A survey by an international temporary service agency found that U.S.managers believe that people with a sense of humour do better at their jobs, compared with those who have little or no sense of humour.In fact, about 96 percent of those surveyed said people with a sense of humour do better.
The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues.Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players.
Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension.
Research done by psychologist Dr.Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think.When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed. According to Dr.Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat.
If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times.
1.Most people think a sense of humour can ________.
A.help you to do your work better B.make you have a rich life
C.make you pleased with your work D.help you to make more friends
2.Many people don't use humour more in the workplace because __________.
A.they like keeping silent when working
B.they don't know the positive effects of humour
C.they think they should obey the rules
D.they don't like joking or laughing
3.A person without a sense of humour is easier __________.
A.to feel surprised B.to get along with
C.to be worried D.to be successful
4.What is probably the best title for the article?
A.People with a Sense of Humour. B.Humour Is Important in the Workplace.
C.Humour and Humourless. D.Everyone Likes Humour.
A couple had two little boys aged 8 and 10 who were very naughty.They were always getting into trouble and their parents knew that if any trouble occurred in their town their sons were probably involved.
The boys' mother heard that a clergyman(牧师) in the town had been successful in educating children so she asked if he would speak with her boys.The clergyman agreed but asked to see them individually.So the mother sent her 8-year-old first in the morning with the elder boy to see the clergyman in the afternoon.
The clergyman, a huge man with a booming (嗡嗡) voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him strictly, "Where is God?"
The boy's mouth dropped open but he made no answer, sitting there with his mouth hanging open, wide-eyed.So the clergyman repeated the question in an even stricter tone "Where is God?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer.So the clergyman raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and shouted" Where is God?"
The boy screamed and escaped from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.When his elder brother found him in the closet, he asked "What happened?"
The younger brother replied out of breath, "We are in big trouble this time.God is missing--and they think we did it."
1.What were the two boys like?
A.They always made trouble. B.They were brave.
C.They were easygoing. D.They were honest.
2.What did their parents plan to do?
A.They gave up their children.
B.They liked their children very much.
C.They wanted the clergyman to persuade their children.
D.They helped their children to make trouble.
3.What do you suppose the boy felt when he was asked by the clergyman?
A.Happy. B.Sad. C.Afraid. D.Surprised.
4.What do you think the underlined word "slamming" in Paragraph 5 means?
A.Open. B.Shut. C.Knock. D.Pull.
Alice, my friend’s daughter, goes to an expensive private school where she has a friend, Jane, who is on a full scholarship at this school.Jane has 1. economic resources—her father has been dead for years and her mother works 2. a maid.Although her mother works very hard, she can 3. support the family.Jane is very bright and gifted at 4. and that’s how she has got the scholarship, which included a(n) 5. for things like lunch, school uniform and music lessons.
Alice became friends with Jane and would 6. talk to her at lunch.She did it that way in order to avoid the other kids 7. her.
On her birthday last month, she 【小题8 her new friend to her birthday party, but Jane said she couldn’t come.Alice wanted her to be 8. so much that she 9. on her coming.Eventually, the girl said, “I don’t have any 10. clothes that I could wear at your birthday party.” After a brief pause, the girl remembered, “I have a 11. from my piano performance,” and asked, “Could I 12. a skirt from you?”
Alice was happy that her friend would be 13. to come and hurried home to ask her Mum 14. she could lend her friend one of her skirts.To her surprise, her Mum said, “No.” The daughter was very 15. and angrily said to her Mum, “ 16. I could, I would give my friend all my clothes.” The Mother didn’t understand why her daughter should have had such an outburst as she’s normally very well 17. .
Finally, Alice explained to her Mother her friend’s 18. . Her Mother immediately changed her mind and said, “Yes.” She also encouraged her daughter not to feel like she should secretly be friends with Jane but to feel proud of her 19. with her.
So the true friendship seeks to give, not to take; to help, not to be helped; to minister, not to be ministered unto.
20.A.personal B.extra C.limited D.adequate
21.A.for B.with C.like D.as
22.A.hopefully B.obviously C.hardly D.temporarily
23.A.music B.drawing C.maths D.biology
24.A.bonus B.allowance C.donation D.pension
25.A.secretly B.happily C.quietly D.eagerly
26.A.pointing at B.shouting at C.laughing at D.glaring at
27.A.took B.invited C.accompanied D.sent
28.A.happy B.independent C.confident D.present
29.A.depended B.insisted C.focused D.agreed
30.A.casual B.comfortable C.nice D.tight
31.A.shirt B.jeans C.handbag D.necklace
32.A.get B.copy C.order D.borrow
33.A.free B.able C.glad D.willing
34.A.how B.when C.why D.whether
35.A.stubborn B.upset C.firm D.enthusiastic
36.A.If B.When C.Unless D.Though
37.A.treated B.controlled C.educated D.behaved
38.A.cleverness B.character C.circumstances D.competences
39.A.study B.friendship C.sympathy D.performance
_______ Tom, we wouldn’t have been late for the last bus.
A.If we didn’t wait for B.If we haven’t waited for
C.we hadn’t waited for D.Had we not waited for
The twin brothers stand under the tree, ______ and say nothing.
A.puzzled B.puzzling C.being puzzling D.being puzzled
________ that I was puzzled.
A.So difficult a question did he ask me
B.Such difficult a question did he ask me
C.Such a difficult question he asked me
D.He asked me a so difficult question