Many employees must be tempted to query on a ...

Many employees must be tempted to query on a daily basis when they see their bosses headed down the wrong track. But caution, for fear of appearing insubordinate or foolish and thus possibly at risk of losing their jobs, often leads workers to keep silent.

A culture of silence can be dangerous, argues a new book, “The Fearless Organization”, by Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School. Some of her examples are from the airline industry. One was its deadliest accident: a crash between Boeing 747s in the Canary Islands in 1977 when a co-pilot felt unable to query his captain’s decision to take off based on a misunderstanding of instructions from air-traffic control.

The risks may be lower than life or death in most organizations, but companies also suffer　 when people keep silent, Ms Edmondson believes. Volkswagen was caught up in a scandal(丑闻) over diesel(柴油)emissions from 2015. The engines of its diesel models did not meet American emissions standards and engineers devised a system to fool the regulators. Ms Edmondson says the company’s culture had been one based on threaten and fear; Ferdinand Piëch, its longtime boss, boasted of telling engineers they had six weeks to improve the bodywork fitting on pain of dismissal. In the circumstances, engineers were understandably unwilling to mention the bad news on emissions standards and instead worked around the problem. In a corporate culture based on fear and intimidation, it may appear that targets are being achieved in the short term. But in the long run the effect is likely to be counterproductive. Studies show that fear inhibits learning. And when confronted with a problem, scared workers find ways of covering it up or getting around it with inefficient practices.

The answer is to create an atmosphere of “psychological safety” whereby workers can speak their minds. In a sense, this is the equivalent of Toyota’s “lean manufacturing” process, which allows any worker who spots a problem to stop the production line. This does not mean that workers, or their ideas, are immune from criticism, or that they should complain incessantly.

As mundane(平凡的)tasks are automated, and workers rely on computers for data analysis, the added value of humans will stem from their creativity. But as Ms Edmondson’s book amply demonstrates, it is hard to be either constructive or creative if you are not confident about speaking out.

1.The underlined word “insubordinate” means　　 .

A.being inferior B.disobeying a superior

C.getting aggressive D.being ignorant

2.We can conclude from Paragraph 3 that　　 .

A.Volkswagen’s engineers designed a system to meet American emissions standards

B.when facing problems, scared workers resolve them directly

C.Volkswagen’s engineers were at risk of losing jobs

D.the culture of fear and intimidation must be counterproductive in the long term.

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?

A.A culture of being silent can be life-threatening.

B.The risk of keeping silent is not necessarily associated with life and death.

C.Volkswagen’s culture is on the basis of fear.

D.The value of humans lies in originality in today’s highly-automated world.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.An introduction to Amy Edmondson’s new book.

B.The disadvantages of fear and intimidation culture.

C.Companies will perform better if employees are not threatened into silence.

D.People need to be confident when they are speaking out.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

“Are personal sad stories a must to win talent shows?” “Shouldn’t talent be judged on the basis of itself without needing a sad story of struggle to win?” These are questions Sanya Malhotra posed on a recent Facebook post.

This morning I came across this interesting post by Sanya Malhotra. She revealed that she loved dancing and dreamt of becoming an actress, but got defeated in “Dance India Dance” because her background story wasn’t sad and inspiring enough. That’s when she started doubting her artistic gift.

This really set me thinking. Why are people attracted to sob stories? Why do we always appreciate only those people who have achieved something after going through a lot of hardships?　 Why does the headline of a newspaper “Taxi-driver’s Son Stands First In UPSC Exam” find more readers? I think it is because most people, who are in a similar situation, find it comforting that someone has succeeded with so many hardships. I know it is really very difficult for people with financial, health, or family problems to overcome obstacles and succeed. I really feel proud of them and I am often touched and inspired by their stories.

Now come back to what Sanya has said. I think this is a talent show rather than a story-telling competition. When it comes to a competition of singing or dancing or any fine arts, all the competitors should be judged without any bias (偏见). No one should lose because they don’t have a sad story of struggle to tell. It’s very unfair. They can be given opportunities otherwise, but should not be judged because of their stories.

