The position of secretary or personal assistant used to be the preserve of women, but now men are making their way in. The change is due partly to the highest rate of graduate unemployment and the growing awareness that salaries for PAs can reach £75,000 a year.
Joshua Watson, 25, has been an executive (行政的) assistant to a female senior director at Barclays for 18 months, having previously worked as a PA. He does not see himself as working in a woman’s role. “I don’t feel that I’m treated any differently just because I’m male,” he said. “I don’t think that is an issue for people from my generation. It’s a good job for me because I am fond of organizing. I have good exposure to see the top people in the company and I want to climb the ladder.”
Recruitment(招聘) consultants are seeing an ever-increasing number of men interested in PA or secretarial posts. “Out of the 1,000 candidates we’ve registered in the past 12 months, around 200 are male,” said David Morel, managing director of Tiger Recruitment. “It is increasing the whole time. Since 2011, the numbers have been doubling each year, and most of them are ambitious graduates.”
Susanna Tait, managing director of Tay Associates, agrees. She said she had seen a “huge” increase in numbers of male applicants. “It’s an obvious career choice for ambitious individuals keen to operate at the centre of the business field.”
Quest Professional, which offers training courses for companies and organizations, said this was the first year that men had attended its executive PA program and that “more and more” men were doing related course.
Top PAs in the City now earn between £35,000 and £75,000, plus benefits—in some cases even more. Morel thinks this is the primary reason why more men are coming into the market.
Barclays encourages male applicants for PA and similar roles. “We will offer everyone—regardless of their gender—the same opportunities to be successful,” said a spokesperson.
1.What’s Joshua Watson’s position at Barclays? (No more than 4 words)
2.What does the underlined phrase “climb the ladder” in Para 2 mean? (No more than 2 words)
3.What does Quest Professional do? (No more than 10 words)
4.As for male PAs, what did Barclays’ spokesperson say? (No more than 12 words)
5.What do you think of men’s new choice and why? (No more than 20 words)
A majority of men are emotionally blocked.
To men it seemed as if their emotional problems were evident at birth. A few weeks ago, I spent an afternoon with a seven-month-old baby boy and his mother. I found myself fascinated by the little boy’s expressiveness. His face was constantly in motion, reflecting everything that was happening in him and to him. A hunger feeling, the comfort of being held, and the fear and relief he felt—all of these sensations and emotions appeared instantly on his face. He didn’t hide his thoughts or feelings.
Most babies are allowed to be free with their emotions until they are around one year old. Then about the time they begin to walk and talk, their parents start to make them repress their feelings. The degree to which parents repress their children varies from household to household. We tend to discourage so-called “negative emotions” such as fear, sadness, and anger. We believe that if we can make our children act happily and well behave, they will become truly happy and well-adjusted adults.
To some degree this management of emotions applies to both sexes. When boys or girls show feelings that their parents think inappropriate or threaten to reveal the abnormal nature of the family, their parents find some way to stop them. Parents do this in a variety of ways. Depending on their parenting styles, they may ignore their children; shame them; educate them; bribe(贿赂) them; distract them; punish them or physically abuse them.
It is rare if a child doesn’t suffer from some form of parental repression. But as a rule, little boys are required to restrict even more of their emotions than little girls. Men in this society are assigned two traditional roles: providing and protecting. In order to fulfill those roles little boys are required to repress more of their emotions. Boys are raised according to a masculine(阳性的) code, a complex set of beliefs that influences how they think, feel and behave. The masculine code is not taught through formal means. Society’s goal is not to cause emotional injury to the boys but to harden them to face the difficulties men have always had to face.
1.The author’s experience about the seven-month-old baby boy shows that ________.
A. people are born to be crazy or frightened
B. people will surely be lonely for all their lives
C. men are emotionally whole when they are born
D. men’s emotional problems are various at birth
2.What is the meaning of the underlined word “repress” in Paragraph 3?
A. Press something for a second time.
B. Make others understand something.
C. Put pressure onto something soft.
D. Try not to show an emotion or a feeling.
3.Which of the following expressions shows how parents bribe a child?
A. “Please stop crying, honey. Do you want a cookie?”
B. “Did that big dog scare you? Look, there’s a cute cat!”
C. “How dare you look at me that way! Go to your room!”
D. “When you cry like that, you sound like your baby sister.”
4.It can be inferred that ________.
