Camaraderie over Competence
The importance of liking people is the subject of an article in the Harvard Business Review, which has carried out an experiment to find out who we’d rather work with. Hardly surprisingly, the people we want most as our workmates are both: brilliant at their jobs and delightful human beings. And the people we want least are both unpleasant and useless. More interestingly, the authors found that, given the choice between working with lovable fools and competent jerks (性情古怪的人), we irresistibly choose the former. Anyway, who likes those stupid men who annoy or hurt other people? We might insist that competence matters more, but our behavior shows we stay close to the people we like and sharing information with them.
What companies should therefore do is get people to like each other more. The trick here is apparently to make sure staffs come across each other as often as possible during the day. They also should be sent on bonding courses and so on to encourage friendliness and break down displeasure. However, more outdoor-activity weekends and shared coffee machines inspire no confidence at all.
The reality is that people either like each other or they don’t. You can’t force it. Possibly you can make offices friendlier by tolerating a lot of chat, but there is a productivity cost to that. In my experience, the question of lovable fool against competent jerk may not be the right one. The two are interrelated: we tend not to like our workmates when they are completely hopeless. I was once quite friendly with a woman whom I later worked with. I found her to be so outstandingly bad at her job that I lost respect for her and ended up not really liking her at all. Then is there anything that companies should be doing about it?
By far the most effective strategy would be to hire people who are all pretty much the same, given that similarity is one of the main determinants of whether we like each other. I think this is a pretty good idea, but no one dares recommend this anymore without offending the diversity lobby group. There is only one acceptable view on this subject: teams of similar people are bad because they stop creativity. This may be true, though I have never seen any conclusive proof of it.
Not only do we like similar people, we like people who like us. So if companies want to promote more liking, they should encourage a culture where we are all nice to each other. The trouble is that this needs to be done with some skill.
1.According to the research, which kind of colleagues would most people tend to choose?
A.Nice but unintelligent.
B.Creative but unattractive.
C.Competent but unfriendly.
D.Humorous but unambitious.
2.The author talks about her experience to show that ______.
A.people respect outstanding leaders
B.people tend to like optimistic workmates
C.a workmate’s working ability is important
D.talkative workmates makes offices friendlier
3.Some people think that similar people working together may ______
A.offend each other
B.create fewer new ideas
C.talk more and work less
D.be likely to stick together
4.To encourage workmates to like each other, companies could ______.
A.set more coffee machines in the work place
B.organize team-building activities outside the office
C.encourage a diversity of opinions in workplace
D.employ staff who have a lot in common
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Camaraderie over Competence
The importance of liking people is the subject of an article in the Harvard Business Review, which has carried out an experiment to find out who we’d rather work with. Hardly surprisingly, the people we want most as our workmates are both: brilliant at their jobs and delightful human beings. And the people we want least are both unpleasant and useless. More interestingly, the authors found that, given the choice between working with lovable fools and competent jerks (性情古怪的人), we irresistibly choose the former. Anyway, who likes those stupid men who annoy or hurt other people? We might insist that competence matters more, but our behavior shows we stay close to the people we like and sharing information with them.
What companies should therefore do is get people to like each other more. The trick here is apparently to make sure staffs come across each other as often as possible during the day. They also should be sent on bonding courses and so on to encourage friendliness and break down displeasure. However, more outdoor-activity weekends and shared coffee machines inspire no confidence at all.
The reality is that people either like each other or they don’t. You can’t force it. Possibly you can make offices friendlier by tolerating a lot of chat, but there is a productivity cost to that. In my experience, the question of lovable fool against competent jerk may not be the right one. The two are interrelated: we tend not to like our workmates when they are completely hopeless. I was once quite friendly with a woman whom I later worked with. I found her to be so outstandingly bad at her job that I lost respect for her and ended up not really liking her at all. Then is there anything that companies should be doing about it?
