2008阅读理解电子书节选四(1)

　　Part A

　　Directions:

　　Read the follow***g four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choos***g A, B, C *** D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. （40 po***ts）

　　Text 4

　　It's possible that while you are at w***k, you may dream about a month of Sundays, but your boss wishes f*** a week of Tuesday. That's bec***se she/he probably knows that producti***ty is o*** of the ma*** fac***rs bolster***g （supp***t***g） a ***mpany's growth. And a recent poll ***ws that w***kers are most productive on Tuesdays! A***ountemps, an employ***nt agency, ***nduct*** a national survey of off***e managers, wh***h ***ws that by the middle of the week, they see a dramat*** producti***ty decrease. While Monday is ***nsider*** se***nd *** "producti***ty value", o***y n***e percent of off***e managers th***k W******sday is the peak producti***ty day. Five percent be***eve it is Thursday. And Friday, well, you can just imag***e! However, f***ty-eight percent of the managers poll*** said that Tuesday is, by far, the most productive day of the week.

　　A close analysis of w***kweek rhythms would turn up so*** ob***ous reasons f*** those survey resu***s. First of all, Monday is overload*** with ***et***gs, desig***d *** "get th***gs mo***ng," and everybody knows ***et***gs aren' t very productive. W******sday is "hump day"（驼峰日） — get over it as pa***lessly as possible, a w***ker th***ks, and the week is m***e than halfway over. On Thursday, people are runn***g out of steam; and Friday, everybody's th***k***g about the weekend. There are reasons why the other days aren't productive, but what makes Tuesday special? Tuesdays, employees hit peak perf***mance bec***se they are very focus*** on day-***-day acti***ties. Also, it's usually the first day of the week when they're focus*** on their own task. They're not *** ***et***gs that take them away from their primary responsibi***ties. Actually, Tuesdays can be quite hect*** （full of excite***nt and without rest）. W***kers are arri***ng at w***k fairly frant*** （wildly excit***）. And so, *** 10 hours, they're do***g 20-hour w***k. That's productive, but it's also ***ugh.

　　This does not ***an that noth***g happens on the last three days of the w***kweek. Th***gs do not get so lax that people are ***t***g with their feet on desks, sipp***g ***ffee and talk***g on the pho*** all day, but there's a def***ite lack of focus. The pace softens and the rhythm slows down. And this is not hea***hy: it produces fatigue and lowers producti***ty. To prevent this midweek slowdown, so*** manage***nt ***nsu***ants suggest that employers **oid jamm***g so many ***et***gs ****** Mondays. W***k dead******s can be resch***ul*** *** stretch out the w***kflow. Variations *** producti***ty are o***y natural, but both w***kers and bosses w*** when the peaks and valleys are less dramat*** than they are now.

　　16. A******d***g *** the poll, wh***h of the follow***g days is most productive?

　　［A］ Thursday.
　　［B］ Friday.
　　［C］ Monday.
　　［D］ W******sday.

　　17. The peak producti***ty day of the week is mark*** by

　　［A］ ***olent excite***nt and acti***ty.
　　［B］ due enthusiasm and creati***ty.
　　［C］ hurri*** and dis***der*** move***nt.
　　［D］ full ***ncentration and eff***iency.

　　18. The w***d “lax” *** the last paragraph ***ans

　　［A］ usually ***g***gible.
　　［B］ lack***g *** ***ntrol.
　　［C］ ***tally distractive.
　　［D］ w***thy of relax***g.

　　19. With respect *** the changes *** producti***ty, the text suggests that

　　［A］ w***k dead******s can be readjust***.
　　［B］ they are reasonable and expectable.
　　［C］ Monday ***et***gs may be call*** off.
　　［D］ their differences are *** be m***imiz***.

　　20. The ***th*** has expla****** all of the follow***g EXCEPT

　　［A］ the steps taken *** a***er w***kweek rhythms.
　　［B］ the producti***ty on the 6th day of the week.
　　［C］ the reason why midweek slowdown takes place.
　　［D］ the ***ncern bosses h**e about low producti***ty.