Freelance writers Wanted
Associated Content is an online publishing platform that enables anyone to earn money by writing articles on the Web.
Writing for AC is a great work opportunity for students, stay-at-home parents and freelance writers –you can work on your own time and submit papers, reviews, essays, etc. on any topic that you have interest in. This is a job you can do from anywhere---all you need is access to the Internet.
Here’s how you get started:
1) Go to www. associatedcontent.com/join/hotjobs.
2) Follow the instructions to register.
3) Fill in your profile(简介),making note of your previous experience and your areas of experience (if any).
4) Start submitting articles. You’ll begin earning money as soon as your articles are published and the amount is based on the page views it receives.
In addition to our own library of content, we have hundreds of partners (Partner Content Team) who work with AC to obtain high-quality. As such, there are lots of opportunities for our most talented and productive writers to accept “Partner Assignments” on an as-needed basis.
If you’re interested in accepting higher paying Partner Assignments, send us a link to your AC profile once you have submitted at least five articles. We will review all submissions and pass them along to our Partner Content Team. If selected, you will start receiving special paid assignments from us on a regular basis, which you are free to accept or ignore.
NOTE: we pay our writers via PayPal daily.
Any questions? Email me: dernel@asociatedcontent.com
1.You can write for AC on condition that you .
A. have rich experience in writing
B. have access to the Internet
C. must register an account
D. must be free at home
2.How much you can earn for your published article depends on ___ .
A. the space it covers B. the topic it deals with
C. the opinion it voices D. the page views it receives
3.Partner Content Team is mentioned here to .
A. encourage people to write more articles for AC
B. lay stress on the importance of cooperation
C. seek more support from other business partners
D. show off its abundant library of content
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Watching wooden dolls come to life may not be one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, but with over twenty years’ experience, talented puppeteer (木偶表演者) Peter Roberts has earned himself the title “master puppeteer” because of his great ability to turn puppets into believable, almost living characters. “People are quite often surprised to hear what I do for a living and have little appreciation of puppy as a form of entertainment. But while the exact origins of puppet theatre are unknown, it has been popular in many cultures and may have been the very first kind of theatre,” he explains.
Roberts’ shows are highly original. “A puppet show can involve anything from clowning(傻逗) to storytelling,” he says. Equally diverse are the audiences he performs for. “Some are attracted by the puppets themselves, while others enjoy the dialogue.” Roberts believes that this form of entertainment can be appreciated by people of all ages and cultures.
Roberts’ interest in puppets started when he received some beautiful glove puppets one Christmas. He started putting on shows with these for family and friends and then moved on to handmade Chinese string puppets. Learning mostly from books and personal experience, he explains, “I was already spending most of my free time carving puppets and putting on shows, so I hardly noticed the change from students to full-time professional puppeteer.”
The puppets are designed specifically for each show, which is extremely time consuming. According to Roberts, “Sometimes what you expect and what you actually create in the end are two very different things. I’ve made some of my best puppets ‘accidentally’.”
When most people hear the word “puppetry”, they more than likely think of a way of keeping children entertained at birthday parties. Certainly the subject matter will be expected to be light-hearted rather than serious. However, Roberts wants to point out that puppets convey serious messages sometimes.” he says.
1.What do we know about puppetry in the first paragraph?
A. It is a most popular form of entertainment.
B. It cannot give people pleasure any more.
C. It was first brought to life by Peter Roberts.
D. Its value as an art form is not fully recognized.
2.In Roberts’ eyes, his puppet shows .
A. usually attract people full of humor
B. are most something for old aged audience
C. display something meaningful for different people
D. involve hard work and great intelligence
3.Roberts developed an interest in puppets because of .
A. the puppet show books B. his university major
C. a Christmas gift D. some Chinese string puppets
4.What does Roberts want people to think of puppet theatre?
A. It is just a kind of entertainment for kids.
B. It can be educational as well as entertaining.
C. It is only a kind of serious art form.
D. It should be kept light-hearted.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
When it's five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clocks tell them they’re done.
These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cellphones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock based work schedules hinder creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m, research from 10 a. m to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.
What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “ clock time” vs. “ task time”. They found clock timers to be more efficient(有效率的) but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.
The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.
1.What does the author say a clock-based work?
A. It makes workers very tired.
B. It reminds workers to leave on time.
C. It makes workers aware of the precious time.
D. It may have a bad effect on the creativity.
2.What does the underlined word “hinder” in paragraph 2 mean?
A. Block. B. Consider.
C. Increase. D. Value.
3.What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?
A. They seize opportunities as they come up.
B. They always get their work done in time.
C. They tend to be more productive.
D. They can control their lives.
4.What do the researchers suggest?
A. Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.
B. It is important to keep a balance between work and life.
C. Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.
D. A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
Open Letter to an Editor
I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently --- one who works for you. In fact, he’s one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.
Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume(简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues(问题), approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I’m sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you’ve given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.
So why is he looking for a way out?
He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.
The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.
He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he’s doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That’s what you want for him, too, isn’t it?
So your reporter has set me thinking.
Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists --- everyone --- is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can’t do it, they’ll find someone who can.
1.What does the writer think of the reporter?
A. Optimistic. B. Imaginative. C. Ambitious. D. Proud.
2.What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?
A. Finding the news value of his stories. B. Giving him financial support.
C. Helping him to find issues. D. Improving his good ideas.
3.Who probably wrote the letter?
