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40 The airline provided towels to the passengers on the long-haul flight.
requiring reflective refreshing repetitive
請依下文回答第 41 題至第 45 題
When Eliza, a marketing manager, returned from holiday, she was asked for a meeting at her boss’s office. She was
informed of a company restructure. Someone else would take over her tasks, and she was asked not to go to office, but
to work 41 in a new role.
In the weeks that followed, Eliza’s professional life became much quieter. Her main duties now were simply sending
occasional email and completing the odd routine work from home. A month later, she quit. “It was 42 ,” she said. “I
was made to feel worthless. I’d rather have been just fired on the spot than have to go through that.”
The phenomenon of 43 employees slowly is dubbed “quiet firing.” To avoid a hard conversation, employers
choose to 44 workers and make their lives difficult. But quiet firing often creates even greater harm. It fails to
create an inclusive workplace culture. It can affect a firm’s 45 for workers departing may share their experience in
an online review. Worse yet, it may have a negative impact on one’s well-being.
Quiet firing may be the easiest option for bosses, but it’s not a good solution for firms or workers.
41 swiftly remotely comprehensively distinguishingly
42 coordinating dedicating humiliating understanding
43 poking promoting advancing complimenting
44 sympathize empathize marginalize consolidate
45 reputation property location patience
請依下文回答第 46 題至第 50 題
Maybe you refuse to open an umbrella inside your house or walk under a ladder that’s on a sidewalk. These are
superstitions, or a belief that something bad will happen even if there’s no reason to think that it will.
One big superstition in the United States is that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. Happening up to three times a year
depending on the calendar, the day seems to make people more careful or avoid things they usually aren’t afraid to do.
Of course, no one can prove that more misfortune takes place on Friday the 13th. We just tend to notice it more if bad
things happen on that day. But if Friday the 13th is only a superstition, why do people actually believe in it?
It’s hard to know exactly when Friday the 13th became thought of as unlucky, but it likely comes from the Christian
religion. For example, in the Bible, Judas—a person who is said to have betrayed Jesus—was the 13th guest at the Last
Supper. Also in the Bible, many unfortunate things happened on Fridays. So it made sense that people who read the Bible
got nervous around Friday the 13th.
It’s also possible that 13 is considered “cursed” because it’s the number after 12, which many people see as a number that
completes things. Think about it—12 months are in a year, 12 inches in a foot, 12 pairs of ribs in a body, etc. So it’s possible
the number 13 makes people uneasy because it causes them to think about the unknown—beyond the number 12.
In other countries, Friday the 13th isn’t unlucky. For instance, in Spain, Tuesday the 13th is considered the day to dread.
And in Italy, people fear the 17th day of the any month. Why? It is because the Roman numeral XVII (17) can be
rearranged to spell “VIXI,” which means “my life is over” in Latin. But, like in the United States, no one can prove that
more terrible things occur on those days, either.
People who are super afraid on Friday the 13th might have condition called triskaidekaphobia, which is a fear of the
number 13. For most people, being afraid of Friday the 13th is just a superstition, something that we can have fun
pretending to fear because we know there’s really nothing to fear.
46 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT considered superstitious in the US?
Opening an umbrella inside the house. Fear of the 17th day of the any month.
Friday the 13th being an unlucky day. Walking under a ladder on a sidewalk.
47 According to the passage, why is 13 deemed as unlucky?
People are uneasy because of the unknown beyond 12.
It reminds people that Judas betrayed Jesus on Friday the 13th.
People think it means that their lives are over.
Misfortune takes place on Friday the 13th in other countries.
48 According to the passage, which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "triskaidekaphobia"?
A panic over the number 13. A curse on the number 13.
A favor of the number 13. A delight for the number 13.
49 How many times can Friday the 13th occur the most in a year?
Once. Twice. Thrice. Four times.
50 In what section of a magazine would the passage most likely appear?
Food. Myth. Health. Ethics.