A. parental repression on children is common in society
B. parental repression has more effects on girls than on boys
C. the masculine code is meant to cause mental injuries to men
D. the masculine code is rarely educated through informal means
5.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. When boys find it hard to express their feelings.
B. Why boys are used to controlling their emotions.
C. Difficulties men have to face to be successful.
D. Roles men have to play to be competitive.
What will power your house in the future? Nuclear wind or solar power? According to scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) in the US, it might be artificial leaves.
Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis (光合作用). Now researchers have found a way to imitate this process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts(催化剂). Similar to natural leaves, it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell (电池), using those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card, scientists claimed that it is promising to be an inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. “One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology” said an American scientist, Nocera.
An artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf, however, is made of cheap materials, easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies, Nocera showed that an artificial leaf could operate continuously for at least 45 hours.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera’s recent discovery of several powerful new, inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now the new leaf is about 10 times more effective at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides, the device can run in whatever water is available. This is important for some countries that don’t have access to pure water.
Hopefully, each home could have access to the new application in the future.
1.The purpose of this article is to ________.
A. introduce a new kind of device
B. ask people to do the research
C. advertise the new product
D. show the process of photosynthesis
2.Which of the following is NOT the advantages of the new leaf?
A. It’s low in cost.
B. It’s small in size.
C. It has a wonderful fuel cell.
D. It’s convenient for people to use.
3.What conclusion can be drawn from the text?
A. Nocera thought the new leaf is expensive for developing countries.
B. Villages in Africa have benefited a lot from the new invention.
C. Silicon chip can help the new leaf work more effectively.
D. The equipment doesn’t necessarily operate in pure water.
4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the new device?
A. Negative.
B. Optimistic.
C. Doubtful.
D. Uncertain.
5.According to the text, what will take place in the future?
A. Natural leaves will take the place of artificial leaves.
B. Scientists will develop more ways to produce energy.
C. The new invention could be widely used in the future.
D. Developing countries will contribute more to the research.
As a senior high school student, my future is always on my mind. To be exact, thoughts of the future have kept me up countless nights and made me worry enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a source of comfort. Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford’s graduating class in 2005 and his words resound repeatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future.
It started when I became a junior, when college came into view. It’s the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since everything turned out well.
This doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t attend college, but rather that they shouldn’t worry so much. You’ll get where you need to go, even if your path is a bit more winding than you’d like.
Jobs talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got where he was meant to be, which restates the point: don’t panic. One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted the saying “Stay hungry, stay foolish” and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing that you are still a fool, no matter how much you’ve learned or experienced. There is always more to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are still uneducated.
Steve Jobs’ level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the willpower to go into the world living every day like my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, I will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I’ll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom a person could wish for.
1.The author felt worried when ________.
A. he had to take tests at school
B. he had lots of sleepless nights
C. he thought about his future
D. he searched for words of wisdom
2.It is suggested in Paragraphs l and 2 that ________.
A. the author is a college student
B. Steve Jobs’ words had no effect on the author
C. Steve Jobs failed because of his decision
D. the author cares much about his future
3.What did the author gain from Jobs’ speech?
A. Courage to drop out of school.
B. Bravery to face uncertainties.
C. Interest in computer industry.
D. Confidence in defeating Jobs.
4.What did NOT Steve Jobs encourage students to do in his speech?
A. Be content with what they know.
B. Have the desire to learn more.
C. Stay calm in the face of hardships.
D. Be modest so as to learn more.
5.The passage is mainly about ________.
A. an experience of a speech
B. a memorable meeting with Jobs
C. the most impressive quotation in life
D. the wisdom drawn from a speech
Edu-pal.com is an Internet-based school located in Beijing, China. As the business grows, we need professionals and open-minded individuals from the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland who would love to contribute their knowledge, ideas, teaching experience, and creativity to our school.
Experience and Qualifications:
·Online native English speakers from the countries referred to above.
·Below 50 years old.
·Experienced in language teaching.
·CELTA or other TEFL certification or equivalent(同等的) experience is an advantage.
·Being able to speak CHINESE is an advantage.
·Able to teach the following subjects in all different age levels: English, Business English, Math, Science, Social Science, TOEFL, and IELTS.
Duties and Responsibilities for Video Class Recordings:
·The teacher should make a 20-minute video recording per lesson without a student using our materials and software.
·The teacher should make the video recording lessons interesting, lively and fun.
