1、雅思（阅读）模拟试卷 59及答案与解析 一、 Reading Module (60 minutes) 0 ABSENTEEISM IN NURSING: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY Absence from work is a costly and disruptive problem for any organisation. The cost of absenteeism in Australia has been put at 1.8 million hours per day or $ 1400 million annually. The study reported h
2、ere was conducted in the Prince William Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, where, prior to this time, few active steps had been taken to measure, understand or manage the occurrence of absenteeism. Nursing Absenteeism A prevalent attitude amongst many nurses in the group selected for study was that th
3、ere was no reward or recognition for not utilising the paid sick leave entitlement allowed them in their employment conditions. Therefore, they believed they may as well take the days off -sick or otherwise. Similar attitudes have been noted by James(1989), who noted that sick leave is seen by many
4、workers as a right, like annual holiday leave. Miller and Norton(1986), in their survey of 865 nursing personnel, found that 73 per cent felt they should be rewarded for not taking sick leave, because some employees always used their sick leave. Further, 67 per cent of nurses felt that administratio
5、n was not sympathetic to the problems shift work causes to employees personal and social lives. Only 53 per cent of the respondents felt that every effort was made to schedule staff fairly. In another longitudinal study of nurses working in two Canadian hospitals, Hackett, Bycio and Guion(1989)exami
6、ned the reasons why nurses took absence from work. The most frequent reason stated for absence was minor illness to self. Other causes, in decreasing order of frequency, were illness in family, family social function, work to do at home and bereavement. Method In an attempt to reduce the level of ab
7、senteeism amongst the 250 Registered and Enrolled Nurses in the present study, the Prince William management introduced three different, yet potentially complementary, strategies over 18 months. Strategy 1: Non-financial(material)incentives Within the established wage and salary system it was not po
8、ssible to use hospital funds to support this strategy. However, it was possible to secure incentives from local businesses, including free passes to entertainment parks, theatres, restaurants, etc. At the end of each roster period, the ward with the lowest absence rate would win the prize. Strategy
9、2: Flexible fair rostering Where possible, staff were given the opportunity to determine their working schedule within the limits of clinical needs. Strategy 3: Individual absenteeism and counselling Each month, managers would analyse the pattern of absence of staff with excessive sick leave(greater
10、 than ten days per year for full-time employees). Characteristic patterns of potential voluntary absenteeism such as absence before and after days off, excessive weekend and night duty absence and multiple single days off were communicated to all ward nurses and then, as necessary, followed up by ac
11、tion. Results Absence rates for the six months prior to the incentive scheme ranged from 3.69 per cent to 4.32 per cent. In the following six months they ranged between 2.87 per cent and 3.96 per cent. This represents a 20 per cent improvement. However, analysing the absence rates on a year-to-year
12、basis, the overall absence rate was 3.60 per cent in the first year and 3.43 per cent in the following year. This represents a 5 per cent decrease from the first to the second year of the study. A significant decrease in absence over the two-year period could not be demonstrated. Discussion The non-
13、financial incentive scheme did appear to assist in controlling absenteeism in the short term. As the scheme progressed it became harder to secure prizes and this contributed to the programs losing momentum and finally ceasing. There were mixed results across wards as well. For example, in wards with
14、 staff members who had long-term genuine illness, there was little chance of winning, and to some extent the staff on those wards were disempowered. Our experience would suggest that the long-term effects of incentive awards on absenteeism are questionable. Over the time of the study, staff were giv
15、en a larger detree of control in their rosters. This led to significant improvements in communication between managers and staff. A similar effect was found from the implementation of the third strategy. Many of the nurses had not realised the impact their behaviour was having on the organisation an
16、d their colleagues but there were also staff members who felt that talking to them about their absenteeism was picking on them and this usually had a negative effect on management- employee relationships. Conclusion Although there has been some decrease in absence rates, no single strategy or combin
17、ation of strategies has had a significant impact on absenteeism per se. Notwithstanding the disappointing results, it is our contention that the strategies were not in vain. A shared ownership of absenteeism and a collaborative approach to problem solving has facilitated improved cooperation and com
