Old Computers Make for Unhappy Workers --- SurveyLONDON (Reuters) ----- Dealing
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Old Computers Make for Unhappy Workers --- Survey
LONDON (Reuters) ----- Dealing with the dissatisfaction of aging and unreliable office computers leads to workers" unhappiness and more sick leave, a survey showed on Wednesday.
A survey carried out by caro4free.net of over 2,700 European office workers from the UK, France and Germany found that workplace dissatisfaction increased greatly with the age of the computer equipment.
"We do know that job satisfaction is falling in Britain and most advanced nations," said Stephen White, a researcher from the Work Foundation. "The actual reasons for this are the subject of very heated discussion. It"s certainly one interesting theory that technology may be the cause of this in some way," White added.
A quarter of these using outdated computers in Britain said they were "quite" or "very dissatisfied" with their everyday job compared to the percent of those who had enjoyed an advantage from up-to-date technology.
The survey also said that among workers dealing with outdated equipment, there was a 35 percent greater probability they would take six or more days of sick leave per year compared with the average worker. In France, where more workers use old computers, the probability jumped to 55 percent.
Results also showed that women in the three countries were more likely to be using outdated equipment. In the UK, where more workers have up-to-date computers than in the other countries surveyed, the number of women using old equipment doubled that of men.
White pointed out that there were two sides to this problem, saying that continuously having to deal with new technology and equipment can also be a source of worry. "Old and faulty equipment is a major cause of office dissatisfaction. There is no question about it; but you also have to say that the frequent change of equipment is also, or could be, a main cause of dissatisfaction."
小题1:The underlined word "this" (paragraph 3) refers to ______. | A．workplace dissatisfaction | B．computer use in most jobs | | C．the aging off office computers | D．the survey by care4@ free. net |
小题2:How many office workers use old computers in Britain expressed their dissatisfaction? 小题3:According to White, why were the women surveyed more likely to use old computers? | A．Most office workers use old computers. | | B．They do some of their work with computers. | | C．Dealing with new equipment can cause anxiety. | | D．They are easier to be satisfied with new technology. |
小题4:What is the subject of the news story? | A．Poor working conditions in offices | | B．Research work of the Work Foundation | | C．Influence of technology in the workplace. | | D．Different attitudes to old computers. |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:C |
解析
试题分析：这篇文章介绍了如何用电脑缓解工人对工作的不满，和由此会带来的问题。
小题1:推理题。根据第三段前三行"We do know that job satisfaction is falling in Britain and most advanced nations," said Stephen White, a researcher from the Work Foundation. "The actual reasons for this are the subject of very heated discussion.说明这里的this就是指job satisfaction，故A正确。
小题2:计算题。根据第四段1,2行A quarter of these using outdated computers in Britain said they were "quite" or "very dissatisfied" with their everyday job说明有四分之一的人即25% 表达了他们的不满。故B正确。
小题3:细节题。根据最后一段1,2行 White pointed out that there were two sides to this problem, saying that continuously having to deal with new technology and equipment can also be a source of worry.说明经常使用新的技术或者设备也会给人带来担忧。故C正确。
小题4:主旨大意题。本文主要讨论的是在工作的时候，技术的影响。使用旧的电脑等技术可以让人情绪不高，经常换着使用新的电脑等也容易让人担忧。故C的说法正确。
点评：这篇文章考查推理题和句意理解，题目要我们理解有些重点的句子。集中考查了句意理解题，要求考生有较强的细节理解能力。 |
举一反三
EAT YOUR VEGETABLES. Wash your hands. Always say "please" and "thank you ".We are full of advice for our children, but when it comes to money, we often have little to say. As a result, our children may grow up with clean hands and good manners, but without any idea how to manage their money.Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives：
Show them the future. If your 13-year-old girl were to save $1.000,invest(投资)it at 8% and add $100 every month, by the time she"s 65,she would have $980,983!
Be careful of credit(信用).Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history, but they must be used responsibly, which means paying off your debt in time. Explain to your children that when you buy something using a credit card, you can easily end up paying two or three times what you would have paid if you used cash.
Teach patience. Suppose your child wants a new bicycle that costs $150.Rather than paying the cash, give him some regular pocket money and explain that by putting aside,say,$15 each week, he will be able to buy it for himself in only ten weeks.
Provide incentive. Tell your children the importance of saving. "For every dollar he or she agrees to save and invest rather than spend, you agree to add another dollar to the pot, "says Cathy Pareto, expert in money planning.
