1 . Team-building exercises have become popular for managers trying to increase organizational and team harmony and productivity. Unfortunately, many employees are angry about compulsory bonding and often regard these exercises as a nuisance (烦事).
A paper published this week by University of Sydney researchers in Social Networks has reported participants' feelings about team-building intervention (干预), revealing ethical implications in forcing employees to take part.
“Many people see team building activities as a waste of time, so we decided to look in more depth at what's behind this,” said the paper's lead researcher, Dr Peter Matous.
“Teams are formed, combined and restructured. Staff are relocated and office spaces redesigned. All this is done with the aim of improving workplace efficiency, collaboration and cohesion. But does any of this work?” said Dr Matous.
The study found that team-building exercises which focused on the sharing of and intervening into personal attitudes and relationships between team members were considered too rude and nosy (爱打听), although the researchers say some degree of openness and vulnerability (脆弱) is often necessary to make deep, effective connections with colleagues.
"Some participants were against team-building exercises because they were indirectly compulsory. They didn't welcome management's interest in their lives beyond their direct work performance," said Matous. "Many people don't want to be forced into having fun or making friends, especially not on top of their busy jobs. They feel management is being too nosy or trying to control their lives too much."
In this study the researchers recommended a self-disclosure (表露) approach where participants were guided through a series of questions that allowed them to increasingly disclose personal information and values. The method is well-tested and has been shown to increase interpersonal closeness. However, to be successful it must be voluntary.
The researchers said there are numerous schools of thought that propose differing psychological methods for strengthening relationships. “With caution, many relational methods to improve teams and organizations can be borrowed from other fields. The question is how to apply them effectively to strengthen an entire collective, which is more than just the sum of individual relationships,” said Dr Matous.
1. Why are many employees opposed to team-building exercises?A.They consider such exercises annoying. |
B.They deem these exercises counter-productive. |
C.They see such exercises as harmful to harmony. |
D.They find these exercises too demanding. |
A.They relocated team leaders and their offices. |
B.They rearranged the staff and office spaces. |
C.They redesigned the staffs work schedules. |
D.They reintroduced some cohesive activities. |
A.They were intended to share personal attitudes and relationships. |
B.They indirectly added to the vulnerability of team members. |
C.They always strengthened connections among colleagues. |
D.They were regarded as a violation of employees' privacy. |
A.By allowing participants freedom to express themselves. |
B.By applying it to employees who volunteer to participate. |
C.By arranging in proper order the questions participants face. |
D.By guiding employees through a series of steps in team building. |
A.They must be used in combination for an entire collective. |
B.They prioritize some psychological aspects over others. |
C.They place too much stress on individual relationships. |
D.They have to be applied cautiously to be effective. |
2 . Online classes began to be popularized just a few decades ago. They are advertised as a way for adults to finish their education and students to learn the material at their own pace—it is far more suitable for people with busy schedules.
But after being enrolled in an online course last fall semester, I came to realize online classes were merely a means to fulfil course requirements.
First of all, students lack the desire to learn, and they simply complete their assignments to receive credit for a passing grade rather than genuinely engage with the course material.
As online courses tend to have more than 100 students, most of the assignments are short and simple. They are not designed for students to interact with the material in depth but designed to be graded casily to accommodate such a large number of students.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of taking an online class is the absence of face-to-face interaction between the teacher and their students. Live sessions are infrequent and are often scheduled during the middle of the day when students have to attend other classes or work. The office hours of the professor may also be during inconvenient times for many students as well. Most interaction with the professor has to be through email which is often impersonal. It is nearly impossible for students to build a relationship with their professor.
There is also little interaction amongst students. It can be harder for students to create study groups and form relationships with their peers.
Online classes also require either a computer or laptop and a reliable internet connection. Not all students have access to these types of resources, whether it is for financial or other reasons, and some students can be put at a disadvantage.
Offering online classes certainly helps students who would otherwise not be able to attend classroom sessions. However, they fail to provide a genuine education with an emphasis on convenience rather than critical thinking. We need restructured online classes in which students can have a learning experience that will actually provide quality education.
1. What does the author say about students enrolled in online classes?A.They can access course materials easily. | B.They are unmotivated to learn. |
C.They can learn at their own pace. | D.They rarely fulfil the course requirements. |
A.They are made convenient to mark. |
B.They are meant to facilitate interaction. |
C.They are based on easily accessible material. |
D.They are given to accommodate students’ needs. |
A.They are frequently scheduled at irregular times. |
B.They make professors’ offices much less accessible. |
C.They tend to increase professors’ burden of responding to students’ emails. |
D.They provide little chance for students to build relationships with each other. |
A.More students may find it easy to be absent from them. |
B.Teachers will worry about poor internet connections. |
C.Some students may have difficulty attending them. |
D.Schools with limited resources will be at a disadvantage. |
A.Acquisition of useful knowledge. | B.Training of real-life skills on campus. |
C.Development of students’ personalities. | D.Cultivation of analytical thinking ability. |
3 . A new study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family claims that all that time you spend parenting just doesn’t matter. But it’s a claim that, despite the enthusiastic and widespread coverage by the media, does not hold water.
