While success is surely sweeter than failure, it seems failure is a far better teacher, and organizations that fail spectacularly often flourish more in the long run, according to a new study by Vinit Desai, assistant professor of management at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Researchers have found that people missing their goals perform much better in the long run. That is because they gain more knowledge from their failures than their successes and the lessons are more likely to stay longer in their minds. "We found that the knowledge gained from success was often fleeting while knowledge from failure stuck around for years," said professor Desai, who led the study. "But companies often ignore failure. Managers may fire people or turn over the whole workforce while they should treat the failure as a learning opportunity." Prof Desai compared the flights of the space shuttle Atlantis and the Challenger. During the 2002 Atlantis flight, a piece of insulation broke off and damaged the left solid rocket booster but didn't influence the program. There was little investigation. The Challenger was launched next and another piece of insulation broke off. This time the shuttle and its seven-person crew were destroyed. The disaster led to a major investigation resulting in 29 changes to prevent future disasters. The difference in response in the two cases came down to this: Atlantis was considered a success and the Challenger a failure. "Despite crowded skies, airlines are extremely reliable," he said. "The number of failures is extremely small. And past researches have shown that older airlines, those with more experience in failure, have a lower number of accidents." Prof Desai doesn't recommend finding out failure in order to learn. Instead, he advises organizations to analyze small failures to collect useful information rather than wait for major failures. Which writing strategy is NOT used in developing the passage? A) Giving definitions. B) Making comparisons. C) Analyzing causes. D) Providing different examples.
A
Shree Bose is one of the most impressive kids graduating from Fort Worth Country Day High School this year. Bose has a large circle of friends, and there's one who you may have heard of: President Obama. He has twice publicly recognized her achievements in cancer research and spoken with her in the Oval Office. If that isn't enough, Bose recently gave a TED Talk about her work with the cancer drug Cisplatin, which also won her first prize at the Google Science Fair and recognition as one of Glamour magazine's Young Amazing Women of the Year. After watching her grandfather struggle with liver cancer, Bose was determined to help out in any way she could. As a high school student though, her scientific choices were limited. She reached out to various hospitals and research centers, but doctors turned down her requests because they felt she was too inexperienced medically. Only the North Texas Science Health Center respected her determination and chose to guide her. The results were amazing. Bose chose to study a protein and its reaction with the cancer drug Cisplatin. She noticed that when she prevented this protein from growing, Cisplatin was allowed to begin destroying cancer cells once again. "My project not only contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the protein and Cisplatin, but also suggests a newer, more effective treatment for patients who resist Cisplatin," Bose said. Bose's achievements aren't limited to the lab, though. She was also captain of her swim team and editor-in-chief of her school paper. Bose is currently getting practical experience at the National Institute of Health and she'll be attending Harvard in the fall. She plans to study molecular biology and go to medical school. Eventually, she would like to be a doctor. According to Bose's research, _ helps make Cisplatin work better. A) stopping the protein from growing B) destroying cancer cells timely C) using the drug more frequently D) making the protein react with the drug
A
Q: When Jean Calment entered the world in 1875, telephones and automobiles still lay in the future. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso were not yet born. The Eiffel Tower was 14 years from being built. As a teenager, she met Vincent Van Gogh, near her home in Arles, in the south of France. He was "very ugly, ungracious, impolite, sick--I forgive him, they called him loco." She recalled. When she died last week at age 122, she was the world's oldest person. (There were others who claimed to the title, but only Calment had the official documents to prove her age) Each February 21, her birthday, she would share the secrets of long life. Some years it was "a sense of humor", others it was "keeping busy". "God may have forgotten me," she once explained. The truth probably was that she had good genes. Her mother reportedly lived to be 86 and her father 94. Her life had its sadness: she outlived her husband, her only daughter and her grandson. According to a friend, she was _ "If you can't do anything about it," she reportedly said, "don't worry about it." In her last years she was nearly blind and deaf, but her health remained good. She ate a few bars of chocolate each week and continued smoking until a few years ago, when she could no longer light her own cigarettes. She never lost her sense of humor. On her 110thbirthday, she commented, "I have only ever had one wrinkle, and I am sitting on it." Her longevity made her famous. Her spirits made her eternal The author believes that Calment's longevity is mainly due to _ . A) a sense of humor B) being kept busy C) belief in God D) good genes
A: D
Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. The airline had announced her departure and standing near the security gate,they hugged and he said,"I love you. I wish you enough" She in turn said,"Dad,our life together has been more than enough. Your love is a11 I ever needed. I wish you enough,too,Dad. "They kissed and she left He walked over toward the window where I was seated Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to disturb his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking,"Did you ever say good--bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'' "Yes,I have. "I replied"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?""I'm old and she lives much too far away I have challenges ahead,and the reality is,the next trip back will be for my funeral. "He said. "When you were saying good-bye 1 heard you say,'1 wish you enough. 'm ay I ask what that means?" He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down for many generations within my family. My parents used to say it to everyone. " He paused for a moment,looking up as if trying to remember it in detail,and then he smiled even more"When we said'I wish you enough',we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain(...)them. ,,He continued and then turning toward me be shared the following: "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate a11 that you possess I wish you enough 'Hellos' to get you enough the final 'Good--byes'" Then he walked away. I WISH YOU ENOUGH ! What is probably the author's feeling after hearing the father's words explaining the meaning "1 wish you enough"? A) Satisfied B) Interested C) Moved D) Curious
C