Virtual (虚拟) Teams
Virtual teams are a great way to enable teamwork in situations where people are not sitting in the same office at the same time. Such teams are now widely used by companies and organizations to cut business costs. This is particularly so for businesses that use virtual teams to build global presence, or need less common skills or knowledge from people who are unwilling to travel.
Virtual teams are governed by the same basic principles as traditional teams.
Not everyone can perform well in a virtual team environment.
Managers of virtual teams need to pay much more attention to having clear goals, performance standards, and communication rules. People have various assumptions on what to expect from each other.
One of the biggest challenges of virtual teams is building trust between the team members. Trust is important for unblocking communication between members and increasing motivation of each person in the team. The issue of trust needs special attention at any stage of team existence.
| A．Yet, there is one significant difference. |
| B．Not every type of project is suitable for a virtual team. |
| C．A virtual team can choose whatever project they like to work on. |
| D．The members must be self-motivated and able to work independently. |
| E．Members of virtual teams communicate quite well although they never meet face-to-face. |
| F．To avoid misunderstanding, clear rules that everyone understands and agrees on are necessary. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】For generations, we’ve spent the first third of our lives acquiring the college degrees we need to find jobs. These degrees are the stamps on our professional passports that pave the way for the remaining two-thirds of our journey. However, the future of work won’t be about college degrees; it’ll be about job skills.
According to the World Economic Forum, over one billion jobs, almost one-third of all jobs worldwide, are likely to be transformed by technology in the next decade. We’ve already seen this happen. Think of the apps you use to shop, track orders and simply stay informed. The stores need to keep them up and running at all hours, day after day, all year round, meaning they need those who can analyze and secure customer data.
In these and other similar situations, people are the organizing force making sure technology works the way we want it to. This means a quick rise in new kinds of digital jobs. According to the Forum’s Jobs of Tomorrow report, there’ll be a rapid influx of roles at the forefront of the data and AI economy, as well as new roles in engineering, cloud computing and product development. These jobs need talent with relevant skills, and importantly these skills can be learnt even by those without college degrees.
Shifting our focus from degrees to skills will mean transitioning (过渡) to always-on skills-based education and employment organizations that acknowledge not just certification but fitness-for-job and employment as outcomes. In recent years, several companies have focused on continuous learning for the workforce — the trend will become stronger.
When it comes to skills, employers look for more than just technical skills. Companies want people with an eye for detail, creative problem-solving skills, a collaborative mindset and an ability to handle complex issues. These too are skills that can be learnt. Anyhow, lifelong learners with ever relevant skills will be in greater demand in the workplace.
1. How does technology influence the jobs?| A．It calls for higher demands for degrees. | B．It makes many jobs less challenging. |
| C．It reduces their dependence on degrees. | D．It connects them with degrees closely. |
| A．Change. | B．Recovery. | C．Decline. | D．Increase. |
| A．Their traditional technical skills. | B．Their continuous learning abilities. |
| C．Their certification-based education. | D．Their desire to start their own business |
| A．Skills Are Different From Degrees | B．Degrees Will Be More Competitive |
| C．Degrees Will Shape the Future of Work | D．Skills Are More Vital for Future Work |
【推荐2】Career coaches provide a series of services, from helping you figure out what you want to do to exploring chances for career growth.
Know what type of professional you need to hire.
Try sample lessons to find the right one. Most coaches offer free sample lessons, which help you get to know their styles clearly. You may need a coach with career experiences, or you may need one who offers life advice. If you aren’t sure what you want, ask questions.
Consider cost, and make contact. Coaching fees are not the same. Some coaches charge more for polishing resumes, while others include that in the overall price.
| A．Make sure you have a well-designed resume. |
| B．You need to understand what you’re receiving for the expense. |
| C．Career coaches also provide services for your personal training. |
| D．Thus, you can assess whether the coach understands your needs. |
| E．Engaging with a career coach requires an investment of time and money. |
| F．Know which services you need and be open to services you don't know you need. |
| G．Career coaches can help you decide how to make full use of your professional potential. |
【推荐3】Features Editor
We are looking for a talented features editor to join our team. We are especially keen to hear from those with a specialism in technology and consumer health.
This role is based in London, but could potentially be worked remotely from the US.
Main Responsibilities:
●Develop ideas for commission and edit at least 23 timely and compelling features each year
●Build contacts with writers and scientists to make sure we’re commissioning the best, most attractive and up-to-date biological-medical science and technology stories
●Monitor traffic statistics and subscriptions data
●Work closely with the art and design team to make our features attractive and work with the digital team to come up with the best way to sell our stories on digital platforms
Person Specification:
●Significant editing experience at a popular science publication or similar
●Excellent writing and editing skills
●Excellent knowledge of the cutting edge, and a demonstrable experience of science journalism
●Great relationships with scientists and writers
●A degree in a science or technology, ideally, and a passionate interest in both science and technology
●A good ability to work together with others
Package Description:
In return for employees’ energy and ideas, we ensure our people are well rewarded. The longer are with us, the more benefits you will get. Here’s what to expect:
●29 days’ holiday
●Upon joining, you’ll be naturally enrolled onto the Pension (养老金) Plan
●Our Employee Assistance Program
●Discounted dining cards
●Flexible working policy
●Free gym membership at Northcliffe House Gym
1. What should the features editor do?| A．Manage the design team. | B．Offer marketing strategies. |
| C．Update subscriptions data. | D．Interview experts regularly. |
| A．Strong leadership. | B．A degree in editing. |
| C．Great editing ability. | D．Good time management skills. |
| A．Free meals. | B．Flexible holidays. |
| C．A secure retirement. | D．Better medical services. |
【推荐1】The foundation of any happy relationship is good communication. It deepens the bond between partners by training understanding and trust. However, developing this skill requires both work and a readiness to be open with one another.