The research suggests that child outcomes (including behavior problems, emotional problems, and academic performance) are barely connected with the time that parents spend with their children. The researchers examined the time diaries of 1,600 children, looking at parenting time and outcomes when the kids were aged 3 to 11 in 1997, and again in 2002, when they were between 8 and 16. (A time diary is a detailed report of all activities you carry out in a day. )
This research largely reflects the failure of the authors to correctly measure parental input. It just looked at time diaries from two particular days-one a weekday and the other a weekend day.
Trying to get a sense of the time you spend parenting from a single day’s diary is a bit like trying to measure your income from a single day. If yesterday was payday, you looked rich, but if it’s not, you would be reported as poor. You get a clearer picture only by looking at your income — or your parenting time—over a more meaningful period.
What you did yesterday should not be taken as representative of what you did last year, This is why most high-quality studies of parenting time focus instead on how often parents read to their children, play with them or help their with homework over a period of a month or longer — long enough to represent their different approaches to parenting.
As an exhausted parent who doesn’t get enough time to work out, and who hasn’t seen a movie for months, I understand why so many of us might seize on studies suggesting that we should take more time for ourselves. Perhaps we should. But I agree with Ariel Kalil, a developmental psychologist, on the suggestion “that when parents spend high-quality time with their children, their children are more likely to succeed.”
1. By saying in Paragraph 1 “ ... it’s a claim that ... does not bold water”, the author means the claim is not ________.A.reasonable | B.surprising | C.confusing | D.usual |
A.children’s habits and parents’ influence | B.parenting time and child outcomes |
C.time diaries and child development | D.daily activities and children’s problems |
A.By giving descriptions. | B.By analyzing the cause. |
C.By making a comparison. | D.By offering research findings. |
A.be completed in one month. | B.adopt some different approaches. |
C.concentrate mainly on learning time. | D.be based on data of a longer time period. |
A.He goes to bed early every night. | B.He has little interest in movies. |
C.He has little time for himself. | D.He leads a very easy life. |
4 . “One of the reasons I find this topic very interesting is because my mom was a smoker when I was younger.” says Lindson-Hawley, who studies tobacco and health at the University of Oxford.
By studying about 700 adult smokers, she found out that her mom quit the right way—by stopping abruptly and completely.
In her study, participants were randomly assigned to two groups. One had to quit abruptly on a given day, going from about a pack a day to zero. The other cut down gradually over the course of two weeks. People in both groups used nicotine(尼古丁) patches before they quit, in addition to a second form of nicotine replacement, like gum or spray. They also had talk therapy with a nurse before and after quit day.
Six months out, more people who had quit abruptly had stuck with it—more than one-fifth of them, compared to about one-seventh in the other group. Although these numbers appear low, it is much higher than if people try without support.
And the quit rates were particularly convincing given that before the study started, most of the people had said they’d rather cut down gradually before quitting. “If you’re training for a marathon, you wouldn’t expect to turn up and just be able to run it. And I think people see that for smoking as well. They think, “Well, if I gradually reduce, it’s like practice.” “says Lindson-Hawley. But that wasn’t the case. Instead of giving people practice, the gradual reduction likely gave them cravings(瘾) and withdrawal symptoms before they even reached quit day, which could be why fewer people in that group actually made it to that point. “Regardless of your stated preference, if you’re ready to quit, quitting abruptly is more effective.” says Dr. Gabriela Ferreira.“When you can quote a specific number like a fifth of the patients were able to quit, that’s convincing. It gives them the encouragement, I think, to really go for it.”Ferreira says.
People rarely manage to quit the first time they try. But at least, she says, they can maximize the odds of success.
1. What does Lindson-Hawley say about her mother?A.She quit smoking with her daughter’s help. |
B.She studied the smoking patterns of adult smokers. |
C.She was also a researcher of tobacco and health. |
D.She succeeded in quitting smoking abruptly. |
A.They were offered nicotine replacements. |
B.They were looked after by physicians. |
C.They were encouraged by psychologists. |
D.They were given physical training. |
A.It is unexpected. | B.It is idealized. |
C.It is encouraging. | D.It is misleading. |
A.is a challenge at the beginning | B.needs some practice first |
C.requires a lot of patience | D.is something few can accomplish |
A.They feel much less pain in the process. | B.They are simply unable to make it. |
C.They show fewer withdrawal symptoms. | D.They find it even more difficult. |
5 . Whether you’re considering gap time directly after high school, during college, or a mid-career break, taking a year off is a great opportunity to learn through new experiences, grow beyond your comfort zone, and get out of your ordinary routine.
