Old Computers Make for Unhappy Workers --- Survey
LONDON  (Reuters) ----- Dealing with the dissatisfaction of aging and unreliable office computers leads to workers' unhappiness and more sick leave, a survey showed on Wednesday.
A survey carried out by caro4free.net of over 2,700 European office workers from the UK, France and Germany found that workplace dissatisfaction increased greatly with the age of the computer equipment.
"We do know that job satisfaction is falling in Britain and most advanced nations," said Stephen White, a researcher from the Work Foundation. "The actual reasons for this are the subject of very heated discussion. It's certainly one interesting theory that technology may be the cause of this in some way," White added.
A quarter of these using outdated computers in Britain said they were "quite" or "very dissatisfied" with their everyday job compared to the percent of those who had enjoyed an advantage from up-to-date technology.
The survey also said that among workers dealing with outdated equipment, there was a 35 percent greater probability they would take six or more days of sick leave per year compared with the average worker. In France, where more workers use old computers, the probability jumped to 55 percent.
Results also showed that women in the three countries were more likely to be using outdated equipment. In the UK, where more workers have up-to-date computers than in the other countries surveyed, the number of women using old equipment doubled that of men.
White pointed out that there were two sides to this problem, saying that continuously having to deal with new technology and equipment can also be a source of worry. "Old and faulty equipment is a major cause of office dissatisfaction. There is no question about it; but you also have to say that the frequent change of equipment is also, or could be, a main cause of dissatisfaction."
【小题1】The underlined word "this" (paragraph 3) refers to ______.

A．workplace dissatisfaction	B．computer use in most jobs
C．the aging off office computers	D．the survey by care4@ free. net

【小题2】How many office workers use old computers in Britain expressed their dissatisfaction?

A．16%

B．25%

C． 35%

D．55%

【小题3】According to White, why were the women surveyed more likely to use old computers?

A．Most office workers use old computers.

B．They do some of their work with computers.

C．Dealing with new equipment can cause anxiety.

D．They are easier to be satisfied with new technology.

【小题4】What is the subject of the news story?

A．Poor working conditions in offices

B．Research work of the Work Foundation

C．Influence of technology in the workplace.

D．Different attitudes to old computers.

Rare birds in the UK have been living far better than the more common birds over the last decade due to the efforts of conservation organisations, according to a new assessment.

The research shows almost 60% of the 63 rare birds that live in the UK have increased over the last 10 years.

By contrast, only about one third of common species have increased over the same period. Just 28% of rare birds have decreased over the same period, compared with four out of every 10 common birds. The rare birds described in the assessment with increasing populations include the osprey (鹗) and corncrake (秧鸡). All of these birds are subject to conservation action.

The declining common birds include the nightingale, swift (雨燕), house sparrow and red grouse (苏格兰雷鸟). These are suffering declines for a variety of reasons, including changes in farming practices.

Dr David Noble, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “That some of our rarer birds have responded to targeted conservation action is great news. It shows just what can be achieved. What we need to do now is to continue the good work and use some of the lessons we have learned to help our more common birds.”

Dr Mark Avery, the conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: “Over the last decade we've enjoyed some great conservation successes, including removing some threatened species from the World Conservation Union's Red List of Thratened Animals and increasing the populations of red kite, osprey, etc. However, these successes are countered (抵消) by continued declines of some widespread species.”

The overview of 210 native birds has been produced by a group of conservation organisations, to mark the publication of The State of the UK's Birds report, which is in its l0th year. The report was published by the RSPB for a group of conservation organisations.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The decline of widespread birds is not worrying for the UK.

B．The UK has got some practical experience of bird conservation.

C．Changes in farming practices contribute to the increase of rare birds.

D．Half of common birds have decreased in the past ten years in the UK.

2.We can learn from the passage that Dr David Noble      .

A．hopes that conservation organisations will change the way they work

B．is quite disappointed with the result of the new assessment

C．is losing confidence in conservation organizations’ action

D．has high hopes for the increase in bird population in Britain

3. Which of the following can best explain Dr Mark Avery's words?

A．The UK should not be satisfied with what they have achieved.

B．The UK should share their experience with other countries.

C．What conservation organisations do is far from satisfactory.

D．The RSPB is responsible for the decrease of common birds.

4.The passage is most likely to be found in a book about      .

A．popular science	B．historical events
C．nature	D．society

5. The author's purpose of writing this article is to tell people      .

A．some good ways to protect rare birds

B．the differences between rare birds and common birds

C．the number of rare birds has increased over the last decade

D．some widespread birds in the UK are in great need of help

 

 

Mexico City is truly one of the most amazing cities in the world with a mixture of both the old and new world. From the moment your plane starts to land in this vast city, you know that your trip will be quite an adventure.

Once in your taxi and the moment you leave the airport, you are amazed at the large amount of slow traffic. The volume of the traffic can be stressful to some.

The "Paseo de la Reforma (改革大道)", running southwest across the city, is one of the major tourist and business areas in Mexico City with many high quality hotels only walking distance from great restaurants and other tourist attractions. The only problem you will have is trying to see all of these sites during your vacation time.

One of the most popular attractions in this area is the National Museum of Anthropology along the northwest part of the street. There are thousands of artifacts on display showing the history of the area and numerous items found from the many Aztec sites in the area. Walking southwest from the museum, you will soon reach the Mexico City Zoo, which is a great place to spend an afternoon.