Explain your values. Values and money are deeply intertwined(缠结在一起), says Eilleen Gallo, co-author of The Financially Intelligent Parent. When your child demands that you buy something, explain why you really don"t want to buy it. "You might say, "I"d rather save that money for your education,"" advises Gallo. Every time you spend or don"t spend money, you have a chance to share your values.
小题1:The writer gives some basics to help ____ in a proper way.| A．parents teach their children how to deal with money | | B．children follow their parents "instructions | | C．children manage their money | | D．parents save their money |
小题2:The underlined word "incentive" in paragraph 6 means ____.| A．honor | B．praise | C．excitement | D．encouragement |
小题3:What leads the writer to write this article?
A. Parents want to know how to educate their children.
B. He wants to share his good ideas about money matters.
C .He thinks money management the most important for children.
D. Parents care little about their children"s management of money. |
“The price of books for our students is just getting higher and higher and，combined with the rising cost of tuition，it’s killing these students，”said Peter Jason，a college professor．“Remember，students are one of the poorest groups of people in America．Almost half of them have at least one part-time job．In fact，one of my students has three jobs．And she still manages to have high scores and go to school full-time.”
Textbook prices are traditionally high．Adding to that problem，many college teachers change textbooks year after year；they either upgrade to a new edition or switch to an entirely different textbook．This further hurts students because if an instructor no longer uses a particular textbook，that book has no resale value．
Dr．Jason decided to make lire a little easier and a lot cheaper for his students by writing his own book on public speaking．“Many books have an increased price because of CD-ROMs，lots of color photographs and pictures．I talked to my students，and many of them，like me，prefer to keep things simple! So，a few years ago，I wrote my own textbook．Compared to most other public speaking books，mine is half the number of pages，and one-third the price．That is，$30 instead of $90．When I wrote a second edition last year，students only had to buy the 35 new pages, For only $7．00，they had almost a new book. Now my loose-leaf textbook enjoys great popularity among the students．Maybe in the future more writers and publishers will try it．”
小题1:What did Dr. Jason say about students at college?| A．They are short of money． | B．They need better textbooks | | C．They should do part-time jobs． | D．They are trying to get high scores． |
小题2:What did Dr．Jason decide to do to help the students?| A．To choose cheaper textbooks． | B．To write a textbook himself． | | C．To speak to his students. | D．To use old textbooks． |
小题3:How much does a public speaking textbook usually cost?| A．About 7 dollars. | B．About 30 dollars. | | C．About 37 dollars． | D．About 90 dollars． |
小题4:Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?| A．Dr Jason"s textbook has CD-ROMs and nice pictures. | | B．More writers and publishers will write simpler textbooks． | | C．Dr．Jason teaches public speaking at a college． | | D．Dr-Jason’s textbook is not well received． |
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Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels(分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of 120 decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decible level of 195 would have the same effect.
Some scientists have suggested setting a noise limit of 120 decibles in oceans. They have observed that noises above that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises could seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing, which seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected(感染的).
Many researches whose work depends on ocean sounds disagree with a limit of 120 decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how many and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they previously believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
小题1:The second paragraph mainly tells us that the noises on land and in water .| A．are both from human activities. | | B．both do harm to sea animals | | C．are measured differently | | D．have the same effect on humans |
小题2:As to(依据) the effects of noises on whales, which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．They are deaf to noises. | | B．Noises at a certain level may hurt them. | | C．They are easily confused by noises. | | D．Noises will limit their ability to reproduce. |
小题3:Many researchers think that the noise limit of 120 decibels would .| A．protect whales from noises | | B．benefit them a lot in their research work | | C．do good to their health | | D．increase industrial output |
小题4:What will scientists most probably do in the future?| A．Count the number of sea animals. | | B．Stop their research on the ocean. | | C．Study the effect of different noises. | | D．Protect sea creatures from harmful noises. |
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The UK"s education system is ranked（排列） sixth best in the developed world, according to a global league table published by education firm Pearson in October,2012.
The first and second places are taken by Finland and South Korea.The rankings combine international test results and data such as graduation rates between 2006 and 2010.
Sir Michael Barber, Pearson"s chief education adviser, says successful countries give teachers a high status and have a "culture" of education.
International comparisons in education have become increasingly significant - and this latest league table is based upon a series of global test results combined with measures of education systems, such as how many people go on to university.
The two education superpowers - Finland and South Korea - are followed by three other high-performing Asian education systems - Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.
