Knowingthebestwaytostudywillhe-优题课

How do you design a pay plan that motivates people to do their best work? A new study by three Harvard researchers suggests a novel answer: Shortly after you hire new workers, give them a raise.
"Previous research has shown that paying people more than they expect may elicit reciprocity(相互作用) in the form of greater productivity," notes Deepak Malhotra, a Harvard business-administration professor who worked on the study. What he and his colleagues found, however, was that the connection between more pay and extra effort depends on presenting the increase "as a gift—that is, as something you've chosen to do purely as a nice gesture, with no strings attached."
Malhotra and his team studied 267 people hired by oDesk, a global online network of freelancers, to do a one-time data-entry project for four hours. All of the new hires were people in developing countries, for whom hourly wages of $3 and $4 were higher than what they had been making in previous jobs.
The researchers split the group up into three equal parts. One group was told they would earn $3 an hour. A second group was initially hired at $3 an hour but, before they started working, they got a surprise: The budget for the project had expanded unexpectedly, they were told, and they would now be paid $4 an hour. The third group was offered $4 an hour from the start and given no increase.
Even though the second and third groups were eventually paid the same amount, the second group worked harder and produced more—about 20% more—than either of the other two. People in the second group also showed the most stamina, maintaining their focus all the way through the assigned task and performing especially well toward the end of the four hours. Interestingly, the more experienced employees in the high-performing group were the most productive of all, apparently because their previous work experience led them to appreciate the rarity of an unexpected raise.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Malhotra points out that higher pay, in and of itself, didn't promote productivity: People who made $4 an hour from the beginning worked no harder than those who were hired at $3 and were then paid $3.
To get the most impact from their pay plans, he adds, companies might consider not only what to pay new hires, but when to pay it.
"The key thing is how you present [the reason for an increase]," he says. Doling out extra money could promote productivity most "if you make it clear that the pay raise is something you're choosing to do just because you can. Our theory is that people will reciprocate. If you do something nice, they'll do something nice back."
Which of the following is true about the research?

A．None of the participants earned more than $4 an hour in previous jobs.

B．89 of the participants got a $1 wage raise for their high productivity.

C．It was so important that the budget for it was increased in the process.

D．Stamina shown in it was positively related to the amount of money paid.

What does the underlined word “stamina” most probably mean?

A．The quality of being intelligent or clever.

B．The quality of doing something difficult or dangerous.

C．The physical or mental energy needed to do a tiring activity for a long time.

D．A particular method of doing an activity, usually involving practical skills.

Why did the second group produce more than the other two groups?

A．Because they thought they were better paid than the other groups.

B．Because they were experienced employees from developing countries.

C．Because an unexpected raise reminded them of their previous work.

D．Because they felt they were nicely treated and tried best to repay it.

What can we infer from this passage?

A．No pains, no gains.

B．It matters not what we give but how.

C．Honesty is the best policy.

D．Actions speak louder than words.

England will play Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in a tough Group D at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Roy Hodgson's men open their campaign against Italy in the Amazonian city of Manaus on 15 June in the only World Cup game which kicks off at 02:00 BST. England take on Uruguay on 19 June and play Costa Rica five days later.
Hosts Brazil are in Group A with Cameroon, Mexico and Croatia while the World Cup holders Spain open with a repeat of the 2010 final against Netherlands.
England will have to travel 1,777 miles from their chosen base in Rio for their first match in the tropical heat of Manaus.
Earlier this week Hodgson described Manaus as "the place to avoid" because of the climate—temperatures reach 30C and humidity is about 80%—although after the draw the England boss took comfort from the fact his team face a fellow European side.
"The conditions in the north will be tough, so we will both be in same boat," he said. "If we'd had three games up in the north, it would have been difficult."
Following Hodgson's initial comments, the mayor of Manaus, Arthur Virgilio, said England would not be welcome in the city.
England takes on two-time champions Uruguay in Sao Paulo and they play Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte—both cities are within 225 miles of their base.
England have never previously beaten Italy or Uruguay at a major tournament(锦标赛), while they have never faced Costa Rica.
Uruguay, who reached the semi-finals in 2010, and Italy, who knocked Hodgson's men out of Euro 2012, are ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the Fifa rankings while Costa Rica are 31st in the world - 18 places below England.
When and where will England play its third group stage match?

A．On 24 June; in Manaus

B．On 24 June; in Belo Horizonte

C．On 19 June; in Manaus

D．On 19 June; in Sao Paulo

Which of the following can England take comfort from?

A．The place where its first match in the group stage is held.

B．The distance from its base to where its first match is held.

C．The fact that two of its group stage games are not in the north.

D．The fact that it is 7 places below Uruguay in the Fifa rankings.

Which of the following is true according to the news report?

A．Roy Hodgson is the coach of Brazil national football team.

B．Netherlands took the second place in the last World Cup.