Maybe, the TV channels do it to attract more viewers, because the most important element of any reality show is these touching stories. But as Sanya has said, it’s unfair to those who haven't such a story and are equally talented.

1.What do we know about Sanya Malhotra?

A.She entered a talent show. B.She won “Dance India Dance”.

C.She had a sad story to tell. D.She was rejected in a film.

2.From the second paragraph, we can infer that Sanya Malhotra________.

A.experienced many hardships B.is a famous actress in Indian

C.has a great gift for gymnastics D.used to be confident in her artistic talent

3.Which of the following headlines appeals to the readers most according to the passage?

A.A Millionaire Donated Money To Harvard University.

B.A Gifted Indian Teenager Won “Dance India Dance”.

C.An Armless Girl Was Admitted To Harvard University.

D.A Freshman Paid Off Loans By Getting A Part-time Job.

4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A.Winners Should Be Determined By Public Judges

B.Sanya Malhotra Displayed A Great Artistic Gift

C.Competitors Should Not Be Judged By Sob Stories

D.Talent Shows Competitors Can Tell Their Stories

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In _______ face of more and more dropout factories, many people prefer to be paid on _____ daily basis.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I guess a boss must be pleased to hear that his employees are sorry to hear he’s leaving and that they respected him and appreciated the job he’d done. Cards and emails are great, but maybe it’s just ________ heartwarming to know that kind words are being said ________ “behind your back”.

I like to do the ________ for my students. Of course I give them my own compliments, but I love to let them know when other adults have ________ their good behavior and attitudes. I want them to know that we aren’t spending our lunch and meeting times ________ about them all the time! I want them to know that we often express our ________ in working with this ________ group of kids, and I want them to know why!

I ________ myself when someone finds how my teenage grandchildren are turning into such fine young people. Then it’s absolutely ________ to let them know it too! I want them to know that people notice them, and that it ________ when what they notice is good and praiseworthy.

I’ve known, from the other side, how much this can ________. I often lack confidence in my own abilities as a teacher, so it gave me quite a ________ when a friend who works with families in the community ________ that he has heard several times from parents how glad they are to have their kids in my class. It just feels more important ________ to have the words said by people who don’t know I’ll ever hear — when they can be ________ honest. Great to hear it and great to ________!

Sure, it’s pleasant when we can say nice things about other people. It feels good! And I think it’s a ________ compliment for people to know of the times when others are saying nice things even ________ ear shot.

Watch for your next opportunity to be the ________!　 Make sure to tell them about the nice things being said behind their backs! Because how will they know ________ we tell them.

1.A. too            B. quite            C. extra            D. rather

2.A. even        B. already            C. slightly            D. ever

3.A. rest        B. same                C. example            D. job

4.A. picked        B. recognized        C. received            D. noticed

5.A. chatting    B. complaining        C. blaming            D. arguing

6.A. pleasure    B. interest            C. difficulty        D. hope

7.A. important    B. particular        C. excellent        D. active

8.A. understand    B. thank            C. show                D. distinguish

9.A. worthy        B. right            C. necessary        D. great

10.A. considers    B. matters            C. minds            D. depends

11.A. mean        B. play                C. mark                D. perform

12.A. evidence    B. gift                C. lift                D. answer

13.A. delivered    B. referred            C. announced        D. mentioned

14.A. somehow    B. still            C. otherwise        D. therefore

15.A. properly    B. partly            C. totally            D. obviously

16.A. remember    B. appreciate        C. enjoy            D. share

17.A. relative    B. comparable        C. special            D. complete

18.A. because of                        B. out of

C. within                            D. without

19.A. reminder    B. reporter            C. reader        D. carrier

20.A. though        B. once                C. if            D. unless

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I guess a boss must be pleased to hear that his employees are sorry to hear he’s leaving and that they respected him and appreciated the job he’d done.Cards and emails are great，but maybe it’s just ______ heartwarming to know that kind words are being said ______“behind your back”．

I like to do the ______ for my students.Of course I give them my own compliments，but I love to let them know when other adults have ______ their good behavior and attitudes.I want them to know that we aren’t spending our lunch and meeting times ______ about them all the time! I want them to know that we often express our ______ in working with this ______ group of kids，and I want them to know why!