By far the most effective strategy would be to hire people who are all pretty much the same, given that similarity is one of the main determinants of whether we like each other. I think this is a pretty good idea, but no one dares recommend this anymore without offending the diversity lobby group. There is only one acceptable view on this subject: teams of similar people are bad because they stop creativity. This may be true, though I have never seen any conclusive proof of it.
Not only do we like similar people, we like people who like us. So if companies want to promote more liking, they should encourage a culture where we are all nice to each other. The trouble is that this needs to be done with some skill.
1.According to the research, which kind of colleagues would most people tend to choose?
A.Nice but unintelligent.
B.Creative but unattractive.
C.Competent but unfriendly.
D.Humorous but unambitious.
2.The author talks about her experience to show that ______.
A.people respect outstanding leaders
B.people tend to like optimistic workmates
C.a workmate’s working ability is important
D.talkative workmates makes offices friendlier
3.Some people think that similar people working together may ______
A.offend each other
B.create fewer new ideas
C.talk more and work less
D.be likely to stick together
4.To encourage workmates to like each other, companies could ______.
A.set more coffee machines in the work place
B.organize team-building activities outside the office
C.encourage a diversity of opinions in workplace
D.employ staff who have a lot in common
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The ability to deal with anxiety is an important part of sports training.People who are able to overcome their anxiety perform much better than some of the strongest competitors of the game.Unfortunately,at times sportspersons fail because they feel nervous when they are on the playing field,which makes them lose confidence in themselves.As a matter of fact,performance anxiety is quite common among stage artists and athletes,who are required to present themselves and their skills to a large crowd.
Various psychologists have found that expert athletes may behave like amateurs under great pressure.So what causes performance anxiety?First of all,during training and preparing for any competition,an athlete focuses on improving his or her skills in a familiar environment.All the efforts taken and practice done are,thus,stored in the procedural memory.However,in a real competitive situation,the conscious awareness of new grounds corrupts the memory of the practiced game,thus causing anxiety.It is also found that with more cheering crowds,the pressure for the athlete to achieve the best builds up rapidly.
Secondly,our body releases certain hormones(荷尔蒙) to welcome the upcoming exciting situation,which causes quickening of the heartbeat and sweaty hands.These signs are often misinterpreted(曲解) by an athlete as fear and lack of ability to perform.The negative thoughts often result in a terrible panic attack.
Thirdly,while training,some athletes set unrealistic targets for themselves.Failure to achieve those targets is regarded as lack of skills and puts the athletes in selfdenial(自我否定) of their own improvement.Even if they are fully prepared for an event,they tend to think poorly of their capabilities.Such reaction can turn any professional player into a green hand,thus ruining their performance.
Fortunately,something can be done to solve the problem.One of the best ways to overcome such a situation is distraction(分心).As soon as you have the awareness of anxiety,pay your attention to something else—maybe singing or asking a fellow sportsperson about something that is not related to the game.Besides,you can take some small but effective measures.For instance,cut down on caffeine and sugar and have a carbohydraterich meal before the game to preserve energy.Anyway,performance anxiety is not a disease that athletes can get rid of once and for all.They should handle it properly to improve their performance so as to achieve sporting glory.
Performance Anxiety in Sports | |
Concept of performance anxiety | ·Performance anxiety refers to the 1. of nervousness,which leads to athletes doubting their abilities. ·Its common 2. are stage artists and sportspersons. |
Causes of performance anxiety | ·Sportspersons can feel anxious when competing in a(n) 3. environment. ·The 4. of large cheering crowds makes a sportsperson feel more stressed. ·Sportspersons think too 5. about some normal body signs,such as fast heartbeat and sweaty palms. ·Sportspersons begin to doubt themselves when they 6. to achieve their targets.Thus,they tend to undervalue themselves even though they’ve made full 7. for the event. |
8. to performance anxiety | ·When you feel anxious,pay your attention to something 9. to the game. ·10. caffeine and sugar,and consume something rich in carbohydrate before the game. |
高三英语任务型阅读中等难度题查看答案及解析
On a recent night, while I was busy thinking about important social issues, like what to do over the week﹣end and who to do it with, I overheard my parents talking about my future. My dad was upset ﹣ not the usual stuff that he and Mom and, I guess, a lot of parents worry about like which college I' m going to, how far away it is from home. Instead, he was upset about the world his generation is turning over to mine, a world he fears has a dark and difficult future﹣﹣if it has a future at all.
