Hoffman，40，a former senior vice president of a financial company，had what she describes as “one of those extreme jobs.” “I loved working,” she says. But her career path reached a crossroad when her second child was born，and she left her job in February 2007. Hoffman is one of many people who have left the work force to take a break，but she has a position as a consultant．She has described this type of career detour(绕路) ----- which is more common for women than for men—as “off- ramping．” Typically it occurs when the balancing act of parenting and work becomes too tough．

A study by the center found that more than 90 percent of women who off-ramp want to on-ramp back into the work force eventually．But making the transition back to work is rarely easy，and it is even harder in this economic climate of layoffs and hiring freezes.

Considering some of the obstacles faced by on- rampers , a three-day program called “Greater Returns：Restarting Your Career” was held at Columbia University. The goal of the three days was to have them walk away with a big shot of confidence.

　According to one school of thought, women looking to make a comeback might even have an advantage in the current economy，especially if they are looking for part-time or consultant positions that do not offer benefits. And a majority of on-rampers are women with extensive working experiences that could give them a slight advantage over less-experienced competition．

　“You absolutely cannot be defensive about why you off-ramped,” Ms Hoffman says, “ defensive” would have put her into a hard situation if the Greater Returns program had had not taught her how to describe the years she spent at home．“I now feel confident talking to an employer and saying，‘ Yes，I have been out of the work force，but here is where I can make significant contributions.’”

1.What is the best title for the passage?

A．Off ramp：it is common　　　　　　　　

B．On ramp：it is easy

C．Off ramp or on ramp：it depends on confidence

D．Off ramp to on ramp：it can be a hard Journey

2.According to the passage，Greater Returns___________．

A．is intended to relieve the pressure of the jobless women

B．has all the jobless women restart their career

C．will build up the confidence of those in search of jobs

D．is to last a11 the year around for the jobless women

3.The main reason for the women’s off-ramping is that_________．

A．they have to suffer the sexual discrimination

B．they have to parent their children

C．they reach a crossroad of career

D．they have great work pressure

4.From what Ms．Hoffman says in the last paragraph，we can conclude________ .

A．she didn’t get advice from the Greater Returns program

B．she was defensive about her off-ramping

C．she didn’t get the job because she lied about her experience

D．she is off ramp partly due to her straightforward manner

5.Which job is easier to get for a woman off-ramper?

A．Regular workers.                        B．Casual workers.

C．Company managers.                     D．Bank clerks.

 

Hidden in our subconsciousness(潜意识）is a perfect mental picture.  We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways,  of children waving at a crossing , of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination.  On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, condemning(谴责）the minutes for loitering(虚度）— waiting, waiting,  waiting for the station.

"When we reach the station, that will be it!”we cry. "When I’m 38." "When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!""When I put the last kid through college.""When I have paid off the debt!" "When I get a promotion.""When I reach the age of rement, I shall live happily ever after!"

Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream.It constantly outdistances us.

"Relish(appreciate) the moment" is a good motto,  actually it isn’t the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, swim more rivers,  watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.

1.

Why does the author describe the mental picture?

     A. To lead us into a perfect world.     B. To let people enjoy the scenery.

     C. To introduce an actual trip of his.   D. To compare it to our life’s journey.

2.

 How do people feel when they’re on their trip?

     A. Puzzled.    B. Happy.    C. Relaxed.      D. Impatient.

3.

 What does the author mean by "Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of

today" in Line 2 Paragraph 5?

   A. Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today.

   B. We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear.

   C. Regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life.

   D. We’re frequently challenged by the two: regret and fear.

4.

Why does the author write the passage?

A. To teach us a good lesson.       

B. To tell us the right attitude to life.

C. To advise us to forget our worries.

D. To stop us wandering along the aisles.

 

Hidden in our subconsciousness (意识) is a perfect mental picture. We see ourselves on a long trip that goes across the continent. We are traveling by train. Out of the windows, we think in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle feeding on a distant hillside, of smoke pouring from a power plant, or row upon row of corn and wheat, of flat lands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hills, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw (拚图玩具) puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles(通道) ,condemning the minutes for loitering-waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

‘‘When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry, “When I'm 38.” “When I buy a new 450SL Mercdes Benz!” “When I put the last kid through co llege.” “When I have paid off!” “When I get a promotion.” “When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after! " Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

“Relish (appreciate) the moment" is a good motto, actually it isn't the burdens of today that drive man mad. It is the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more and cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. Then the station will come soon enough.

1..

 Why does the author describe the mental picture?

A. To lead us into a perfect world.          B. To let people enjoy the scenery.

C. To introduce an actual trip of his.  D. To compare it to our life's journey.

2..

 How do people feel when they’re on their trip?

A. Puzzled.           B. Happy.         C. Relaxed.           D. Impatient.

3..

What does the author mean by "Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today" in Paragraph 4?

A. Regret and fear are responsible for the loss of today.

B. We must be careful of the two thieves: regret and fear.

C. Regret and fear stop us from enjoying our present life.

D. We’re frequently challenged by the two : regret and fear.

4..

 Why does the author write the passage?

A. To teach us a good lesson.       B. To tell us the right attitude to life.

C. To advise us to forget our worries.      D. To stop us wandering along the aisles.

 

There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external（外部的） result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.

    By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles. In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.

    In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow.

    These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not face and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.

1.A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______..

A．he has given up his smoking habit

B．he has made great efforts in his work

C．he is interested in making anything new

D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey

2.In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______.

A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements

B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder

C．face difficulties and take up challenges

D．aim high and reach his goal each time

3.When the author says “a new way of being” (para. 3), he is referring to _____.

A．a new way of taking risks

B．a new approach to experiencing the world

C．a new system of adapting to change

D．a new method of finding ourselves

4.For personal growth, the author may not support __________.

A．curiosity and more chances

B．being quick in self – adaptation

C．open – minded to new experiences

D．avoidance of internal fears and doubts

 

There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process．People have generally viewed personal growth as an external（外部的） result or product that can easily be identified and measured．The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts．

By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way．The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles．In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept．

In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first．How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential to our ability to grow．

These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow．If we do not face and overcome these internal fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease to grow．We become trapped inside a shell of our own making．

1.A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______．．

A．he has given up his smoking habit

B．he has made great efforts in his work

C．he is interested in making anything new

D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey

2.In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______．

A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements

B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder

C．face difficulties and take up challenges

D．aim high and reach his goal each time

3.When the author says “a new way of being” （para．3）, he is referring to _____．

A．a new way of taking risks

B．a new approach to experiencing the world

C．a new system of adapting to change

D．a new method of finding ourselves

4.For personal growth, the author may not support __________．     ．

A．curiosity and more chances

B．being quick in self – adaptation

C．open – minded to new experiences

D．avoidance of internal fears and doubts