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The Strangest Jobs in the World
You may be tired of a 9-to-5 job. Or you may be looking for something different to do. You won’t believe what some of these people do for a living. Check out these strangest jobs and tell us if you could handle doing any of them.
Watching Paint Dry
This may be one of the most boring jobs in the world. The paint company hires people to watch paint dry. They need to take note of the changing colors and have to examine the changes under a microscope(显微镜) as well as on the walls.
Iceberg(冰山) Mover
This job appeared after the Titanic tragedy(悲剧) in 1912. Iceberg movers remove icebergs and prevent any further accidents. Using satellites and airplanes, the movers search the seas for icebergs. And if any are found, they pull the iceberg to an area where it won’t be in the way. Pulling an iceberg can take up to 72 hours. This is because the boat needs ten hours to reach a speed of just one mile per hour.
Luggage Organizer
There are many camp activities for children in New York. Mothers are now inviting luggage organizers to pack their kids’ bags. To hire an organizer costs around US $250 an hour. It can take up to four hours to be fully packed and ready. US $1,000 to pay somebody to pack your kids’ bags, is it worth it?
1. What is the aim of the job of an iceberg mover?
A. To be in memory of the movie Titanic.
B. To test the speed of boats pulling icebergs.
C. To do a search for life in the sea.
D. To prevent any more accidents on the sea.
2. What kind of job is the job of watching paint dry?
A. It is very boring and needs patience.
B. Its salary is higher than other jobs.
C. The employees only need to watch the colors.
D. Many creatures are examined under a microscope.
3. What can we learn about the job of luggage organizer from the text?
A. It is suitable for children to do. B. It is an easy job.
C. It is a full-time job. D. It is expensive to hire one organizer.
【答案】1. D 2. A 3. D
【解析】
本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了世界上三种最奇怪的工作。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据Iceberg Mover中Iceberg movers remove icebergs and prevent any further accidents.可知冰山搬运工移走冰山，防止任何进一步的事故。所以，冰山搬运工的工作目的是为了防止更多的海上事故，故选D。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据Watching Paint Dry中This may be one of the most boring jobs in the world.可知这个工作很无聊（boring），再根据本段中的They need to take note of the changing colors and have to examine the changes under a microscope(显微镜) as well as on the walls. 他们需要注意颜色的改变，需要在显微镜下以及在墙上检查这种变化，所以这个工作需要耐心（patience），故选A。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。选项A It is suitable for children to do（这个工作适合学生做），文章没有提，故排除A；由It can take up to four hours to be fully packed and ready.可知包装和准备好行李可能需要四个小时，这个工作并不是一个简单的工作，选项B的说法错误，排除B；根据To hire an organizer costs around US $250 an hour可知这个工作是按小时付工资，并不是全职工作，选项C说法错误，排除C；根据US $1,000 to pay somebody to pack your kids’ bags可知请人给孩子打包行李需要花1000美元，是很昂贵的，选项D表述正确，故选D。
