题型：任务型阅读 题类：常考题 难易度：困难
江苏省南京市六校联合体20182019学年高二下学期英语期末考试试卷
Fighting the curse of presenteeism
"It's true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?" Beyond a certain level, extra effort seems to be selfdefeating. Studies suggest that, after 10 hours a week, employee productivity falls sharply.
But that doesn't stop some managers from demanding that workers stay chained to their desk for long periods. Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, recently applauded the "996" model, where employees work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, as a huge blessing". However, to modern office workers presenteeism is a curse.
There will be days when you do not have much to do, just waiting for someone else to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5pm, there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more important, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.
If bosses do not like to go home before their underlings (下属)and underlings fear leaving before their bosses, everyone is trapped. Staff may feel that they will not get a pay rise, or a promotion, if they are not seen to be putting in maximum effort. This is easily confused with long hours. Managers, who are often no good at judging employees5 performance, use time in the office as a measurement.
But presenteeism has more serious consequences. As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer. According to a study, these costs can be six time: higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers. To take one example, research found that Japanese employees with lowerback pain were three times more likely to turn up for work than in Britain. As a result, those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression. What could be more discouraging than being in pain while feeling trapped at work?
"None of this is to say that employers are not entitled to expect workers to be in the office for a small amount of time. Unavoidably there will be a need for some (preferably short)meetings. Dealing with colleagues face-to-face develops friendships, allows for a useful exchange of ideas and enables workers to have a better sense of their common needs.
With portable smart phones and laptops, we can work at home as easily as in the office. Turning an office into a prison does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automatic. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.
Fighting the curse of presenteeism | |
Modern office workers stay chained to their desk for long periods. | |
Contributing factors | •The staff think it may give them a(n) to get a pay rise, or a promotion. •Employees' performance isin terms of working hours. |
Consequences | •Employees work less , some pretending to be busy. •More medical expenses have to be by employers for their staff. •Workers have ato be both physically and mentally. unhealthy. •It is of no to the development of creativity. |
of facetoface contact | •It develops friendships. •It makes a useful exchange of ideas . •It enables workers to each other's needs. |
Conclusion | To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh. |
If you think your vocabulary is weak, a little effort every day over six to nine months can go a long way in improving it. Here are some tips for increasing your vocabulary.
{#blank#}1{#/blank#}. You may be comfortable reading a particular part of the newspaper but make an effort to read different articles on every page. The editorial (社论的) page is highly recommended not only for vocabulary but also for structuring and presenting thoughts.
Make it a habit to read a new book every week. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. You can consider becoming a member of the local library. Make a list of new words and look up their meanings in the dictionary.
Watch English movies and television shows. It's an interesting way to enrich your vocabulary. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.
Use vocabulary cards. Vocabulary cards are used by students who are trying to learn many words in a short time. You can make your own cards by writing the word on one side and the meaning on the other side of a piece of paper. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.
Use the Internet. The Internet is an unlimited resource for reading material.
{#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You will come across plenty of material to read. The Internet will also introduce you to new words. Be sure to look them up in a dictionary.
A. Read the newspaper every day. B. Everyone has his own way of choosing books. C. Vocabulary is important for you to learn English well. D. Pick up a topic you like and search for articles about it. E. Besides, by doing this you can learn the correct pronunciation as well. F. Flash cards are a convenient tool to use to learn new words in your free time. G. It is not surprising that those who read a lot of books develop good vocabulary. |
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