26-year-old Anna Cherdantseva, from the city of Ufa, is a full-time sofa tester, spending up to 10 hours every day trying out new sofas for comfort and safety.
Last month, Russian furniture giant MZ5 Group announced that it was taking application for a new position—full-time sofa tester. Although all new products are tested in a specialized laboratory, management decided that in order to better meet the needs of consumers it needed some feedback on real-life use of its sofas. In just a few days, MZ5 received over 5.000 job applications from people eager to spend most of their time sitting and lying on sofas.
“We were selecting candidates in several stages,” MZ5 Group spokesperson Anastasia Russkih said, “Initially we checked their resumes, and then we let them tell us why they wanted the job.” Eventually, the furniture company shortlisted just 7 candidates, among whom Anna Cherdantseva, a 26-year-old marketing expert, proved to be the most suitable for the job.
“I felt extreme competition, and it was a real fight for my dream job,” Anna said after getting selected. “I have a lot of ideas for improving the sofas, but I would prefer not to talk about them for now. I believe it will all work out between me and the sofas.”
Despite describing herself as an active person, Cherdantseva says that spending about 10 hours a day sitting on sofas doesn’t sound bad at all. “Of course I will spend a lot of time on new sofas The more time I spend on them, the better it will be for my work,” she told Sreporters.
Anna Cherdantseva is currently on a three-month probation（试用期）at MZ5, hut the company claims that as long as she proves to be up to the task, they plan on offering her a permanent position as a sofa tester. The young woman will receive a monthly salary of 56,000 rubles（$ 1, 000） for the first three months. It’s not so bad about the job.
28. Why did MZS Group want a sofa tester? A. Because it wants to save money by doing that. B. Because it wants to satisfy its consumers belter. C. Because Anna Cherdantseva applied for the job. D. Because its products need to be tested.
29. What does the underlined word “feedback” in Paragraph 2 mean? A. Products.
B. Consumers.
C. Praise.
D. Response.
30. What docs Anna Cherdantseva think of getting the job? A. It was very easy.
B. It was controversial. D. It was interesting.
C. It was challenging.
31. What can be inferred from the text?
A. Anna Cherdantseva has the chance to work steadily for MZ5. B. The company found it difficult to find suitable employees. C. The company doesn’t give Anna Cherdantseva a good salary now. D. Anna Cherdantseva got the job because of her similar work experience.
D
Scientists say they discovered an earth-like planet orbiting the star closest to our planet other than the sun. It is the closest planet ever found outside our solar system that could support life as we know it. This planet is just 4. 2 light years away from us. It is so close that space scientists have compared it to a next door neighbor. They say it could be reached by an unmanned spacecraft before the end of the century. The newly-discovered planet is a little larger than the earth. Scientists have named it Proxima b. It orbits its sun, Proxima Centauri, once every 11 days.
Alan Boss is the Chairman of NASA’s advisory group for planet exploration. He told VOA that Proxima b not only confirms the discovery of a planet, but also increases the number of other possible “earths” by a huge amount. Boss said it is possible that most stars may have at least one earth-like planet orbiting them.
This makes the possibility of living organisms increasingly likely. Boss said he believes human beings will prove that there is life in places other than the earth in his lifetime. “I am 65,” he told VOA, “But I expect to still be alive when it happens.”
Paul Butler works at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. He told VOA that finding Proxima b “makes the case concrete” that there are other planets where life could exist. Paul Butler said the researchers used two telescopes in different countries to look for possible planets like the earth. Discovering Proxima b, he believes, changes the world.
“This work has resulted in the discovery of hundreds of planets around the nearest stars, and now a potentially habitable planet around the nearest star is in the sky,” Butler said. 32. Which of the following does the newly-discovered planet move around? A. The earth. C. Proxima b.
B. The sun. D. Proxima Centauri.
33. What view do both Alan Boss and Paul Butler hold?
A. It is most likely that life exists on other planets besides the earth. B. Proxima b can be used to help people find more earth-like planets. C. There is at least one earth-like planet orbiting each star. D. Discovering Proxima b will change the world.
34. What does the underlined part “This work” in the last paragraph refer to? A. Exploring another sun. B. Discovering Proxima b.
C. Using telescopes to find earth-like planets. D. Researching life on other planets. 35. What may be the best title for the text? A. Potentially Habitable Planets B. Planet Exploration in the Universe C. Stars with Earth-like Planets Orbiting D. A Neighboring Possible Earth-like Planet
第二节 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 As new car prices continue to climb, you can find reliable but cheap used cars for sale. Many are readily available online, but car lots and local auto auctions （拍卖）also provide excellent sources for inexpensive vehicles. Here are the tips.
