As Americans live longer and the job market stays competitive, fast-food chains are increasingly hiring from senior centers, churches and aging advocacy groups like AARP, Bloomberg reports. And it's not just death rates and economic trends driving the change. Seniors have more polished social skills, but teens are stopped from growing up online with fewer real-world connections.
“I spend a lot of time with young kids. They can he very disrespectful,” 63-year-old Church's Chicken manager Stevenson Williams tells Bloomberg of his teen coworkers. “You have to coach them and tell them this is your job, not the street,” Williams says. Having “soft skills” such as politeness often comes more easily to the seniors, who have had a lifetime of experience in the workforce to learn how to treat customers compared with young people.
Employers thus get a more mature worker at no additional cost but the reasons for seniors outpacing teen hires are many. The US Census Bureau reported this year that, by 2035, there will be more Americans over age 65 than there are children under age 18. Plus, fewer people in their prime (盛年)are working—thanks to the unaffordable childcare that forces many parents to stay at home, according to a study by Princeton University.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts the number of American workers aged between 65 and 74 will swell 4.5 percent by 2024, while the 16-to-24s will shrink 1.4 percent. By 2024, the BLS projects the labor force will grow to about 164 million people. That number includes about 41 million people aged 55 and older about 13 million of whom are expected to be aged 65 and up.
So don’t be surprised to see even more service with a smile and silver hair in that drive-through lane.
1.What does the underlined part “the change” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.The job market gets competitive.
B.Americans live longer.
C.Senior centers are becoming more popular.
D.Fast-food chains hire more senior people.
2.Why are seniors the hot new fast-food employees according to Williams?
A.They demand less pay.
B.Teens are easy to quit.
C.Teens are hard to control and manage.
D.They are good at socializing.
3.Which of the following can be regarded as a “soft skill”?
A.Knowing customers’ needs.
B.Having high education.
C.Having lots of connections with the real world.
D.Being skillful at computer.
4.Why do many parents stay at home?
A.They prefer to look after children.
B.They find it hard to find a job.
C.They find it hard to pay for childcare.
D.They are unwilling to work with senior citizens.
Before my daughter, Evelyn, was born, I eagerly expected her first year of life. I imagined celebrating every milestone --- bonding with her as a newborn, seeing her smile for the first time, hearing her say her first word. 1 didn't think of feeding tubes, long hospital stays or an organ transplant( 移植). For Evelyn, the first year included all and more.
Evelyn came into this world at just 34 weeks, weighing less than 3 pounds. Genetic testing revealed she had Alagille syndrome, a genetic disorder that can damage the liver(肝脏),heart and other organs. Soon, we received the news that baby Evelyn needed a liver transplant. Our family moved nearer to UPMC Children's Hospial of Pittsburgh so that we were closer if a liver was available for Evelyn.
When Evelyn was added to the organ donation wait list, I was under the liver allocation policy in place at that time,which was map-based. This policy lacks any special consideration for transplant candidates.We were told it would likely take three months. Just then, a new policy for liver allocation was tried out.Under the new system, the sickest child patients get first priority(优先).The new policy was only in effect for a litle over a week, but in that period, Evelyn received her liver transplant. Had it been just one week earler or later, we would not have received the call.
As Evelyn recovers from her transplant, we are grateful for the change.I am also sad, because the new policy was short-lived. That means another mom like me might not receive that phone call with good news.
Other children should have the same opportunity as Evelyn to live healthy, happy lives. When it comes to liver transplant policy, we can and must do better for children.
1.What probably happened to Evelyn shorly after she was born?
A.She failed to give a smile.
B.She had a serious liver failure.
C.She said her first word quickly.
D.She suffered from a heart attack.
2.Why did the author's family move nearer to the hospital?
A.To save time.
B.To have money.
C.To see a doctor.
D.To get first priority.
3.What does the author mean by the underlined sentence?
A.Evelyn is healthy now.
B.They waited too long.
C.They were one week earlier.
D.Her daughter is fortunate.
4.What does the author want to express in the last pargraph?
A.We must guarantee kids have healthy livers.
B.Kids should have chances of a liver transplant.
C.The sickest kids should get liver transplants first.
D.The old policy lacks special consideration for kids.
Muir Woods and Sausalito Half Day Tour
Wander through an ancient coastal redwood forest and explore the artistic bayside on this half-day tour from San Francisco. Travel across the Golden Gate Bridge to visit Muir Woods, home to some of the oldest and tallest trees on Earth. At the end of your tour choose between getting dropped off at Union Square in San Francisco or taking the ferry back to San Francisco.
Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip
Discover the beauty of the Sierra Nevada on this full-day trip to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco. Travel aboard a comfortable van through historic Gold Rush towns to reach the park, where you’ll be amazed by supersized natural wonders. Take a hike among ancient trees, and enjoy several hours to explore the park’s wonders on your own.
Niagara Falls Tour
Escape from New York City and head north to see both sides of the Canadian border on this guided, 2-day tour to Niagara Falls. Visit Niagara Falls on both the American and Canadian sides and take a ride on the famous Maid of the Mist boat. Then, on the road back to New York City, make a stop to shop at the Crossings Premium Outlets, one of the largest outlet malls in the US.
Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour
Escape to California’s famous wine country on this full-day tour from San Francisco. Taste regional varietals at three different wineries including both big-name and family-run estates (庄园). Learn about the winemaking process during guided tours, and appreciate the regional culture with a stop for lunch.
1.Which tour should you choose if you want to do some shopping ?
A. Muir Woods and Sausalito Half Day Tour.
B. Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip.
C. Niagara Falls Tour.
D. Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour.
2.What can you do on Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour ?
A. Appreciate some of the oldest and tallest trees on Earth.
B. Enjoy supersized natural wonders.
C. Get some winemaking knowledge.
D. Take a ride on the boat.
3.What does the writer intend to do by writing the passage?
A. To introduce some outdoor activities.
B. To share some tour experiences.
C. To advertise for the wine country.
D. To call for protecting natural wonders.
Translation
1.由于缺乏自信，他在面试中和老板没有过多的眼神交流。(lack)
2.秃顶是由不平衡的饮食习惯和过重的精神压力造成的。 (result)
3.对你来说每天抽烟喝酒是不明智的，因为这会夺去你的健康。 (It)
4.那些忽视拼写错误的学生不会取得好成绩。 (overlook)
5.如果你去参观一下上海博物馆，就会被里面的古代青铜器和雕塑吸引。 (and)
The red phone box in Britain is a perfect example of the British traditional culture. However, with the fast development of mobile phones, it has lost its place in people’s everyday life. In order to save their loved red phone boxes, people have come up with many ideas, for example, to turn them into toilets or art houses.
In a village in Somerset, a place in South West England, villagers have found a new way to save their red phone box. 1.. The idea was given by a local villager, Janet Fisher, who lives opposite the phone box. Villagers rallied together to set up the book box after their mobile library service was cancelled. Over 100 books and a variety of movies and music CDs are available at this tiny library. 2..
People can put the books that they have read inside the phone box, and take away the books that they’d like to read. 3.. There is a regular check on the books to keep the phone box collection fresh.
4.. The phone box library is open every day around the clock and is lit at night. “ It’s very pleasing that the red phone box has been saved. More importantly, it can continue providing a service for us,” said the villagers.
A. It was used as an inventory to store books.
B. The books are of different kinds, ranging from cooking books to the classics.
C. They turned it into a mini library to cope with the shortage of libraries in their area.
D. However, not everyone can get access to the library.
E. The books in the library are always changing.
F. Anyone is free to come to read books there.
Many of us love July because it’s the month when nature’s berries and stone fruits are in abundance. These colourful and sweet jewels form British Columbia’s fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection.
Of the common berries, strawberries are highest in vitamin C, although, because of their seeds, raspberries contain a little more protein (蛋白质), iron and zinc (not that fruits have much protein). Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants (抗氧化物质). The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants. As for cherries (樱桃), they are so delicious who cares? However, they are rich in vitamin C.
When combined with berries of slices of other fruits, frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick, cooling fruit shakes and low fat “ice cream”. For this purpose, select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter. Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze. If you like, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown. Frozen bananas will last several weeks, depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer.
If you have a juicer, you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit. Out comes a “soft-serve” creamy dessert, to be eaten right away. This makes a fun activity for a children’s party; they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below.
1.What does the author seem to like about cherries?
A.They contain protein. B.They are high in vitamin A.
C.They have a pleasant taste. D.They are rich in antioxidants.
2.Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas?
A.To make them smell better. B.To keep their colour.
C.To speed up their ripening. D.To improve their nutrition.
3.What is “a juicer” in the last paragraph?
A.A dessert. B.A drink.
C.A container. D.A machine.
4.From which is the text probably taken?
A.A biology textbook. B.A health magazine.
C.A research paper. D.A travel brochure.
