As is known to all, the organization and management of wages and salaries are very complex. Generally speaking, the Accounts Department is responsible for calculations of pay, while the Personnel Department is interested in discussions with the employees about pay. If a firm wants to adopt a new wage and salary structure, it is essential that the firm should decide on a method of job evaluation and ways of measuring the performance of its employees. In order to be successful, that new pay structure will need agreement between Trade Unions and employers. In job evaluation, all of the requirements of each job are defined in a detailed job description. Each of those requirements is given a value, usually in "points", which are added together to give a total value for the job. For middle and higher management, a special method is used to evaluate managers on their knowledge of the job, their responsibility, and their ability to solve problems. Because of the difficulty in measuring management work, however, job grades for managers are often decided without reference to an evaluation system based on points. In attempting to design a pay system, the Personnel Department should compare the value of each job with those in the job market. It should also consider economic factors such as the cost of living and the labor supply. It is necessary that payment for a job should vary with any differences in the way that the job is performed. Where it is simple to measure the work done, as in the work done with the hands, monetary encouragement schemes are often chosen, for indirect workers, where measurement is difficult, methods of additional payments are employed. In designing a new pay system, a firm should consider _ besides comparing the value of each job with values in the job market. A) the way of evaluating management work B) the method of calculating the pay C) the requirements of each job D) the labor supply and the cost of living
D
(Question)
It is an issue I have realized ever since I heard about an Austrian banker who said,"I always find it easier to do business with partners from Greece or Russia or Denmark. But when the lrish call, it gets complex and difficult." ks5u As I wrote recently, those speaking English as a second language frequently say they find it easier to talk to each other than to someone from the US, the UK ,Canada ,Ireland or Australia. Anyone wanting to get to the top of international business, medicine or academia(but possibly not sport)needs to be able to speak English to a pretty high level .Equally, any native English speaker wanting to deal with these new high achievers needs to know how to talk without confusing them. Because so many English-speakers today are monoglots ,they have little idea how difficult it is to master another language. Many think the best way to make foreigners understand is to be chatty and informal. This may seem friendly but,as it probably involves using informal expressions, it makes comprehension harder. Speaking slowly helps, but avoiding figurative or idiomatic expressions is more important. Phrasal verbs are another trouble for non-native English speakers; imagine trying to understand the difference between" I couldn't put up with him"and " I agreed to put him up".It's better to say "I couldn't tolerate him"and " I agreed to let him stay for night ". The words may be longer but the meaning is easier to understand. The greatest friend to anyone trying to understand another language is repetition; not saying the same thing over and over again,but saying it in different ways. As to speaking English , the author implies that _ . A) there's no need for athletes to speak so well B) a successful person must speak advanced English well C) advanced English shouldn't be spoken in sports D) a successful person must speak simple English to others
(Answer)
A
Ques: Standing desks have become common across Silicon Valley, offering health benefits to those willing to work on their feet. However, due to their high price, they have failed to catch on until now. Recently, Ikea has brought out Bekant convertible standing desk that can become a normal desk at the touch of a button. The $500 adjustable desk can transform from a standard desk to a standing one, and Ikea hopes it could make the standing desk mainstream. Experts say that changing from a seated to a standing desk can improve productivity. Similar desks have become a common sight at tech firms such as Google, where some employees have even installed treadmill and bicycle desks. The desk is not the first "convertible" on the market. As early as 2013, Stir Kinect brought out an adjustable desk. The $3,890 Stir Kinect desk has a motor to raise and lower itself, converting it into a standing desk or a traditional desk. The desk can even be programmed to move up and down slightly, making it appear to take a gentle breath to remind the user to change their position. To move between sitting and standing positions, owners simply double tap on the screen. The desk can learn the user's preferences over time and suggest the best seating position. The Stir Kinect desk was created by a team of ex-Apple and Disney engineers. It has a built-in touch screen to control and track movement, and can tell users exactly how many calories they burn by standing during their working day. It also has devices containing power points and USB ports for charging phones, to keep cables hidden. "Ikea's height adjustable desk is great for opening up the lower end of the market, '' said JP Labrosse, founder and CEO of Stir. What can we infer from the last sentence given by JP Labrosse that _ . A) Ikea's adjustable desk will be popular with average people. B) Ikea will have to sell furniture at a lower price in the future. C) This height adjustable table can only be found in Ikea. D) It is not necessary for Ikea to open up the market at all.
Ans: A
Many scientists are now exploring the idea of going to live on Mars. Some other scientists from the MASA AMES Center have already started the creation of a "Mars town" and many others are in fact already experimenting with it. Of course, these experiments are done on Earth itself but this "Mars town" has an environment practically like that of Mars. The astronauts working in these towns wear their space suit and also do everything they would really have to carry out if they ever go to Mars in the future. But Mars would be like Earth, a temporary place for humans. When the Sun starts swallowing up the planets, Mars will disappear only hours after Earth. So Mars only seems to be the ideal place to spread the human beings. It is also a good location to send humans if ever there is a disaster on Earth. By saying disaster, I mean asteroids hitting and things like that. If we humans do not want to disappear when Earth or Mars gets swallowed up, we will have to go and live beyond the solar system. But are there any planets outside our solar system prepared to support life? Astronomers' answer is: "If Earth can support life, why can't other planets do the same too? Astronomers have already discovered a Jupiter - like planet _ a Sun-like star, so why not an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star? To achieve this goal though, many other problems have to be taken into consideration. How do we transform a dusty planet like Mars into one more or less like our Earth? How should we go on? There is still a long way to go. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? A) Mars Town B) Living on Mars C) The Future of Earth D) Where to live in the Future
D