同等学力人员申请硕士学位英语考试_2005-2010年真题(6)

Many temp agency owners and career specialists say temping is a good way for recent graduates to get experience. ―Short-term jobs let graduates try out different companies to find the best fit,‖ said Pegi Wheatley, owner of McCall Staffing, a San Francisco temp agency.

But things don‘t always work out that way. ―When I started temping, I had this notion that a temporary job could turn full-time. It worked for friend of mine, but that didn‘t happen for me,‖ said Atienza, who quickly became bored with his office work. Atienza stayed with the temp agency because he could earn US$10 an hour doing office work. Other short-term jobs, such as working as a store clerk of in a café, pay about US$7.

But there were trade-offs for the higher pay. Because in the US, health insurance is provided through employer, most temps are not eligible for workplace health benefits. Atienza ran the risk

that an accident or illness would land him in the hospital with no way to pay the bill. Other drawbacks, though less serious, still mean that temping for most graduates is exactly what its name implies—a temporary choice. Instability, gaps between contracts, lack of vacation time and isolation from other employees are often-cited negatives.

―Temping gave me the time to figure out what I wanted to do, because I could pay off my bills. But none of that came from the jobs themselves,‖ said Atienza, who quit temping last month in favor of a full-time job.

41. Atienza took a short-term job mainly because ________.

A. he didn‘t want to give up his apartment

B. he liked to try out different companies

C. he wanted to get more experience

D. he couldn‘t find a long-term job

42. According to the passage, in the year of 2005, the United States had workforce of more than ________.

A. 25 million

B. 12.5 million

C. 4.17 million

D. 2.5 million

43. Which is NOT mentioned as an advantage of temping?

A. It gives recent graduates experience.

B. It enables employers to adjust their workforce.

C. A temporary job will turn full-time.

D. Employers can reduce their costs.

44. Atienza stayed with the temp agency for some time because ________.

A. he liked his office work

B. he was satisfied with the pay

C. his employer provided health insurance

D. he hated gaps between contracts.

45. What does the word ―trade-offs‖ in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Benefits.

B. Compromises.

C. Risks.

D. Disadvantages.

Passage Four

Scientists are hoping to eliminate malaria (疟疾) by developing a genetically modified mosquito that cannot transmit the disease. Malaria has long troubled the populations of South America, Africa, and Asia, where mosquito bites infect up to 500 million people a year with this serious and sometimes fatal parasitic blood disease. For generations, scientists have been trying to eliminate malaria by developing new drugs and using pesticides (杀虫剂) to wipe out local mosquito populations. But these measure aren‘t working—and some scientists, like Greg Lanzaro, say that because of drug resistance and population changes, malaria is actually more prevalent now than it was 20 years ago. Lanzaro says he has a better way to stop the spread of malaria: genetically modifying mosquitoes so they are unable to carry the disease.