British people work some of the longest hours in Europe，but are among the least productive.Now some companies are shortening the working week to increase efficiency，health and happiness.
Rich Leigh has introduced a four-day week at his PR company.In fact，his entire company has Friday off，because his firm has adopted a four-day week.It is one of a handful of UK businesses that now operate like this：staff still get paid their previous five-day salary，but they work a day less.The company found that they achieved just as much—and there were even sighs of growth. "The key to the scheme's success，" Leigh says， "is how happy our employees now are."
The average British worker takes only a 34 minute lunch break and works 10 hours overtime each week（more often than not this is unpaid）.Yet UK productivity falls seriously behind their European neighbors，who tend to work fewer hours.
British working practices have caused loss and damage to the nation's health and happiness.More than half a million workers in the UK were signed off with work-related stress or anxiety last year.Moreover，the work landscape itself is changing.Automation and AI will have a significant impact on the labor market，where unsteady work becomes more common.
Britain is the only EU member that allows workers to ignore the EU working time limit and work longer hours.For campaigners，now is the time for a change.O'Grady，an advocate，argues that where businesses have increased their profits as a result of automation，success should be shared with workers in the form of reduced hours. "It's time to share the benefits from new technology，not allowing those at the top to grab them for themselves." she says.
（1）We can learn from the passage that CC.
A．British people are the least productive in the world
B．Most companies in Britain have conducted a four-day week
C．PR company has witnessed a rise in employees' happiness
D．British people work longer and get more payment than other countries
（2）Which is the proper description of British working practices？ DD
A．The working time of British workers is within the EU limit.
B．In terms of productivity，Britain is beaten by the United States.
C．Profits gained from new technology are on the decrease.
D．Automation and AI are likely to cause an instable work market.
（3）Which can be inferred from O'Grady's words in the last paragraph？ BB
A．It's time for employers to share the increased profits created by automation.
B．Workers should benefit from automation in the form of less working hours.
C．New technology should belong to both businesses and workers.
D．Businesses can't make more profits without new technology.
（4）What is the author's purpose of writing the passage？ AA
A．To introduce some British firms' switch to a four-day working week.
B．To explain the reasons why British workers suffer stress and anxiety.
C．To appeal for more reasonable working conditions.
D．To present the current productivity problem in Britain.
【答案】C；D；B；A
【解答】
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發(fā)布：2024/4/20 14:35:0組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5
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1．The best-loved pig in Hong Kong is called McDull．His mom makes a wish that he would look like Chow Yun-fat or Tony Leung，two movie heartthrobs，but he is distinguished only by a birthmark around his right eye．
The cartoon piglet is not smart，either．Everything he tries，he fails．He wants to be an Olympic champion of qingbaoshan，but the sport of grabbing the most steamed buns from a pile doesn't really exist，of course．He dreams of going to the Maldives，but ends up on a one-day tour of a Hong Kong landmark instead．
However，the slow，dumb pig has won over Hong Kong people，often stereotyped as eager to quick success．So far，there are five McDull movies showed in both the mainland and Hong Kong．
The popularity of McDull occasionally confounds his creator Alice Mak．
"Maybe people see themselves and their friends in McDull，" she says．
Mak had never seen a real pig before she drew McDull．She was born and spent most of her life in Tai Kok Tsui，an ordinary Hong Kong community where she can still buy cheap food．It is also where McDull grows up．
Like McDull，Mak moves and speaks slowly．She describes herself as a simple person，who does not try to draw too much meaning from the McDull stories．As a Christian，she has some simple beliefs，such as God creates humans because he loves them and wants them to be happy．
In the late 1980s Mak worked at a press company as a summer intern．The company boss，Brian Tse，later became her husband and scriptwriter of all McDull movies and books．
McDull was at first a supporting character in a story about his cousin McMug，a smart piglet and "what parents expect of their children"．But it turned out that the woodenheaded McDull was more appealing．
When McMug promises his classmates that if he becomes the class president he will treat everyone to strawberry cakes，McDull struggles to utter one sentence in his speech： "If you choose me，you will be …painful．"
He gives up his favorite chicken thigh to his mom and practices sports he dislikes to make her happy．He has many dreams，most of which end up in disappointment．He is still happy，however．When he gets an "H"，he thinks it looks "only a bit different" from an "A"．According to his headmaster，he isn't that stupid，and he is just too kind．
"McDull reminds people they used to be as simple and happy as him，" Mak says． "If there is a theme in all the McDull movies，it is about how a simple person keeps his or her simplicity in a complicated world．"
Although many children love McDull，the story is far more than its surface funniness．It is delightful and acidic at the same time．