18、munication between management and staff. It is our belief that this improvement alone, while not tangibly measurable, has increased the ability of management to manage the effects of absenteeism more effectively since this study. This article has been adapted and condensed from the article by G. Wil
19、liam and K. Slater(1996), Absenteeism in nursing: A longitudinal study, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 34(1): 111 -21. Names and other details have been changed and report findings may have been given a different emphasis from the original. We are grateful to the authors and Asia Pacific J
20、ournal of Human Resources for allowing us to use the material in this way. Questions 1-7 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1 ? In boxes 1 - 7 on your answer sheet write YES if the statement agrees with the information NO if the statement contradicts the
21、information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage 1 The prince William Hospital has been trying to reduce absenteeism amongst nurses for many years. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 2 Nurses in the Prince William Hospital study believed that there were benefits in taking as litt
22、le sick leave as possible. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 3 Just over half the nurses in the 1986 study believed that management understood the effects that shift work had on them. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 4 The Canadian study found that illness in the family was a greater cause of absenteei
23、sm than work to do at home. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 5 In relation to management attitude to absenteeism the study at the Prince William Hospital found similar results to the two 1989 studies. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 6 The study at the Prince William Hospital aimed to find out the cau
24、ses of absenteeism amongst 250 nurses. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 7 The study at the Prince William Hospital involved changes in management practices. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 7 Complete the notes below. Choose ONE OR TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxe
25、s 8 - 13 on your answer sheet. In the first strategy, wards with the lowest absenteeism in different periods would win prizes donated by【 R8】 _ In the second strategy, staff were given more control over their【 R9】 _ In the third strategy, nurses who appeared to be taking【 R10】 _sick leave or【 R11】 _
26、were identified and counselled. Initially, there was a【 R12】 _per cent decrease in absenteeism. The first strategy was considered ineffective and stopped. The second and third strategies generally resulted in better【 R13】 _among staff. 8 【 R8】 9 【 R9】 10 【 R10】 11 【 R11】 12 【 R12】 13 【 R13】 13 THE M
27、OTOR CAR A There are now over 700 million motor vehicles in the world - and the number is rising by more than 40 million each year. The average distance driven by car users is growing too - from 8 km a day per person in western Europe in 1965 to 25 km a day in 1995. This dependence on motor vehicles
28、 has given rise to major problems, including environmental pollution, depletion of oil resources, traffic congestion and safety. B While emissions from new cars are far less harmful than they used to be, city streets and motorways are becoming more crowded than ever, often with older trucks, buses a
29、nd taxis, which emit excessive levels of smoke and fumes. This concentration of vehicles makes air quality in urban areas unpleasant and sometimes dangerous to breathe. Even Moscow has joined the list of capitals afflicted by congestion and traffic fumes. In Mexico City, vehicle pollution is a major
30、 health hazard. C Until a hundred years ago, most journeys were in the 20 km range, the distance conveniently accessible by horse. Heavy freight could only be carried by water or rail. The invention of the motor vehicle brought personal mobility to the masses and made rapid freight delivery possible
31、 over a much wider area. Today about 90 per cent of inland freight in the United Kingdom is carried by road. Clearly the world cannot revert to the horse-drawn wagon. Can it avoid being locked into congested and polluting ways of transporting people and goods? D In Europe most cities are still desig
32、ned for the old modes of transport. Adaptation to the motor car has involved adding ring roads, one-way systems and parking lots. In the United States, more land is assigned to car use than to housing. Urban sprawl means that life without a car is next to impossible. Mass use of motor vehicles has a
33、lso killed or injured millions of people. Other social effects have been blamed on the car such as alienation and aggressive human behaviour. E A 1993 study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment found that car transport is seven times as costly as rail travel in terms of the exter
