Today is my first day at Merchiston Castle School,and I was really nervous about it, because I have never visited the school before and didn't take any summer course. Despite my anxiety,I soon relaxed once I arrived; the staff were so nice that I felt my spoken English was better than it actually was! As soon as I walked into the dayroom of my boarding house,I was absolutely  amazed by the friendly atmosphere; everyone was so friendly that a boy as shy as I had no difficulty in setting in,and I made many new friends on my very first day,although I was struggling to remember all the names. Also I realized there were other international students in the house from all over the world,such as South Korea,Japan and Russia.Although their English was not so fluent,it didn't take long for us to understand each other at all.In some ways,it was even better to practice Enlgish by speaking to the international students,because we were both learning. As a boarder,the quality of food is something I consider very important,and Merchiston has not let me down.The school kitchens are run by a professional catering company,and the quality of food is excellent,also they take the issue of a healthy diet really seriously.I remember once I was asked to take more salad for my meal by a member of the kitchen staff for I did not have enough vegetables.This brings to another point of being a boarder:you need to learn how to look after yourself and be responsible for yourself.One of the huge advantages of being a _ is that we can have breakfast in the school,which means we don't have to pull ourselves out of the bed as early as the daypupils! Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage? A) In the boarding house,there are only students from South Korea,Japan and Russia. B) The international students in the boarding house don't speak Englsih very fluently. C) The food in Merchiston doesn't make the writer disappiointed. D) The professional catering company thinks the issue of a healthy diet is very important.
A


As the economy begins to recover, salary increases should do the same. In the past few years, employers have raised workers' salaries by about 4 percent per year--except for 2009, when the figure dropped to a historically low 2.1 percent, according to a survey of World at Word. About one-third of companies froze raises altogether. For 2010, World at Work's survey projects an average salary increase budget of 2.7 percent, a figure that shows the situation has improved but the job market is still weak. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of companies said they would freeze raises--far fewer than in 2009, but still more than in most years. How can you get a raise? Avalos and others offer the following tips: * Do your job well. This means producing high-quality work, of course, but also keeping the big picture in mind. "It really comes down to positioning yourself as a high performer, somebody who is aware of business goals and helps the company meet their goals as an organization", Avalos said * Be visible. When times are tough, some workers think. "I'm going to hunker down and hope that nobody notices me, because I don't want to be on a layoff list," said Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions. This is a mistake, because you're unlikely to get a raise if no one knows what you have accomplished. "If anything, what you want to do is be more visible." * Make your boss's life easier. This means everything from having a good attitude to taking on extra tasks. If you don't know how you can help your boss, ask. * Ask for a raise. Talk to your boss and present your case: Here's what I've done, here's how it fits with the company's goals, and here is why I think it's worth a salary increase. In some cases, even if your company has an official raise freeze, you can get a raise if you make good case. If the answer is no -- or if you're not ready to ask directly -- Phillips suggests asking, "What would you like to see from me that would put me in line for a raise?" A question like this can improve your... All the statements are true except  _  . A) the situation has improved but the job market is still weak B) salary increases should recover as the economy does C) producing high-quality work will surely help you get a raise D) that in and off an employee makes no difference
D


(Question)
If I had known the following things when I was in high school, my life would have been 100% easier back then and probably would have helped me greatly. I realized some of these things I was told but being young and ignorant I refused to listen. 1.Your high school sweetheart will probably not be your spouse. When I was in school, I thought my boyfriend and I were the "one and only true love". Honestly as most young people do, statistically only like 2% of people end up marrying their high school sweethearts and even if they do they probably won't be as happy as they were in high school. Being an adult is very stressful and your relationships become different. 2.  _  How many kids play sports per year? How many kids are good enough to get a scholarship by playing sports? How many of them even make it to the Olympics after college or university? The kids who actually stay at home and focus on getting good at computers or math are the ones who make the most in the adult world financially. 3. It doesn't matter what university you go to. I was convinced I was going to go to a great art school when I graduated and I was so stressed out about it that I ended up dropping out of school. In reality my life wasn't over; I only got my GED a year ago but I am in a decent school now. In the real world when you go to apply somewhere all they care about is "do you have a degree or a certification"? 4. Your friends probably won't be your friends after you graduate. I really thought I was going to get an apartment with my friends and our kids were going to grow up together. The truth is, when people grow up they move, have kids, get married, and therefore change. You will change; you will not be the same person you were. High school is just a transitional period of your life. So don't worry about who is saying what about you or who is making fun of whom. Which of the following statements is FALSE? A) The writer had never heard about the advice above in high school. B) In real world employers don't care so much about which school you graduated from. C) Relationships in high school won't have great effect on your later life. D) It's not easy to earn scholarships by playing sports for high school students.
(Answer)

A