Most of us have to work for a living, and a job is a central part of our lives. So wh

Rat race rebels

Most of us are trapped in a nine-to-five office routine and many of us would like to escape. We interviewed three people who have said “No!” to this rat race…

Fiona

After university, I was on the dole for a few months. I didn’t have any money, so I was really pleased to get an office job… but it was very boring! I gave it up and went to do voluntary work for the VSO – Voluntary Service Overseas – in Rwanda. I teach old people and children to read and write. It’s not the most comfortable of jobs but it’s great to be doing something of real use for once.

Andy

I used to be a freelance news journalist. It was very stressful and I had to travel a lot. I applied for loads of other jobs with no success, so I started to think about my real interest – football! Now, I work from home and write football articles for press agencies around the world. It’s a full-time job but I have much more free time. I’m my own boss and I can get up when I want!

Emma

I used to be a teacher and I worked 40 hours a week. Then, I saw the movie American Beauty and thought I could change my life too! I did a course in acupuncture and shiatsu massage. I took four years to get qualified but now I have set up my own business. Shiatsu is very popular these days because people are so stressed and you can earn quite good money.

1、Emma didn’t have a job for a while.

2、Andy has turned an interest into a profession.

3、Fiona has her own company.

4、Fiona feels she is doing something useful.

5、Andy was influenced by a film that he saw.

听力原文：W: Hi, Tom.

M: Kate, I haven't seen you for weeks. Where have you been？

W: In Florida.

M: What？ Vacationing while the rest of us have been studying on the campus in the February cold？

W: Not exactly. I spent most of my time underwater.

M: I don't understand.

W: I was on a special field trip. I went with my marine biology class.

M: So you went scuba diving. What were you looking for, sunken treasure？

W: You might say so. The sea is full of treasures. All kinds of strange, fascinating organisms. Our class concentrated on studying plankton.

M: I thought they were too small to be seen.

W: That's a common misconception. The plankton covers a wide variety of freely floating plants and animals. From one-celled organisms to large ones, such as the common jelly fish.

M: Jelly-fish may be large enough to be seen. But they are transparent, aren't they？

W: Yes, most floating plants and animals have transparent tissues. It makes them practically invisible to their enemies.

M: But not invisible to your biology class, I hope.

W: By concentrating, I was able to see the outlines of lots of different plants and animals, In fact, our professor even took photo of some small oceanic snails.

M: How would the snails show up in the photo if they are transparent？

W: We painted them with a harmless green dye. Since particles of the dye stuck to the tissues, the snails appeared in a green outline in the photos.

M: That sounds like an interesting trip.

W: It really was.

M: But I think if I had been there, I'd much rather have spent my time just swimming and lying in the sun.

(20)

A．Sightseeing.

B．Lying on the beach.

C．Taking photos of the beaches.

D．Scuba diving.

A．concern B．concerning C．to concern D．concerned

The passage mainly tells us that______.

A. money is the most important thing

B. there is something more important than money

C. we should look into their eyes while talking to people

D. the more money you have, the less happy you would be

A.have studied

B.study

C.is studying

D.studied

The most encouraging fact about the US economy is that_____ .

［A］employment rates have risen faster than expected

［B］the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates soon

［C］industrial production is reaching its lowest point

［D］some economic sectors have become leading industries

to them all our lives

A． which

B． what

C． that

D． for that

A.would do

B.have done

C.will have done

D.would have done

M: Thanks a lot. My pleasure to be here tonight.

W: Now, Andrew, perhaps you could tell us something about the future trends for the global music industry？

M: Sure. Well, from my perspective as a musician, [19] I can see a dramatic increase in the popularity of Latin music, even now. If this trend continues, I imagine the popularity of Salsa dancing will also rise dramatically. This may result in a slight decrease in the popularity of other types of music.

W: What do you think of the sudden drop in interest in classical music？

M: I think this trend has been in the works for quite some time. As more and more varieties of music become available to consumers, the classic standards may suffer in the popularity contest. [20] I think the drop in interest of classical music hasn't been sudden at all, it's been slow and steady for many years now.

W: Is there any type of music that is consistently popular with most people？

M: If you look at the numbers, rock and roll music has remained a steady constant through the years. I expect the popularity of rock and roll will stay the same in the coming years.

W: It's said that [21] rock music might make one livelier and happier. What do you think of it？

M: That's tree. Research suggests that music can influence a person's feelings and character. [21] There's clear evidence that people who listen lively music are lively people.

(20)

A．Salsa dancing.

B．Classical music.

C．Rock and roll.

D．Latin music.