研究生英语阅读教程基础级2版课文06及其翻译

1、Thank God It's MondayBy Jyoti Thottam1 As researchers in psychology, economics and organizational behavior have been gradually discovering, the experience of being happy at work looks very similar across professions. People, who love their jobs, feel challenged by their work but in control of it

2、. They have bosses who make them feel appreciated (enjoyed) and co-workers they like. They can find meaning (interest/ significance) in whatever they do. And they aren't just lucky. It takes real effort to reach that sublime state (status).2 An even bigger obstacle, though （however）, may be our

3、low expectations on the job. Love, family, community (society) those are supposed (thought) to be the true sources of happiness, while work simply (only) gives us the means (tools) to enjoy them. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who coined the term flow (happiness<->ebb), which adherents (supporter) o

4、f positive psychology would use to describe the job-induced highs (high spirit/ happiness), says that distinction (difference) is a false one. "Anything can be enjoyable if the elements of flow are present," he writes in his book Good Business." Within that framework, doing a seemingl

5、y boring job can be a source of greater fulfillment (achievement) than one (anybody) ever thought possible."3 Csikszentmihalyi encourages (urge) us to reach a state (level/ status) in which work is an extension of what we naturally want to do. Immersed (absorbed) in the pleasure of work, we don

6、't worry about its ultimate (final) reward. If that sounds out of reach, take heart (try ones best). You may soon get some encouragement from the head office (headquarters). A growing (increasing) body (amount) of research is demonstrating (showing) that happy workers not only are happier in lif

7、e but are also crucial (most important) to the health of a company.4 Thirty-five years ago, the Gallup Organization started researching why people in certain work groups, even within the same company, were so much more effective (->efficient) than others. Donald Clifton, the Gallup researcher who

8、 pioneered that work, conducted (directed) a series of extensive interviews with highly productive teams of workers. From those interviews, Gallup developed a set of 12 statements (rules/ points) designed to measure employees' overall (general) level of happiness with their work, which Gallup ca

9、lls "engagement". Some of the (criterion->) criteria reflect the obvious requirements of any worker (Do you have what you need to do your job? Do you know what's expected of you at work?), while others reveal (show) more subtle variables (Do you have a best friend at work? Does your

10、 supervisor (boss) or someone else at work care about you as a person?). Gallup started the survey in 1998, and it now includes 5. 4 million employees at 474 organizations; Gallup also does periodic random polls of workers in different countries.5 The polls paint a picture of a rather disaffected (u

11、npleasant/ unsatisfying) U.S. work force. In the most recent poll, from September 2004, only 29% of workers said they were engaged with their work. More than half, 55%, were not engaged, and 16% were actively disengaged. Still (Furthermore), those numbers are better than those (figures) in many othe

12、r countries. The percentage of engaged workers in the U. S. is more than twice as large as Germany's and three times as great as Singapore's. But neither the late 1990s boom nor the subsequent （following） bust (depression) had much impact (influence) in either direction, indicating (showing/

13、 implying) that the state of worker happiness goes much deeper than the swings (waves) of the economy.6 James Harter, a psychologist directing (conducting) that research at Gallup, says many companies are simply misreading (->misled/ dont know) what makes people happy at work. Beyond a certain mi

14、nimum level, it isn't pay or benefits; it's strong relationships with co-workers and a supportive boss. "These are basic human needs in the workplace, but they're not the ones thought by managers to be very important." Harter says. Gallup has found that a strong positive respon

15、se to the statement (question on questioner) "I have a best friend at work", for example, is a powerful predictor for engagement at work and is correlated with profitability and connection with customers. "It indicates (shows) a high level of belonging," Hatter says.7 Without it,

16、 a job that looks (seems) good on paper (theoretically) can make a worker miserable to live/lead a miserable/ happy life. Martina Radix, 41, traded a high-pressure job as an executive assistant at a company where she liked her colleagues for a less taxing position as a clerical worker (clerk) in a l

17、aw firm six years ago. She has more (free) time and flexibility but feels stifled (depressed) by her co-workers and unappreciated by her boss. "I am a misfit (mismatch) in that department," she says. "No matter how good your personal life is, if you go in to a bad (atom->) atmosphe

18、re at work, it takes away from it."8 In fact, engagement at work is less a function of your personality than is happiness in general. Harter estimates that individual disposition (personality) accounts for (take up/ explain) only about 30% of the difference between employees who are highly enga

19、ged and those who are not. The rest of it is shaped (decided) by the hundreds of interactions that employees have every day with co-workers, supervisors and customers.9 The most direct fix (remedy/ cure/ solution), then, is to seek out (look for) a supportive (positive) workplace. Finding a job that

20、 fits a life calling (need) unlocks the door to happiness. Lissette Mendez, 33, says her job coordinating the annual book fair at Miami Dade College is the one she was born to do. "Books are an inextricable (inseparable) part of my life," she says.10 Even if your passion (->passionate)

