Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes-khaki pants and sports shirt to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
1.David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because _______.
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _______.
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
3.According to this passage, which of the following statements is false?
A. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
B. Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D. All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear.
4.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned in the passage except _______.
A. saving employees’ money
B. making employees more attractive
C. improving employees’ motivation
D. making employees happier
Wanted, Someone for a Kiss
We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programs. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100.
Father Christmas
We're looking for a very special person, preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10∶30－16∶00.
Excellent pay.
Please contact (联系) the Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 2445 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.
1.Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station?
A．Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100.
B．Mrs Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.
C．The Enterprise Shopping Centre.
D．Wealden District Council.
2.We learn from the ads that the Enterprise Shopping Centre needs a person who________.
A．is aged between 24 and 40
B．may do some training work
C．should deal with general duties
D．can work for about a month
3.Which position is open to recent school graduates?
A．Producer, London Kiss.
B．Father Christmas.
C．Accountants Assistant.
D．Software Trainer.
4.What kind of person would probably apply to Palmlace Limited?
A．One with GCSE grade C level.
B．One with some office experience.
C．One having good computer knowledge.
D．One trained in producing music programs.
Wheels are everywhere around you and me, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know, however, that they existed over 5,500 years ago in ancient Asia.
The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5,100 years old. Evidence suggests that wheels for transport didn’t become popular for a while, though. This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carrying farming tools and humans around.
But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.
In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs(the central part of a wheel)came into being, followed by the pneumatic tire (充气轮胎) in 1846. Alloy wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(柏油路). As wheel design took off, vehicles go faster and faster.
1.What might be the reason why transport wheels wasn’t that popular for some time?
A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.
B. Humans carried farming tools just as well.
C. Such animals as horses and bulls were still a good means of transport.
D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.
2.How is the last paragraph mainly developed?
A. By giving examples.
B. By following time order
C. By making comparisons.
D. By making classifications.
3.What is the passage mainly about?
A. The beginning of road design.
B. The history of public transport.
C. The developmentt of transport wheels.
D. The invention of fast-moving vehicles.
On the night of November 14, 1978, a six-year-old Korean boy was flying to the United States. All he knew was that he was on a plane heading for somewhere. The plane landed at Kennedy International Airport, where he was greeted by a family. This young boy was me.
I have grown up in a town where there were few Asians, so I stuck out in the crowd. I made friends quickly and they treated me just like anyone else. You may ask if anyone made fun of my appearance. Well, of course, I met that kind of person. I just shrugged it off.
As an adopted child, I have something that others don't have. I have had the benefit of two families. I'm lucky to have got a chance to start a new life. But we must try never to forget our past. Someday I will go back to Korea to find out what kind of culture I left behind.
There is only one thing that I regret about being adopted. When I argue with my parents and they realize they are losing the argument, they sometimes wonder what I would be doing if I were back in Korea. I don't understand this because I thought the purpose of adopting someone was to give them a better chance of growing up in a family. Some day when I am older, I want to adopt a girl and raise her the way my parents have raised me, but I would do it better, for I know what went well and what did not.
1.We learn that when the writer was on the way to his new family, ______.
A. he was with his own parents
B. he was very happy and excited
C. he was about ten years old then
D. he didn't know he was going to be adopted
2.If someone sticks out in the crowd, it means that he/she_______.
A. is very good-looking
B. is very kind-hearted
C. is easily noticed by others
D. is disliked by others
3.When the writer was made fun of by others, he _______.
A. was deeply hurt
B. wanted to go back to Korea
C. didn’t care about it that much
D. tried to make friends with them
4.What does the writer want to do when he is older?
A Go back to live with his parents in Korea.
B. Tell his parents what they have done wrong.
C. Find out how to raise children in a better way.
D. Adopt a girl and raise her in a good way.
书面表达
假定你是李华。应英国朋友Bob的要求，写一封短信介绍你校图书馆的基本情况。内容须包括下面两幅图中的相关信息。
注意：1.词数100左右;
2.可以适当增减细节，以使行文连贯;
3.开头语已为你写好。
Dec. 10
Dear Bob,
Thank you for your last letter asking about our library.
Best wishes,
Li Hua
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误, 每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加: 把缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧), 并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除: 把多余的词用斜线(\)画掉。
修改: 在错的词下画一横线, 并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意: 1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处, 多者(从第11处起)不计分。
When I was at middle school, I have a nice classmate, which was the first foreigner I had ever met. She was friendly and very pretty. She was good in three languages, so she was born in China. It was interesting that her father was a Frenchman while her mother came from England. All of them were teaching at a university at that time. She was crazy about collect stamps, listening to pop music, as well as playing the football. Her dream was to be a engineer, so she usually studied harder to achieve it. She often told funny stories in English to make us laughing. We all liked her.
