Being the boss might mean more money and challenging work but it can also cause damage to physical and mental well-being, according to a Canadian study.
For years studies have shown people in lower-status jobs generally have higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses and die earlier than those in higher-status positions while job authority(当权者) has shown no relationship with workers’ health. But University of Toronto researchers, using data from 1,800 US workers, found the health of people in higher positions is affected by work as they are more likely to report conflicts with co-workers and say work disturbs their home life. However, the positive aspects of having a power position at work, such as higher status, more pay and greater independence, seemed to cancel out (抵消) the negative aspects when it came to people’s physical and psychological health.
These latest findings, reported in the journal Social Science & Medicine, suggest that the advantages and disadvantages of authority positions basically cancel each other out, giving the general impression that job authority has no health effects. For the study, the researchers surveyed participants about various aspects of their work, life and well-being. Job authority was judged based on whether a person managed other employees and had power over hiring, firing and pay.
Physical health complaints included problems like headaches, body aches, heartburn and tiredness. Psychological complaints included sleep problems, difficulty concentrating and feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.
“This isn’t to suggest that having authority is ‘bad’ — in fact, we show it has benefits ... but it is important to identify the negative sides and deal with them.” researcher Scott Schieman said. Schieman said conflicts with co-workers or involvement of work into home life may destroy physical and mental well-being by creating stress. “These are key stressors that can tax individuals’ ability to function effectively,” Schieman said. Work will have a negative effect on job authority’s health probably because ________.
| A．they are not fit for their work |
| B．they have power over hiring and pay |
| C．they are faced with severe competition |
| D．they don’t get on well with their co-workers |
Most people don’t see that bosses have health effects because ________.
| A．their health problems are not serious enough to see |
| B．they have enough money to keep themselves healthy |
| C．their problems are quite different from those of workers |
| D．the advantages and disadvantages of their status work against each other |
From the passage we can infer that the study aims to ________.
| A．warn people not to be a boss for ever |
| B．remind the boss to deal with the bad effects of their work |
| C．show that having authority is harmful to one’s health |
| D．prove that being a boss can benefit a lot |
The best title for this passage might be ________.
| A．Lower-status can affect health |
| B．Authority can affect health in a way |
| C．Positive aspects of a power position |
| D．Disadvantages of being a boss |
The traditional distinction between products that satisfy needs and those that satisfy wants is no longer adequate to describe classes of products. In today’s prosperous societies, the distinction has become unclear because so many wants have been turned into needs. A writer, for instance, can work with paper and pencils. These are legal needs for the task. But the work can be done more quickly and efficiently with a word processor. Thus a computer is soon viewed as a need rather than a want.
In the field of marketing, consumer goods are classed according to the way in which they are purchased. The two main classes are convenience goods and shopping goods. Two lesser types are specialty goods and unsought(主动提供的) goods. It must be emphasized that all of these types are based on the way shoppers think about products, not on the nature of the products themselves. What is regarded as a convenience item in France (wine, for example) should be a specialty goods in the United States.
People do not spend a great deal of time shopping for such convenience items as groceries, newspapers, toothpaste, aspirin, and candy. The buying of convenience goods may be done routinely, as some families buy groceries once a week. Such regularly purchased items are called staples. Sometimes convenience products are bought without enough thinking; someone has a sudden desire for an ice cream sundae(圣代) on a hot day. Or they may be purchased as emergency items.
Shopping goods are items for which customers search. They compare prices, quality, and styles, and may visit a number of stores before making a decision. Buying an automobile is often done this way.
Shopping goods fall into two classes; those that are recognized as basically the same and those that are regarded as different. Items that are looked upon as basically the same include such things as home appliances, television sets, and automobiles. Having decided on the model desired, the customer is primarily interested in getting the item at the most favorable price. Items regarded as essentially different include clothing, furniture, and dishes. Quality, style and fashion will either take precedence(优先) over price, or they will not matter at all.It can be learned from the first paragraph that ______.
| A．a writer needs a word processor |
| B．needs and wants can’t be separated clearly |
| C．the way to distinguish the products is unimportant |
| D．a computer is a need rather than a want |
The example of wine is used to illustrate that ______.
| A．goods are classified differently in different countries |
| B．the types of the product lie on the people rather than its nature |
| C．Frenchmen often drink but Americans sometimes do |
| D．one product may belong to many types |
Staples are items that ______.
| A．are convenient to purchase |
| B．are purchased without enough thinking |
| C．people “want but don’t need” |
| D．people are in constant need of |
Shopping goods that are considered as basically the same are those that ______.
| A．consumers don’t care where to buy them |
| B．consumers spend much time searching for |
| C．satisfy similar needs of the consumer |
| D．can be found in nearly every shop |
Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn’t. Even when the bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa Peffers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and stored in refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and drinking up!
