学进去

We asked four people who graduated from the Williams Business and Accountancy School what corporate responsibility means to them.

Jason

I know that some corporations claim to be bringing huge benefits to local people, and maybe some are. However, in other cases, they’re paying low wages or undercutting small, family-run firms who can’t compete. It may not be a pretty image, but that’s the nature of capitalism. I’d like to hope I won’t end up as part of this process, but I suspect it’s inevitable. Essentially, your biggest responsibility is ultimately to return value to your stakeholders. Positive employee relations are desirable, but not actually a legal requirement in many countries.

Anya

Thanks to my sister, I’ve recently had a shift in thinking. As far as corporate responsibility is concerned, I no longer doubt it. Christina recently transferred to an overseas branch. She was surprised and delighted to discover the branch was running local programmes to improve basic literacy skills amongst employees as well as to conserve the environment. She’s now currently retraining as a teacher and moving over to that side of things. Now that I’ve seen this side of corporate responsibility, I’ve been persuaded to give it a go myself in later life, although I’ll stick to Plan A and pursue a solid career in finance for a few years first.

Andre

For me, what it comes down to is sustainability. Whatever your product, it shouldn’t have a harmful effect on the planet. Many companies make a big noise about how much cash they give away to charity, but they should make changes in the way they make their profits in the first place. Quite aside from the ethical arguments, there’s also a sound commercial reason here. These days the consumer has access to far more information than ever before thanks to the internet, so if something bad goes viral, it’ll destroy a reputation forever. Companies are well aware of that. For that reason, more are starting to face up to their responsibility—or so they claim.

Lisa

In the USA, corporations often support community development projects by donating books or equipment to schools. However, this apparent altruism (利他主义) is not all it claims to be. There’s a large grey area between corporate giving and company branding. Nowadays every corporate website includes a summary of so-called ‘core values’; vague descriptions of how they’re ‘giving back’ to society. I can’t help thinking they’re unclear for a reason and that it’s all just for good PR. I’m particularly annoyed by the claims of fast-food companies. They pretend to be concerned with obesity (肥胖) levels while promoting special offers on larger portions. The hidden agenda is clearly to boost profit. It’s an insult to consumer intelligence.

1．According to Jason, what responsibility is ignored by corporations?

A．Bringing benefits to local people

B．Keeping positive employee relations.

C．Returning values to their stakeholders.

D．Understanding the nature of capitalism.

2．What can be learned about Anya?

A．She supports and values corporate responsibility efforts.

B．She has been persuaded to work for an overseas corporation.

C．She will be devoted to corporate responsibility initiatives soon.

D．She believes some corporate responsibility efforts make no sense.

3．What do Andre and Lisa have in common?

A．Both argue against the necessity of company branding.

B．Both think corporations should express their ‘core values’ more clearly.

C．Both hold a firm belief that sustainability matters in corporations’ development.

D．Both doubt the real purpose of some corporate responsibility efforts.

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. categorise B. creation C. good D. innovative E. maximum F. packed G. pedestrianise H. processing I. shape J. short-lived K. transformation

All Change in Curitiba!

Like many other major world cities, Curitiba in southern Brazil has had to deal with issues such as pollution, poverty, and limited public funding. However, the architect and three-times mayor of the city, Jaime Lerner, has introduced some 1． solutions.

As part of his ‘Master Plan’, Lerner hoped to make the city more environmentally friendly. He initiated a recycling scheme. In return for delivering recyclable rubbish to specified 2． points, residents receive a bag of vegetables or bus tickets. As a result, Curitiba now has one of the highest recycling rates in the world. Lerner also ordered the 3． of 26 urban parks. As well as preventing pollution, these control flooding.

Lerner did not win over all the city’s residents immediately, however. When his plans to 4． part of the centre were passed, local businesses were up in arms, fearing a reduction in profits. Realising he needed to act quickly, Lerner had the 5． of six blocks completed within three days. When a group of motorists attempted to drive through the new pedestrian area, Lerner arranged for local primary schools to hold a painting workshop on the streets. The drivers were forced to turn back. Luckily for Lerner, this rebellion was 6．. The increase in profit rapidly persuaded shop owners to change their minds.