I ______ myself when someone finds how my teenage grandchildren are turning into such fine young people.Then it’s absolutely ______ to let them know it too! I want them to know that people notice them，and that it ______ when what they notice is good and praiseworthy.

I’ve known，from the other side，how much this can ______.I often lack confidence in my own abilities as a teacher，so it gave me quite a ______ when a friend who works with families in the community ______ that he has heard several times from parents how glad they are to have their kids in my class.It just feels more important ______ to have the words said by people who don’t know I’ll ever hear—when they can be ______ honest.Great to hear it and great to ______！

Sure，it’s pleasant when we can say nice things about other people.It feels good! And I think it’s a ______ compliment for people to know of the times when others are saying nice things even ______ ear shot.

Watch for your next opportunity to be the ______！Make sure to tell them about the nice things being said behind their backs! Because how will they know ______ we tell them.

1.A. too　　 B. quite　　 C. extra　　 D. rather

2.A. even　　 B. already　　 C. slightly　　 D. ever

3.A. rest　　 B. same　　 C. example　　 D. job

4.A. picked　　 B. recognized　　 C. received　　 D. noticed

5.A. chatting　　 B. complaining　　 C. blaming　　 D. arguing

6.A. pleasure　　 B. interest　　 C. difficulty　　 D. hope

7.A. important　　 B. particular　　 C. excellent　　 D. active

8.A. understand　　 B. thank　　 C. show　　 D. distinguish

9.A. worthy　　 B. right　　 C. necessary　　 D. great

10.A. considers　　 B. matters　　 C. minds　　 D. depends

11.A. mean　　 B. play　　 C. mark　　 D. perform

12.A. evidence　　 B. gift　　 C. lift　　 D. answer

13.A. delivered　　 B. referred　　 C. announced　　 D. mentioned

14.A. somehow　　 B. still　　 C. otherwise　　 D. therefore

15.A. properly　　 B. partly　　 C. totally　　 D. obviously

16.A. remember　　 B. appreciate　　 C. enjoy　　 D. share

17.A. relative　　 B. comparable　　 C. special　　 D. complete

18.A. because of　　 B. out of　　 C. within　　 D. without

19.A. reminder　　 B. reporter　　 C. reader　　 D. carrier

20.A. though　　 B. once　　 C. if　　 D. unless

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

According to the ancient Greek mythology, King Midas might be one of the world’s earliest alchemist, who was granted by the god Dionysus the magic power to turn anything he touched into gold. Unfortunately, the king soon realized that this ability was more of a curse than of a gift as he had to suffer the loss of many of life’s real pleasures, including the taste of good food and the embrace of his beloved daughter.

While the story of the greedy Midas is meant to warn against becoming a slave to one’s desires, it also reflects our human greed for gold. This extremely attractive metal has captivated humans over thousands of years, ever since the days of the ancient Egyptians, and has been the basis of currency for many civilizations over centuries.

Today gold remains the foundation of the luxury jewellery industry and, in recent years, has become one of the most prominent materials in the production of our latest necessity --- modern electronics. Gold is used to make many of the devices we love, such as cellphones, tablets and laptops. This is due to its highly efficient electrical properties and its resistance to　 corrosion, which are unmatched by any other metal. But the manufacturing of just 40 mobile phones requires approximately one gram of gold, which corresponds to nearly a ton of mined ore. Given the persistent rise in electronics production, and the limited and decreasing supply of gold, how will we maintain the supply of this precious material for many years to come?

