As anyone who has tried to lose weight knows, realistic goal-setting generally produces the best results. That’s partly because most people who set realistic goals actually work more efficiently, and put more effort, to achieve those goals.
What’s far less understood by scientists, however, are the potentially harmful effects of goal-setting. Newspapers convey daily accounts of goal-setting widespread in industries and businesses up and down both Wall Street and Main Street, yet there has been surprisingly little research on how the long-advocated practice of setting goals may have contributed to the current economic crisis, and immoral behavior in general.
“Goals are widely used and promoted as having really beneficial effects. And yet, the same motivation that can push people to put more effort in a constructive way could also motivate people to be more likely to engage in immoral behaviors,” says Maurice Schweitzer, an associate professor at Penn’s Wharton School. His paper, titled “Goals Gone Wild: The Systematic Side Effects of Over-Praised Goal Setting,” appears in the February issue of the Academy of Management Perspectives.
“It turns out there’s no financial benefit to just having a goal---you just get a psychological benefit” Schweitzer says. “But in many cases, goals have financial rewards that make them more powerful.”
A major example Schweitzer and his colleagues give is the 2004 breakdown of energy-trading giant Enron( 德国安然公司), where managers used financial rewards to motivate salesmen to meet specific goals. The problem, Schweitzer says, is that the actual trades were not profitable.
Other studies have shown that burdening employees with unrealistic goals can force them to lie, cheat or steal. Such was the case in the early 1990s when Sears（西尔斯公司）placed a sales quota (销售限额) on its auto repair staff. It inspired employees to overcharge for work and to complete unnecessary repairs on a companywide basis.
Schweitzer admits his research runs counter to a very large body of literature that praises the many benefits of goal-setting. Advocates of the practice have argued with his team’s use of such evidence as news accounts to support his conclusion that goal-setting is widely over-praised.
In a rebuttal (反驳) paper, Dr. Edwin Locke writes: “Goal-setting is not going away. Organizations cannot grow without being focused on their desired end results any more than an individual can grow without goals to provide a sense of purpose.”
But Schweitzer argues the “evidence” linking goal-setting and harmful behavior should be studied to help draw attention to issues that deserve attention and further investigation. “Even a few negative effects could be so large that they outweigh many positive effects,” he says.
The debate is likely to get heated on in future papers, and the practice of setting goals no doubt will continue. For now, though, the lesson seems to be to put more thought into setting goals.
“Goal-setting does help motivate people. My idea would be to combine that with careful management, a strong organizational culture, and make sure the goals that you use are going to be constructive and not significantly harmful to the organization,” Schweitzer says.
1.What does Maurice Schweitzer want to show by mentioning the example of Enron?
A．Setting realistic goals can turn a failing business into success.
B．Businesses are likely to succeed without realistic goals.
C．Companies are certain to meet specific goals with financial rewards.
D．Goals with financial rewards have strong motivational power.
2.How did Sears’ goal-setting affect its employees?
A．They had to work more hours to increase their sales.
B．They competed with one another to attract more customers.
C．They turned to immoral practice to reach their goals.
D．They improved their customer service on a companywide basis.
3.The underlined words “runs counter to” (Paragraph 7) can be replaced by ________.
A．agrees with B．goes against C．fits in with D．applies to
4.What is Edwin Locke’s argument against Schweitzer?
A．The practice of setting goals only helps people to develop.
B．Goal-setting is of no use motivating people to accomplish their tasks.
C．The positive effects of goal-setting outweigh its negative effects.
D．Studying goal-setting can contribute to successful business practices.
5.According to the passage, the author tries to convey ___________.
A．the goals that most people set are unrealistic.
B．all people can improve their work quality by setting goals.
C．setting goals can provide people with a sense of purpose.
D．people should not ignore the negative effects of goal-setting.
Generic Name: ASPIRIN
Pronunciation: ['æsp?rin]
Why it is prescribed (开药方)：
1. Aspirin relieves mild to moderate pain.
2. It reduces fever, redness, and swelling.
3. It prevents blood from clotting (凝结).
When it is to be taken:
1. Aspirin is often taken without a prescription.
2. Follow the instructions on the label and package.
3. If your doctor prescribes aspirin for you, you will receive specific instructions for how often you should take it.
4. Keep in touch with your doctor.
How it should be taken:
1. Aspirin comes in the form of suppositories (栓剂), capsules, and regular, coated, extended-release, and chewable tablets.
2. Regular, coated, and extended-release aspirin tablets and capsules should be swallowed with a full glass of water or milk after meals to avoid stomach upset.
