Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

Walk Out of the Comfort Zone and Try New Things

For most high school students, free periods are useless. From what I have seen, few do homework, instead many are on their phones 

and talking, making it impossible for those who actually want to do work to complete any. As a senior next year, I think extra periods should be used to take optional subjects.

Our school offers many classes. Now is the time to experiment in different fields of study. We will never know if we are interested or 

talented in a subject if we don't try it.

In my 8th grade, I was told that I had to take an art class as a graduation requirement; so in the 9th grade I took Studio and Art. One 

of the projects was to build a clay pot, but I built mine incorrectly, so it broke in the kiln 

(窑). I found out that I have no artistic ability at all, and now I know for sure that I do not want to be an artist. However, the class was

 one of my favorites that year. I was able to try new activities and test my ability.

Walk out of our comfort zone and try new things! College is when we should focus on a specific major, but high school is when we

 have to figure it out.

Half of all college students change their major at some point. By doing that hundreds of dollars are wasted on classes that they would 

have never needed to take. So use our extra periods to find out what we want to do in college. The classes we choose can impact us in

 future. Taking optional subjects will enrich our mind. It will also show colleges we are diverse students.

    Lindsay Renwick, the mayor of Deniliquin, a country town in New South Wales, misses the constant whir（嗡嗡声）of the rice mill whose giant fans dried the rice. The Deniliquin mill, the largest rice mill in the Southern Hemisphere (南半球), once processed enough grain to meet the needs of 20 million people globally. But six years of drought have had a destructive effect, reducing Australia's rice crop by 98 percent and leading to the mothballing of the mill last December.

    Drought affects every agriculture industry based in Australia, not just rice – from sheep farming, the country's other backbone, to the cultivation of grapes for wine, the fastest-growing crop there, with that expansion often coming at the expense of rice. The drought's effect on rice has produced the greatest impact on the rest of the world, so far. It is one factor contributing to skyrocketing prices, and many scientists believe it is among the earliest signs that a warming planet is starting to affect food production.

    Researchers are looking for solutions to global rice shortages – for example, rice that blooms earlier in the day, when it is cooler, to fight against global warming. Rice plants that happen to bloom on hot days are less likely to produce grains of rice, a difficulty that is already starting to emerge in inland areas of China and other Asian countries as temperatures begin to climb. 'there will be problems very soon unless we have new varieties of rice in place,” said Reiner Wassmann, climate change director at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The recent reports on climate change carried a warning that could make the news even worse: that existing models for the effects of climate change on agriculture did not yet include newer findings that global warming could reduce rainfall and make it more variable.

    Yet the effects of climate change are not uniformly bad for rice. Rising concentrations (浓度) of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, can actually help rice – although the effect reduces or disappears if the plants face unnecessary heat, inadequate water, severe pollution or other stresses. Still, the flexibility of farmers here has persuaded some climate experts that, particularly in developed countries, the effects of climate change may be relieved, if not completely avoided. “I'm not as negative as most people,” said Will Steffen, director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at Australian National University. “Farmers are learning how to do things differently.”

    Meanwhile, changes like the use of water to grow wine grapes instead of rice carry their own costs, as the developing world is discovering. “Rice is an essential food,” said Graeme Haley, the general manager of the town of Deniliquin. “Wine is not.”

    The universe has never failed to catch human's attention. The ancient humans came up with stories to explain the presence of the suns and other planets. As time went by, humans set their sights on exploring the vastness of space. In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon's surface.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It allows people to know more about the universe.

    Undoubtedly, space exploration has answered the question of whether the earth is round or not and proved the earth does circle around the sun and not the other way around.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It gives people a deeper understanding about the universe and provides them with more information about the world they live in.

    It paves the way to advanced technology.

    Scientists are always developing new technology for space programs, but the good news is that these new innovations(创新) aren't just useful for astronauts and space programs.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} In fact they have already led to the development of modern products and devices that many people use such as the GPS systems, and breast cancer test imaging, to name a few.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Space exploration doesn't just involve scientists and astronauts; it also requires the skills and labor of many engineers, research assistants, technicians, mechanics, and other professionals. If space exploration would be stopped today, these people would become jobless, and they wouldn't have the means to support themselves and their families.

    It can offer a solution to many problems.

    Aside from collecting information about the outer space, many space exploration programs are used to solve some of the problems with our modern society. Some programs, for example, help scientists learn more about the earth's atmosphere and know how to better predict weather and natural disasters.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} This may be the solution to the earth's growing population.

    Space exploration is one of the biggest achievements of humans as a whole, and it has paved the way to greater scientific understanding and technological advancement over the years. I can see no reason why we should stop our exploration.

A. It creates many jobs.

B. But it does much more than that.

C. It was a big step in space exploration.

D. They can also be used in other industries.

E. They also help scientists know more about the earth.

F. Others focus on looking for planets that can support human life.

G. Since then, space exploration has been going on and brought many benefits.

Digitalization could Pay Off in Health and Sustainability

With technology permeating (渗透) everything we do, it has led to a significant transformation in the workplace — specifically, how, where, who is working and what work employees do. The speed of change across industries has also caused greater uncertainty as many businesses rethink the way they manage their talent and real estate.

