I prefer Lynne Truss's phraseology: I am a grammar "sticker". And, like Truss - author of Eats, shoots & Leaves - I have a "zero tolerance" approach to grammar mistakes that make people look stupid. Now, Truss and I disagree on what it means to have "zero tolerance". She thinks that people who mix up basic grammar "deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave", while I just think they deserve to be passed over for a job - even if they are otherwise qualified for the position. Everyone who applies for a position at either of my companies, iFixit or Dozuki, takes a compulsory grammar test. If job hopefuls can't distinguish between "to" and "too", their applications go into the bin. Of course, we write for a living. iFixit.com is the world's largest online repair manual , and Dozuki helps companies write their own technical documentation, like paperless work instructions and step-by-step user manuals. So, it makes sense that we've made a strong strike against grammar errors. But grammar is relevant for all companies. Yes, language is constantly changing, but that doesn't make grammar unimportant. Good grammar is credibility, especially on the Internet. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can't tell the difference between "their" "there" and "they're". Good grammar makes good business sense - and not just when it comes to hiring writers. Writing isn't in the official job description of most people in our office. Still, we give our grammar test to everybody, including our salespeople, our operations staff, and our programmers. Grammar signifies more than just a person's ability to remember high school English. I've found that people who make fewer mistakes on a grammar test also make fewer mistakes when they are doing something completely unrelated to writing - like stocking shelves or labeling parts. It is the same with programmers. Applicants who don't think writing is important are likely to think lots of other things also aren't important. The author agrees with Lynne Truss in that _ . A) grammar mistakes can't be tolerated B) books on grammar make people stupid C) people need to learn basic grammar D) grammar mistakes are absolutely unavoidable
A
Many parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communication is often the very thing that closes a youngster's ears and mouth. One common mistake is the The Lecture, the long _ that often starts with "When I was your age...." Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures "long, one-side discussions in which I don't say much." Kids reflexively shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over, and they don't register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. "First, they scream. Then comes the 'We're so disappointed' speech. Then the 'I never did that to my parents' lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back." Lines like "When you have children of your own, you'll understand" have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on cliches to justify our actions, we weaken our position. Since kids are creatures of the here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, "Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: 'I'm not letting you go to the party because I don't think there will be enough adult supervisions .'" Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. "I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I'm preaching." This really helped when Betty's kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating "Don't drink; don't speed," she would talk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teen-ager's strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn't being asked for them. Which of the following statements is NOT right? A) Kids won't listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring. B) Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions. C) Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong. D) Kids don't like any discussion at all.
D
Q: A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. "You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man. "Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger. "That's right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor. " Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said , "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised..." Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted , "I know his name. I call him Dad." What was the gentleman? A) A teacher. B) A newspaper reporter. C) Not known from the story. D) The conductor's friend from his company.
A: C
*Question*
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream and listen to the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their original position after the wind had died down. When I think about the bamboo trees' ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word " _ " comes to my mind. When used in reference to a person, this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other negative situation that stretches the limits of a person's emotions. Have you ever felt like you are about to lose control of your emotions? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it. During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health.You felt emotionally tired, mentally exhausted and you most likely bored unpleasant physical symptoms. Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you. A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant moments. Will hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant moment may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having. If the situation gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo trees, bend, but don't break! Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? A) Life is like a bamboo tree that never breaks. B) Whatever difficulties we may meet with in our life, we can bend, but can never break. C) Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. D) If you get over your breaking point, you can survive to live longer and more happily than others.
**Answer**
B