3. Chewable aspirin tablets may be chewed, crushed, dissolved in a liquid, or swallowed whole; a full glass of water, milk, or fruit juice should be drunk immediately after taking these tablets.
Special Instruction:
1. Children should not take aspirin for fevers associated with flu or chickenpox (水痘) because such use has been linked with a serious illness known as Reye’s syndrome.
2. Adults should not take aspirin for pain for more than 10 days (five days for children) without consulting a doctor.
3. Aspirin should not be taken by adults or children for high fever, fever lasting longer than three days without a doctor’s supervision (监管).
4. Do not give more than five doses (剂量) to a child in a 24-hour period unless directed to do so by a doctor.
5. If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it and resume the prescribed schedule.
Side Effects:
1. Although side effects from aspirin are not common, they can occur.
2. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, indigestion and heartburn are common. Take aspirin after meals, with a full glass of water or milk. If these effects continue, contact your doctor.
3. Ringing in the ears, bloody or black stools (粪便), difficulty breathing, dizziness, mental confusion and sleepiness are rare. Stop taking the drug and contact your doctor.
Other Precautions:
1. If you are pregnant or breast-feeding women, inform your doctor before taking aspirin.
2. Do not take aspirin if you are within three months of delivery.
3. Do not take aspirin if you are allergic (过敏) to it.
4. If you have diabetes (糖尿病), regular use of eight or more regular strength aspirin tablets a day may affect test result.
5. If you are taking large doses of aspirin on a long-term basis, avoid having alcoholic drinks because alcohol can increase stomach problems.
6. To prevent an overdose of aspirin, read the labels before taking other pain relievers and cold products to be sure that they do not contain aspirin.
Storage Conditions:
1. Store aspirin in a cool place or in a refrigerator.
2. Throw away aspirin that smells strongly of vinegar.
3. Keep this aspirin out of the reach of children.
1.Which of the following about Aspirin is correct?
A．It only comes in the form of regular tablets.
B．It should not be taken for more than 5 days for children.
C．It can be used to reduce fever and pain and prevent blood clotting.
D．It causes ringing in the ears or difficulty breathing after being taken
2.If you start taking aspirin, you should do all the following things EXCEPT ________.
A．keeping in touch with your doctor
B．taking aspirin tablets after meals to avoid stomach upset
C．drinking a full glass of juice immediately after taking chewable aspirin tablets
D．taking more than 8 regular strength aspirin a day while suffering from diabetes
3.The underlined word “resume” most probably means ________.
A．continue B．make up C．pause D．throw away
4.Which of the following might be a side effect caused by Aspirin?
A．blood clotting B．stomach upset C．lasting fever D．sight problem
5.Where can we probably come across such a text?
A．In a research paper.
B．In the package of a medicine
C．In a medical textbook.
D．In a scientific and technological magazine
NEW YORK (AP) — The investigation into the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz has gone through decades and countries, from basements to rooftops and seemingly everywhere in between.
No one has ever been charged criminally — and the little boy with sandy brown hair and a toothy grin was declared dead in 2001.
This week, the six-year-old boy who went missing from the Soho area of New York City in 1979 is back in the news. Police and the FBI are investigating a possible lead into the 33-year-old case of Etan Patz, the first missing child to appear on the side of a milk box.
The child disappeared on the way to school on the morning of May 25, 1979. It was the first time he was allowed to walk the two blocks to the bus stop alone.
A tip seemed to have led officials to the basement of a building on the corner of Prince and Wooster streets, about a block and a half from where Etan had lived with his family.
The name Etan Patz has become a hot topic on Twitter as people weigh in on the case. Shirley Brady noted: “As mom to a 6 years old in Soho, it’s still held out by locals as cautionary tale (警示故事).” Another wrote, “Boy who disappeared on his way to school in 1979 has been REOPENED! Crazy.” One wondered, “Why is FBI and NYPD searching for a kid that disappeared in 1979?”
Good question. This is a case that Stuart Gra Bois, as an assistant U.S. lawyer under Rudolph Giuliani, followed for years. It became the most famous missing-person case in New York City, turned a nationwide spotlight on missing children, and created headlines around the globe. No one was ever stated guilty of the crime.
The case led to the creation of National Missing Children’s Day, marked on May 25, the day the blond-haired, blue-eyed child went missing.
The case has even pointed to a suspect, charged with child molester (猥亵者) Julio Antonio Ramos, who is currently in prison. Patz’s babysitter had been dating the man, and Ramos did know the kid, but has denied taking him away.
New evidence in the case suggests another suspect who lived in the apartment at the time: a local handyman named Othniel Miller, who gave Etan $1 for helping him the night before the disappearance.
