2016年11月BEC考试初级阅读理解冲刺训练
2016年下半年BEC初级考试时间为11月26日,现在是冲刺备考阶段,下面是yjbys网小编提供给大家关于BEC考试初级阅读理解冲刺训练,希望对大家的备考有所帮助。
Morning, noon and night The long-hours culture at work
Working an eight-hour day is a luxury for most professional people. Nowadays, the only way to guarantee an eight-hour working day is to have the kind of job where you clock on and off. Those professionals who have managed to limit their hours to what was, 20 years ago, the average do not wish to identify themselves. “I can quite easily achieve my work within a normal day, but I don’t like to draw attention to it,” says one sales manager. “People looked at me when I left at 5 o’clock. Now, I put paperwork in my bag. People assume I’m doing extra hours at home.”
But more typical is Mark, who works as an account manager. He says, “My contract says I work from 9 until 5 with extra hours as necessary. It sounds as if the extra hours are exceptional. In fact ,my job would be enough not only for me, but also for someone else part-time. The idea of an eight-hour day makes me laugh!” He says he has thought about going freelance but realises that this doesn’t guarantee better working hours.
Professors Cary Cooper, occupational psychologist at the University of Manchester, is the author of the annual Quality of Working Life survey. The most recent survey found that 77% of managers in Britain work more than their contracted hours, and that this is having a damaging effect on their health, relationships and productivity. Professor Cooper is critical of the long-hours culture. He says that while bosses believe long hours lead to greater efficiency, there is no evidence to support this. “In fact, the evidence shows that long hours make you ill.”
There are, he says, steps that can be taken. One is to accept that the in-tray will never be empty. “There are always things to do. You just have to make the rule that on certain days you go home early.” Prioritising work and doing essential tasks first helps, he says. He also thinks it’s time to criticize bad employers and unreasonable terms of employment. “By all means, show commitment where necessary but when expectations are too high, people have to begin saying openly that they have a life outside of work.”
Personal development coach Mo Shapiro agrees that communication is important. Staff need to talk to managers about the working practices within a company. Both parties should feel that the expectations are realistic and allow them to have responsibilities and interests outside work. She recongnises, however, that in many organizations the response might well be, “If you want more interests outside work, then find another job.”
She believes that senior staff have a duty to set an example. “I recently worked for a firm of solicitors where the partners started at 7.30am. What kind of message is that to send to the staff?” She believes there is no shame in working sensible hours – in fact quite the reserve. “Some people might be in at 7.30am but will be doing very little. You can work really hard from 9 to 5 and achieve the same. If you find it difficult to achieve an eight-hour day, there is, as a last resort, the old trick of leaving your jacket on your chair and your computers switched on, even after you have left the building.”
13. What does the writer say in the first paragraph about people who work an eight-hour day?
A. They are reluctant to admit to this.
B. They are disliked by their colleagues.
C. They are limited to certain professions.
D. They often catch up on work in the evenings.
14. What does Mark say about his work?
A. His main concern is job security.
B. Too much of his time at work is wasted.
C. The terms of his contract are misleading.
D. He objects to being given other people’s work.
15. What does Cary Cooper say about recent trends in the workplace?
A. He believes that a long working day is counter-productive.
B. He has doubts about the results of the Quality of Working Life survey.
C. He says that employers should accept the link between working hours and safety.
D. He argues that further research is needed into the relationship between work and health.
16. How does Cary Cooper think people should deal with the requirements of the workplace?
A. Obtain help in negotiating terms of employment.
B. Let people know when demands are unreasonable.
C. Delegate the less important work to other staff.
D. Accept that the modern workplace is a competitive place.
17. What does Mo Shapiro see as a problem for employees today?
A. They lack the communication skills that modern business requires.
B. Many employers would not regard requests for shorter hours favourably.
C. Most employers do not want to be responsible for the professional development of staff.
D. They have difficulties adapting to the rapid changes occurring in working practices.
18. What does Mo Shapiro think about present working hours?
A. In many companies senior staff need to work a long day.
B. The best staff are efficient enough to finish their work within eight hours.
C. There are too many staff deceiving employers about their hours of work.
D. Top executives should use their influence to change the long-hours culture.
答案:13.A;14.C;15.A;16.B;17.B;18.D
-
2017年商务英语考前必做模拟试题
在懒汉的眼里,汗是苦的,脏的,在勤者的'心上,汗是甜的,在勤者的心上,汗是甜的,美的。以下是小编为大家搜索整理的2017年商务英语考前必做模拟试题,希望能给大家带来帮助!更多精彩内容请及时关注我们应届毕业生考试网!TheReadingTesthassixpartstestingvariousreadingsk...
-
2016年商务英语中级考试应试技巧
很快就又要BEC中级考试了!如果你还没把真题做完,没把教材看完,没练过口语会话,没做过真题听力,那么现在你就只能学应试技巧了!yjbys网小编整理了BEC中级考试应试宝典,希望能在考场上助你一臂之力。阅读篇:总体而言,阅读一个小时的做题时间是比较紧张的。要合理安排利...
-
剑桥商务英语考试成绩等级划分说明大纲
剑桥商务英语是根据商务工作的实际需要,对考生在商务和一般生活环境下使用英语的能力从听说读写四个方面进行全面考查,对成绩及格者提供由英国剑桥大学考试委员会颁发的标准统一的'成绩证书。以下是本站小编搜索整理的关于剑桥商务英语考试成绩等级划分说明,供参...
-
商务英语经典句子汇集
在日复一日的学习、工作或生活中,许多人对一些广为流传的句子都不陌生吧,从语气上分,句子可以分为陈述句、疑问句、祈使句和感叹句。究竟什么样的句子才是好的句子呢?下面是小编整理的商务英语经典句子,希望能够帮助到大家。商务英语经典句子篇11、Ihavecometomakes...