·Teachers should be more creative especially for beginner’s lessons.
Duties and Responsibilities for Online Class:
·Deliver one-on-one or group classes.
·Teachers should make the class lively and interesting.
·Providing feedback(反馈) on every lesson is a part of teachers’ work.
Payment and Benefits:
For VIDEO CLASS RECORDINGS 30-50 USD per hour.
For ONLINE CLASSES 15 USD per hour or 7.5 USD per 30 minutes.
A lot of prizes await you if our students like your videos. You’ll become famous and you can earn much more than you can imagine.
Lesson Schedule:
Mondays-Sundays at 4 pm-11pm(this schedule is flexible)
If you are interested to apply, you can send your resume(简历) with a photo and sample audio or video recorded class to my email address: 341317451@qq.com or 2564610797@qq.com. For more information about our company, you can also visit our website http://www. edu-pal.com.
1.The teachers will mainly come from ________.
A. Europe and Africa
B. developed countries
C. English-speaking countries
D. countries where English is studied
2.Who will be at an advantage among equivalent applicants?
A. Those whose age is below 50.
B. Those who can speak Chinese.
C. He or she that has teaching experience.
D. Those whose mother tongue is English.
3.If you are admitted as an online class teacher you should ________.
A. make your every lesson creative and interesting
B. make a 20-minute video recording every day alone
C. make video recordings per lesson with your students
D. provide feedback on every lesson
4.If a teacher teaches online classes three hours a day he will get ________.
A. 22.5 dollars
B. 45 dollars
C. 90 dollars
D. 150 dollars
5.We can learn from this passage that ________.
A. if a teacher has achievements he’ll get much more pay
B. the teacher must have CELTA or other TEFL certification
C. the teachers have classes every afternoon from Monday to Friday
D. resumes are sent to the website http://www. edu-pal.com
When I was eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get my first job, which meant I made the first step toward adulthood.
But it was difficult to get a work permit. One day I was dropped off by my parents at the _________, where applicants took their physical tests for work permits. Although I had night blindness, my vision was clearer during the day, which helped me walk _________ by myself. Then the doctor began the _________. He looked into my eyes with a bright light. “I suggest your parents take you to an eye specialist,” he said, “I _________ you have a retinal(视网膜) disease. If you do, you’ll never _________ a day in your life…”
My parents did take me to specialists. After much time and money spent seeking an _________ result, it was determined that I had an eye disease that slowly _______ a person of sight. But still, during daylight, I could walk without _________. I could read, but not for hours. My eyes began to tear and words slipped off the page when I read more than a few pages. However, no matter how _________ my eyes became, I never gave up reading. I knew the __________ of great writers as well as the most popular music stars. Their words were powerful, which ________ me to try writing. Soon writing brought me a lot of __________ each time I completed a paper.
Then an important phone call from an editor changed my life. An article I __________ appeared in a local newspaper. The newspaper, to my __________, continued to print my work. Next, a book series published several of my essays. I got interested in writing and __________ up with each acceptance. On the pages, readers never knew of my blindness __________ I chose to present it. For me, finding my voice through writing gave me the pride and satisfaction I began to __________ so many years ago. Now, I have numerous essays and articles in __________.
Should I be thanking that misguided doctor? By falsely predicting that I could never work a day, he fueled my __________ into success. He set the bar too __________ and focused on what I wouldn’t be able to do. Yet I proved what I could do.
1.A. station B. clinic C. company D. lab
2.A. silently B. suddenly C. proudly D. easily
3.A. operation B. examination C. argument D. treatment
4.A. suspect B. order C. suggest D. command
5.A. rest B. live C. work D. sleep
6.A. urgent B. obvious C. ordinary D. accurate
7.A. robs B. warns C. reminds D. informs
8.A. medicine B. allowance C. balance D. assistance
9.A. excited B. confused C. tired D. moved
10.A. houses B. names C. addresses D. habits
11.A. asked B. forced C. encouraged D. permitted
12.A. trouble B. pleasure C. stress D. worry
13.A. admitted B. wanted C. described D. penned
14.A. delight B. admiration C. disappointment D. shame
15.A. gave B. came C. lit D. put
16.A. unless B. although C. since D. after
17.A. fear B. bring C. seek D. reject
18.A. print B. time C. use D. mind
19.A. imagination B. motivation C. responsibility D. personality
20.A. far B. long C. close D. low