Search online
36 , Some sites specialize in automotive sales and may contain hundreds of local lists. Private sellers may offer considerably lower prices for their cars than a dealer and be more receptive to negotiation. You will find dealer lists on these sites as well.
Visit local auctions
Though many car auctions take place online, you still can find a cheap used car at a specialized auto auction. These auctions, available in many bigger cities, are the same ones where local dealers purchase cars for sale. 37 , so check with your local auto auction center to confirm.
38 Many organizations that manage a fleet of vehicles sell their used cars when they remove them from active service. Car rental companies frequently sell late model, relatively low mileage former rental cars for well below the price a dealer would charge for a similar vehicle. For a very cheap used car, consider browning retired police cars and government surplus vehicles. 39 . Be prepared to negotiate
40 , you likely will have the opportunity to negotiate for a lower sales price. When
negotiating with a dealer, according to the financial magazine Forbes, you may be able to get the lowest
possible price on the last day of the month, a day with poor weather, or late at night on the weekend. Negotiations with o private seller often are more direct and consist of simply offering your ideal and reasonable price.
A. Consider retired vehicles B. Ask advice from local dealers C These cars will help you save a lot D. Unless you buy your used car in an auction E. Rules can vary significantly from auction to auction F. When you find a chance to ask about the local situation G. Many private individuals start with online classified websites 第三部分 语言知识运用（共两节，满分45分）
第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。 Hearing my name called, I turned and found it was Carina. After three months, I was 41 with my guide. She was a twenty-two-year-old native New Yorker who had 42 me on a five-week trip to Spain to study Spanish and Economics.
Though our trip was my first experience of 43 and seeing the world, it was an eye-opening one that has left me thirsty for more 44 . Much of the change that the trip brought to me came from Carina because she inspired me to 45 myself while in Spain. She urged me to speak more Spanish and 46 more about Spam. We traveled around and 47 much about Spanish history and present situation, which helped me learn more about the rich Spanish 48 . Now that we were reunited in New York, oar conversation picked up again. 49 this time it was about our futures. 50 , this meeting was less of a reunion but more of a goodbye. She was 51 San Francisco the next day, packing her life into two suitcases and 52 to the other side of the country. “I am not staying here just because it’s too 53 to live here. Make sure that you do the same in your college life.” she urged me.
Carina’s 54 made me realize that the world is full of things to explore. I’ve lived in a small New England town my whole life without any adventure, so it’s time to 55 and go somewhere I can do something 56 . I see college as a chance to take a risk and discover new things. I want a place to test new 57 . Whether it’s helping people as a doctor, or performing research for a field study, I want to do something like Carina and do not fear trying something 58 . She introduced me to the world of 59 , and now that I’ve gotten a taste, I’m going to 60 for more. 41. A. acquainted
B. satisfied
C. reunited
D. delighted
42. A. led
B. joined
C. followed C. playing C. talent C. relax C. dream C. talked
D. prevented D. working D. adventure D. congratulate D. complain D. quarreled D. opportunity D. for
D. Unfortunately D. leaving for D. attending D. impossible D. intentions D. recommend D. extraordinary D. relationship D. thrilling D. enterprise D. struggle
43. A. studying 44. A. wealth 45. A. push 46. A. worry 47. A. did
B. traveling B. freedom B. enjoy B. know
B. brought B. culture B. so
48. A. resource 49. A. or
C. experience C. but
50. A. Interestingly 51. A. keeping off 52. A. moving 53. A. strict 54. A. words 55. A. work 56. A. proper 57. A. property 58. A. new
B. Surprisingly B. dealing with B. replying B. easy
C. Naturally
C. talking about C. referring
C. inconvenient C. promises C. leave
B. changes B. practice B. complex B. quality B. safe
C. common C. knowledge C. amazing C. creativity C. apply
59. A. imagination 60. A. account
B. braveness B. wait
第二节 （共10小题;每小题1.5分,满分15分）
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。
A few months ago, my office security guard was diagnosed with lung cancer. He had a tough time. I was really concerned about his health and the mental 61 (suffer) he was facing. I 62 (pray) for him and sent a request to all my co-workers for some 63 (contribution) for his hospitalization expenses.
A few colleagues were quite generous and contributed for him. He was on chemo (化疗) and had only one chemo 64 (leave), and the hospital asked him to pay around 20 thousand. Only working 65 a security guard, of course he did not have that money.
I promised 66 (I) to help him during this difficult time. I got my salary today with some increment (加薪)and I sent the increment amount 67 (meet) his last chemo expense.
What I’ve learned from life is that we can earn more money 68 the opportunities to help others are few. Having a kind heart can save a human life. People were so kind to me when I was facing one of the 69 (tough)