In one of the McDull movies，he talks to the audience： "I suddenly realized that there is something you just cannot have．No noodles，no Maldives，no golden medal，no treasure …it turns out that being stupid is not funny，it could mean failure．Disappointment is not funny，fat is not funny，fat does not even mean you have more strength When I grow up，when I face the stern world that is not funny，what should I do？"
"What he has been doing in the movies is to find new dreams．Most of them keep failing him，but he always starts again with a new one，" Mak says． "Maybe that's why both children and adults find him adorable．"
（1）Which of the following is TRUE？
A．McDull's mom expect him to be handsome like some famous actors．
B．McDull is quick and smart．
C．McDull is a leading character in the story about his cousin McMug．
D．McDull's dream of going to the Maldives comes true at last．
（2）The underlined word "confounds" most probably means？
A．contents
B．confuses
C．convinces
D．confirms
（3）What can we infer form the passage？
A．HongKong people like McDull very much．
B．There're five McDull movies showed in HongKong．
C．The popularity of McDull is quite beyond the expectation of Mak．
D．Both Mak and McDull move and speak slowly．發(fā)布：2024/12/27 8:0:2組卷：1引用：1難度：0.5 -
2．Each year on Halloween，children look forward to trick-or-treating （不請(qǐng)客就搗亂） for candies．But for some kids，eating Halloween candies can be dangerous．
That's because one out of every 13 kids in the Us have a food allergy（過(guò)敏癥）．They are allergic to ingredients（成分）in many Halloween candies，such as peanuts，tree nuts，milk，eggs，and beans．If they eat these foods，they will get sick or even die．
"I had to throw away all my candies with tears，" eight-year-old Conlen said．Conlen is allergic to peanuts，tree nuts，and dairy．Twelve-year-old Kylie is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts．She has been trick-or-treating only twice． "I brought my candies home and gave them to the neighbors，" Kylie said． "It felt terrible．"
But this year，Conlen，Kylie and other kids with food allergies will have a chance for a happy Halloween．That's because nearly 100，000 households across the US have promised to take part in the Teal Pumpkin Project（TPP），which was started last year by Food Allergy Research & Education（FARE）．FARE is an organization that works to improve the lives of people with food allergies．Through the project，the households agree to have nonfood items for trick-or-treaters，including trinkets（小飾品） and toys．
To take part in the project，people buy a teal（藍(lán)綠色） pumpkin or paint a pumpkin teal and place it in front of their house．The painted pumpkins let trick-or-treaters know that nonfood items are available there．The households also add their home addresses to an online map，making it easier for trick-or-treaters to find them．
Kylie loves the idea．"The TPP makes Halloween fun and safe，" she said．"It makes me feel like a normal kid，and it makes everyone feel included．"
（1）To Conlen and Kylie，the past Halloween were．
A．upsetting and dangerous
B．interesting and special
C．sick and terrible
D．important and exciting
（2）According to the passage，we know that FARE．
A．helps people with food allergies recover
B．helps the households take part in the TPP
C．takes action to change kids' bad eating habits
D．helps kids with food allergies have a happy Halloween
（3）The households help kids with food allergies by．
A．giving them teal pumpkins as gifts
B．offering them all kinds of food except candies
C．providing them with trinkets and toys as treats
D．a(chǎn)sking them for home addresses and sending them gifts
（4）Where is the passage most probably taken from？
A．A magazine about the history of festivals．
B．A news report on cultures and customs．
C．An advertisement for an organization．
D．A research paper on kid's health．發(fā)布：2024/12/19 20:30:1組卷：36引用：3難度：0.7 -
3．Besides the excitement of travel，one reason to study abroad is that you will experience new customs，holidays，foods，art，music，and politics first-hand.
"I learned the language and am now fluent，but perhaps what's more important is how much I learned about cultures，people，and myself.I learned this from the viewpoint of an active member of the community and my host family，not from the tourist's point of view，" says Andrew，who studied in Poitiers，F(xiàn)rance.
Another reason for studying abroad is that you'll gain self-confidence.Christina studied in Caracas，Venezuela，a city of more than 3 million people and a huge change from her hometown of 35，000!Christina says she learned how to better stand up for herself and her beliefs and to express herself in another language.What could make you more confident than that？
Living away from home can also help you adjust in the transition（過(guò)渡）to college and adulthood.Mathew says he returned from studying in Australia with confidence and a real interest in international affairs that made him different from his peers（同齡人）. "After having gone abroad in high school，I found the transition to college a breeze—moving 560 miles from home didn't seem particularly frightening after having lived thousands of miles away."
Most of all，it's fun while you're studying in a different learning environment.
（1）What is the passage mainly about？
A．Learning a language.
B．The excitement of travel.
C．Living in a foreign country.
D．The benefits of studying abroad.
（2）What did Andrew pay special attention to while studying abroad？
A．Host families.
B．The foreign cultures.
C．Places of interest.
D．Community problems.
（3）According to the example of Christina，what do we know about studying abroad？
A．It can change our habits.
B．It can offer us opportunities.
C．It can increase our knowledge.
D．It can build our confidence.
（4）What do the underlined words "a breeze" in paragraph 4 probably refer to？
A．Something very important.
B．Something very interesting.
C．Something very easy.
D．Something very soft.發(fā)布：2024/12/19 17:0:2組卷：5引用：2難度：0.5
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