The UK is then only ranked at the head of an above-average group including the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland.
These are ahead of a middle-ranking group including the United States, Germany and France. At the lowest end are Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia.
These comparisons draw upon tests that are taken every three or four years, in areas such as maths, science and literacy - and so present a picture lagging by several years.
Looking at education systems that succeed, the study concludes that spending is important, but not as much as having a culture that is supportive of learning.
It says that spending is easier to measure, but the more complex impact of a society"s attitude to education can make a big difference.
The success of Asian countries in these rankings reflects the high value attached to education and the expectations of parents. This can continue to be a factor when families migrate to other countries, says the report.
Looking at the two top countries - Finland and South Korea - the report says that there are many big differences, but the common factor is a shared social belief in the importance of education and its "underlying moral purpose".
小题1:What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．The two different education superpowers | | B．The result of one report about education system . | | C．The UK"s education system is worst. | | D．Finland and South Korea’S education system |
小题2:According to Sir Michael Barber, Hong Kong’s education system is ranked in the world.小题3:All of the following statements is NOT true EXCEPT ________. | A．At the lowest end are Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia. | | B．Education firm Pearson is disappointed at The UK"s education system. | | C．The United States’ education system is one of the best. | | D．There are many big differences in Finland and South Korea. |
小题4:What does the underlined phrase “comparisons” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?小题5:What’s the common factor about the education system at the two top countries?
A. The shared social belief in the importance of education and its "underlying moral purpose".
B. The developed economy.
C The high value attached to education and the expectations of parents.
D. Having a culture that is supportive of learning. |
For most people, shopping is still a matter of wandering down the street or loading a cart in a shopping mall．Soon, that will change．Electronic commerce （trade） is growing fast and will soon bring people more choices．There will, however, be a cost: protecting the consumer from being cheated will be harder．Many governments therefore want to apply street regulations to the electronic world．But politicians would be wiser to see cyberspace as a basis for a new era of corporate self-regulation．
Consumers in rich countries have grown used to the idea that the government takes responsibility for everything for the stability of the banks to the safety of the drugs or their rights to refund when goods are faulty．But governments cannot enforce national laws on businesses whose only presence is on the screen．Even in a country where a clear right to compensation exists, the on-line customer in Tokyo, say, can hardly go to New York to get a refund for a clothes purchase．
One answer is for government to cooperate more: to recognize each other’s rules．But that requires years of work and volumes of detailed rules．And plenty of countries have rules too fanciful for sober countries to accept．There is, however, another choice．Let the electronic businesses do the regulation themselves．They do, after all, have a self-interest in doing so．
In electronic commerce, a reputation for honest dealing will be a valuable competitive asset．Governments, too, may compete to be trusted．For instance, customers ordering medicines on-line may prefer to buy from the United States because they trust the rigorous screening of the Food and Drug Administration; or they may decide that the FDA’s rules are too strict, and buy from Switzerland instead．
Customers will still need to use their judgment．But precisely because the technology is new, electronic shoppers are likely for a while to be a lot more cautious than customers of the normal sort．And the new technology will also make it easier for them to complain when a company lets them down．In this way, at least, the advent of cyberspace may argue for fewer consumer protection laws, not more．
小题1:According to the author, what will be the best policy for electronic commerce?| A．Self-regulation by the business． | B．Strict consumer protection laws． | | C．Close international cooperation． | D．Government protection． |
小题2:In case an electronic shopper bought faulty goods from a foreign country, what could he do?| A．Refuse to pay for the purchase． | B．Go to the seller and ask for a refund． | | C．Appeal to consumer protection law． | D．Complain about it on the Internet． |
小题3:In the author’s view, businesses would place a high emphasis on honest dealing because in the electronic world _________________________________．| A．international cooperation would be much more frequent | | B．consumers could easily seek government protection | | C．a good reputation is a great advantage in competition | | D．it would be easy for consumers to complain |
小题4:We can infer from the passage that in licensing new drugs the FDA in the United States is ____________________．| A．very quick | B．very cautious | C．very slow | D．rather careless |
小题5:If a customer buys something that does not meet his expectation, what is the advantage of dealing through electronic commerce over the present normal one?| A．It will be easier for him to return the goods he is not satisfied with． | | B．It will be easier for him to attain the refund from the seller． | | C．It will be easier for him to get his complaints heard by other consumers． | | D．It will be easier for him to complain about this to the government． |
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