Lerner’s determination helped 7． the Curitiba of today. The average income per capita has risen from a level that was below the Brazilian average in the 1970s to 66% above the average, and surveys indicate high levels of resident satisfaction.

So, is it all just one big success story? In some respects, Curitiba may have been too successful for its own8．. People and businesses have come to the city, which now has more than 1.8 million residents. This has put the city under enormous stress. Forty years ago, buses transported 54,000 passengers a day. Now the number is 2.3 million. According to some experts, the transport system has reached its 9． efficiency capacity. Following a rise in complaints about the noisy and 10． buses, the service is in decline.

Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

I received an email from a reader who asked, “Why do some friendships end, no matter how much you want them to last?” She referred to 1． (see) the question in one of my articles, Mystery of Friendship. As I wrote in it, I don’t think easy answers exist as to how friendships start, why some turn into lifetime 2．, and why some end. Although I’ve tried answering the first two questions in other articles (To Have A Friend and Be A Friend), I still get surprised by friendships that endure and disillusioned by those that slip away. Even so, I’ll try to offer some insights here as to why friendships end.

My simple answer is that friendships end because the situations 3． friends are in or even the friends themselves change. First, the realities friends face may change. The decision to relocate 4． a new school or job cannot help but affect a friendship. Likewise, if a friend is in an accident, develops an illness, or loses someone close, these cannot help but affect a friendship. Does a friendship need to end because of these changes? No, but it’ll require adjustments that one or both friends 5． not be willing to make.

Second, the friends themselves may change. A significant reason why friendships often end 6．friends are apart for an 7． (extend) period of time (for summer camp, college, etc.) is that one or both of the friends change. I think it 8． (hurt) less when both friends change, because then the breakup is more often mutual and so both friends get closure by both deciding to let go and move forward in their lives without each other. What tends to hurt most is when just one friend changes. One friend might change social circles, become involved in new social organizations, start to date, get a pet, or take on some other venture that consumes more time and passion. Again, a friendship can endure these changes, 9． one or both of the friends for some reason decide not to invest the time and energy involved in the adjustment period. In this situation, breakups may not be mutual and so one or both friends feel betrayed and end up with bitter memories about 10． was a precious friendship to them.

This Too Shall Pass

When my family moved to Ohio over the summer, I feared attending another new school and knowing no one because I was able to expect what was coming. I had bright red hair and enormous glasses. In addition, I was_______and not very sociable.

Boarding the school bus that first day, I felt like all eyes on me. I could hear the_______“She’s huge!” Obviously, the kids on the bus had known each other well. I spent that first bus_______in silence.

The following day was even_______. I did not notice that a few boys had tied a shoelace across the aisle   and thus fell face first on the bus, _________everything I was carrying. _________I was embarrassingly gathering   my supplies, I could hear the laughter, and then the_______“That felt like an   earthquake!” Anyway,   I_______ to find a seat. Looking out of the window, I_______the tears welling up in my eyes.

It was then that I sank into myself. I began walking everywhere. I would wander through the woods behind our house. I would also walk to a________about two miles down the road, where I would chat silently   with myself. I began________the afternoon school bus on purpose, walking home instead. Then,________, I     started losing weight. And as I became content with myself, I began making________.

One of my newly-found friends also________with her weight, wanting to be a “perfect” cheerleader. She   lived near my neighborhood so we would meet and________together. This became a daily activity with talking and laughing________the way—different from the lonely walks I had taken. My friend said that I didn’t have     to be perfect. I just had to be me, and be happy with________.

While I would not want to________that time of loneliness, sadness and embarrassment, I am________I made it through. Whenever I am struggling with any other problem in life, I always remember the proverb “This too shall pass.” If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t________anywhere.

