Across Britain,burnt toast will be served to mothers in bed this morning as older sons and daughters rush to deliver their supermarket bunches of flowers.But,according to a new study,we should be placing a higher value on motherhood all year. Mothers have long known that their home workload was just as heavy as paid work.Now,the new study has shown that if they were paid for their parental labours,they would earn as much asPS172,000 a year. The study looked at the range of jobs mothers do,as well as the hours they are working,to determine the figure.This would make their yearly incomePS30,000 more than the Prime Minister earns. By analysing the numbers,it found the average mother works 119 hours a week,40 of which would usually be paid at a standard rate and 79 hours as overtime.After questioning 1,000 mothers with children under 18,it found that,on most days,mums started their routine work at 7 am and finished at around 11 pm. To calculate just how much mothers would earn from that labour,it suggested some of the roles that mums could take on,including housekeeper,part-time lawyer,personal trainer and entertainer.Being a part-time lawyer,atPS48.98 an hour,would prove to be the most profitable of the"mum jobs",with psychologist a close second. It also asked mothers about the challenges they face,with 80 percent making emotional demand as the hardest thing about motherhood. Over a third of mums felt they needed more training and around half said they missed going out with friends. The study shows mothers matter all year long and not just on Mother's Day.The emotional,physical and mental energy mothers devote to their children can be never-ending,but children are also sources of great joy and happiness.Investing in time for parenting and raising relationships is money well spent. What can we conclude from the study? A) Mothers'working hours should be largely reduced. B) Mothers should balance their time for work and rest. C) Mothers'labour is of a higher value than it is realized. D) Mothers should be freed from housework for social life.
C
(Question)
We met in a crowded showroom fifteen years ago. As I inched forward I eyed him with suspicion, unsure what to make of this stranger.A salesman made the proper introductions and although we got to know each other, I didn't trust him. I call him Super. I would find myself staring at him, wondering what secrets he held. I found myself spending more and more time with Super, getting to know him, learning to trust him. My other friends soon became a little jealous, stating that I spent too much time with him. It was true, but I didn't feel guilty, for I could just be myself with him. He didn't care about my appearance, pay and failure. None of these things mattered to him. Then _ one _ day _ he _ said _ he _ was _ going _ to _ show _ me _ the _ world.He _ said _ that _ I _ could _ ask _ to _ go _ anywhere, _ anywhere _ at _ all. When I asked him to show me New York, he didn't hesitate. He showed me the bright lights of Broadway, the majestic Statue of Liberty and so much more. Late at night we played games. Sometimes I won, sometimes he did.It didn't matter because we had fun. Through him I met other people. Men and women I never would have met if it wasn't for him. Then suddenly he became sick. He was unable to do anything and I felt so helpless because I didn't know what was wrong. But I knew those who could.I paced around the room while he was examined.What if it was something serious? What if he died? I cried but luckily he was fine again. I looked at him and saw my companion, teacher, instructor, travel guide and so much more.He was my friend, my best friend.He is ... my computer. The author didn't believe Super even if he knew him better as he thought _ . A) the salesman was always cheating customers these days. B) Super had limited power since he was only a machine. C) he would forget the salesman's instruction in future. D) his money spent on him wasn't good for the value.
(Answer)
B
Ques: Theater managers will often ask people to turn off their phones before a play or other live shows, but sometimes people forget. Broadway shows have come to a stop when a phone has rung in the audience. It is not uncommon to hear phones ring in movie theatres, libraries and even places of worship. Can you think of anything more annoying than trying to watch a movie while the lady behind you tells the babysitter where to find the baby lotion . The right thing to do would be to take the call in the rest-room, and turn off the phone before returning to your seat. When did every call become so urgent that we can't wait to answer it, no matter where we are, who we are with or what we are doing? Why do cell phones bring out the worst manners in normally thoughtful people? Lew Friedland, a communications professor at the prefix = st1 /UniversityofWisconsin- Madison, told CNN Reporter Amy Cox that this lack of manners is because people might be unaware of what they are doing or of the other people around them. He said that this unconscious rudeness has caused even public space to be divided up into small private space. Places like bus stops are public spaces. But when we are there while someone has a private conversation on the phone, we feel like we are _ .What can we do? Which one of the following is Wrongaccording to this passage? A) It is unusual to hear phones in libraries now. B) We can answer a phone no matter where we are. C) It is polite to make a call while having a meeting. D) It is impolite to make a call in the bus stop.
Ans: B
Promised yourself to quit smoking in the new year, but just can't stop lighting up? You're not alone, with an Australian survey showing that only 3 percent of smokers who made such resolutions stuck with them. An online poll of just over 1,000 people, conducted ahead of the launch of a video game designed to help smokers quit, showed one in four Australians made New Year's resolutions to quit ---- but more than half went back on their word within a week.Some 15 percent lit up within hours of making the pledge, the survey showed, The research revealed that seven out of ten smokers have tried to kick the habit at some point. "Our research shows that the majority of smokers in Australia want to quit but are struggling to stick to their resolution.For most people, the desire to stop smoking is not enough, "Edward Fong, general manager of Ubisoft, the videogame manufacturer selling the anti-- smoking software, said in a statement. According to the survey, Australian smokers light up an average of 13.8 cigarettes every day or 5,037 cigarettes a year.There are currently 2.63 million smokers in Australia, which equates to 16 percent of the population over the age of 18, with women on average making more attempts to quit than men.The World Health Organization says smoking kills about 4 million people each year, causing a quarter of deaths related to heart disease.The organization estimates that by 2030, more than 8 million people will die from tobacco - related causes each year, mainly in developing countries. According to the passage, _ succeeded in giving up smoking. A) most of the smokers B) None of the smokers C) a few of the smokers D) a quarter of the smokers
C