If your hunger to travel the world, meet new people, and experience new adventures can no longer be ignored, a gap year program is a great opportunity to volunteer abroad, teach abroad, intern abroad, or attend a language school. Whether you’re attracted by a quick tour across country borders on multiple continents, or a long-term stay in a near or distant city, the best way to spend your gap year is completely up to you!
Gap years are becoming increasingly common for students and young professionals. In fact, many find that when applying for jobs, their gap year experience helps their resume stand out among a sea of qualified candidates.
Because of the popularity of gap years, potential gap year travelers have tons of questions like: Is taking a gap year possible?
• Who takes a gap year?
• How much does a gap year cost?
• How can I make the most of my gap year?
• When is the best time to take a gap year?
• Will a gap year affect my college applications?
• What are the pros and cons of a gap year?
• Am I too old to take a gap year?
• Are there gap year jobs available?
Here at Go Overseas we have detailed information to help you have a year of meaningful growth through exploring your interests, passions, and curiosities, as well as supporting your desire for experiential learning, either locally or abroad. Go through gap year program listings and reviews, read through expert gap year advice and ideas, and decide how to get the most out of your gap year.
1. What do you know about the gap year?A.It is not worthwhile. | B.It mainly suits school students. |
C.It does more harm than good. | D.It contributes to a new routine. |
A.People who have only been on the job for a year. |
B.People who always want to learn a new language abroad. |
C.High school students who are tired of sitting all day long. |
D.People who want to achieve work-life balance in the long run. |
A.It makes little difference to them. |
B.It makes their resumes look more authentic. |
C.It makes their potential employers confused. |
D.It increases their chances of being hired. |
A.To draw the attention of new gap year travelers. |
B.To show the difficulties that a gap year traveler may meet. |
C.To reflect what people might want to know about taking a gap year. |
D.To explain why people should take a gap year into consideration. |
A.A travel guide. |
B.A guide to career choices. |
C.An advertisement for taking a gap year. |
D.Suggestions for having a wonderful school life. |
1. What is the speaker mainly talking about?
A.A measure to deal with being overweight. |
B.A school to offer cooking lessons. |
C.A way to set up cooking clubs. |
A.They will be given in primary schools. |
B.They will be provided one hour a week. |
C.They will last for the whole school year. |
A.To teach children to cook healthy food. |
B.To train more cookery teachers for schools. |
C.To help students remember simple recipes. |
A.Buy the equipment. | B.Build new kitchens. | C.Help poor students. |
7 . There was much discussion of the concept of “quiet quitting” meaning, doing the bare minimum at work. And perhaps that’s not surprising: nowadays employee’s stress levels are at all-time highs. When you’re exhausted and overwhelmed, it feels like something needs to give up—the pursuit of excellence at work.
But is taking your foot off the gas the answer? I’d argue it isn’t. As a writer focused on time management, I’ve come to realize that the opposite of burnout isn’t doing nothing but engagement. That’s what I found when I ran a study with more than 140 busy people. At the beginning, they spoke of feeling exhausted and tapped out. “My work to do list is never ending,”. one person said.
The participants applied time-management strategies over the course of nine weeks. But instead of asking them to scale things back, most of the strategies I taught people were additive. I had them build in regular physical activity, make space for little adventures. And when it came to leisure activities, I asked them to put “effortful before effortless”—to choose those that require action over those that are passive.
I also introduced them to the principle of taking “one night for you”—committing to doing something you enjoy, apart from work and family. As with quiet quitting, this might sometimes mean leaving work a little earlier than usual, but the point is not to do less; the idea is adding energizing activities to your schedule.
And it worked. Over weeks, participants came to feel that their schedules were brimming (充满) with activities that they had actively chosen—and as a result, time felt more abundant. Their satisfaction with how they spent their time overall rose 16 percent from the beginning to the end. They even reported making more progress on their professional goals —pretty much the opposite of quiet quitting—as their increased energy and engagement spilled over into all areas of life.
We each have the same hours every week. But time is also all about the stories we tell ourselves. When life is full of have-to-dos, we can feel beaten down by responsibilities. But add things we actually want to do, and time feels different. We feel a bit more in control of our lives. Put simply, when we put time into what we find energizing, our inner narrative changes. We no longer feel like life is a slog (苦役), when you’re feeling overwhelmed, committing time to something that feels wonderful could be a better bet than simply doing less.
