise with the drum? Because________.
A. He liked Jimmy very much B. he didn't mind it.
C. Jimmy was in bed D. Jimmy only played in the evening
4.One of the neighbors ________ .
A. liked Jimmy very much.
B. enjoyed listening to the sound of the drum.
C. wanted to show Jimmy a sharp knife.
D. didn't like the noise at all.
5.What did Jimmy's neighbor really want him to do? To ______.
A. stop him making noises
B. make a noise on his drum with a knife
C. show him how to hit the drum
D. find something nice in his drum
Imagine this: your parents go away on business, but you have to stay at home alone(独自地). Would life be as easy as when your parents are ____? Would it be a perfect(完美的) holiday for you?
Zheng Chenyu says that she would _____ “Where can I find food? How can I cook it?” The 14-year-old girl says that she knows ____ about cooking.
“I can have tomato and egg soup(汤), but that’s all. I think many of my classmates are the same. We don’t know what to do, or how to ____ ourselves,” said Zheng. “And I may(可能) forget something important. I may probably ______ television and then burn(煮干) the soup.”
_____ Zheng believes that basic life skills(生活技能), such as cooking and washing clothes, are especially important, she doesn’t think teenagers get enough practice.
“As soon as I leave home, I’ll learn to cook. But now parents do almost ______ for us. We’re very lazy,” she said.
Most teenagers only have time for their ______. They don’t learn any life skills until they go to college(大学).
However, Sima Yige doesn’t think so.
“I think I’d be all right. I wouldn’t just eat sandwiches or fruit. I know how to cook some ______ dishes because my mum showed me,” the 13-year-old boy said. In his opinion, many teenagers depend(依靠) too much on their parents, and there is much more to learn than cooking, like “______ up your room or even dressing yourself properly”.
For most teenagers it wouldn’t be a holiday at all.
1.A. at B. out C. in D. around
2.A. think B. feel C. worry D. say
3.A. little B. a little C. few D. a few
4.A. look after B. look at C. look for D. look out
5.A. see B. watch C. look D. listen
6.A. Although B. However C. Because D. So
7.A. none B. something C. nothing D. everything
8.A. housework B. school C. homework D. life
9.A. nice B. important C. difficult D. easy
10.A. tidying B. to tidy C. tidy D. tidied
---How is it going?
---_______. I can’t find my English book.
A. Great B. Not bad C. Terrible D. Pretty good
It is hot outside. You can________ your coat.
A. take off B. put off C. put on D. take on
---________?
---He is quiet and doesn’t like talking much.
A. What would he like? B. What does he look like?
C. What’s he like? D. What does he like?
