Across Britain, burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers. But, according to a new study, we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year.
Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work. Now, the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labours, they would earn as much as￡172,000 a year.
The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do, as well as the hours they are working, to determine the figure. This would make their yearly income ￡30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns.
By analysing the numbers, it found the average mother works 119 hours a week, 40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate and 79 hours as overtime. After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18, it found that, on most days, mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm.
To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labour, it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on, including housekeeper, part-time lawyer, personal trainer and entertainer. Being a part-time lawyer, at ￡48.98 an hour, would prove to be the most profitable of the “mum jibs”, with psychologist(心理学家) a close second.
It also asked mothers about the challenges they face, with 80 percent making emotional(情感的) demand as the hardest thing about motherhood.
Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends.
The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother’s Day. The emotional, physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending, but children are also sources of great joy and happiness. Investing(投入) in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent.
1.How much would a mother earn a year if working as the Prime Minister?
A.￡30,000. B.￡142,000.
C.￡172,000. D.￡202,000.
2.The biggest challenge for most mothers is from .
A. emotional demand B. low pay for work
C. heavy workload D. lack of training
3. What is stressed in the last paragraph?
A. Mothers’ importance shows in family all year long.
B. The sacrifices mothers make are huge but worthwhile.
C. Mothers’ devotion to children can hardly be calculated.
D. Investing time in parenting would bring a financial return.
4. What can we conclude from the study?
A. Mothers’ working hours should be largely reduced.
B. Mothers should balance their time for work and rest.
C. Mothers’ labour is of a higher value than it is realized.
D. Mothers should be freed from housework for social life.
In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics(策略).
One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food(垃圾食品) later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics(化妆品) section: while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.
Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.
When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.
1. Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?
A. To save customers times.
B. To show they are high quality foods.
C. To help sell junk food.
D. To sell them at discount prices.
2.According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?
A. Opening the store early in the morning.
B. Displaying British wines next to French ones.
C. Inviting customers to play music.
D. Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.
3. What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?
A. The house structure is a key factor customers consider.
B. The more costly the house is, the better it sells.
C. An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste.
D. A good first impression increases sales.
4. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.
B. To introduce how businesses have grown from the past.
C. To report researches on customer behavior.
D. To show dishonest business practices
Do you want to get home from work knowing you have made a real difference in someone’s life?
If yes, don’t care about sex or age! Come and join us, then you’ll make it!
Position: Volunteer Social Care Assistant
(No Pay with Free Meals)
Place: Manchester
Hours: Part Time
We are now looking for volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to live active lives! Only 4 days left. Don’t miss the chance of lending your warm hands to help others!
Role:
You will provide people with learning disabilities with all aspects of their daily lives. You will help them to develop new skills. You will help them to protect their rights and their safety. But your primary concern is to let them know they are valued.
Skills and Experience Required:
You will have the right values and great listening skills. You will be honest and patient. You will have the ability to drive a car and to communicate in fluent written and spoken English since you’ll have to help those people with different learning disabilities. Previous care-related experience will be a great advantage for you.
1.The text is meant to ________
A. leave a note B. send an invitation
C. present a document D. carry an advertisement
2.What does the underlined part mean?
A. You’ll make others’ lives more meaningful with this job.
B. You’ll arrive home just in time from this job.
C. You’ll earn a good salary from this job.
D. You’ll succeed in getting this job.
3.The volunteers’ primary responsibility is to help people with learning disabilities ________.
A. to get some financial support
B. to properly protect themselves
C. to learn some new living skills
D. to realize their own importance
4. Which of the following can first be chosen as a volunteer?
A. The one who can drive a car.
B. The one who has done similar work before.
C. The one who has patience to listen to others.
D. The one who can use English to communicate.
书面表达
下列表格为某市2005年与2015年人们度假方式的情况比较，请按表格内容写一篇120词左右的短文，并对度假方式变化原因加以简要评析。
年度 | 2005 | 2015 | 原因 |
境外旅游 | 11% | 22% | 收入增加 |
海边度假 | 38% | 31% | 海水污染 |
爬山野营 | 11% | 34% | 回归自然 |
注意：1.词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
The way people spend their holidays changed a lot from 2005 to 2015.
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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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，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。
Sailor Gutzler was only survivor in a plane crash that killed her family in Eddyville, Kentucky in January 3, 2015. It was reported that the 7yearold girl has walked about a mile through the cold, dark wood, wearing a short-sleeve shirt, shorts and no shoes in the freezing wind. Bleeding and frightened, she was walking alone while she saw a light in the distance, it led her to Larry Wilkins' home. She was knocked on the door. Wilkins, 71, answered to find a thin, black-haired girl weeping and trembling. Eventual, with the assistance of the old man, she called the police for help. However, the brave girl helped the investigators locate the crashing plane in the right direction.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Father’s day is a day 1. (celebrate) the love of a father. Celebrated 2. the third Sunday of June, this day holds a special 3. (important) in all your lives. Only rarely 4. (you get)a chance to go out of your way and do something special for that one tough guy 5. protects you all the time. This day gives you 6. appreciate reason to do something for your father to show how much you love him. But 7. (find) a gift for a man who has everything can be a bit difficult.
However, free printable colouring pages for Father’s Day are truly a unique gift 8. you want to say thank you to him. 9. only does it add a personal touch, but also gives you a chance to leave your own message. You 10. easily turn these colouring pages into posters, greeting cards, or simply a drawing that your father can put up on his office board.