21、does not easily translate into a profession (job->career), you can still find happiness on the job. Numerous studies have shown correlations between meaningful work and happiness, job satisfaction and even physical health. That sense (feeling/ significance) of meaning, however, can take many diff

22、erent forms. Some people find it in the work itself; others take pride in (be proud of) their company's mission (task) rather than in their specific job. People can find meaning in anything.11 The desire for meaning is so strong that sometimes people simply (only) create it, especially to make s

23、ense (make sth. meaningful) of difficult or unpleasant work. In a recently completed six-year study of physicians (->surgeon) during their surgical residency, for example, it was found that the surgeons were extremely dissatisfied in the first year, when the menial (slave) work they were assigned

24、, like (such as) filling out endless copies of patient records, seemed pointless (meaningless). Once they started to think of (regard) the training as part of the larger process of joining an elite group of doctors, their attitude changed. They're able to reconstruct (reconsider) and make sense

25、of their work and what they do. By the end of year one, they've started to create (feel) some meanings.12 While positive psychology has mostly focused on (stressed/ emphasized) the individual (pursue->)pursuit of happiness, a new field positive organizational scholarship has begun to examine

26、the connection between happy employees and happy (successful) businesses. Instead of focusing on profitability and competition to explain success, researchers in this field are studying meaningfulness, authentic leadership and emotional competence (ability). Not the typical B-school buzzwords, but t

27、hey may soon become part of the language spoken by every M. B. A.13 Until recently, business people would dismiss (fire) employee well-being as "outside their domain (field) and kind of (a little/ somewhat) fringe-ish", says Thomas Wright, a professor of organizational behavior at the Univ

28、ersity of Nevada, Reno. Early hints (clues) of the importance of worker happiness were slow (dull/ stupid) to be accepted (admitted/ understood). A 1920s study on the topic at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Co. in Cicero. It looked at (examined) whether increased lighting, shorter workd

29、ays and other worker-friendly fixes (measures) would improve (increase) productivity. While (Although) the workplace changes boosted (improved) performance, the experimenters eventually (finally) discovered (found) that the differences workers were responding to not in the physical environment but i

30、n the social one (factor). In other words, the attention they were getting was what made them happier and more effective. This phenomenon came to be known as the Hawthorne effect. "The researchers came to realize that it was people's happiness that made the difference," Wright says. Bu

31、t later studies that looked at job-satisfaction ratings were inconsistent. Broader measures (degree) of happiness, it turns out, are better predictors of productivity. 14 Making any of those changes depends on the boss, although not necessarily, the CEO. So a handful of (many) business schools are t

32、rying to create (educate) a new kind of frontline manager, based on the idea of "authentic leadership". Instead of imposing faddish (fashionable) management techniques on each supervisor, authentic leadership begins with self-awareness. Introverted bosses have to know their own style and t

33、hen find strategies to manage (administrate) people that feel natural (friendly). In other words, by figuring out (working out) their strengths (advantages), they learn to recognize those (advantages) of employees. hand in->handout; routiner; 15 The goal (objective->purpose->aim) of all tha

34、t rethinking, however, is not necessarily a world (field) in which people love their work above everything else. Work, by definition, is somewhat (a little) unpleasant relative to all the other things we could be doing. That's why we still expect to get paid for doing it. But at the very least,

35、businesses (companies or organizations) could do better just by paying attention to what their employees want and need (financially and spiritually). Then more of us could find a measure (degree) of fulfillment (achievement) in what we do. And once in a while (now and then/ occasionally), we might h

36、ope to transcend (surpass) it all. It can happen on the basketball court (field), in front of a roaring crowd, or in a classroom, in front of just one grateful (thankful) student. (1, 669 words)ABOUT THE AUTHORJyoti Thottam is a writer and a business reporter for Time magazine in New York. She was t

37、he president of the South Asian Journalists' Association from 2001-2002.EXERCISES I . Reading ComprehensionAnswer the following questions or complete the following statements.1. By the title "Thank God It's Monday", the author wanted to convey the idea that _.A. people love their w

38、ork above everything elseB. people can find happiness in their workC. most people have the experience of being happy at workD. people can find meaning in whatever they do2. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, _.A. love, family and community are not supposed to be the true sources of happinessB. wo

39、rk simply gives us the means to enjoy the happiness we get from love, family and communityC. even a seemingly boring job can be a source of happiness for usD. the positive psychology that is used to describe the job-induced highs is false 3. According to the research made by the Gallup Organization,

40、 what makes people happy at work?A. Reasonable pay or benefits.B. Positive relationship with co-workers and boss.C. People's engagement with their work.D. Both A and B.4. According to the research made by the Gallup Organization, the number of engaged workers in Singapore was about _.A.10%B. 14.

