Ronald Reagan ever said, “It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?” To some extent, extra effort seems to be self-defeating. Studies suggest that, after 50 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 praised the “996” model, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week, as a “huge blessing”. Apparently, presenteeism (出勤主义) is the curse of the modern office worker.
There will be days when you do not have much to do: perhaps because you are waiting for someone else in a different department, or a different company, to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5 pm, there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more importantly, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.
Some of this may be a self-continuing cycle. If bosses do not like to go home before their employees, and employees 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 employees’ performance, use time in the office as a measure. The consequence is often wasted effort. We pretend to work and managers pretend to believe us. Rather than work hard, you try to make bosses think that you are. Leaving a jacket on your office chair, walking around purposefully with a notebook and sending out emails at odd hours are three of the best-known tricks. After a while this can result in collective self-delusion that this pretence is actual work.
But presenteeism has more serious consequences. It is perhaps most common in Japan, where people attend the office even when they are in discomfort. In doing so, they are doing neither themselves nor their employers any favours. As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer. According to a study in the Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, these costs can be six times higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers. Those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression.
In the evolution of humanity, presenteeism is a recent phenomenon. In the industrial era, workers were paid not for their output but for their time, and were required to clock in and out. But modern machinery like smartphones and laptops is portable. Turning an office into a prison, with prisoners allowed home for the evenings, does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automated. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3?
A. Employees often have to work extra hours.
B. Extra effort improves employees’ productivity.
C. “996” model is well received around the world.
D. Both bosses and employees are devoted to their jobs.
2.What does the underlined “This” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Hoping to get a pay rise. B. Going home after the boss.
C. Putting in maximum effort. D. Judging employees’ performance.
3.Which of the following is one the results of long-time presenteeism?
A. Reducing medical costs of employees.
B. Making employees more hard-working.
C. Increasing the competition among employees.
D. Worsening employees’ physical and mental condition.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. Employees should be treated as prisoners.
B. Productivity can’t be measured by presenteeism now.
C. Office tasks usually can’t be carried out automatically.
D. Office workers should be allowed to be absent-minded.
高三英语阅读理解困难题
Ronald Reagan ever said, “It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?” To some extent, extra effort seems to be self-defeating. Studies suggest that, after 50 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 praised the “996” model, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week, as a “huge blessing”. Apparently, presenteeism (出勤主义) is the curse of the modern office worker.
There will be days when you do not have much to do: perhaps because you are waiting for someone else in a different department, or a different company, to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5 pm, there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more importantly, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.
Some of this may be a self-continuing cycle. If bosses do not like to go home before their employees, and employees 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 employees’ performance, use time in the office as a measure. The consequence is often wasted effort. We pretend to work and managers pretend to believe us. Rather than work hard, you try to make bosses think that you are. Leaving a jacket on your office chair, walking around purposefully with a notebook and sending out emails at odd hours are three of the best-known tricks. After a while this can result in collective self-delusion that this pretence is actual work.
But presenteeism has more serious consequences. It is perhaps most common in Japan, where people attend the office even when they are in discomfort. In doing so, they are doing neither themselves nor their employers any favours. As well as reducing productivity, this can increase medical expenses for the employer. According to a study in the Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, these costs can be six times higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers. Those workers were more likely to experience greater pain and to suffer from depression.
In the evolution of humanity, presenteeism is a recent phenomenon. In the industrial era, workers were paid not for their output but for their time, and were required to clock in and out. But modern machinery like smartphones and laptops is portable. Turning an office into a prison, with prisoners allowed home for the evenings, does nothing for the creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automated. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3?
A. Employees often have to work extra hours.
B. Extra effort improves employees’ productivity.
C. “996” model is well received around the world.
D. Both bosses and employees are devoted to their jobs.
2.What does the underlined “This” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Hoping to get a pay rise. B. Going home after the boss.
C. Putting in maximum effort. D. Judging employees’ performance.
3.Which of the following is one the results of long-time presenteeism?
A. Reducing medical costs of employees.
B. Making employees more hard-working.
C. Increasing the competition among employees.
D. Worsening employees’ physical and mental condition.
4.What does the author want to tell us in the last paragraph?
A. Employees should be treated as prisoners.
B. Productivity can’t be measured by presenteeism now.
C. Office tasks usually can’t be carried out automatically.
D. Office workers should be allowed to be absent-minded.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
WELCOME TO THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Visit the limited-time “Interactive! The Exhibition” at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum and save more than 30% on museum admission tickets with an audio tour.
WHEN
Through June. 28, 2017
WHAT’S INCLUDED
$19 (reg. $28)… Admission for one person to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, including “Interactive! The Exhibition” with an audio tour. Please note: the virtual reality(虚拟现实)experience will be an additional cost and participants must be 10 years old or above.
WHY WE LOVE IT
●The exhibition is a hands-on experience focusing on movies, TV, music and the arts.
●Experience virtual reality, 1980s video games, robots, 3D printing.
●Climb aboard Air Force One, view the expensive comfortable presidential car and a Marine One helicopter.
●Explore Reagan’s legacy(遗产): Step into an Oval Office copy and see a piece of the Berlin wall.
●The audio tour has more than 50 stops and original material not copied in the exhibits
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
This is a season-specific event. All sales are final. No refunds(退款)or exchanges. Not valid after the expiration date. Valid any regular museum operating day through June. 28, 2017. Museum hours are 10 a.m.—5 p.m., seven days a week. Valid for one person. Cannot combine with other offers. Must use in one visit. Tickets include admission to “Interactive! The Exhibition” and the entire museum’s galleries and grounds.