A. An editor. B. An artist. C. A reporter. D. A reader.
4.The letter aims to remind editors that they should ______.
A. keep their best reporters at all costs
B. give more freedom to their reporters
C. be aware of their reporters’ professional development
D. appreciate their reporters’ working styles and attitudes
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
We all know that a hot, milky drink and a warm bath are supposed to relax you before bed, but many of us still can’t slip into sleep. Here are some tips to help you go to sleep.
●Breathe in through your left nostril(鼻孔)
1.. Sleep specialist Peter Smith says, “Lie on your left side, resting a finger on your right nostril to close it. Start slow, deep breathing in the left nostril.” Peter, author of Sleep Better With Natural Therapies, says this technique is particularly good when overheating is preventing sleep.
●2.
Relaxing all your muscles can prepare your body for sleep. Anxiety expert Charles Linden says: “Lying on your back, take a deep, slow breath in through your nose and, at the same time, squeeze your toes tightly as if you are trying to curl them under your foot, then loosen them slowly. Breathe again, contract your leg muscles, then your thigh, belly, chest, arms, and so on until you heat all the way up your body. 3.
●Try to stay awake
Challenge yourself to stay awake--- your mind will fight against it! “It’s called the sleep paradox(悖论).” says psychotherapist Julie Hirst. She explains: “Keep your eyes wide open, repeat to yourself ‘I will not sleep’.4.but instead view this as an instruction to sleep and eye muscles tire quickly as sleep turns up.”
●5.
Use at least three senses imagining yourself in a situation where you feel content—a paradise(乐园), sailing on calm waters, walking in flower fields.
A. Just imagine
B. Enjoy a paradise
C. Squeeze and relax
D. The brain doesn’t process negatives well
E. You must repeat what you have done
F. This yoga method is thought to reduce blood pressure and calm you
G. When you have gone from head to toe, you should feel ready for sleep
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Dr. Lee was one of my favorite professors in college. He was ________because of a trick he employed at the beginning of his first class. “I will put a__________into each of my lectures. Your job is to try and_________me in the Lie of the Day.”
That was a _________way to focus our attention at the dry and ________subject---Capital Markets. On those days we actively ________Dr. Lee’s statements. Every once in a while, a lecture would end with _______seeing through the lie. Dr. Lee would say, “Ah ha! Each of you has a lie in your notes. _______among yourselves what it might be, and I will tell you next Monday.”
What made Dr. Lee’s teaching ________smart was that there was no lie during the most technically_________lecture. He offered the same challenge to___________ our lecture notes. On the following Monday, he would hear our ________for almost ten minutes before he finally said, “Do you_________the first lecture---how I said that every lecture has a lie?”
Tired from having our best theories shot down, we_________.
“Well, that was a lie. My previous lecture was completely true and_________. But I am glad you reviewed your notes _______ this weekend. Moving on …”
While my knowledge of the Capital Markets has_________over time, the lessons have stayed with me. “Experts” can be___________and say things that sound right---so build a habit of ________new information and check it against things you already accept as _________.
1.A. funny B. memorable C. careful D. upset
2.A. game B. puzzle C. joke D. lie
3.A. catch B. tell C. hear D. stop
4.A. simple B. common C. brilliant D. terrible
5.A. boring B. interesting C. meaningful D. guessed
6.A. asked B. read C. challenged D. guessed
7.A. anyone B. someone C. everybody D. nobody
8.A. Agree B. Discuss C. Find D. Perform
9.A. technique B. step C. problem D. subject
10.A. pretty B. difficult C. entertaining D. successful
11.A. carry out B. set down C. take over D. work through
12.A. suggestions B. theories C. plans D. hopes
13.A. like B. know C. remember D. preview
14.A. nodded B. waited C. paused D. sighed
15.A. easy B. decisive C. obvious D. reliable
16.A. happily B. carefully C. early D. secretly
17.A. come B. changed C. faded D. developed
18.A. wise B. powerful C. wrong D. confident
19.A. evaluating B. gaining C. forgetting D. seeking
20.A. advice B. evidence C. knowledge D. fact
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Dujiangyan is the oldest man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science.1.(build) over 2, 200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering2.(achieve) is still used today.
In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands3.(suffer) from regular floods caused by overflow from the Minjiang River. 4.(help) the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region governor, together with his son, decided to find a solution. Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river flowing naturally. 5.(good) still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making 6. suitable for farming.
Once the system was finished, no more floods occurred and the people were able to live7.(peaceful). Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams 8. the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, 9. (enable) ecosystem(生态系统) and fish populations to exist10. harmony.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处，错误涉及一个单词的增加，删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词同下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词。只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
The summer job is very much popular among some university students. Long before the summer vacation begins, many a student start their summer job search. They send letters to businesses, going to job interviews, and ask our friends and relations for help. By June the students usually had found jobs and then they begin preparing enter the world of work.
Reasons for wanting a summer job differs from student to student. Some students work to pay their school expenses; some work to gain experience or just to fun. Salesmen or waiters are two of the most common job that students try to find.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你叫李华，你的美国朋友Mike正在北京大学学习汉语，他对中国古诗词很感兴趣。中央电视台将举办《中国诗词大会》比赛(Chinese Poetry Contest)，请email他告知此事，主要内容包括：
1、节目简介；
2、建议并鼓励他参加；
3、预祝他取得好成绩。
注意:1、词数100左右；
2、可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Mike,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析