Exhausted and unhappy, you still have to squeeze a smile to your friends, or teachers. That's just life, you may think. But new research suggests that putting on a fake smile can worsen people's mood and even lower work efficiency. Lead researcher Brent Scott with other researchers studied a group of bus drivers for two weeks. They tried to find out what happened when the drivers were involved in "surface acting" or fake smiling, and the opposite, "deep acting" which means people put on real smiles by recalling pleasant memories or thinking about their current situation more positively. The results showed that on days when drivers were forced to smile, they felt depressed and didn't want to work. On days when they smiled due to positive thoughts, their mood improved a lot as well as their work efficiency. The research goes against the popular belief among companies that employees should be cheerful to customers at all times. They include employees of shops, banks, call center workers and others who have face-to-face contact with members of the public. "Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional exhaustion and coldness, and that's bad for the organization," Scott told the Daily Mail. The study also showed that women were harmed more by fake smiling than men. Their mood and work performance both worsened more. But they were helped more by deep acting -- their mood became better and they worked more efficiently. However, while deep acting seemed to improve mood in the short term, Scott says it's not a long-term solution for unhappiness. "There have been some suggestions that if you do this over a long period that you start to feel inauthentic ," Scott said. "You may be trying to cultivate positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself anymore." Brent Scott and others' experiments on bus drivers suggest that _ . A) depression among bus drivers is common B) thinking in a positive way helps with work efficiency C) bus drivers with pleasant memories tend to be less efficient D) the bus drivers' work efficiency is determined by their mood
B
(Question)
Have you ever noticed advertisements which say "Learn a foreign language in 6 weeks, or your money back! From the first day your pronunciation will be excellent. Just send..." and so on? Of course, it never happens quite like that. The only language that is easy to learn is one's mother tongue. And think how much practice that gets! Before the Second World War people usually learnt a foreign language in order to read the literature of the country. Now speaking a foreign language is what most people want. Every year millions of people start learning one. How do they do it? Some people try at home, with books and records of tapes; some use radio or television programmes; some use computers and network; others go to evening classes. If they use the language only 2 or 3 times a week, learning it will take a long time, like learning a foreign language at school. A few people try to learn a language fast by studying for 6 or more hours a day. It is clearly easier to learn the language in the country where it is spoken. However, most people cannot afford this, and for many it is not necessary. They need the language in order to do their work better. For example, scientists and doctors chiefly need to be able to read books and reports in the foreign language. Whether the language is learnt quickly or slowly, it is hard work. Machines and good books will help, but they cannot do the student's work for him. According to some advertisements, you _ . A) have to pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks B) needn't pay you money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks C) must pay your money if you cannot master a foreign language in 6 weeks D) will be paid much money if you cannot learn a foreign language in 6 weeks
(Answer)
B
Ques: Chemicals used for industrial processes often create dangerous forms of waste. The amount of these chemicals has risen heavily in the past few years, as more areas of the world industrialize and new products are produced. Over 80,000 different chemicals are used in industries world wide. Around the world hundreds of millions of tons of harmful waste are produced each year. Often, it is difficult and expensive to get rid of these chemicals or to store them in a way that does not endanger human life and the environment. Every year, major health problems result from harmful waste. Sadly, it is often when someone has died or, become seriously ill that governments will take action and reduce levels of dumped harmful waste. In 1989, a school inprefix = st1 /New Jerseyhad to be closed because students there had suffered too much exposure to chromium. It was later learned that large amounts of chromium had been dumped nearby and blown over to the school area. Research has been done to provide information on the effects of every chemical. Because waste chemicals often mix together, it will also be necessary to learn how the combinations of these chemicals affect human health. Some governments have realized how serous the problem is and are making laws to get rid of harmful waste. They are also trying to limit the amount of waste industries are allowed to produce. Not only governments but the public as well must form part of the solution. They can choose not to buy those products which require the production of harmful waste, attempt to affect policymakers, and produce less harmful waste themselves. Many scientists think that waste production can be cut. The waste can be reduced by at least one-third using existing technologies and methods. What is mainly discussed in the text? A) The effect of every chemical. B) Problems of harmful waste. C) Chemicals used for industrial processes. D) Events related to waste chemicals.
Ans: B
Ques: More and more people are aware that an afternoon nap can do a body good. But there are still doubters out there. To help spread the power of the afternoon nap, we list some common misunderstandings about napping we still hear. Misunderstanding # 1 : Napping is only for the lazy. Fact: Around a third of American adults nap on the average day, and for good reason: A short nap can improve everything from alertness and memory to creativity and productivity . And none of these sounds like laziness to us! Misunderstanding # 2 : If I take a nap, I'll only wake up feeling worse. Fact: That weak feeling after you wake up from a nap is real (it even has a name: sleep inertia), but it's not a guarantee . How you feel after your nap is a factor of how long you sleep. Experts generally agree that a nap should last no longer than 30 minutes. "If it takes longer than 30 minutes, you end up in deep sleep. You're going into a stage of sleep where you find it very difficult to wake up." said sleep expert Michael J. Breus, Ph. D. Next time you're in the mood for a nap, set your alarm for 20 to 30 minutes, tops. Misunderstanding # 3 : You mustn't nap at work. Fact: In fact, in the office environment, we're all for catching a few winks during the workday. Some companies have even created special rooms for afternoon naps as more and more employers come around to the idea that a well-rested workforce is a more productive workforce. If your employer doesn't offer a place to lay your head, try to find an empty conference room where you can close the door and turn off the lights. Really want. You can also take a nap during your lunch break on a park bench or in your car. Misunderstanding # 4 : I'll be more productive if I just finish this task, rather than waste time sleeping. Fact: Yes, you'll be away from your desk if you spend 10 to 30 minutes sleeping. But you'll likely make up for that "wasted" time afterward. "My research shows that people feel tired after a long time of work during the day," Sara Mednick told Bloomberg... Which of the following is the best title for the passage? A) The advantages of taking a nap. B) The more naps you take, the more productive you become. C) 4 things people get wrong about napping. D) How to take an afternoon nap correctly.
Ans:
C