The worst time to look for a job is when you must have a new one immediately. 1.If you are not in need of an immediate career change, here are ways you can improve your long-term career prospects （前景）today:
2.You do not have to be qualified for these positions today, nor do they have to exist in your company. However, these roles should be related to your current skill set. They are career options that look interesting. Once you have a couple of targets, think about why and what interests you. Pay close attention to what appeals to you, and write it down.
Subscribe to a career specific magazine. All businesses must stay relevant to their customers in order to win the competitions and increase revenue（收益）.3. This information allows you to see which companies and professionals are leading the peck.
Be professionally curious. Talk to people about their careers. Learn more about how success is measured in other roles, departments and companies. 4.You never know what connections may be relevant when you start your next job search, so develop a habit of making good connections no matter where you go.
As in all things in life, getting in front of a difficult task early is always less stressful than reacting to a career surprise. 5.No matter how secure you feel today, the time will come when either you or your employer decide it is time to change.
A.Challenge yourself to expand your business knowledge through interactions with people at regular time.
B.Follow examples in your own workplace.
C.Changing jobs is to be expected.
D.Identify at least two different roles.
E.Reading about industry trends, advancements and success stories keeps you in touch with market conditions.
F.Choose jobs according to your strong points.
G.Job Searching under pressure often results in nervous interviewing and decision-making from relatively few options.
Mark felt that it was time for him to take part in his community, so he went to the neighborhood meeting after work. The area city council (委员会) woman was leading a discussion about how the quality of life was decreasing. The neighborhood faced many problems. Mark looked at the charts taped to the walls. There were charts for parking problems, crime, and for problems in vacant buildings. Mark read from the charts, “Police patrols(巡逻) cut back, illegal parking up 20%”. People were supposed to suggest solutions to the councilwoman. It was too much for Mark. "The problems are too big," he thought. He turned to the man next to him and said, "I think this is a waste of my time. Nothing I could do would make a difference here."
As he neared the bus stop on his way home, Mark saw a woman carrying a grocery bag and a baby. As Mark got closer, her other child, a little boy, suddenly dashed into the street. The woman tried to reach for him, but as she moved, her bag shifted (滑落), and groceries started to fall out. Mark ran to take the boy's arm and led him back to his mother. Then he picked up the groceries while the woman smiled in relief. "Thanks!" she said. "You've got great timing!" "Just being neighborly," Mark said. As he rode home, he glanced at the walls of the bus. On one of them was “Small acts of kindness add up.”, Mark smiled and thought, "Maybe that's a good place to start."
1.Why did Mark go to the neighborhood meeting?
A. To join in the neighborhood patrols.
B. To do something for his community.
C. To voice his complaints to the city council.
D. To collect suggestions for the community problems.
2.What was being discussed when Mark arrived at the neighborhood meeting?
A. The worsening in the quality of life.
B. The increase of police patrols at night.
C. The rebuilding of vacant buildings.
D. The violation(违反) of community regulations.
3.What did Mark think of the community’s problems?
A. They may take a long time to be solved.
B. They need to be solved with the assistance from the city.
C. They have to be dealt with one by one.
D. They are too big for single efforts.
4.Why did Mark smile on his ride home?
A. He had got some groceries at a big discount.
B. He had read a funny poster near his seat.
C. He had done a small deed of kindness.
D. He had caught the bus just in time.
What Does the Length of Your Fingers Say About You? Are you the peace-loving type or the ambitious go-getter?
Your finger length might be a clue. Take a look at your fingers. Would you believe me if I told you that the length of your fingers in relation to one another can predict your personality? I know that it sounds like one of those silly tests you see on Facebook, but I have to admit that it is exactly correct for me. Here’s how it works.
Look at your three middle fingers of your hand. Is your index finger longer than your ring finger? Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or are the two of the same length? Find the situation that best matches your hand and see if what follows is an accurate description of your personality.
Longer ring finger: The Sweet Talker
If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, research shows that you’re likely a charming type, and you can probably talk yourself out of any situation. Others often find this personality type irresistible and will go to great lengths to help you. You’re more likely to take risks, and you’re good at problem-solving. People in this category make great engineers, soldiers and crossword-puzzle solvers.
Longer index finger: The (Over) Confident One
If your index finger is longer than your ring finger, chances are you are full of confidence—possibly even to the point of being over-confident and proud. You are not necessarily introverted (内向的), but you do enjoy time to yourself, especially when you’re trying to complete a project. You are a dream pursuer who can make things happen, but you may be shy when it comes to taking the first step in a relationship. You are also probably happy with what you have, but you’re always wishing for more.
