1、中级阅读-阅读 4及答案解析(总分：18.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Test 1(总题数：1，分数：6.00)Employee BenefitsAs the bill for U.S. health care mounts, companies struggle to reconcile their need to off-set the rising cost of employee benefits with the desire to attract and retain the best talent. Some engage in an arms race of sorts,
2、blindly matching or beating the benefits offered by competitors and spending billions of dollars in the process. Yet these benefits often fail to reflect either the preferences of employees or corporate objectives.A few companies, however, are changing the game. Emerging best practices are reducing
3、the cost of benefits by 10 percent to 20 percent a year, keeping employee satisfaction steady or better and linking these expenditures more tightly to corporate objectives, particularly investments in talent to gain competitive advantage. Such investments are increasingly important to the profitable
4、 growth of the worlds most successful companies, from 1995 to 2005 profits per employee jumped to $83,000, from $35,000, and the number of employees more than doubled. Benefits represent a major part of that outlay: U.S. companies spend more than $2 trillion on them each year, but though the cost of
5、 health care in particular is on the rise, companies arent scrutinizing benefits as closely as they do with other investments.Benefits are much more than just a cost of doing business, even though many executives dont understand that. In many companies, the chief financial officer hands down a cost
6、goal for benefits each year, and then the HR Department works to meet it. In the end, business unit leaders get stuck with increasingly expensive benefits without understanding what they get in return.We advocate a much more active approach: employers should tailor their investment in benefits to th
7、e preferences of their employees, as some leading companies have done already. The same sophisticated market research tools companies now use to launch products and services ought to be used to define employee “customer“ segments. Benefits packages should then be tailored and marketed to them accord
8、ingly. This approach, balanced with return-on-investment (ROI) objectives and rolled out over several years, will help companies meet their increasingly vital need to offer knowledge workers higher rewards while minimizing the cost of employing a large frontline workforce.When buzz about a potential
9、 change in benefits makes its way through employee networks, they often respond with anxiety and consternation. Companies should approach them with the same caution that consumers get, using market research to understand the workforce, segment it, and gauge its responses to potential changes. When a
10、 company tinkers with benefits, it should “brand“ the adjustments with themes that research shows are important to employees. Then it should aim those themes at relevant employee segments and actively address the concerns of people who will dislike the changes, while also emphasizing the positive on
11、es that other segments will applaud.These efforts should take the form of a marketing campaign, similar to what the company would use to launch a new product that emphasizes aspects of change employees will value. E-mail, the Web, mailers, and company newsletters ought to explain, in simple language
12、, the nature of the changes, their rationale, and the improvements they will bring. Such communications should also directly address things that certain segments of the workforce may dislike, balancing these changes with the positive ones dictated by the preferences of the majority. A benefit “hotli
13、ne“ (on the telephone, the Web, or both) lets employees ask questions and voice concerns. This important tool helps the company to get real-time reactions and to identify and lubricate squeaky wheels.（分数：6.00）(1).What is the main problem when companies are dealing with the issue of benefits?A Increa
14、sing bills for U.S. health care.B Linking employee benefits to talent management.C Competing with others in the talent market.D Catering to the preferences of employees.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).According to the second paragraph, it is important for companies toA meet changing demands of employees.B chec
15、k benefits as closely as they do with other investments.C put more emphasis on talent investments.D cut back on the investments in benefits.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).Many executives regard benefits as a cost becauseA benefits are on the rise but reward is little.B they dont realize the importance of bene
16、fits.C they dont care the benefits of development.D they must meet the cost goal for benefits.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).Defining employee “customer“ segments meansA offering some employees more and the other less.B relating the customers to the employees benefits.C varying benefits according to different
17、 employees.D dividing employees into different groups.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).When preparing benefit changes, companies shouldA treat employees as customers.B stress the benefits of the changes.C talk employees into accepting the changes.D act quickly according to the reactions of employees.（分数：1.00）A.
18、B.C.D.(6).To find and solve problems in time, it is important for companies toA persuade employees who oppose the change.B avoid two-way communication.C learn of quick responses of employees.D explain the changes in detail.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.二、Test 2(总题数：1，分数：6.00)The Role of LeadershipIn an organisat
19、ion where there is faith in the abilities of formal leaders, employees will look towards the leaders for a number of things. During drastic change times, employees will expect effective and sensible planning, confident and effective decision-making, and regular, complete communication that are timel
20、y. The best way to summarize is that there is a climate of trust between leader and the rest of the team. The existence of this trust brings hope for better times in the future, and that makes coping with drastic change much easier.In organisations characterized by poor leadership, employees expect
21、nothing positive. In a climate of distrust, employees learn that leaders will act in indecipherable ways and in ways that do not seem to be in anyones best interests. The organisation must deal with the practical impact of unpleasant change, but more importantly, must labor under the weight of emplo
22、yees who have given up, have no faith in the system or in the ability of leaders to turn the organisation around.When we talk about preparing for the change journey, we are talking about leading in a way that lays the foundation or groundwork for any changes that may occur in the future. Preparing i
23、s about building resources, by building healthy organizations in the first place. Much like healthy people, who are better able to cope with infection or disease than unhealthy people, organizations that are healthy in the first place are better able to deal with change. As a leader, you need to est
24、ablish credibility and a track record of effective decision-making, so that there is trust in your ability to figure out what is necessary to bring the organisation through.Leaders play a critical role during change implementation. During this period, effective leaders need to focus on two things. F
25、irst, the feelings and confusion of employees must be acknowledged and validated. Second, the leader must work with employees to begin creating a new vision of the altered workplace, and helping employees to understand the direction of the future. Focusing only on feelings may result in wallowing. T