One solution might be found in the recycling of electronic waste, a process often referred to as urban mining. Given that a metric tonne of recycled laptop circuit boards can have between 40 and 800 times more gold than found in a metric tonne of ore, it seems unreasonable to redeposit the precious metal into the earth via landfills. Despite this, and the fact that urban mining is growing more cost-effective by the day, only 20 per cent of all electronic waste is currently recycled. In 2017, the Global E-Waste Monitor projected that the amount of electronic waste generated by the end of 2021 would reach 52.2 million metric tonnes.

It is estimated that the value of the gold in our garbage exceeds €10 billion　 ($11.2 billion). On top of that, the many other precious metals in the garbage, such as silver, copper and platinum, add even more value to our waste. Therefore, given its economic and technological importance, it is time to consider whether other sources of gold, which are not yet decidedly possible to access, can also be exploited in the future.

While King Midas might have appealed to the gods for an easy solution to acquire gold, modern alchemists use the latest technology to achieve ancient dreams. It is these qualities that might eventually lead to environmentally mindful and energy-efficient technologies for extracting gold from incredible places.

1.The underlined word “captivated” in paragraph two can be best replaced by　　 .

A.cultivated B.jailed C.satisfied D.tempted

2.Which of the following is NOT one of the many uses of gold in history and modern time?

A.aiding the business of waste recycling industry.

B.being used in manufacturing jewellery.

C.constituting an essential part of electronic devices.

D.forming the basis of currency.

3.According to paragraph four, what is the purpose of “urban mining”？

A.To save more laptop circuit from being wasted.

B.To deposit more precious gold.

C.To preserve gold for future use.

D.To make a profit by recycling life garbage.

4.The author uses the story of “King Midas” to　　 .

A.analyze the loss caused by electronic waste

B.illustrate the magic power of urban mining

C.interest the readers with the rich history of ancient Greece

D.warn the world against becoming slaves to material gains

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

　　　 to work on Saturdays, the employees are offered a higher salary.

A. Expecting B. Expected

C. To be expected D. Having expected

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Our world is more connected than ever before thanks to technology.1.. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly important that we all learn how to deal with this painful feeling.

You should be determined to actively end your loneliness. We often end up passively waiting for someone else to make us feel less lonely. You may feel that your loneliness indicates that nobody is willing to connect with you. And there is nothing you can do about it. But that is far from the truth.2..

You should find reasons why you are lonely.　 We all feel lonely for different reasons. Some of us have no one else to interact(互动) with on a consistent basis and that's why we feel lonely. You may feel that the people in your life don't share your thoughts and ideas.3., you need to identify it. And you know exactly how to handle your loneliness.

4.. People who are lonely tend to fall into destructive mental habits. They try to avoid the pain of not being understood and being disconnected by not giving people any chance to understand and connect with them.That's not what you should choose to do. Instead, you should share your thoughts and feelings with others and do so openly and fearlessly.

You should find people who share your interests. 5., everybody is interested in something.And just as there are many interests, there are many people who share those interests. Find what interests you and connect with others on that basis.

A.Whatever the reason is

B.Whether it's coin collecting or video games

C.If you have no reason to share your interests

D.You should be true to yourself or actively end loneliness

E.You should be open about your thoughts, ideas and desires

F.Ending loneliness is something that you can and should do actively

G.However, more and more of us find ourselves having to stand loneliness

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

In today's fast paced，high stress world people are working longer hours than ever，and often exhaust themselves at day's end in front of the television to relax enough to begin again in the morning. However，television watching，for most people，does not really lower stress. Studies show that TV viewing more than an hour or so actually creates stress and，especially in women，may lead to the blues. Most individuals are unaware that doing some exercise after work makes them more energetic since it increases energy levels.

Wise use of free time does not mean getting an advanced degree，although the mental encouragement gained through education is unbeatable in keeping your mind active. Learning new things nearly always adds a spark to your daily life，especially if it is a favorite topic，such as sport，fashion，or art. Also，look through your bookstore or library to find books on your interests. Try to replace a half hour TV watching with reading.