1．

A．outgoing

B．overweight

C．intelligent

D．friendly

2．

A．whisper

B．whistle

C．giggle

D．laugh

3．

A．drive

B．lift

C．ride

D．travel

4．

A．worse

B．longer

C．funnier

D．duller

5．

A．throwing

B．losing

C．leaving

D．dropping

6．

A．Though

B．While

C．Since

D．Because

7．

A．opinions

B．statements

C．comments

D．discussions

8．

A．determined

B．attempted

C．pretended

D．managed

9．

A．kept away

B．took back

C．put away

D．held back

10．

A．garden

B．market

C．church

D．library

11．

A．escaping

B．missing

C．delaying

D．stopping

12．

A．uninterestedly

B．uncertainly

C．unfortunately

D．unexpectedly

13．

A．changes

B．friends

C．efforts

D．decisions

14．

A．struggled

B．competed

C．dealt

D．lived

15．

A．run

B．play

C．chat

D．walk

16．

A．along

B．across

C．by

D．in

17．

A．oneself

B．myself

C．herself

D．itself

18．

A．relive

B．remind

C．relate

D．rethink

19．

A．excited

B．upset

C．proud

D．regretful

20．

A．exist

B．stretch

C．lead

D．stay

Procrastinators (拖延症患者)，take note: If you’ve tried building self-control and you’re still putting things off, maybe you need to try something different. One new approach: Check your mood.

Often, procrastinators attempt to avoid the anxiety or worry aroused by a tough task with activities aimed at repairing their mood, such as checking Facebook or taking a nap. But the pattern, which researchers call “giving in to feel good,” makes procrastinators feel worse later, when they face the consequences of missing a deadline or making a last-minute effort, says Timothy Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University.

Increasingly, psychologists and time-management consultants are focusing on a new strategy: helping procrastinators see how attempts at mood repair are destroying their efforts and learn to control their emotions in more productive ways.

The new approach is based on several studies in the past two years showing that negative emotions can damage attempts at self-control. It fills a gap among established time-management methods, which stress behavioral changes such as adopting a new organizing system or doing exercises to build willpower.

Researchers have come up with a playbook of strategies to help procrastinators turn mood repair to their advantage. Some are tried-and-true classics: Dr. Pychyl advises procrastinators to just get started, and make the doorstep for getting started quite low. “Procrastinators are more likely to put the technique to use when they understand how mood repair works,” says Dr. Pychyl, author of a 2013 book, “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.” He adds,“A real motive power comes from doing what we intend to do—the things that are important to us.”

He also advises procrastinators to practice “time travel”—projecting themselves into the future to imagine the good feelings they will have after finishing a task, or the bad ones they will have if they don^’t. This cures procrastinators’ tendency to get so stuck in present anxieties and worries that they fail to think about the future.

Another mood-repair strategy, self-forgiveness, is aimed at dismissing the self-blame. University freshmen who forgave themselves for procrastinating on studying for the first exam in a course procrastinated less on the next exam, according to a recent study led by Michael Wohl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton.

Thomas Flint learned about the technique by reading research on self-control, including studies by Dr. Sirois and Dr. Pychyl. He put it to use after his family moved recently to a new house. Instead of beating himself up for failing to unpack all the boxes gathered in his garage right away, Mr. Flint decided to forgive himself and start with a single step. I’d say, "OK, I’m going to take an hour, with a goal of getting the TV set up, and that's it, he says; then he watched a TV show as a reward. Allowing himself to do the task in stages, he says, is “a victory.”

1．What does Timothy Pychyl mean by mentioning the “giving in to feel good” practice in Paragraph 2?

A．It probably does more harm than good.

B．It prevents procrastinators from giving up.

C．It helps procrastinators meet the deadline.

D．It effectively drives away anxiety and worry.

2．Where does a real motive power come from according to Dr. Pychyl?

A．Sticking to one’s intention.

B．Doing things that really matter.

C．Getting started from a low doorstep.

D．Learning important techniques of mood repair.

3．What is the purpose of the practice “time travel”?

A．To make their future plan more practical.

B．To accelerate the speed of finishing the task.

C．To stop people from worrying about their travel.

D．To free people from the present negative emotions.

4．What can be inferred from Michael Wohl study?

A．Self-blame prevents students from putting things off.

B．Procrastinators are still able to get good scores in exams.

C．University freshmen can get rid of procrastination easily.

D．Self-forgiveness is an effective way to cure procrastination.

Very few of us become fluent in another language by studying it in high school.

I made a (an) _____ to maintain (保持) the little bit of French that I learned in school, but eventually realized that this was ____ . I was well aware that new languages are_____ learned when young, and that our abilities _____ with age. However, just before my 50th birthday, I ______ French classes.

