Safety is a huge concern whenever I run with my earphones in. But I need music to run. Otherwise all I hear is the sound of my own breathing. So I’ve found a compromise: I run with only one earphone in. The music sounds off. It’s an imperfect solution.
An updated pair of headphones, called AfterShokz, aim to do better. AfterShokz bills itself as using bone conducting technology to conduct music from the front of the ear, delivering sound through your cheekbone and inner ear. This keeps your eardrum (鼓膜) free to hear everything else.
“Earbuds (耳塞式耳机) are typically designed to block out all sound, which is fine when you’re inside. But when you’re outside, you need all your senses. It would be like sending you out cycling with a blindfold on,” says Rod Annet, managing director of AfterShokz.
Here’s where AfterShokz comes in. The headphones hook over the back of your head with the main “bud” resting high up against your cheek. This keeps your ear free to delight in other sounds.
So do they work? In a word, yes. During a 45-minute jog, they didn’t bounce or shift. I heard far more of my environment than I normally do: a nearby bike there; a runner passing me again to my left; and so forth.
What about the downsides? If you’re a huge fan of high-quality sound, you might find the headphones a bit tinny. One friend expressed concerns about missing the ability to get lost in the music as you might be distracted by other noises, although I personally didn’t find that an issue.
Yet those are all minor details. For me, probably the biggest problem is the price. Ranging between £ 49.96 to £ 83.29, AfterShokz headphones aren’t exactly cheap.
With all that considered, would I recommend them? Yes. AfterShokz headphones are quite useful. While out jogging, they were light, painless, and easy to use. They made me feel safer.
【小题1】What is special about AfterShokz headphones?

A．They are a good choice for inside use.

B．They allow users to hear other sounds.

C．They can make music sound more beautiful.

D．They can deliver sound through your eardrum.

【小题2】What does the author’s friend think of AfterShokz headphones?

A．They prevent users getting lost.

B．They deliver high—quality sound.

C．They often move while users are running.

D．They fail to allow users to enjoy the music.

【小题3】The author thinks AfterShokz headphones .

A．are too expensive	B．seem quite useless
C．make users feel pain	D．are too complex to use

【小题4】What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To express worries.	B．To introduce a product.
C．To share a personal story.	D．To complain about a product.

Earlier this year, my family experienced an unexpected tragedy. The kind of tragedy which knocks you out of yourself and turns your whole world upside down. A tragedy which also caused me to be out of work for three months. It was completely unforeseen and I had no time to put together an out-of-office plan.
I’ve worked at previous companies where this kind of tragedy would have been handled professionally; I would have been given the legally—required money and asked to leave. But at SAS Institute (an American developer of analytics software), my team stepped in and filled in with no questions or hesitations. My work was not left undone. My clients (客户) were patient when those picking up the pieces of projects unrelated to them needed some time to get familiar with the work. My management and colleagues checked on my family regularly. At last, my manager, my entire team and Human Resources Department helped me back to work at my own pace. They even changed my workspace over a weekend to better suit my personal needs before I even came back to work.
You see, SAS—creates—a—family. The special attention to employee happiness and work/life balance makes that family possible. The flexible work environment enables most employees to create a schedule that best suits their personal needs—whether it’s attending a school play or taking an aging parent to the doctor. The Work/Life Office has a wealth of resources for college planning, anger management, sorrow, etc. But, as you can see, it doesn’t stop there. Most employees believe that SAS is their family. We rely on each other. We help each other succeed. We celebrate team successes. We hang out after work. Our kids play together. We laugh together and cry together.
Sure, we have a lot of convenience benefits at SAS. But, what really makes a difference to me is the SAS culture that the outside world doesn’t always see: The balance. The companionship. The management support. The family it allows me to have.
I’m so eager for others to see the side of SAS that I see every day.
【小题1】After the tragedy, the author .

A．changed his job	B．felt very hopeless
C．was sick for three months	D．turned to his colleagues for help

【小题2】What did the author’s colleagues do for him during his absence?

A．They raised money to help him.

B．They visited his family every weekend.

C．They asked his clients to wait for him to return.

D．They moved his office desk to a convenient place.

【小题3】By saying the underlined words “SAS creates a family” in Paragraph 3, the author means .

A．the employees feel at home at SAS

B．SAS often organizes family get-togethers

C．many SAS employees have become couples

D．the offices at SAS are decorated like families

【小题4】The author writes the text mainly to .

A．tell his life experience	B．introduce SAS culture
C．encourage people to join SAS	D．explain the importance of family