Develop active listening.
Practice empathy and understanding. Empathy and understanding can go a long way in creating good communication.
Schedule regular conversations. Make time for regular conversations to talk about your relationship’s status.
Relationship communication can be improved with work. Learning how to speak with empathy can help you build a solid foundation of trust and understanding. Stay committed to the journey of open communication, and you will find that your bond will grow stronger and deeper over time.
| A．Pay attention to non-verbal communication. |
| B．Try to respect the other in your communication. |
| C．In fact, a key part of good communication is listening. |
| D．These purposeful discussions offer a chance to address your issues. |
| E．While communicating, make sure that you understand every word the other said. |
| F．Seek to understand your partner’s viewpoint and emotions, even when you disagree. |
| G．Here are some tips to help communicate more effectively and strengthen your relationship. |
【推荐2】Consider what goes through your mind after you’ve taken your seat on an airplane. You’ve not seen the captain, but his or her voice comes over the air. “Hello, this is your captain speaking.” Are you about to fly the friendly skies? What you probably don’ realize is that you do make quick judgments (判断) based on very few factors the moment you hear “hello”.
Experts have discovered that “hello” carries enough information for listeners to draw judgments about the speakers personality, such as how reliable (可信赖的) he or she is. They recorded 64 students reading a telephone conversation. The word “hello” was then picked from each recording, and 320 different students listened to that word through a computer. The students were asked to score the voices according to personality, including attractiveness and warmth, giving them points from l to 10. Although every voice was played in one third a second, the students formed an opinion quickly.
It is amazing that from such short voices of speech they can get such an obvious impression of a person. And whether it is correct, their impressions are mostly the same as what the other listeners get. The research also suggests that people’ impressions are based on the tone (语调) of voice. Men and women who present the strength of their voices are regarded as more reliable.
The speed with which the students made their judgments makes much sense. Deciding who to trust can be important to your survival. There’s no point in listening to someone talk for 5 minutes to decide if they’re reliable or not — you could be dead already. The discovery may help improve computer-made voice technologies, experts say.
1. Why does the author mention “the captain” in paragraph 1?| A．To present a fact. | B．To make a prediction. |
| C．To introduce a new research. | D．To explain the rule on a plane. |
| A．Making telephone calls. |
| B．Playing voices at high speeds. |
| C．Picking “hello” from conversations. |
| D．Listening to and scoring the records of “hello”. |
| A．Make a long speech. | B．Give powerful voice. |
| C．Follow other listeners. | D．Speak as fast as possible. |
| A．The secret to tallying for 5 minutes. | B．The different ways you say “hello”. |
| C．The application in voice technologies. | D．The method of listening with attention. |
【推荐3】When did you have a really deep conversation where you felt truly heard? Connections of this kind are completely necessary for people but they are not always easy to find. That’s why one woman decided to take listening to the streets. Her name is Traci Ruble, a therapist (治疗师) who is concerned that people today are experiencing loneliness and lack personal connections. She understands that with busy lives and demanding jobs, people are unable to make these connections.
On a spring day in 2015, Ruble and a small number of volunteers set up chairs on sidewalks in 12 locations around San Francisco and invited people passing by to sit for a few minutes and chat. This was the beginning of the nonprofit Sidewalk Talk. The mission is to create public spaces of connections for people. Today, the organization has more than 4,000 volunteers in 40 cities. These volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and receive training from the organization.
Sidewalk Talk gives people a chance to speak and be listened to but it is not therapy. “Volunteers are not communicating as a therapist out there. They’re not there to solve someone’s problems. They’re there to practice being human,” Ruble said. According to Ruble, therapy is one-sided and therapists are taught to avoid self-disclosure (自我表露) but by “being human” volunteers could approach interactions with communication about their own life and by showing sympathy (同情) for the people they talk with.
Today, an increasing number of people experience loneliness, according to a report from Harvard University. In fact, 31 percent of all Americans feel serious loneliness including 61 percent of young adults. To deal with that, rebuilding community relationships is vitally important. While Sidewalk Talk will not solve the loneliness problem, these chats could help someone have a brighter day. Knowing that there are sympathetic people who are willing to fully listen and share people’s feelings could make all the difference to a lonely person.
1. What is the purpose of Sidewalk Talk?| A．To provide training for those volunteers. |
| B．To teach the passers-by how to communicate. |
| C．To offer public chances of personal conversations. |
| D．To help people reduce pressure at work. |
| A．Volunteers provide non-professional therapy. |
| B．Volunteers prefer one-sided communication. |
| C．Volunteers are good at showing their success. |
| D．Volunteers express their experiences and feelings. |
| A．It makes people more sympathetic to others. |
| B．It offers a solution to the loneliness problem. |
| C．It plays a role in improving people’s feelings. |
| D．It has promoted community relationships. |
| A．A woman guiding others to lead an active life. |
| B．An organization taking listening to the streets. |
| C．Therapists setting up chairs on sidewalks. |
| D．Volunteers helping others learn how to talk. |