"There will be a disease that kills millions, a disastrous energy crisis, a horrible worldwide depression and a nuclear explosion set off in anger."
As I lay on the living room couch, listening to their conversation, starting to worry about the future my father was describing, I found myself looking at some old family photos. There was a picture of my grandfather who was a member of the class of 1942, the war class. Next to his picture were photos of my great﹣grandparents. Seeing those pictures made me feel a lot better. I believe tomorrow will be better than today ﹣﹣that the world my generation grows into is going Lo get better, not worse. Those pictures helped me understand why.
I considered some of the awful things my grandparents and great﹣grandparents had seen in their lifetimes: two world wars, killer flu, segregation(隔离) , a nuclear bomb. But they saw other things, too, better things: the end of two world wars, passage of the civil rights laws.
I believe that my generation will see better things, too﹣﹣that we will witness the time when AIDS is cured and cancer is defeated. I will see things as incredible to me today as the internet to my father when he was 16.
1.Why was the author's dad upset on a recent night?
A. He was upset about which college for the author to go to.
B. He was upset that the college is too far from the author's home.
C. He was worried about his dark and difficult future coming soon.
D. What upset him is whether there is a future for the author's generation.
2.What was the author's first reaction to his father's worry?
A. Indifferent.
B. Optimistic.
C. Worried.
D. Sensitive.
3.What did those photos make the author understand?
A. The world was full of terrible things that could not be solved.
B. Though the world was full of terrible things, it would get better.
C. All those terrible things that worried the author actually didn't exist.
D. Those pictures showed that people never worried about their future.
4.What is the best title of the article?
A. Never worry about your future
B. Tomorrow will be better than today
C. The world will never be peaceful
D. All that exists will come to an end
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the most important recent medical breakthroughs has been the impact of gut flora(肠道菌群)on overall health. This dynamic mix of bacteria in the digestive tract(消化道)may affect everything from obesity to asthma(哮喘).
The Gut-Mood Link
Anyone who's ever experienced "butterflies" in his or her stomach knows that the gut and the brain are connected. But until recently, scientists hadn't realized that the trillions of bacteria in our digestive tract may be driving the relationship.
One recent experiment suggests that you can control calm. Canadian researchers gave healthy mice a mixture of antibiotics, which change the makeup of GI-tract(胃肠道)bacteria. Over two weeks, some animals became more anxious and some less, depending on which drugs they received. In another study, when gut bacteria from calm mice were transferred to anxious mice, the jittery(紧张的)creatures seemed less nervous.
UCLA professor Kirsten Tillisch, doctor of medicine, recently had healthy women eat a yogurt
rich in certain types of "good" probiotic(益生菌的)bacteria. Two 'Control groups ate yogurt without such bacteria or ate nothing. Brain scans of the probiotic-yogurt eaters indicated changes in regions that could be associated with a less-anxious response in fearful or stressful situations compared with the control groups.
Scientists are even exploring whether gut microbes(微生物)might treat some brain disorders. A new study in Cell found that mice with features of autism(自ICJ症)given a type of bacteria in healthy human GI tracts exhibited less autism-like behavior. In a recent case report, a Boston ps. chiatrist says a course of certain probiotics and antibiotics helped relieve a patient's compulsive disorder. -We tend to focus on how your mood affects your body from the top down, not the bottom up," says Dr. Tillisch. "Now we know that the gut affects how your brain responds to the environment- it's a remarkable change in thinking.”
