According to a study conducted in 2010, about 39 % companies had blocked employee access to Facebook. They think some employees spend their entire day sitting glued to Facebook, updating and commenting, which has a negative effect on their work. 1. Some reasons are listed why employees should be allowed access to Facebook.
2. Employees may be working hard to find a particular solution, but cannot come up with anything. Browsing through Facebook can help them gel inspired to find solutions in a different way and be successful at it.
Blocking access to Facebook means that the employer doesn’t trust the employees. People are dissatisfied with the company if they’re not allowed access to Facebook. 3. Therefore, allowing access to Facebook means that the employees are given a certain amount of freedom.
Today many companies have pages on Facebook which they use for spreading news and something about products. If Facebook pages arc blocked in an office, how will employees like or share something from the company page? Employees can also interact with each other through Facebook. It creates a sense of bonding and they get along well with each other. 4. Many talented professionals don’t like to join places where Facebook is blocked, and thus companies may lose talented employees.
As far as I’m concerned, whether an organization should ban Facebook depends largely on factors like its culture, type of work, Internet policy, business goals, etc. As far as the employees are concerned, most of them will be in support of allowing access to Facebook. 5..
A. However, their banning isn’t widely accepted.
B. People hold different attitudes towards Facebook now.
C. People who have special skills are interested in Facebook.
D. Keeping in touch through it helps in improving their relations.
E. So the company should take the employees, interest into account.
F. In order to keep people active, essential that they are kept happy.
G. Firm, they think it’s necessary to take a break after working for hours.
Are you always disturbed by the noise made by your coworkers while you’re working hard at your task? What kind of feelings will you have on hearing such kind noise? Have you ever got an idea that a certain helmet will help you out of the trouble no you can focus on your work at the office? Now, you needn’t worry for the “Helmfon” will help you ignore noisy co-workers and other distractions.
Created by Ukrainian design company Hochu Rayu, the Helmfon is a big helmet that uses special equipment to absorb the sound so as to completely block out any outside noise, giving the wearer their own quiet personal space so they can better focus their attention on their work. Made of a glass fiber shell, cloth and polyethylene（聚乙烯）, the helmet not only blocks outside sound, but it also keeps the noise you make in, allowing you to answer calls, hold Skype conferences, watch or edit videos, privately.
The company came up with the idea for the Helmfon after being asked to design a new phone booth for an IT company. The project made the team think about the way we communicate and finally begin work on a device that would allow you to be in two worlds just sitting on your chair in the office, in a meeting, or everywhere you feel like just wearing your helmet.
The Helmfon comes complete with a system board, microphone, speakers, and a special holder for your phone. The only trouble is that it makes you look like a character from Mel Brooks famous movie Spaceballs, but the company also made public a variety of great choices, including Bat man-inspired design, and even a Native American headgear.
The Helmfon is still in prototype（维形）stage, but the Ukrainian company is already working on a commercially available design and plans to offer the design for sale. A release date has not yet been made public.
1.What is the function of the Helmfon?
A. Protecting the wearers’ safety. B. Keeping others talking secretly.
C. Helping the wearers talk secretly. D. Giving the wearers quiet space.
2.What do the underlined words “The project” refer to?
A. Designing a new phone booth. B. Inventing a helmet everyone likes.
C. Designing a device people can wear. D. Holding a special phone meeting.
3.What’s the disadvantage of the Helmfon?
A. It makes the wearer uncomfortable. B. It isn’t suitable for everyone.
C. Its appearance may be strange. D. It looks like an astronaut’s helmet.
4.We can infer from the text that the Ukrainian company .
A. designed the helmet specially for an IT company
B. plans to sell the helmet in the future
C. often comes up with crazy ideas
D. will sell the helmet online
The faces of the four U. S. presidents on Mount Rushmore will likely last for centuries. But at a newly opened exhibit in Japan, you can catch them only for about eight months. This year, the annual sand sculpture event at the Sand Museum in Tottori, Japan, is focused on another country. This is the 10th anniversary of the event. Artists came from 19 countries to shape sand into different sculptures that represent events in U. S. history and American landmarks.
Tottori is a remote city in western Japan. In the past, not many tourists traveled to it. To attract more visitors, Tottori officials decided to use a natural resource: sand. They decided to create a sand museum that would house a series of sand sculptures based on different geographic areas of the world. The sand from each year’s exhibition is used again the next year. The project has been a success. About 500,000 people visit the museum during the eight months. Some return year after year to see the new sculptures.
The city is now a popular spot for sand sculpture artists too. Sculptors from around the world come to Tottori each spring, spending a few weeks working on their masterpieces. They use special tools to smooth the sandy surfaces, cut angles and details. They use only sand and water to create the huge sculptures, some of which tower over their creators.
Originally, the artists built their creations outside. But the works lasted less than two months outdoors. So the museum built a permanent structure 10 house the artworks, which extended their life to eight months. Now many more tourists get to see the sculptures. Still, the fact that this art is not permanent is part of the appeal. The temporary sculptures reflect the Japanese value of appreciating the fleeting（稍纵即逝）nature of the world.