For one, automation and artificial intelligence will change many job functions—particularly jobs and tasks that are manual or process driven. Research has found that the future workforce will be divided into three parts；core employees，freelancers（自由职业者）and consultants．Core employees will be concentrated in smaller and fewer locations, ideally in central business districts with transportation and amenities(便利设施) concentrated nearby —reducing their energy and resource usage. This smaller core workforce could mean smaller office footprints requiring less energy from power and less waste produced. In parallel, the appearance of the “liquid workforce”— freelancers, consultants and more — means potentially less commuting(通勤) and perhaps a cleaner way of working. The need for flexibility to accommodate the uncertain operating environment and more project-based work could require possibly less material and waste in the building process.

We've seen how many forward-thinking organizations have already adopted more efficient real estate management in the form of smart buildings and smart offices. This is essentially powered by the Internet of Things(物联网) to drive efficiency and real-time optimization (最优化）of building operations such as automatic monitoring and optimization of air conditioning— of particular interest in Asia, where indoor as well as outdoor air quality is a long-time issue.

    Some features of smart buildings and workplaces also announce a shift to a less paper-based workplace. Companies are also accepting a whole view of sustainability. They're thinking about more than cost-savings or making the most of space. They are considering creating a healthy, fulfilling, and productive environment for employees.

We now speak about healthy buildings instead of simply sustainable ones. In fact, the World Green Building Council now promotes the concept of healthy green buildings—buildings that are not only environmentally sensitive but also provide for the well-being of staff. For instance, buildings with more access to nature and greenery make a significant difference to workers. A survey done last year found that over 90% of those surveyed felt more productive and creative with access to fresh air, indoor light, healthy food, fitness centers and even mental health services.

    Overall, the drive towards a digitized workplace and improved employee experience could just lead us to a healthier, happier life and a more sustainable future.

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?

    We often hear the word "teamwork". But are you a team player? Understanding the question can surely promote team spirit as well as individual development. In many job interviews, a common question is whether the interviewee is a "team player". More often than not, he or she will say "yes". But what does being a team player really mean?

    On the most basic level, a team player is someone who can work within a group of people. This group is a number of people greater than one. Therefore it is an essential requirement of any employment that any potential employee is a team player.

    On a deeper level, a team player is someone who can play a role in the team, to achieve and support the goals set and agreed upon by the team. The simplest analogy（类似）to the corporate team would be a sports team.

    There are two main aims of the football team. One is to score goals and the other is to prevent the opposition team from scoring. In football, there are eleven players per side, and almost the same number of players in reserve. There are also other vital members of the team in the background, such as the coach, the doctor, etc.

    Every member of the team has a very specific role - as a captain, goalkeeper. Every member of the team is vital to the success of the team. If one player does not perform to the best of his or her ability, the team is handicapped(阻碍，妨碍).

    Similarly in the corporate world, each company has its clearly defined goals. Every member of the corporate team should have specific roles and responsibilities in view of achieving these goals.

    Being a team player does not mean you should always agree with the rest of the team. There are times when your vision may differ from the vision of the company, the leader or the rest of the team. It may be a valid vision and if you believe in it strongly enough, you should share it with the rest of the team. If the leader is a competent one, he or she will assess it on its merits and not let ego(自我，自负) get in the way. However, if the team should not agree with your vision, don't take it personally.

    They may find the idea inappropriate, not YOU personally. Don't take it as a sign of personal rejection. If your leader or team members see that you can handle rejection of your ideas in a mature manner, it is only to your own credit.

    So, don't be afraid to offer new ideas even seemingly crazy ones. Everyone in the team should feel free to offer ideas and not worry about them being dismissed.

    The pleasure of working in an environment where every member of the team is a team player is unparalleled. If you are not enjoying your working environment, chances are high that your team is also not working well. Ask yourself this:

    Are your team objectives in line with those of the company? If not, why not?

    What Does Teamwork Really Mean?

Today, technological advances are rapidly making it possible to automate much of the work currently carried out by humans. This applies to both blue-collar jobs through robotics and the Internet of things, and white-collar work through artificial intelligence, the wide applicability of these technologies has led to broad concern about the destruction of jobs. Indeed, according to a 2014 Oxford study, 47% of jobs in the US could be replaced. By automated processes in the next two decades.  

Of course. As many have noted, while technology has always removed the need for some types of jobs, it also creates new ones. Technology is a set of tools that we use in different ways to increase efficiency. The Industrial Revolution destroyed some jobs but created many more. It also increased the total wealth of society and began to create a middle class who could enjoy health, education and other benefits that previously had been available only to the wealthiest. It can be challenging to predict the kinds of jobs that this new revolution will create and in what quantities, which makes the situation seem worse than it actually is. But nine of the top ten most in-demand jobs of 2012 didn't exist in 2003, suggesting that this latest revolution is creating new employment opportunities.

For many, this picture is overly optimistic. The new jobs require a completely different skills set —you can't turn an assembly plant worker into a data scientist overnight. Others are concerned that we are facing a permanent reduction in the need for human labor. Science fiction has long imagined a future where we no longer have to work and can spend our time on more noble pursuits. Could it be that we are reaching that inflection point in human history, if we are? Neither our social norms nor our economic systems are ready for it. Today, self-worth is inherently tied up with jobs，professions，careers and trades.