1. According to Paragraph 1, quiet quitting makes one ______.A.feel exhausted and overwhelmed | B.pursue no excellence at work |
C.work at all-time highs | D.hardly finish the work on time |
A.Proper participation before burning out. | B.The cut-down of to-do list and a proper rest. |
C.Adding active elements to be effortful. | D.Time management and physical activity. |
A.To pay more effort than required. | B.To go back to nature and relax. |
C.To reflect on the old days. | D.To reduce the amount of work. |
A.enjoy adventure with family members. | B.go for physical exercises after work. |
C.choose to be an active person at night. | D.engage yourself in more favorable things. |
A.Actively choosing activities have positive impact. |
B.People are satisfied with more free time to spent. |
C.People can make progress if they do not quit quietly. |
D.Too much energy may be wasted if not concerned about. |
A.The power of time management. | B.Strategies for a More Satisfying Life. |
C.The secret of a happy life: Quiet Quitting. | D.Rejecting Quiet Quitting: Active participation. |
1. What’s the writer’s attitude to pills?
A.Thankful. | B.Negative. | C.Positive. |
A.Eat some pills. | B.Go to find experts. | C.Exercise. |
A.Athletes. | B.Drug makers. | C.Scientists. |
A.He wanted to show he didn’t cheat in the competition. |
B.The Olympic authorities ordered him to do so. |
C.It would prove the pills were helpful for him. |
1. What has created widespread debate?
A.What color masks to choose. |
B.Whether to wear a face mask. |
C.When the disease will be over. |
A.Face masks cost too much. |
B.There’s medicine to handle the disease. |
C.Diseases kill people every year. |
A.It’s a necessity in life. | B.It’s not the normal life. | C.It’s cheap and effective. |
A.Pick a suitable face mask. | B.Bring some masks for others. | C.listen to the local news events. |
10 . The phrase “digital nomads (游民)” suggests joyful people who escape their daily work to travel the world, working with laptops on beaches. Relevant statistics regularly made the headline “There will be one billion digital nomads by 2035”.
I started researching digital nomads in 2015, and it took me three years to develop an understanding of what might be going on. I’ve met hundreds of people who think of themselves as digital nomads and many more who have dreamed about becoming one. The first thing I learned is that how people feel about the label “digital nomad” changes over time. People starting out often assume it’s a permanent lifestyle, but that’s rarely the case. One of my respondents explained, “I don’t go around calling myself a digital nomad now. It’s a bit silly.” Indeed, there’s still debate about whether it’s a buzzword (时髦用语) or a real phenomenon. Some have even tried to figure out how “authentic” a digital nomad is, by how much they move from place to place. And there has been heated debate online about who’s a real digital nomad, and who is merely self-promoting.
Most of the digital nomads I spoke to, who once had well-paid jobs, told me that they were escaping from deeply-rooted problems in the contemporary Western workplace. One of my respondents, Lisette, a skilled translator from Hamburg, Germany, is able to produce high-quality work quickly. She is soon tired of the culture of presenteeism (出勤主义) at her workplace. She explained, “I’m efficient and I like to get the work done and leave on time. Others were obviously scared to leave first, so they would sit at their desks and play with their computers.”
Nearly 40% of British adults believe their jobs don’t make sense. Their housing is of poor quality and too expensive, and the economies don’t provide young people with wages they can live on. With these challenges, it’s hardly surprising that those new to the world are already desperate to escape. Yet there are certain complexities that come with living as a citizen of the world. As Lisette said, “Digital nomads can quickly become isolated.” Digital nomads have to shoulder responsibility for almost every aspect of modern life: their mental health, daily routine, income, safety and shelter. Most digital nomads travel on tourist visas, which requires them to move regularly-an experience my participants have described as disorienting (使人迷失方向的).
Being a digital nomad can be rewarding and offers an escape from the boring office hour. But it’s important that digital nomads think deeply about the importance of community and mental health in their lives. Freedom does not mean the same thing for everyone.
1. What does the author think of digital nomads?A.Easy to get on with. | B.Extremely hard to be accepted. |
C.Difficult to define. | D.About to disappear. |
A.Fierce competition. | B.Inflexible working system. |
C.Economic pressure. | D.Violation of personal space. |
A.Travelling the world. | B.Enjoying more free time. |
C.Receiving steady incomes. | D.Being free from real-life pressures. |
A.Think twice before becoming a digital nomad. |
B.Share your real life and job on the Internet. |
C.Have a much more comfortable lifestyle. |
D.Resign from a dead-end job as soon as possible. |
A.Digital nomads: what future jobs will be like |
B.Digital nomads: a trend that will take over the world |
C.Digital nomads: an effective way to escape your everyday work |
D.Digital nomads: what it’s really like to work while traveling the world |