The man’s name had come up in an earlier investigation, but he was a friend of the Patz family, and the NYPD did not follow the lead.
Investigators plan to be at the site, 127 B Prince St., which is now a Lucky Brand jeans store, for the next two to three days to search for human remains. The Associated Press reports that the excavation (挖掘) has been the result of a recently ordered review of the case by Manhattan’s police.
1.We can learn from the first three paragraphs that ________.
A．The 6-year-old missing boy was found by the side of a milk box
B．Police and the FBI have not been following the case of Etan Patz for 33 years
C．The investigation into the disappearance of boy has worked fruitlessly for decades
D．Etan Patz went missing from the Soho area of New York city in 1979 and died in 2001
2.What does the underlined phrase “weigh in on the case” mean?
A．ignore the case B．feel stressed on the case
C．reopen the case D．begin to discuss the case
3.What was a possible cause of reopening the case of Etan Patz?
A．Local lawyers strongly demanded the reopening of the case.
B．The Associated Press reported the result of the review of the case.
C．New evidence appeared which led officials to the basement of a building.
D．Local people realized the importance of the case without criminal being charged.
4.Which of the following statements is true in the text?
A．The National Missing Children’s Day was created on May 25, 1979.
B．The search for human remains will be carried out at 127 B Prince Street.
C．The NYPD didn’t follow the lead of Julio Antonio for he had been dating Patz’ babysitter.
D．Othniel Miller, a local handyman assisted Etan and gave him $1 before the disappearance.
5.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A．People air the same view about the case on the Internet
B．People reject the reopening of the case of the missing boy
C．The missing-person case still has a long-lasting influence on people
D．Twitter is the only place for people to discuss about missing-person cases
My sister and I have been a headache for my mother, because my father was in the army, he was not around too often. __21__, my mother brought us up almost single-handedly and it must have __22__ real strength of mind to bring up such naughty and stubborn children who got out from one trouble only to get into another.
Bonus and I weren’t scholars either. __23__, we hated studying from the very beginning. We were __24__ to spend time with our schoolbooks---out of the fear of Mum’s scolding. I almost did not make it to 10th grade. That entire summer Mum __25__ that I read my schoolbooks from the very first chapter till the last.
I left __26__ college at 18. In my second year of college, while I was studying for my final exams, I got a phone call from Mum __27__ my sister had failed her 9th grade exams. Mum was heartbroken. My mother was an English teacher in a famous school in the city and it was a(n) __28__ for her.
Then started another __29__ for my Mum. There always seemed to be people who would come and talk about how well their children were doing __30__ my mother would be having a tough time making sure we stayed on the right path. Mum was __31__ that we would do well for ourselves. She never let my sister and me __32__ that we had lost out on something and always told us: “Let this be a lesson. We are going to work really really hard...__33__ will change.”
Things did change, but very slowly and __34__, one little step at a time. Last year I finished with law school and started working. My mother’s belief in me __35__. And just a few days ago I got a phone from Bonus. She had __36__ the exam with honors and was __37__ to the best university in the country. I was in tears. Later that night I __38__ Mum: “Mum, your two little failures didn’t do as badly as everybody thought.” Mum __39__ and said: “You are my daughters and I knew you the best. I always knew that you would succeed. It was just a __40__ of time.”
1. A．However B．Thus C．Otherwise D．Besides
2. A．devoted B．spent C．taken D．wasted
3. A．In that case B．In this way C．On the other hand D．On the contrary
4. A．pleased B．annoyed C．forced D．advised
5. A．demanded B．concluded C．promised D．mentioned
6. A．at B．for C．from D．after
7. A．announcing B．reading C．knowing D．saying
8. A．shame B．challenge C．pride D．honor
9. A．experiment B．research C．conflict D．trial
10. A．though B．while C．as D．unless
11. A．determined B．astonished C．satisfied D．concerned
12. A．predict B．imagine C．guess D．feel
13. A．Environment B．Society C．Circumstances D．Impressions
14. A．quickly B．extremely C．smoothly D．gradually
15. A．made up B．paid off C．took on D．burst out
16. A．attended B．received C．passed D．failed
17. A．accepted B．allowed C．admitted D．permitted
18. A．questioned B．convinced C．persuaded D．called
19. A．nodded B．laughed C．shouted D．joked
20. A．matter B．period C．waste D．length
—Will you complete the task in time?
—Surely, I will. _________.
A．Everything is possible B．But it’s too hard
C．No matter what will happen D．Though it’s a piece of cake
--So you know Catherine?
---Yes, it was last week_____ she came to visit my roommate Jane.
A．that B．when C．since D．before