C．The mayor of Manaus is a fan of the British soccer team.

D．England has never played against Uruguay in the history.

Bad teeth may be painful and it’s getting worse without treatment. They can even ruin your life. Illness of the teeth can find its way into the blood system. This can increase the chances of a heart disease or other illnesses.
Experts say good care for teeth should start at birth. Mothers’ milk is the best food for the healthy development of teeth.
But dentists say a baby’s mouth and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give him only water.
When baby’s teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently. Young children often eat toothpaste (牙膏) when they brush, so they should be carefully watched when they brush their teeth.
Parents often ask what effect thumb sucking (咬手指) might have on their baby’s teeth. Experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. Most children stop sucking their thumbs by the age of four. If it continues, parents should talk to their children’s dentist or doctor.
Dentists say children should have their first dental visit by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear usually at around six months.
Why should people pay attention to teeth problems?

A．They can cause other illnesses.

B．They will bring bad luck.

C．They will bring the family much trouble.

D．They usually last a long time.

According to the writer, baby’s teeth should be protected from the day ______.

A．he begins to speak	B．he has his first tooth
C．he was born	D．he is fed with bottle milk

The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refers to “_____”.

A．toothache

B．parents’ trouble

C．thumb sucking

D．experts’ advice

Part-time jobs for 15 and 16 years olds

Waiter / Waitress
A job as a waiter or waitress is a good choice for 16-year-olds. Not only can one earn $9-$12 an hour, but they can also get the tips (小费). Most people that visit a restaurant don’t just have good food. They come here to relax and have a good time. Besides serving food quickly, a young waiter who talks to them politely with a smile on his face will make the diners enjoy their time at the restaurant.

Work in a library
If one is fond of books, working in a library is another suitable choice. Besides the pay is good, it offers a lot of free time when students can actually sit down and finish their homework. So on returning home, they would have time to hang around with friends or just relax. So working in a library is an excellent part-time job for teens, especially for school students.

Internet jobs
There are many ways of making money through online jobs like clicking on advertisements, visiting sites and signing up with them. However, such online jobs don’t pay well. A better Internet job for teens is to complete online surveys. These are quite simple surveys that usually ask one about his/ her opinions and ideas. Many companies use these ideas to make products designed for teenagers.

What does the writer think of the job as a waiter/waitress?

A．It needs a period of training.

B．It pays much more than other jobs.

C．It can improve one’s leadership skills.

D．Making diners comfortable is part of the job.

A student who is busy with his research paper will probably choose to work ______.

A．in a restaurant

B．in a library

C．on the Internet

D．in an IT company

The writer wrote this text to ______.

A．tell us the importance of doing part-time jobs

B．advise teenagers how to choose a part-time job

C．teach young people how to make lots of money

D．introduce his/her experience of doing part-time jobs

Why do some companies ask the teens to do surveys?

A．The teens have more free time.

B．They can pay less to the teens.

C．They need advice to make products for teens.

D．The teens usually express their true opinions.

According to Hunan Daily, in Yongxing County of Hunan Province, retired teacher Chen and his wife are living in a natural cave (山洞), and they quite enjoy such life.
Chen’s cave is 20 meters wide and 8 meters deep. Lichens (青苔)can be seen everywhere in it. Chen says that the place is free of pollution.
Because of being poor, they moved into the cave, Chen said. In 1975, the houses of his families and his neighbors were all burned to the ground in the fire. Chen was then already married and badly needed a house to live in. But he had no money to build a house, so he had to live in his relatives’ houses as long as 5 years.
In 1980, he happened to discover this cave, immediately he and his family members decided to live in there. Chen thought the cave could be a temporary（临时的）living place, but it never occurred to him that it could be his home in the next 28 years. Chen recalled that the first couple of days were the most difficult period, “I put up some wooden boards for a gate, but they were all blown away by wind that same night.”
Chen has two sons and a daughter, and they all left the cave after they got married. Now Chen’s old friends once in a while visit him in his cave drinking and playing Chinese chess. For Chen, the most enjoyable thing is to raise bees and grow kinds of plants.
From the passage we know what Chen likes to do most is ____.

A．drinking and playing chess with his friends

B．raising bees and growing plants

C．doing farm work in the fields

D．recalling his past life

What had happened to his house before he moved into the cave?

A．His house was blown away by wind.

B．His house was washed away by floods.

C．His house was destroyed by fire.

D．The text doesn’t mention it.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．All of Chen’s children are studying in the university.

B．Chen’s friends hardly come to the cave to see him.

C．Chen and his children still live together in the cave.

D．Chen found the cave quite by accident.

The purpose of the passage is to ____.

A．introduce a natural cave to people

B．tell us something about a teacher living in the cave for 28 years

C．explain how the Chens suffered during the 28 years

D．expect more people to visit Chen’s cave