26、hat is why it is necessary to begin the movement into the new ways or situations. Focusing only on the new vision may result in the perception that the leader is out of touch, cold and uncaring. A key part of leadership in this phase knows when to focus on the pain, and when to focus on building and
27、 moving into the future.In a sense you never completely arrive, but here we are talking about the period where the initial instability of massive change has been reduced. The critical thing here is that leaders must now offer hope that the organization is working towards being better, by solving pro
28、blems and improving the quality of work life. While the new vision of the organization may have begun while people were slogging through the swamp, this is the time to complete the process, and make sure that people buy into it, and understand their roles in this new organization.Playing a leadershi
29、p role in the three phases is not easy. Not only do you have a responsibility to lead, but as an employee yourself, you have to deal with your own reactions to the change, and your role in it. However, if you are ineffective in leading change, you will bear a very heavy personal load. Since you are
30、accountable for the performance of your unit, you will have to deal with the ongoing loss of productivity that can result from poorly managed change, not to mention the potential impact on your own enjoyment of your job.（分数：6.00）(1).In what way do employees behave with a good leader when a change is
31、 under the way?A They allow the leaders to make any decisions.B They rely on the leaders and wish to be trusted.C They hope for the improvement of working conditions.D They have confidence and show readiness to help.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).During the drastic changes, what is the more serious challenge
32、poor leadership must face?A Employees feel reluctant to accept the changes.B Employees show indifference to the changes.C Employees despair of the competence of leaders.D Employees look down upon the leaders.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).To lead a change in an organisation, a leader shouldA behave in a relia
33、ble and determinant way.B gather enough information and financial support.C reform the organisation and reallocate the resources.D work under the pressure and be healthy.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(4).When putting changes into practice, if emotions of employees draw all the attention,A employees will be grate
34、ful to leaders.B the workplace will present a new appearance.C leaders will be considered nice and easy-going.D any change will never be carried out.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(5).The changes will be put a temporary end whenA employees recognize them and reposition themselves.B employees can overcome the diff
35、iculties they meet.C employees have barriers removed and workplace improved.D employees have faith in the development of the future.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(6).What are the possible results if change isnt well managed?A Leaders will work under greater pressure.B Leaders wont get any sense of satisfaction f
36、rom work.C Leaders feel greatly disappointed to the change.D Leaders feel guilty of the loss of the company.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.三、Test 3(总题数：1，分数：6.00)The Financial Crisis: The World at WarNo one could have imagined that Japan, the second largest economy in the world, would contract at a rate of nearly
37、 13% on an annualized basis or that Koreas economic output could drop 20%. In the U.S., the GDP is shrinking at a rate of 6% now, but there is nothing in the economic or employment news that keeps us from believing that America will avoid a double-digit drop in GDP. If the U.S. skids at that rate, t
38、he other large economies in the world, all of which depend on the American consumer to some great degree, will have the hulls of their exports breached below the water line.One of the reasons that the drop in economic activity has accelerated is that there is no mechanism in place to cope with a fai
39、lure of this magnitude. The world in which The Great Depression played itself out predated the globalization of credit and economic interdependence. Even the worst of the large post-war recessions rarely lasted more than a year. Even at their most inventive, government policy systems are incapable o
40、f operating in an environment where the pace of negative change quickens by the week.The largest issue between now and whenever the cataclysm ends is whether the major economic powers develop more intimate relationships or are driven to isolation in order to defend their economies through protection
41、ism. This development would reach an epic level if nations such as China began to hold capital in their country and slow their purchase of U.S. debt. That would begin a lethal exchange between the greatest exporting and importing nations of the world, with America blocking the inflow of Chinese good
42、s and China flailing back by throttling its appetite for Treasuries. Without the ability to borrow money at reasonable rates any hope of continuing to stimulate the U.S. economy would flag and Chinas manufacturing machine would lose its largest market.The most valuable treasure that will be lost is
43、the fundamental economic transition from one generation to the next. In developed nations, the old will no longer have the means to retire, the middle-aged will face joblessness and an obliteration of the standard of living to which they believed they were entitled since they were very young, and th
44、e young may have to fight for a small number of jobs most of which pay little more than a fraction of what their parents made in 2004, 2005, and 2006.In the underdeveloped world the miserys fallout will be incomprehensible. Whatever social services and generosity that has come from the more wealthy
45、nations will dry up along with the financial capacity that has created a history for large scale compassion. A hoarding of natural resources, especially those that are agriculturally based, will cause the cost of humanitarian aid to become unaffordable, especially when there is so little capital for
46、 charity efforts because of ruined economies. In places like East Africa, where millions of people look into the face of starvation every year, the misery could be apocalyptic.It is almost a betrayal to paint such a dark picture of the failure of the American financial system which has carried the n
47、ation through sixty years of prosperity. That system is now fractured mid-axle. It may take a lifetime or more for historians to sort out its causes, and the federal government feels the need to sift through that sand in the name of justice. When blame can be defined it will be too late to bring bac
48、k the world we knew.（分数：6.00）(1).If the U.S. economy keeps going down, what would happen to other countries?A The productivity will be lowered gradually.B No agreements will be made in some countries.C The GDPs will be reduced by more than 10%.D The foreign trade will be damaged to a great extent.（分
49、数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(2).According to the text, no available ways exist to handle the present situations fundamentally becauseA the world economy is much more integrated than ever before.B the financial crisis develops at an uncontrollable rate.C the big recession lasts for a much longer time.D the economic systems fail to function as usual.（分数：1.00）A.B.C.D.(3).The most dangerous threat the crisis poses to the world economy is thatA the world trade order will be ruined at all.B the plan to save the American economy might be stopped.C the established bonds between big nations might be cha