41、5%C.16%D.29%5. Now Martina Radix _.A. has a high-pressure job but she has positive relationship with her co-workersB. has a less demanding job but she has a bad relationship at workC. has more time and flexibility so she is satisfied with her personal lifeD. is an executive assistant at a company bu

42、t she feels she is a misfit in that department6. People can find meaning in their work in the following situations EXCEPT _.A. if they love their job very muchB. if their work itself is very importantC. if their company's mission is very importantD. if they are paid at a minimum level7. By the e

43、nd of year one, surgical residents can find their menial work meaningful because _.A. in the past year, they have become accustomed to the workB. they can stop doing such pointless jobs as filling out endless copies of patient recordsC. they realize that the menial work is a necessary step to become

44、 a doctorD. they're able to construct their fame if they deal with patients more often8. What made the workers happier and more effective, according to the study at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Co. in Cicero, in the 1920s?A. The attention paid to the workers.B. The new worker-frie

45、ndly measures.C. The improvement of the physical environment.D. The improvement of the social environment.9. According to the article, which of the following statements is true?A. The better productivity of a company depends on its CEO.B. Authentic leaders should learn more management techniques.C.

46、Bosses should find strength in both themselves and their employees.D. The results of the studies on job-satisfaction ratings were all similar.10. The author's purpose in writing this article is _.A. to make more people enjoy their workB. for people to find fulfillment in what they doC. to reeval

47、uate some theories in positive psychologyD. to help business be more effective and productiveII. VocabularyA. Read the following sentences and decide winch of the four choices below each sentence is closest in meaning to the underlined word.1. I advocate a holistic recognition that biology and cultu

48、re interpenetrate in an inextricable manner (way).A. complicatedB. unavoidableC. customaryD. incomprehensible2. The romantic painting movement introduced a taste for the mysterious as well as (=and) a love of the picturesque and sublime nature.A. immenseB. fascinating (attractive)C. magnificent (gre

49、at/ noble)D. enchanting (attractive)3. One important feature (property/ character) of the period was the growth (development) of Buddhism. Its adherents honored the Buddha in order to be reborn in his paradise.A. sponsorsB. supportersC. advocatorsD. advisors4. As censorship was extremely strict in t

50、hat period, little authentic news came out of the country.A. negativeB. disastrousC. officialD. reliable5. If a block of wood is completely immersed in water, the upward force is greater than the weight of the wood.A. dippedB. pressedC. forcedD. pushed6. According to Zhuangzi, a Daoist (道家) philosop

51、her of the late 4th century B.C., through mystical union with the Dao the individual could transcend nature and even life and death.A. dissolveB. upraise (bring up)C. surpassD. depress (->suppress)7. As economic growth ground to a halt (stop), the local populations grew (became) more and more dis

52、affected.A. indifferentB. resentfulC. unvaluedD. (dignity->)indignant (>angry)8. Capitalism was beset (be troubled) by cycles of "boom and bust", periods of expansion and prosperity followed by economic collapse ->collapsible and waves of unemployment. beheaded= killedA. failureB.

53、 transitionC. (lose->)lossD. depression the Great Depression9. At that time (=then), life was nearly as taxing (burdensome) for all-black bands: black musicians were required to use kitchen entrances and service elevators (=lift), which forced them to confront the ugly realities of racial discrim

54、ination. Hard TimesA. miserableB. hard (=difficult)C. unbearableD. harsh10. Modern and implicit (<->explicit) censorship has nothing like the power of the old system and contrary opinion is never entirely stifled.A. releasedB. arrestedC. retarded (->retardant)D. prohibited pro-: (1)official

55、ly; (2)forwardB. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use each word or expression only once and make proper changes where necessary.in control ofwithin the framework variablesit turns outon papertake away fromonce in a whiletrade. formake sensetake heart1. The most

56、famous private boarding schools are open to the public on paper, but in reality are attended by those who can afford (=pay for) the fees (->fare). (1)border; (2)2. She loved her dog so much that after years of its death she still thinks of it once in a while (now and then/ occasionally).3. An equ

57、ation is said to be satisfied for certain values of the variables if the expression on the left side of the equation is equal to that on the right side. (->equator)4. The Commission (->committee) was to formulate plans for establishing an international control organ within the framework of the

58、 Security Council. city council5. He lost his confidence after he lost the first two trails, but his coach told him to take heart (<->lose ones heart), so that he could win at last.6. His (refuse->)refusal to accept the prize does not takes away from his success in writing it.7. The present

59、ation of his paper was highly praised, but it turned out that the paper was copied from the Internet. think great/ much of sb./ think highly of sb.<->think little of sb./ look down upon sb.; Turn out: (1)The police turned out to the site of the crime; (2)The produce or product turned out; (3) It has been proved that;8. Maria has read it for four times, but the letter still doesn't make sense to her. She doesnt understand it.