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, “Most bottled water is just tap water.” And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America’s desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents’ generation never had bottled water,” says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free. “You don’t need to fetch it home from the store, and it’s cheaper,” she adds.
Bottled water’s role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers “And what’s your drink?” that’s no reason to forget your conviction(信念). “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’ll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you,” Peffers says. “And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.” suggest that people _______.
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle. |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O. |
| C．shouldn’t be pleased with just recycling empty bottles. |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottled water. |
According to the author, tap water is _______.
| A．as safe as bottled water | B．morel likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water | D．less convenient than bottled water |
The underlined part “going bottle free” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.
| A．making bottled water free | B．giving up bottled water |
| C．recycling use water bottles | D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.” Loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow. |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert. |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status. |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public. |
John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose.
When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin. The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner's name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell.
He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested — 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York.
She wrote, “You’ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat.” So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose.
As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her, entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split in two. He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him.
The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, “I’m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?”
She replied with a smile, “I don’t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, I’d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”John was eager to know the former owner of the book because he______.
| A．was very interested in the contents of the book |
| B．was impressed by the notes written by its owner |
| C．wanted to improve his handwriting |
| D．wanted to discuss the book with her |
What happened to John after getting in touch with Miss Hollis Maynell?
| A．He served in the army abroad. |
| B．He went overseas for vacation. |
| C．He went on a business trip in New York. |
| D．He visited Miss Maynell. |
What do we know about the woman with a rose?
| A．She was Miss Maynell’s close friend. |
| B．She was a waitress in the big restaurant. |
| C．She was probably a passerby. |
| D．She was paid to meet John at the Station. |
Which would be the best title of the text?
| A．An Interesting Book | B．A Woman With a Rose |
| C．A Brave Soldier | D．A Love Test |
We often hear people talking about a generation gap (代沟). The name is new,but the idea is old. Young people and their parents don’t understand each other. The world has always kept changing. During the second century after Christ a wise man said, “Bury me on my face because in a little while everything will be turned upside down.” There has always been a gap between generations, but more people talk about it now. Old Mr. Ellis thinks he understands what has happened. “When I was a boy, I thought the world was a beautiful place. My life was very pleasant. But when I was older, I learned about people who were treated badly, people who didn’t have enough to eat. I wanted to help them, and I married a girl who wanted to help them, too. We went to meetings and talked a lot, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. ”“Our children grew up in a world at war. They didn’t know when the fighting would stop. They wanted their children to have nice clothes and toys. They didn’t want to think about the future. They thought nothing could be done about it.” “Now I have grandchildren, and they have their own ideas. They are trying to make the world better. They are trying to help other people. They’re making people listen to them. I am proud of their generation.” The wise man mentioned in the text told people to bury him on his face so that when everything is turned upside down he will _____.
| A．lie on his stomach | B．lie on his back |
| C．stand quietly | D．sit in peace |
Which generation did NOT want to do anything to make the world a better one?
| A．Mr. Ellis’ generation | B．His children’s generation |
| C．His grandchildren’s generation | D．None of the above. |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the generation gap?
| A．Unacceptable. | B．Awful. | C．Funny. | D．Common. |
The home computer industry has been growing rapidly in the United States for the last ten years . Computers used to be large, expensive machines that were very difficult to use . But scientists and technicians have been making them smaller and cheaper while at the same time they have been made easier to use. As a result, their popularity has been increasing as more people have been buying computers for their homes and businesses. Computers have been designed to store information and compute problems that are difficult for human beings to work out. Some have voices that speak with the operators. Stores use computers to keep records of their inventories(库存货物) and to send bills to their customers(顾客) . Offices use computers to copy letters, record business and keep in touch with other offices. People have been using computers in their homes to keep track of the money they spend.
One important new use for computers is for entertainment(娱乐). Many new games have been designed to be played on the computers. People of all ages have been playing these games, People also have been buying home computers to play computer games, watch movies and listen to concerts at home. They have become very popular indeed. Computers used to _____.
| A．work rapidly | B．be large and expensive |
| C．be easy to use | D．be used for fun |
In recent years , computers are being made ______.
| A．larger and more expensive | B．smaller and cheaper |
| C．more difficult to use | D．to work more slowly |
Home computers can be used for ______.
| A．writing letters | B．playing games |
| C．doing business | D．all of the above |
Salesmen use computers mainly to ______.
| A．check the list of goods and materials that are kept in the store house |
| B．play games for pleasure |
| C．talk with their friends |
| D．write letters |