Tottori is not the only Japanese town that shows temporary art like this. Sapporo, in northern Japan, hosts a similar exhibit in the winter, using snow instead of sand. Thai will be just about the time that the U. S. sand sculpture exhibition is taken apart, and the sand is saved for next year’s show.
1.Why is sand sculpture event held every year in Tottori?
A. To show the wonderful artworks of the city.
B. To show the diverse culture of the city.
C. To represent the character of the city.
D. To attract more visitors to the city.
2.What do the exhibits in Tottori and Sapporo show?
A. The changing seasons offer artists chances to create arts.
B. Temporary art is the most welcomed art form in Japan.
C. Natural works of art are popular all over the world.
D. The sand is more popular to artists than the snow.
3.What can we know about the sand exhibit from the text?
A. New sand will be used in the next year’s show.
B. It has been held in more than 19 countries so far.
C. Mare artists show interest in creating arts in sand.
D. The fact that the exhibition lasts a short time makes it more attractive
4.What is the best title of this text?
A. The Popularity of Sand
B. Sand Museum in Japan
C. A Special Sand Exhibition
D. Artists’ Contribution to the World
Since his early childhood, G. A. Minton has always been a faithful fan of science fiction and horror. Whenever a scary movie was playing at the local theatre, he was there in attendance with his friends, loudly screaming in terror.
In his everyday life, Minton likes playing the game of golf most, having lettered on his high school golf team. In addition to writing, he also enjoys reading, traveling, fishing, swimming, working out, listening to hard rock music, and watching great movies－especially those about horror, science fiction, mystery and comedy.
Strangely enough, it was only after Minton was knocked down by a drunk driver and suffered a closed-head injury that he developed a new found passion for writing. After the car accident, he suffered from both memory loss and problems communicating with others, which frustrated him to no end. He had to go to see his doctor on a regular basis and for weeks he had to take medicine used by patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Luckily, his brain slowly began to mend itself.
At the end of the healing process, something was very different. He noticed that he had developed a strong urge to write down a story that had formed in his mind. That’s how his first novel Trisomy XXI was born. He penned（写作）it in only three months. He began with chapter one and wrote in a freestyle manner—almost in a stream of consciousness. The narrative flowed freely from his vivid imagination, creating a thrilling tale of terror that is formed from an ordered sequence of events.
One could think that the damaged neurons（神经元）had rearranged themselves into a different pattern, and thus improving the creative elements in his brain. Besides, stranger things have happened! He has recently completed his second novel. Currently, his brain is busy at work, seriously processing the text for another -story of the terror-one that will both entertain and horrify its unsuspecting reader!
1.From Paragraph 2, we know that G.
A. Minion .
A. likes writing best in high school
B. is a man of multiple interests
C. wants to become a golf player
D. hopes to make a horror movie
2.What happened to Minton after the accident?
A. His memory was improved. B. His brain was damaged permanently.
C. His creative ability was inspired. D. He suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.
3.What can we infer about Minton’s first novel from the text?
A. It was written in a strict manner.
B. It was intended to amuse crazy readers.
C. It was based on Minton’s own experience.
D. It might not be written but for Minton’s injury.
4.Which of .he following can best describe Minton’s experience?
A. Good luck always comes out of misfortune.
B. A bad beginning makes a good ending.
C. It’s hard sailing when there is no wind.
D. More haste, less speed.
A professor from the University of Georgia is allowing students to choose their own grades to reduce their stress and to walk out of any class if they don’t like “the group dynamics.” If the professor were to write a book outlining this educational philosophy（教育理念）, what could it be titled? Would you like to write down your possible title and then send an email to us?
How to enter:
• Submissions should be emailed to contest@theweek.com.
• Please include your name, address, and daytime telephone number; this week, please type “No stress” in the subject line.
• Entries are due by noon, Eastern Time, Tuesday, Aug. 29.
• In the case of similar entries, the first one received gets credit. All entries become property of The Week.
• Winners will appear on the Puzzle Page on the Sept. 8 issue and at theweek. com/ puzzles on Friday, Sept. 1.
What to win:
• Winners will get a chance to discuss some topics they care about face to face with the professor. They will also be given a book from the professor.
• Winners will get a one-year subscription（订阅）to The Week. They will receive 4 free issues first. They’ll also get 46 more for a total of 50 in all for just $ 1. 39 per issue! They’ll receive instant access to the digital edition. If you’re not completely satisfied, just cancel it and any trial issues you receive are yours to keep.
1.How will participants know the result of the contest?
A. By browsing the Web of The Week.
B. By buying the professor’s book.
C. By telephoning the professor.
D. By sending a special email.
2.What will you get if you win the contest?
A. A digital edition of The Week at a discount.
B. A chance to donate some books to others.
C. A chance to talk with the professor.
D. 50 free issues of The Week.
3.What is the purpose of this text?
A. To call on students to help write a book.
B. To ask for some possible titles for a book.
C. To ask university students to reflect on their learning.
D. To introduce a writing contest about how to reduce stress.
假定你是李华，你校英语俱乐部将于下周举办“中国梦、学子行（Living my Chinese dream as a student）”主题演讲活动。请你给你校外教Mr. Smith写一封电子邮件，请他对你的演讲稿提出修改建议。
注意：1. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2. 词数100左右。
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Sincerely yours,
Li Hua