After I was _____ to see which group I belonged to, I was placed at almost the _____ level. When I looked around at my first Saturday morning class, I was _____ by how many of the students were learning French as a third, fourth, or _____ fifth language.

While I’d always considered myself as a quick _____ , that was no longer the case. I _____ new vocabulary very slowly. What I learned one week seemed to ____   as soon as I learned the next skill. I looked up the same _____ and language structures over and over again.

Now, a couple of _____ in, I can listen to the news in French and catch 90 percent of it on the first try, read a novel if the language is not too difficult, and hold up my end of a _____ if it doesn’t go too fast. Who knows what I might still ____   ? I’ve learned so much beyond grammar and vocabulary. I’ve met people from around the world who have the ______to make fools of themselves to learn something new. I have a _____ understanding of how something can look _____ different from another perspective. I’ve learned that a language is not just a set of words, but a way of _____ .

But most of all, I’ve learned that it really is never too late to learn something new.

1．

A．effort

B．offer

C．mistake

D．appointment

2．

A．disgusting

B．pointless

C．cheerful

D．simple

3．

A．worst

B．hardest

C．least

D．best

4．

A．stay

B．improve

C．decline

D．disappear

5．

A．dropped in at

B．took part in

C．paid attention to

D．signed up for

6．

A．tested

B．expected

C．requested

D．forced

7．

A．advanced

B．middle

C．special

D．introductory

8．

A．bothered

B．struck

C．moved

D．scared

9．

A．ever

B．even

C．also

D．still

10．

A．listener

B．trainer

C．learner

D．interviewer

11．

A．absorbed

B．prepared

C．employed

D．noticed

12．

A．come back

B．turn up

C．break off

D．slip away

13．

A．passages

B．words

C．meanings

D．tips

14．

A．months

B．weeks

C．years

D．days

15．

A．conversation

B．quarrel

C．speech

D．presentation

16．

A．arrange

B．show

C．accomplish

D．trust

17．

A．courage

B．time

C．money

D．chance

18．

A．mutual

B．renewed

C．poor

D．familiar

19．

A．hardly

B．occasionally

C．suddenly

D．completely

20．

A．listening

B．relaxing

C．thinking

D．doubting

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

The Difference a Teacher Can Make

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was about to be lost forever by the U.S. education system. Remarkably, he could read, yet, he was failing. He had been failing since first grade. Though Steve looked bigger than his age, yet he went unnoticed… until Miss White.

Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful lady! Steve liked his new teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework. Whenever he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just terrible! Still, he did not study.

Last week, the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and continued to dream of other things. His heart was not in school, but in the woods, where he often stayed alone after school. He was always alone because no one cared. Oddly, Steve never missed a day of school.

One day, Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams.

“Steve!” Shocked, he turned to look at her.

“Pay attention!” Miss White began to go over the test results for the seventh grade. “You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “except for one boy, and it breaks my heart to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare. “The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!” She just stared at Steve, as the class turned around for a good look. Steve dropped his eyes and carefully examined his fingertips.

“Just try it! ONE WEEK!” He was unmoved.

“You’re smart enough! You’ll see a change!” Nothing changed him.

“Give yourself a chance! Don’t give up on your life!” Nothing.

“Steve! Please! I care about you!”

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右。
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it: someone cared about him!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The following Monday, Miss White gave another test.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

The Amazing Day I Learnt to Swim

There are certain days when we feel our lives change greatly——days we remember for a lifetime. Such, for me, was one morning in July in the Ligonier Valley of Pennsylvania, at a place called Devil’s Hole.

On that morning, my twin brother Roger and I had finished our chores, and the whole day lay before us. “Let’s go to Devil’s Hole,” Roger suggested. I readily agreed, but for all my eagerness there was a feeling of restlessness deep in my heart. Although he had never said a word about it and never laughed at me, Roger could swim and I could not. I had been too afraid to try. Now Roger could slip through the water expertly with the experienced, confident older kids.

Roger led the way to the kitchen door. “Grandma, can we go to Devil’s Hole?” We leaned against the screen, peering into the dark kitchen. Grandma, busy baking cakes stood at the kitchen counter. “Well, I guess the big kids are up there now, but mind the road and be careful in that place,” warned Grandma.