1.What can visitors do while visiting the library and museum?
A. Fly on Air Force One.
B. Experience virtual reality for free.
C. Approach technology of different times.
D. Learn about the president’s daily routine.
2.What does the author say about the admission ticket?
A. It can be enjoyed with other offers.
B. It allows limitless visits to the museum.
C. It isn’t accessible to children.
D. It cannot be changed once sold.
3.What type of writing is this passage?
A. A notice.
B. An official report.
C. An advertisement.
D. A tour review.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The joy of absence
How some companies fight the curse of presenteeism (出勤主义)?
RONALD REAGAN famously joked that “it’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?” Beyond a certain level, extra effort seems to be self-defeating. Studies suggest that, after around 50 hours a week, employee productivity declines 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, the Chinese e-commerce group, recently praised the 996 model, where employees work from 9a.m. to 9p.m., six days a week, as a “great opportunity”. Yet presenteeism is the curse of the modern office worker.
There will be days when you do not have much to do; perhaps because you are waiting for someone else in a different department, or a different company, to respond to a request. As the clock ticks past 5p.m., there may be no purpose in staying at your desk. But you can see your boss hard at work and, more importantly, they can see you. So you make an effort to look busy.
The consequence is often wasted effort. Rather than work hard, you slave to make bosses think that you are. But presenteeism has more serious consequences. As well as reduced productivity, this can mean greater medical expenses for the employer. According to a study in the Journal of Occupation and Environmental Medicine, these costs can be six times higher for employers than the costs of absenteeism among workers.
None of this is to say that employers are not called to expect workers to be in the office for a proper period of time. Surely there will be a need for some (preferably short) meetings. Dealing with colleagues face-to-face creates a feeling of togetherness, allows for a useful exchange of ideas and enables workers to have a better sense of their mutual needs.
Turning an office into a prison, with inmates (囚犯) allowed home for the evenings, does nothing for creativity that is increasingly demanded of office workers as routine tasks are automated. To be productive you need presence of mind, not being present in the flesh.
1.Why does the author mention Ronald Reagan’s joke in Para. 1?
A.To encourage people to grasp the chance to work hard.
B.To show that hard work is harmless.
C.To introduce the topic of the passage.
D.To praise Ronald Reagan’s accomplished joking skills.
2.What is the meaning of the underlined sentence?
A.Extra effort causes problems or difficulties.
B.With extra effort, we can defeat anybody.
C.We should say no to extra effort.
D.Extra effort isn’t necessarily helpful.
3.According to the passage, which of the following situation is helpful to the company?
A.Your team has a ten-minute meeting after work for an urgent problem.
B.You don’t go home until 7:30 p.m. because your boss is in his office and he can see you.
C.The manager tours the engineering department at 7:30 p.m. to check people are at their desks.
D.You attend the office even when you suffer lower back pain.
4.Which of the following opinions agrees with the passage?
A.Some managers expect workers tie themselves up with a chain to their desks.
B.Reduced productivity can mean greater medical expenses for the employer.
C.With growing demand of creativity on office workers, a prison-like office is not a wise option.
D.Presence of mind guarantees your productivity.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex （反应）, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility(谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 ----- I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that __________ ．
A．the author regretted his act of prejudice
B．the blind woman needed the money badly
C．the author was as poor as the blind woman
D．the author was a native American
2.According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably _____ ．
A．rather hurt B．very excited C．deeply moved D．greatly inspired
3.According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should ________ ．
A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled
B．try to experience different kinds of life
C．treat others equally with love and respect
D．think about one’s past as often as possible
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．Learn from your past
B．How my dream comes true
C．A belief that will never change
D．A priceless lesson in the street
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
A few years ago, I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, D.C．Standing outside the Ronald Reagan Center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．In a natural reflex （反应）, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my loose change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office.”
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．This incident re-awakened my belief in humility(谦恭), even though I’d lost it for a moment．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the U.S．at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases, my brother and sister, and a strong, serious-minded mother．Through the years, I have been a dishwasher, mechanic and pizza delivery driver among many other humble jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer.
In my own life, I have experienced many open acts of prejudice (偏见)．I remember a time, at age 17 ----- I worked as a waiter, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．I have also witnessed the same treatment of my family and friends, so I know what it’s like, and I should have known better．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C., cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility and to always keep my eyes and heart open．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．And in writing this essay, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
We can learn from the first two paragraphs that __________ ．
A．the author regretted his act of prejudice
B．the blind woman needed the money badly
C．the author was as poor as the blind woman
D．the author was a native American
【小题２】According to Paragraph 4, hearing the father’s words, the author was probably _____ ．
A．rather hurt B．very excited C．deeply moved D．greatly inspired
【小题３】According to the passage, the author probably agrees that one should ________ ．
A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled
B．try to experience different kinds of life
C．treat others equally with love and respect
D．think about one’s past as often as possible
【小题４】Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．Learn from your past
B．How my dream comes true
C．A belief that will never change
D．A priceless lesson in the street
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
What he said was so confusing that I could hardly________his true intention.
A.turn out B.leave out C.make out D.pick out
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
After many years of hard work, his dream _________ at last.
A. come true B. was come true C. was realized D. realized
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Only when ____hard____make your dream come true.
| A．do you work, you can | B．you work ,you can |
| C．do you work , can you | D．you work, canyou |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Only when _______ hard _______ make your dream come true.
A. do you work; you can B. you work; you can
C. do you work; can you D. you work; can you
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
Only when ______ hard ______ make your dream come true.
A．do you work; you can B．you work; you can
C．do you work; can you D．you work; can you
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析