题目

When I met a friend recently, I asked him how work was. “Oh, not that busy, I’m just coasting,” he said. He’s not alone. According to a recent poll, one third of the 3,000 people surveyed said they were “coasting” at work. This may come as a surprise in an age when so many people spend so much time complaining about how busy they are. But most of this talk about busyness is nonsense. According to a study by researchers at Oxford University, we do not, in fact, spend more time working than we have in the past. On some measures, the amount we work has gone down. Instead, many people just have jobs filled with tasks that don’t really need to be done.The way we look at coasting has radically changed. In the past, being relaxed and not burdened with too much work within your organisation was a sign of status. Now, being extremely busy shows you are important. If you are not extremely overburdened, then you are seen as a slacker, a lazy person.This does not make sense. Most people are not as busy as they say they are. In fact, most pressing tasks at work are often unrelated to productivity. Many busy people are actually overburdened with telling others how busy they are. Being overly-focused on your job may make you feel important, but it’s likely to annoy friends, co-workers and your family. What’s more, being super-busy all the time is not good for you. A Cornell University study found that people who are overburdened with work tend to have a worse sense of wellbeing than those who are more relaxed. The researchers also found that being super-busy is bad for your career. Those who reported working very intensely were associated with poorer career outcomes.So, perhaps coasters are not a drag on productivity. Maybe they have worked out that the secret to a productive and healthy life is not being too busy, and certainly not talking continuously about how busy you are. We should remember Bertrand Russell’s adage: “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.”【1】What can we infer from the findings of the Oxford University study?A. People have a false impression about how busy they are at work.B. Less busy employees have a greater likelihood of promotion.C. One third of employees don’t consider themselves to be busy.D. People overburdened at work are likely to feel more energised.【2】In the 19th century which of these people would probably have been the LEAST busy in their job?A. A bank clerk.B. A bank owner.C. An office cleaner.D. An office secretary.【3】Why might “coasters” actually be successful in their work?A. They do not feel threatened by a challenging task.B. They work more co-operatively with their colleagues.C. They are able to focus on the most important and necessary tasks.D. They are often more intelligent and able to complete their work faster.【4】Which of the following best summarizes the author’s attitude?A. He expresses no personal opinion about the topic.B. He thinks that lazy people are in fact the best workers.C. He is sympathetic towards difficulties of super-busy workers.D. He believes that busyness at work does not equal effectiveness. 答案：【答案】【1】A【2】B【3】C【4】D【解析】这是一篇说明文。根据牛津大学研究人员的一项研究，事实上，我们在工作上花的时间并不比过去更多。从某些方面来看，我们的工作量下降了。相反，许多人的工作只是充满了不必要的任务。现在，极度忙碌表明你很重要。如果你没有过度劳累，那么你会被认为是一个懒鬼，一个懒惰的人。而事实上，工作中最紧迫的任务往往与工作效率无关。【1】细节理解题。第一段中According to a study by researchers at Oxford University, we do not, in fact, spend more time working than we have in the past.可知根据牛津大学研究人员的一项研究，事实上，我们在工作上花的时间并不比过去更多。即人们对自己工作的忙碌程度有一种错误的印象。故选A。【2】推理判断题。根据第二段第二句In the past, being relaxed and not burdened with too much work within your organisation was a sign of status.可知放松和没有太多的工作负担是一种身份的象征。分析选项可知银行的所有者是其他三个选项中身份最高的，因此银行所有者可能是所有工作中最不忙碌的。故选B。【3】推理判断题。最后一段第二句Maybe they have worked out that the secret to a productive and healthy life is not being too busy, and certainly not talking continuously about how busy you are.可知也许他们已经发现，拥有高效健康生活的秘诀就是不要太忙，当然也不要一直说自己有多忙。可推理他们工作成果的原因是能够集中注意力在最重要和必要的工作上。故选C。【4】推理判断题。根据第三段第二句In fact, most pressing tasks at work are often unrelated to productivity.可知作者认为工作中最紧迫的任务往往与工作效率无关。即他认为工作繁忙并不等于效率高。故选D。

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