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When it's five o'clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday , for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.
These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale ( 士气 ) and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a. m. to 10 a. m. , research from 10 a. m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.
What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities—from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga—by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time." They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.
The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.
This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy : work organized by clock time. While most people win still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It'll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.
1
What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?
A.
It makes everybody time-conscious.
B.
It is a convenience for work and life.
C.
It may have a negative effect on creative work.
D.
It clearly indicates the fast pace of modem life.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
观点态度题。文章第二段第一句指出，如今，随处都能看到时间，第二句表明观点：这或许是一件坏事情，尤其是对于工作而言。第三句进一步指出，以时间为基础的工作安排会阻碍员工的士气和创造力。由此可知，到处都能看到时间对于需要创造力的工作有负面影响，故答案为C。
2
How do people usually go about their work according to the author?
A.
They combine clock-based and task-based planning.
B.
They give priority to the most urgent task on hand.
C.
They set a time limit for each specific task.
D.
They accomplish their tasks one by one.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
事实细节题。文章第三段第一句提到，时间计时者以分钟和小时为模块来规划一天的工作。 第三句则指出，任务计时者则列出一个待做事情的清单。最后一句总结：据说，我们每个人都会将这两种规划类型结合起来使用。分析原文可知，此句中的 these types 即指代上文提到的两种计时方式： dock-timers 和 task-timers。由此可知,人们在工作时往往会把两种规划类型相结合，故答案为 A。
3
What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers?
A.
They seize opportunities as they come up.
B.
They always get their work done in time.
C.
They have more control over their lives.
D.
They tend to be more productive.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
事实细节题。文章第四段第六句指出，实验表明，时间计时者效率更高，但是却不够开心，因为他们感觉对自己的人生没有掌控权。因此，答案为D。
4
What do the researchers say about today's business culture?
A.
It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.
B.
It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.
C.
It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers' lives.
D.
It aims to bring employees', potential and creativity into full play.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
推理判断题。第五段第一句提到，研究人员指出，在企业文化中，以任务为基础的筹划往往会被低估，得不到支持。由此可知，当今的企业文化对以任务为基础的筹划并不重视，故答案为 B。
5
What do the researchers suggest?
A.
Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.
B.
It is important to keep a balance between work and life.
C.
Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.
D.
A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
推理判断题。第六段第一句提到，研究人员表示，这对于经济学的普遍特点——工作是按时间来安排的——是一个挑战。第二句提出研究人员的观点：尽管大多数人从某种程度上仍旧有可能需要，或者自己作为时间计时者，但是当我们从事需要更多创造力的工作时，应该使用任务计时的方式。由此可知，研究人员建议我们在从事具有创造力的工作时，选择以任务为基础的计时方式，故答案为 A。
Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004. As she neared the end of her prison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues, and that "there is simply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich and powerful. Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on a shockingly large number of Americans, who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record. This can result in severe penalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person's individual circumstances. Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professional and business licensing. They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45,000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fully participating in American life.
Some laws make sense. No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia ( 恋童癖 ) work in a school. But too often collateral ( 附随的 ) consequences bear no relation to public safety. Should a woman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as a nurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal records to find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-conviction penalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety. Where the penalties are not a must, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime. Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vast criminal justice system, second chances are crucial. It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment of the population on the margins of society.
6
What does the well-known columnist's remark about Martha Stewart suggest?
A.
Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.
B.
Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.
C.
Her release from prison has drawn little attention.
D.
Her prison sentence might have been extended.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
A
系统解析：
推理判断题。第一段第一句指出，玛莎?斯图尔特在 2004 年受到指控，经过审判，被判有罪。第二句则表明这位知名专栏作家的态度：她已经得到了惩罚，而且任何人没有理由去试图剥夺她重新开始的权利。由此可知，这位作家担心玛莎·斯图尔特的入狱经历会影响到她出狱后的生活，故答案为 A。
7
What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America?
A.
They backslide after serving their terms in prison.
B.
They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.
C.
They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.
D.
They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
推理判断题。文章第二段第二句指出，很多联邦法律和州立法律对很大一部分美国人强制实施定罪后限制，使他们不能够再次充分地回报社会。由此可知，一些服刑人员即使刑满释放，也会受到法律的限制，难以完全融入社会，开始新的人生，故答案为 B。
8
What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record?
A.
They remain poor for the rest of their lives.
B.
They are deprived of all social benefits.
C.
They are marginalized in society.
D.
They are deserted by their family.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
C
系统解析：
推理判断题。第三段第二句中提到，犯罪分子在刑期结束后还要接受时间更长的严重惩罚。第四段第二句中接着举例进行解释，这些限制惩罚包括可以限制或阻止他们拥有选举权，没有权利申请公租房，不能取得职业资格证以及商业经营证等，也就是说，享受不到正常公民所拥有的权益，被社会边缘化，故答案为 C。
9
What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules?
A.
They help to maintain social stability.
B.
Some of them have long been outdated.
C.
They are hardly understood by the public.
D.
A lot of them have negative effects on society.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
D
系统解析：
观点态度题。文章第六段提到，一些法律是合理的。第七段则指出，这些法律同样会产生相反的效果，因为它们加大了有犯罪前科的人租房、就业的难度，而这两个因素正是可以让他们避免重蹈覆辙的关键因素。由此可知，作者对于一些法律、法规并不赞同，认为是对有犯罪前科的人的不公平对待，使得他们无法改过自新而危及社会，故答案为 D。
10
What is the author's main purpose in writing the passage?
A.
To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.
B.
To appeal for changes in America's criminal justice system.
C.
To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.
D.
To call people's attention to prisoners, conditions in America.
本题答案：
A
B
C
D
参考答案：
B
系统解析：
主旨大意题。最后一段提到，这个提议并不是为犯罪找借口或忽略它。相反，是让人们认识到，在美国庞大的刑法体系中，人们拥有改过自新的机会是至关重要的。让那么一大部分群体游走在社会的边缘对任何人都没有好处。由此可知，作者是希望通过对这一问题的探讨，从而对刑法体系中一些不合理的地方进行变革，故答案为 B。
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