With a yell, Roger pushed open the screen door, dashed through the kitchen and climbed up the stairs. I followed racing to get into my bathing suit. Throwing towels around our necks, we ran across the field next to our house and headed up the dirt road.

Roger and I reached the destination. Sunlight flooded through a break in the trees. A quiet path of smooth stones and mossy ground led to a deep green pool of icy water reflecting a huge rock on the opposite bank, partially in the water. The rock was my province and protection. While the others swam, I always pretended to be trying to catch fish along its base with an old tin can.

Roger joined the older boys and girls at once. They excitedly dived in, swam swiftly across the pool and pulled themselves up on the big rock to feel the sun on the skin, their shouts, splashes and laughter echoing (回响) through the trees.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。

I watched with envy and decided to have a try.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I couldn’t help shouting, “I can swim!”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My mother was a nurse and often took me along to visit the families she was caring for. Among them was a woman who had a _______ disease and was always lying on the bed.

One afternoon, my mom told me that we needed to visit the woman at her home, and that we needed to be there to _______ treatment, and we would stop at a store on the way. I thought we would stop at a _______ store, where we can buy some pills, but we pulled up to a _______. My mom headed to the make-up area and bought the most expensive bottle of perfume they _______. To my surprise, she also bought a _______ nightdress. When I asked my mom who these things were for, she said they were for her patient. My mom further explained that although this woman was older and unable to _______ her bed, she was still a lady, and she still _______ dignity (尊严) and beauty. She _______ to me that when we care for someone, we should look past the ________ or the illness and we look into the soul of the human so we can connect with them with sympathy.

I ________ realized that my mother’s great strengths and abilities were ________ the very young and the very old, those who can not ________ out their needs and hope for themselves, and need trustworthy and loving care providers. Under the influence of my mother, I knew in the 9^th grade I would become a ________. Today, my dream has come true. I work as a clinical psychologist, working hard and remembering what my mom taught me, and I’m not ________ that I find my work filled with patients who are very and very old.

1．

A．serious

B．active

C．rare

D．common

2．

A．help with

B．deal with

C．learn from

D．focus on

3．

A．fruit

B．drug

C．clothing

D．food

4．

A．supermarket

B．restaurant

C．factory

D．garage

5．

A．produced

B．bought

C．offered

D．made

6．

A．comfortable

B．cheap

C．useful

D．beautiful

7．

A．approach

B．make

C．touch

D．leave

8．

A．managed

B．wanted

C．starved

D．requested

9．

A．turned

B．reported

C．explained

D．wrote

10．

A．advantage

B．condition

C．disability

D．shortcoming

11．

A．soon

B．even

C．never

D．again

12．

A．caring for

B．looking for

C．waiting for

D．setting for

13．

A．look

B．put

C．speak

D．take

14．

A．writer

B．patient

C．chemist

D．doctor

15．

A．positive

B．pleased

C．silent

D．surprised

Christmas can easily become an expensive time of a year. From gifts to decorating, the money spent on the celebration adds up quickly. But there's no reason to completely break the bank. 1．

Make a budget (预算). Set the amount you're willing to spend for the holiday, including gift giving, decorating and travel. 2． And if you can keep to your budget, you'll lead an easy life in the following weeks and months.

Start shopping for Christmas decorations early. Stores have sales for decorations between Halloween and Thanksgiving. 3．   Better yet, go shopping for next year's decorations the day after Christmas. You can buy many things at very low prices right after Christmas.

Shop for gifts all year round. Whenever you're out shopping, keep an eye out for great Christmas presents. 4． Shopping early can prevent you from spending more money than you can afford. And if you spend little here and there throughout the year, Christmas will have a much smaller influence on your wallet in December.

Scale down (缩减) your gift giving. Sometimes you just can't afford to get something for everyone. Remove the people from your list whom you rarely speak with. 5． The people you do choose to buy for don't need something expensive. Keep in mind that it's the thought that is more important.

A．Send them simple cards instead.

B．This budget is perfect for many people.

C．Once you have a budget set, keep to it.

D．And it's after Thanksgiving that the prices begin to go up.

E．Christmas is known as the season of giving, sharing and receiving.

F．There are ways to celebrate well and spend wisely at the same time.

G．It doesn't matter when you get the gift, whether it's January or June.