Passage.1
Anuclearfamilyistypicalinhighly-industrializedsocieties. Beginninginthe early 20th century, the two-parentfamilyknown as thenuclearfamilywas the predominant Americanfamilytype.
Inthe early mid-20th century, the father was typically the sole wage-earner, and the mother was the children's principal caregiver. Today, often both parents hold jobs. Dual-earner families are the predominant type for families with childreninthe United States.
Prior to school, adequate day care of childrenisnecessary for dual-earner families.Inrecent years, many private companies and home-based day care centers have sprung up to fulfill this need. Increasingly, companies are getting involvedinthe arrangement of day care. Governments are providing assistance to parents that require day care as well.
Passage.2
WithfasteconomicdevelopmentinHongKong, young people are less likely to cherish the traditional notion of filial piety. Instead, they are gradually taking a new approach to a welfare society, according to a three-year conducted by the City University ofHongKong.
As many as 85 percent of the respondents expect the government to take up the responsibility for supporting the elderly, and 77 percent agreewithidea that the burden should fall on society as a whole rather than on individual families.
Researcher Richard Wong, who took charge of the study, is sad about the eroding of traditional family bonds. He said that while most people still respect their parents and grandparents, they tend to equateeconomicassistancewithlove. When asked about how they would show their love for their old parents, many simply said they would send them to old people’s homes. Others said they would give money, and only two percent of the respondents said they would be ready to take care of the psychological health of their parents.
Passage.3
Afterthirteen yearsofmarriage,thewomanwantstodivorce her husband, claiming that he is irresponsible. When asked forthe specific grounds for divorce, she gives these reasons: First, he keeps changing jobs, andthefamily has hadto move four times in thirteenyears, but shewantsstability for her children and herself. Second, although he is paying thebills, they just live aroundthepoverty line. Her children are being teased by other children for not dressing in good clothes. Also, they havetolive in a small apartment and drive an old car, though it still runs. Worse still,the husband yells at her, though she admits she also yells at him and calls him names. As forthedivorce arrangements, thewomanwill givethehusband only visitation fights insteadofjoint custody. Moreover,thewomanwill demand halfofall they have and large support payments.
Passage.4
Youngmenandwomen,tomorrowwillbeMother'sDay. Some of you are still wondering what to do for your mom. Here'smy advice.
Look out for anything that she plans to buy,andbuy it if you can afford it. For example,a casual dress or formal office wear. Or,it maybea hair clip with a touch of difference. Check out if she is planning to get a new microwave or a new steam iron,andgive it to her if you can afford it.
You can get some ideas by considering what her likesanddislikes are. If she likes cats,how about giving her a pet or something that has a cat'spicture on it? But make sure she doesn't find out that you're getting her a present. Let her giftbea pleasant surprise.
Definitely spend some time with her,especially if you are not living with her. Make her feel special. For example,you can cook a special dish for the day. You can also throw a little partyandinvite those who are close to her.
Andof course,if she enjoys outings,take a little trip with her.Andif possible,take one with your entire family. She'll love it for sure. After all,she is the one who takes care of all of you. A special trip to the countryside could show her how much you care for her. If she is happy,I'm sure you'll feel happy,too.
Passage.5
Yourresume,orCVinBritishEnglish,hasone mission and one mission only: to get you a job interview.Your resumeis usually the first impression an employerhasof you. And as “you never get a second chance to make a first impression”,you’d better get it right firs time. Here’re some suggestions that may be of useinpreparing a resume.
First,use a design that demands attention. Employers don’t have time to read through each ofyourjob descriptions to know if you have the skills they need. The design ofyourresumemust do it for them.Yourresume should be concise,well-organized and relevant. It should emphasize the most important and relevant points about yourexperience,skills and education.
Passage.6
Second,put important information first. List important information atthe beginning ofyourjob descriptions. Put statementsinyourresumeinorder of importance and relevance to the job you want. A powerful statement with exact numbers influences every statement that follows.
Third,target the job. You will have more success if you adjustyourresumeand cover letter for the specific skills an employer is seeking. This means you would write oneresumefor one particular job and a differentresumefor another job.Inother words,you need to “repackage” yourself.Inthat way,an employer will see immediately whether you are suitable person for the job. It is not dishonest to “repackage” yourself. You are simply pressing yourself andyourskillsin the best light for a particular employer. This will help you t get more interviews and allow you to apply for a wider range of jobs.
Passage.7
There are times that you will be asked a hard question during a job interview. Don’t panic, they just want to see how you handle a difficult situation. Being prepared is always the best policy. Here are some samples of questions and some advice on how to handle them properly.
Why should we choose you? To this question, you can ask yourself why you applied, what makes you suitable for this question, what the company can gain from hiring you, what you have to offer, how you would handle this jib, etc.
Often they ask you to tell them about yourself. You can split your answer into two, the professional and the personal level. Both are important, and how you move from one to the other depends on what you have to say. You can give a brief summary of your life, professional and personal, with less emphasis on the early past, and more emphasis on the present and the future.
Passage.8
When asked “What are your weakness?”, don’t say, “I don’t have any.” Everyone has weakness, and it takes strength to recognize them. Say something relevant but not hugely important to the specific position, and always add something positive like, “I haven’t had a lot of exposure on the on-site work, but I’m looking forward to being more involved in dealing with customers directly and learning their needs.”
Another common question is: “What are your strengths?” You should customize your answer to meet the position requirement. Keep in mind the things they asked for in the advertisement. Tell them your strengths, but also show them how they how they would apply to this job. To show how your strengths were valuable, use the “Why, where, when, how” to demonstrate and prove your strengths.