Across the street from the museum is the Chapultepec Castle, once an important site in the Mexican-American war. It's also a good idea to take the train up the hill to where the castle is located as the hill is steep (陡峭的). It's important to keep in mind that Mexico City is over 7,000 feet above sea level and some feel it difficult to breathe when walking.

You can take a taxi to the Coyoacan market during the evening on a weekend. It's a great place to get some cheap souvenirs to bring back home and to enjoy some traditional Mexican cuisine. However, you must be careful where you eat and that the meat is well cooked.

55．The tourists in Mexico City may not be satisfied with______.

A．the high speed of the traffic                             B．the heavy traffic of the city

C．the polluted air in the city                                 D．their safety in the city

56．From the third paragraph, we can learn that______.

A．the number of the city attractions can't meet the needs of the tourists

B．it is convenient for tourists to visit the city from where they stay

C．tourists have problems when visiting the sites in Mexico City

D．tourists often have their three meals in the high quality hotels

57．Which of the following shows the correct positions of the following places?

P = Paseo de la Reforma                M = the National Museum of Anthropology

C = the Chapultepec Castle         Z = the Mexico City Zoo

58．Which of the following attractions may interest those who want to study the military (of the army) history of Mexico City?

A．The National Museum of Anthropology.       B．The Coyoacan market.

C．The Chapultepec Castle.                                   D．The Aztec sites.

 

William James, the great psychologist (心理学家), said that most men are “old fogies (守旧者) at twenty-five”. He was right. Most men at twenty-five are satisfied with their jobs. They have closed their minds to all new ideas; they have stopped to grow.
The minute a man stops to grow –no matter what his years –that minute he begins to be old. On the other hand, the really great man never grows old. Goethe passed away at eighty-three, and finished his Faust only a few years earlier; Gladstone took up a new language when he was seventy. Laplace, the astronomer, was still at work when death caught up with him at seventy-eight. He died crying, “What we know is nothing; what we do not know is immense (extremely large).”
And there you have the real answer to the question, “When is a man old?”
Laplace at seventy-eight died young. He was still unsatisfied, still sure that he had a lot to learn.
As long as a man can keep himself in that attitude of mind, as long as he can look back on every year and say, “I grew”, he is still young.
The minute he ceases (stops) to grow, the minute he says to himself, “I know all that I need to know,” –that day youth stops. He may be twenty-five or seventy-five; it makes no difference. On that day he begins to be old.
【小题1】According to William James, _______.

A．most people are not open to new ideas before 25.

B．few people continue to improve themselves after 25.

C．some people still try to make progress after 25.[来源:学,科,网]

D．all the people stop to make progress after 25.

【小题2】The author mentions Goethe, Gladstone and Laplace to show that _____.

A．the great man stops to grow that minute he begins to be old.

B．the really great man never grows old.

C．the great man usually dies young.

D．the really great man never dies.

【小题3】What do we know about Laplace?

A．He was a great writer.

B．He was not pleased with what he had learned.

C．He thought he was one of the greatest man.

D．He thought he was old when he was 25.

【小题4】The author probably agrees with _______.

A．people should be pleased with what they have.

B．people should try to make a great difference.

C．people should cease to grow when they are 25.

D．people should not be satisfied with what they know.

An older friend once gave me a piece of advice, “Enjoy the last few weeks of college,” she said, “since college is the best time of your life.”

    This was not the first time I’d heard such a statement, but with graduation fast coming close, her words especially struck me. It seemed a bit disappointing to reach one's life peak at only 22 years of age, but in her opinion, college had been one of the best times in my life so far. I made friends, took classes, and learned a great deal about myself. But I was also excited for the time after college—moving to a new city, starting a new job, and becoming a "real" person. I hoped that my great dreams were practical.

    Then, last week I read a column in Real Simple Magazine called 100 Years of Attitude, in which women 100 years or older shared their life experiences and views. I noticed that none of them considered college as the "best" time of their life. Not all of them went to college, but still in most cases their teens and twenties were not the best times of their life. They said some of their favorite times were raising their children, traveling after retirement, and even enjoying their present time and age.

    Enjoying one's present time and age was a clear theme of the interviews. A piece of advice given by the women was about the importance of making the best of all situations. I think it more accurate than that of my friend; I can say with certainty that if I am lucky enough to make it to 100, I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting (跌落) downhill, or even leveling off.

    I am sure that our eagerness and devotion will make us college students live a meaningful life. We will not just look backwards or miss our college days. We will look forward in excitement about continued journey uphill.

1.Which of the following opinions does the writer agree with?

A. College is the best time of one’s life.

B. Twenties were the best time of the old people.

C. One should make the best of all situations.

D. One should not look backwards at their college time.

2.In the second paragraph, the writer wants to say ______.

A. her achievements in college would be the peak of her success

B. she is looking forward to living as a “real” person in college

C. she becomes more and more uneasy with graduation

D. she is satisfied with the college life but is hopeful for the future

3.The column the writer read is mainly about those old women’s ______.

A. best time of life at youth                                             B. life experiences and views

C. different opinions about life                                       D. favorite time with best friends

4.By saying “I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting downhill, or even leveling off” (in Paragraph 4), the writer really means ______.

A. she will not spend the rest of her time at college

B. she will not just obtain a college level certificate

C. she will not be satisfied with what she has already accomplished

D. she will not be content with the life in the future