Index and ring finger are of the same length: The Peacemaker
If your index finger and ring finger are roughly of the same length, you are likely to avoid conflict at all costs and seek to keep the peace in your relationships. You are well-organized, faithful and sympathetic. But deep down under all of that caring and peace-loving, you also have a hot-tempered side that can appear unexpectedly when you’re pushed too far. You will try your hardest to avoid a fight.
How well do these descriptions match your personality? I was surprised at the accuracy in my case, but I’m not going to tell you which one it was!
1.Which of the following hand could be an engineer’s hand?
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
2.We can learn from the passage that the author ______.
A. is very charming and helpful
B. always tries hard to avoid a fight
C. often takes silly tests on Facebook
D. thinks the descriptions suit him well
3.What does the passage intend to tell us?
A. How accurate the description of the test is.
B. The length of fingers can reveal personality.
C. Why your fingers are not of the same length.
D. Personality is determined by your finger length.
4.Where can you probably find the text?
A. A popular magazine.
B. An official report.
C. A public advertisement.
D. A biology textbook.
When I walked into the house after school, I found my dad at home.
"What are you doing home already?" I asked casually.
"Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?"
Then I noticed his expression and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. He was home all day, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. He asked my brother and me to spend less money. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he devoted to it.
One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere（打扰，妨碍） with school," he said, which sounded like a yes.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really influenced me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plans, ask for help, and take risks.
1.When the father was laid off, he ________.
A. was angry with his boss
B. didn't care about it at all
C. couldn't accept the fact easily
D. was as happy as usual
2.We can know from the passage that ________.
A. it was not easy for the father to find a new job
B. the father asked his sons to give up their allowance
C. the father found a good job when he changed his direction
D. Andrew and his brother helped his father set up his business
3.The underlined word "adversity" in the last paragraph probably means .
A. poor feelings
B. bad situations
C. low spirits
D. old ideas
4.What has Andrew learned from his father?
A. The spirit of creative problem-solving.
B. The skills of surfing the Internet.
C. The experience of saving money.
D. The rich business skills.
You're riding in the car on this family vacation. Suddenly your dad slows down. And you may see the following：
1. Bubblegum Alley
San Luis Obispo, California
Some call it art; others call it just plain gross. Bubblegum Alley is covered from top to bottom with wads of chewed gum, a tradition that was started mysteriously by locals in the 1950s. Some artists even created images of funny faces and the American flag.
2. Blue Whale
Catoosa, Oklahoma
Not ready to dive the depths of the ocean to see a blue whale? No problem. Just visit this 80-foot-long cement beast, which even has a slide and diving board so visitors can take a dip in the pond. When the artist died, the whale fell into disrepair. Neighbors couldn't stand to see the grinning whale fall apart, so they fixed it and now keep it bright with gallons of blue paint.
3. Lonesome Legs
Amarillo, Texas
Just what are these large legs doing in a cow pasture? According to artist Lightnin' McDuff, they represent a poem about a traveler who finds a bodiless statue of an Egyptian pharaoh (法老) called Ozymandias. Using concrete over a steel frame, McDuff constructed the legs to appear as if they were made of weathered sandstone. And the socks? A prankster (恶作剧的人) keeps adding them—even though McDuff always removes the unwanted addition.
4. Giant Penguin
Cut Bank, Montana
Bundle up (使……穿暖)when you visit this statue, because temperatures here can get as low as 47 degrees below zero. As a nod to the frosty conditions, a local businessman built the 27-foot-tall penguin out of 10,000 pounds of concrete. The creator left for warmer weather, but the statue—7 times the height of a real emperor penguin—still stands, welcoming visitors to its chilly home.
1.What led to the formation of the Bubblegum Alley?
A. Artists made it by creating images of funny faces and the American flag.
B. It’s covered with pieces of chewed gum.
C. It spread for some unknown reason.
D. Artists guided this trend.
2.The following are descriptions about these sites, which is TRUE?
①The Blue Whale has been ruined.
②Visitors can entertain in the whale.
③The socks were added by the designer.
④The legs were made of weathered sandstone.
⑤The penguin is located in a very cold area.
⑥The statue of penguin is 6 times higher than a real emperor penguin.
A. ①②③
B. ④⑤⑥
C. ①④⑤
D. ②⑤⑥
3.What impression of these sites does the author give you?
A. Funny.
B. Strange.
C. Amazing.
D. Usual.
随着智能手机的普及，“低头族”也越来越多。假定你是李华，请根据以下要点提示，用英语给某编辑部写一封读者来信，以引起社会各界对此的广泛关注
1. 描述这一现象；2. 分析其原因及弊端；3. 你认为该如何改变现状。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 但可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；3. 开头和结尾已给出，不记入总词数。
参考词汇：低头族phubbing 现象：phenomenon
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
