SAN FRANCISCO--Only 21 percent of workers worldwide are "engaged"--that's the word used to describe workers who are ready to expend some extra effort at work--while 38 percent are disengaged, according to a new survey. "Engagement is not satisfaction or happiness, but the degree to which workers connect to the company emotionally, and the degree to which workers are aware of what they need to do to add value and are willing to take that action," said Julie Gebauer, a managing director of Towers Perrin, a consulting firm, which surveyed almost 90,000 workers in 19 countries. "Happy employees don't necessarily create better financial results, but there is a definite link between engagement and a company's financial performance," Gebauer said. The survey found 21 percent of workers worldwide are engaged, and another 41 percent are "enrolled", which means they're on the road to engagement. More than 80 percent of the engaged employees say they contribute to the quality of company products, services and customer satisfaction, while only 40 percent of disengaged workers agree. Engagement helps retention too. About 50 percent of engaged employees say they have no plans to leave their company versus 15 percent of the disengaged. "The fact that almost 80 percent of workers are disengaged is likely costing companies money." Gebauer said. "The conception of engagement is really a financial issue," said Gebauer. 'Organizations that have employees that are highly engaged deliver better financial results than those that don't." In a separate study, Towers Perrin assessed data on 40 global companies over a three-year period, measuring employee engagement at a certain point and then looking at the companies' financial results over the following three years. Companies with highly motivated workers enjoyed a 3.7 percent increase in profits, while companies with a lower level of worker commitment saw a decrease in profits slightly. What makes for an engaged employee? It's not necessarily pay. While the level of pay is... According to the text, among 500 disengaged employees, how many would probably have the intention of leaving their company? A) 50. B) 75. C) 250. D) 425.
D
(Question)
Nowadays more and more young athletes are taking part in the risky activities called "extreme sports" or "X-sports". In the past young athletes would play baseball. Today, they want risk and excitement -- the closer to the edge, the better. They snowboard over cliff and hike deep mountains. Extreme sports started as an alternative to more expensive sports such as golf. A city kid who couldn't afford expensive sports equipment could get a skateboard and have fun. But now it has become a whole new area of sports, with specialized equipment and high levels of skill. There is even an Olympics for extreme sports, called the winter x-game, which includes snow mountain hiking and ice climbing. What makes extreme sports so popular? Maybe it's because people love the risk. City people want to be outdoors on the weekends and do something challenging. The new equipment is so much better that people can take more risks without getting hurt. Sure there's a risk. Once you go mountain hiking or snowboarding, it's impossible to go back to have riding or skiing. It's just too boring. Now even the older crowd is starting to join in. Every weekend, groups of friends in their early 30s get together. On weekdays they work as computer programmers in the same office. On weekends they hike mountains together. Extreme sports are certainly not for everyone. Most people still prefer to play basketball or watch sports on TV. But it has been a fact that extreme sports are gaining popularity. More and more young athletes are taking part in extreme sports because _ . A) people want risk and excitement B) it's impossible to go back to have riding or skiing C) people can take more risks without getting hurt D) the older crowd is starting to join in
(Answer)
A
NEW YORK-- Picking a Christmas tree takes most people a few minutes, or a couple of hours if they head for the woods. Dave Murbach needs 11 months. Almost every day of every year, Murbach's thoughts turn to vision of a perfectly shaped evergreen tree that will take everyone's breath away. Murbach is the man responsible for finding the towering tree that makes more attractive Manhattan's Rockefeller Center each Christmas season. "I'm always looking for a tree," the center's chief gardener says. "I look for it even when I go to the beach in the summer. It' s like a homework assignment hanging over your head." And if he gets it wrong, there's nothing hiding it. "Every day it's up, 400,000 people go by, and 2.5 million people watch the lighting celebration on television,"he says. This year's tree, a 74-foot Nomy spruce from Richfield, Ohio, flown to New York on the world's largest cargo plane, was lighted on December 2. The arrival of the tree leads in the Christmas season in New York -- a tradition dating back to 1931, when the workers building Rockefeller Center put up a small tree with ornaments . The search for the next year's tree starts soon after the old tree is chopped up for wood chips and horse-jumping logs. Murbach has three standards: The tree must be at least 65 feet high, at least 35 feet across and leaves dense enough not to see through. That's not as simple as it sounds. Though forests are full of evergreens, few get enough sunlight or space to fill out. And branches in snow regions often break under the weight, making trees unbalanced. Back at the office, he sorts through hundreds of letters from people offering their trees, many addressed simply to "Mr. Christmas Tree Man." Though there was occasional anxiety attack and sleepless night, Murbach knows the effect the tree has on people: "It's for bringing people together, attempting to bring together people you love. That's what I hope it sets off." But Murbach says he's always too worn out to celebrate Christmas. According to Murbach' s standard of trees, the best tree must _ . A) be evergreen B) have lots of space between their branches C) be tall enough not to see through D) be equally balanced
D