It is reported that in the United States recently，many individuals have as few as two good friends. Long work hours and car commute act to separate people from each other. This separation is deadly. Find ways to meet people at the end of the day and on weekends. Often this can be best done by combining activities，such as by joining a walking group to get both exercise and companionship. Taking a class will lift your spirits and allow you to meet others with similar interests. Hobbies are great for reducing stress and provide another opportunity for social interaction.

Using your free time to aid your health may include these elements and many more，such as going to concerts and spending time with family. Overall，the key is to spend less free time being passive. The best ways to use free time are to be mentally and physically active，spend some time outdoors，and interact with other people on a regular basis.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Watching television may cause women to feel depressed.

B.Finding interests and hobbies in common means taking a class.

C.Going to concerts is the best way to make you mentally active.

D.Getting an advanced degree in education always lights up your life.

2.What does the underlined word “commute” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A.The arrangement to work every day.

B.The journey to work every day.

C.The communication between people.

D.The separation between people.

3.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A.Live a Happy and Healthy Life

B.Relax Yourself in Various Ways

C.Spend Your Free Time Wisely

D.Interact With Others Outdoors

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you live in a big city, there are many things to drive you crazy on your daily route, and it’s not just overcrowded subway trains.

Vicky Zhao is a mainlander working in Hong Kong. For her, one thing she can’t put up with is people standing on the wrong side of the escalator(自动扶梯) in subway stations. “Escalators help us move faster and save time. It isn’t a place to rest,” the 24-year-old says. “I often see tourists block the way with their suitcases or chatting on the escalators during rush hours. It annoys me to no end.”

Admitting she is not the patient type, Zhao says things are much better in Hong Kong than in cities on the mainland where “stand right, walk left” signs are often ignored.

The logic behind the “stand right, walk left” escalator etiquette(礼仪) seems obvious. Even though you may want to catch your breath while you’re transported up or down, you should still consider others and leave enough space for people in a hurry, so that they can run and catch the train.

Many cities’ escalators, including London’s and Beijing’s, use the “stand right, walk left” system to speed up the flow of people. (Australia is an exception and you should stand on the left side instead.) But some cities discourage people from moving on escalators out of safety reasons. In Hong Kong’s subway stations there are regular announcements asking people to “stand still” on escalators. Even so, most people in this fast-paced city observe the “stand right, walk left” etiquette.

But the people who stand on escalators defend themselves by telling the walkers not to be so impatient. The BBC quotes one stander as saying: “If the person is in such a rush, why not just take the stairs? Even when the escalator is packed and there’s nowhere to move, I see these same people complaining about not being able to pass.”

Whatever the escalator etiquette is in the place you live or visit, do what most people are doing and always be mindful of others: leave enough space between each other, don’t stay at the end of the escalator, and if someone is blocking your way, a simple “excuse me” is enough.

1.In the second paragraph, the underlined word “It” refers to_____.

A. the author’s living in the big city of Hong Kong.

B. being crowded on the subway trains in rush hours.

C. people’s blocking the way or chat on the escalators.

D. people’s standing on the right side resting.

2.When on the escalator, a majority of local people in Hong Kong_____.

A. stand still as the railway stations require.

B. ignore the “ stand right, walk left” signs

C. use the stairs instead of escalators.

D. follow the “stand right, wail left” etiquette.

3.What can be inferred from the 6th paragraph?

A. Not everyone follows the “stand right, walk left” etiquette.

B. The BBC is against the “stand right, walk left” etiquette.

C. People should be patient and take the stairs if possible.

D. People shouldn’t complain about the crowded escalators.

4.Which of the following statements is the writer’s opinion?

A. People should stand right no matter where they are.

B. People should do as the Romans do and consider others.

C. People should do as they like on the escalators.

D. People should be seriously criticized when they block the way.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析