34、nal social costs it entails such as congestion, accidents, pollution, loss of cropland and natural habitats, depletion of oil resources, and so on. Yet cars easily surpass trains or buses as a flexible and convenient mode of personal transport. It is unrealistic to expect people to give up private c
35、ars in favour of mass transit. F Technical solutions can reduce the pollution problem and increase the fuel efficiency of engines. But fuel consumption and exhaust emissions depend on which cars are preferred by customers and how they are driven. Many people buy larger cars than they need for daily
36、purposes or waste fuel by driving aggressively. Besides, global car use is increasing at a faster rate than the improvement in emissions and fuel efficiency which technology is now making possible. G One solution that has been put forward is the long-term solution of designing cities and neighbourho
37、ods so that car journeys are not necessary - all essential services being located within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport. Not only would this save energy and cut carbon dioxide emissions, it would also enhance the quality of community life, putting the emphasis on people in
38、stead of cars. Good local government is already bringing this about in some places. But few democratic communities are blessed with the vision -and the capital - to make such profound changes in modern lifestyles. H A more likely scenario seems to be a combination of mass transit systems for travel
39、into and around cities, with small low emission cars for urban use and larger hybrid or lean burn cars for use elsewhere. Electronically tolled highways might be used to ensure that drivers pay charges geared to actual road use. Better integration of transport systems is also highly desirable and ma
40、de more feasible by modern computers. But these are solutions for countries which can afford them. In most developing countries, old cars and old technologies continue to predominate. Questions 14 - 19 Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs(A H). Which paragraphs concentrate on the following informa
41、tion ? Write the appropriate letters(A - H)in boxes 14 - 19 on your answer sheet. NB You need only write ONE letter for each answer. 14 a comparison of past and present transportation methods 15 how driving habits contribute to road problems 16 the relative merits of cars and public transport 17 the
42、 writers own prediction of future solutions 18 the increasing use of motor vehicles 19 the impact of the car on city development 19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2 ? In boxes 20 26 on your answer sheet write YES if the statement agrees with the infor
43、mation NO if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage 20 Vehicle pollution is worse in European cities than anywhere else. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 21 Transport by horse would be a useful alternative to motor vehicles. （ A） YES （ B）
44、 NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 22 Nowadays freight is not carried by water in the United Kingdom. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 23 Most European cities were not designed for motor vehicles. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 24 Technology alone cannot solve the problem of vehicle pollution. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C）
45、 NOT GIVEN 25 Peoples choice of car and attitude to driving is a factor in the pollution problem. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 26 Redesigning cities would be a short-term solution. （ A） YES （ B） NO （ C） NOT GIVEN 26 Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs(A - H). Choose the most suitable headings
46、for paragraphs B - H from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers(/ X)in boxes 27 33 on your answer sheet. NB There are more headings than paragraphs, so you will not use all of them . List of Headings i Common objections ii Whos planning what iii This type sells best in the shops
47、iV The figures say it all V Early trials Vi They cant get in without these Vii How does it work? Viii Fighting fraud iX Systems to avoid X Accepting the inevitable Example Answer Paragraph A Vi 27 Paragraph B 28 Paragraph C 29 Paragraph D 30 Paragraph E 31 Paragraph F 32 Paragraph G 33 Paragraph H 3
48、3 THE KEYLESS SOCIETY A. Students who want to enter the University of Montreals Athletic Complex need more than just a conventional ID card - their identities must be authenticated by an electronic hand scanner. In some California housing estates, a key alone is insufficient to get someone in the do
49、or; his or her voiceprint must also be verified, And soon, customers at some Japanese banks will have to present their faces for scanning before they can enter the building and withdraw their money. B All of these are applications of biometrics, a little-known but fast-growing technology that involves the use of physical or biological characteristics to identify individuals. In use for more than a decade at some high-security government institution in the United States and Canada, biometr