How Bacteria Talk to the Brain Scientists aren't sure how gut flora affect brain chemistry. One theory is that the bacteria access pathways along the nerve, the main highway in the nervous system that links the brain to the gut. Another is that the bacteria influence the immune system, releasing chemicals that affect conditions like depression. Finally, researchers believe that bacteria produce or affect the metabolism(新陈代泻'i) of chemicals, which change brain function.
Dr. Tillisch told me that patients always ask which probiotics will lift their mood.Her answer:
"We don't know yet, but we hope to one day." In the future, patients might receive probiotics or transplant(移植) in which bacteria from the gut of a healthy person are transferred to the gut of a sic': one-to prevent or treat mental health issues. But these approaches are years away from primary time.Until then, a diet rich in fruit and veggies helps cultivate(培养)better-balanced microbes than a typical Western diet high in animal and processed products. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, particularly in early childhood, may also establish healthier gut bacteria.
1. According to the passage, gut bacteria might help us in many ways EXCEPT__.
A. lightening our mood B. treating autism
C. relieving depression D. transplanting gut flora
2.The missing sentence "Everyday foods may also affect the composition of gut bacteria, and in
turn, brain chemistry." could be put before__·
A. Paragraph 2 B. Paragraph 3
C. Paragraph 4 D. Paragraph 5
3.Which of the following can be the best subtitle for the last paragraph?
A. Cultivating a Happier Gut
B. Growing Bacteria in the Future
C. Balancing Microbes and Diet
D. Living a Happy Healthy Life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Not all people like to work and everyone likes to play. All over 1.__________
the world men and woman, boys and girls enjoy sports. Since 2.__________
long ago ,many adults and children called their friends together 3.___________
to spend hours, even days play games. One of the reasons people 4.__________
like to play is that sports help them to like happily .In other words, 5.__________
they help to keep people strong and feel good . When people are 6.__________
playing games, they move a lot .That is how sports are good activities 7.__________
for their health. Having fun with their friends make them happy. 8.__________
Many people enjoy sports by watching the others play. In American 9._________
big cities, thousands sell tickets to watch football or basketball games. 10.________
高三英语短文改错中等难度题查看答案及解析
短文改错
Manners are important to happy relations among people. No one liked a person with bad manners. Having good manners is seen by many people for a sign of cultural understanding and good taste. Polite words are one of the example. When meet people, saying “Hello!” or “How are you?” and so on means you are very polite, which will make that easy for you to communicate with others. However, other people will hate getting on with you and your life will become difficulty. Only saying polite words can you get on well with others.
All in the all, it is polite words which will make your life become convenient.
高三英语短文改错中等难度题查看答案及解析
People in those days liked to believe in computers ________ the world.
A. taking over and ruling B. take over and rule
C. that took over and rule D. to take over and rule
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
8. With H1N1 flu _______ all over the world, people would like to spend their holiday at home.
A.spread | B.to be spread | C.spreading | D.to spread |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
It is said that people are________ likely to tell lies over the phone as they are in emails.
A.as twice B.twice as C.twice more D.twice than
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Over the years, I have met some interesting people. Two of 1. most interesting people were two elderly sisters, Joan and Bernice, 2. way of talking about people inspired me.
It was always a 3. (pleasant) to visit these two sisters. Just being greeted at the door was a joy. They couldn’t be 4. (happy) when seeing me. I always heard about the people who were there before me. Every person 5. (talk) about in a positive way. The conversation would go something like this, “Oh, Kay, so and so was here yesterday, she 6. (be) just the ‘salt of the earth’, isn't she?” The other sister would reply, “Oh yes! You just can't believe 7. wonderful she is.” I never heard they said a negative word about anyone. NEVER!
I understood why these two had so much company when other people complained that no one cared about 8.(they). It was their attitude 9. people. There was no doubt that when the next person came to visit, they were going to hear how I was the “salt of the earth”.
What a wonderful example these two elderly sisters were to me! I will always be 10. (thank)that I had the opportunity to know them.
高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析