I asked around and found out that my mum was very well known in the area. The kids were very friendly with her and even looked up to her as if she were their own mother. Then it hit me —shy would she mot want to tell me about what she (28)_____(do)? Was she worried about how I would react or that I would stop (29)_____(buy) the groceries if I found out?

When she got home, I told her about my discovery. (30)_____ she could react, I gave her a big hug and told her she didn't need to keep it a secret (31)______ me. She told me that some of the children lived with an older lady in a shelter while others slept on the streets. For years, my mum has been helping out by giving them whatever food she could spare. I was so impressed by (32)_____ selfless she was.

(B)

Stress: Good or Bad?

Stress used to be an almost unknown word, but now that we are used to talking about it, I have found that people are beginning to get stressed about being stressed.

In recent years, stress(33)______(regard) as a cause of a whole range of medical problems, from high blood pressure to mental illness. But like so many other things, it is only too much stress(34)______ does you harm. It is time you considered that if there were no stress in your life, you would achieve a little. If you are stuck at home with no stress, then your level of performance will be low. Up to a certain point, the more stress you are under, the (35)_____(good) your performance will be. Beyond a certain point, though , further stress will only lead to exhaustion, illness and finally a breakdown. You can tell when you are over the top and on the downward slope, by asking yourself (36)_______ number of questions. Do you, for instance, feel that too much is being expected of (37)______, and yet find it impossible to say no? Do you find yourself getting impatient of (38) _____(annoy) with people over unimportant things?... If the answer to all those questions is yes, you had better(39)______(control ) your stress, as you probably are under more stress than is good for you.

To some extent you can control the amount of stress in your life. Doctors have worked out a chart showing how much stress is involved in various events. Getting married is 50, pregnancy 40, moving house 20, Christmas 12,etc. If the total stress in your life is over 150, you are twice as likely (40)_______ (get )ill.

Section B

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

What makes good design? Over the years, designers and artists have been trying to 41 the essentials of good design. They have found that some sayings can help people understand the ideas of good design. There are four as follows.

Less is more. This saying is associated with the German-born architect Mies van der Rohe. In his Modernist view, beauty lies in simplicity and elegance, and the aim of the designer is to create solutions to problems through the most efficient means. Design should avoid unnecessary 42

More is not a bore. The American-born architect Robert Venturi concluded that if simplicity is done badly, the result is 43 design. Post-Modernist designers began to 44 with decoration and color again. Product design was heavily influenced by this view and can be seen in kitchen 45 such as ovens and kettles.

Fitness for purpose. Successful product design takes into consideration a product's function, purpose, shape, form, color, and so on. The most important result for the user is that the product does what is 46 . For example, think of a(n) 47 desk lamp. It needs to be constructed from materials that will stand the heat of the lamp and regular adjustments by the user. It also needs to be stable. Most importantly, it needs to 48 light where it is needed.

From follows emotion. This phrase is associated with the German designer Hartmut Esslinger. He believes design must take into 49 the sensory side of our nature—sight, smell, touch and taste. These are as important as rational(理性的). When choosing everyday products such as toothpaste, we appreciate a cool-looking device that allows us to easily 50 the toothpaste onto our brush.

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

In the 1960s, Douglas McGregor, one of the key thinkers in the art of management, developed the mow famous Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X is the idea that people instinctively 51 work and will do anything to avoid it. Theory Y is the view that everyone has the potential to find satisfaction in work.

In any case, despite so much evidence to the 52 , many managers still agree to Theory X. They believe, 53 , that their employees need constant supervision if they are to work effectively, or that decisions must be imposed from 54 without consultation. This, of course, makes for authoritarian (专制的) managers.

Different cultures have different ways of 55 people. Unlike authoritarian management, some cultures, particularly in Asia, are well known for the consultative nature of decision-making—all members of the department or work group are asked to 56 to this process. This is management by the collective opinion. Many western companies have tried to imitate such Asian ways of doing things, which are based on general 57 . Some experts say that women will become more effective managers than men because they have the power to reach common goals in a way that traditional 58 managers cannot.

A recent trend has been to encourage employees to use their own initiative, to make decisions on their own without 59 managers first. This empowerment (授权) has been part of the trend towards downsizing: 60 the number of management layers in companies. After de-layering in this way, a company may be 61 with just a top level of senior managers, front-line managers and employees with direct contact with the public. Empowerment takes the idea of delegation (委托) much further than has 62 been the case. Empowerment and delegation mean new forms of management control to 63 that the overall business plan is being followed, and that operations become more profitable under the new organization, rather than less.

Another trend is off-site or 64 management, where teams of people linked by e-mail and the Internet work on projects from their own houses. Project managers evaluate the 65

of the team members in terms of what they produce for projects, rather than the amount of time they spend on them.