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Unit 11
Passage One
A is for always getting to work on time. B is for being extremely busy. C is for the conscientious way you do your job. You may be all these things at the office, and more. But when it comes to getting ahead, experts say, the ABCs of business should include a P, for politics, as in office politics.
Dale Carnegie suggested as much more than 50 years ago:Hard work alone doesn t ensure career advancement. You have to be able to sell yourself and your ideas, both publicly and behind the scenes. Yet, despite the obvious rewards of engaging in office politics a better job, a raise, praise many people are still unable or unwilling to play the game.
People assume that office politics involves some manipulative behavior, says Deborah Comer, an assistant professor of management at Hofstra University. But politics derives from the word polite . It can mean lobbying and forming associations. It can mean being kind and helpful, or even trying to please your superior, and then expecting something in return.
In fact, today, experts define office politics as proper behavior used to pursue one s own self-interest in the workplace. In many cases, this involves some form Of Socializing within the office environment not just in large companies, but in small workplaces as well.
The first thing people are usually judged on is their ability to perform well on a consistent basis, says Neil P Lewis, a management psychologist. But if two or three candidates are up for a promotion, each of whom has reasonably similar ability, a manager is going to promote the person he or she likes best. It s simple human nature.
Yet, psychologists say, many employees and employers have trouble with the concept of politics in the office. Some people, they say, have an idealistic vision of work and what it takes to succeed. Still others associate politics with flattery , fearful that, if they speak up for themselves, they may appear to be flattering their boss for favors.
Experts suggest altering this negative picture by recognizing the need for some self-promotion.
11. Office politics is used in the passage to refer to ________.
A) the code of behavior for company staff
B) the political views and beliefs of office workers
C) the interpersonal relationships within a company
D) the various qualities required for a successful career
12.To get promoted, one must not only be competent but ________.
A) give his boss a good impression
B) honest and loyal to his company
C) get along well with his colleagues
D) avoid being too outstanding
13.Why are many people unwilling to play the game ?
A) They believe that doing so is impractical.
B) They feel that such behavior is unprincipled.
C) They are not good at manipulating colleagues.
D) They think the effort will get them nowhere.
14.The author considers office politics to be ________.
A) unwelcome at the workplace
B) bad for interpersonal relationships
C) indispensable to the development of company culture
D) an important factor for personal advancement
15.It is the author s view that ________.
A) speaking up for oneself is part of human nature
B) self-promotion does not necessarily mean flattery
C) hard work contributes very little to one s promotion
D) many employees fail to recognize the need of flattery
Passage Two
As soon as it was revealed that a reporter for Progressive magazine had discovered how to make a hydrogen bomb, a group of firearm fans formed the National Hydrogen Bomb Association, and they are now lobbying against any legislation to stop Americans from owning one.
The Constitution, said the association s spokesman, gives everyone the right to own arms. It doesn t spell out what kind of arms. But since anyone can now make a hydrogen bomb, the public should be able to buy it to protect themselves.
Don t you think it s dangerous to have one in the house, particularly where there are children around?
The National Hydrogen Bomb Association hopes to educate people in the safe handling of this type of weapon. We are instructing owners to keep the bomb in a locked cabinet and thefuse separately in a drawer.
Some people consider the hydrogen bomb a very fatal weapon which could kill somebody.
The spokesman said, Hydrogen bombs don t kill people people kill people. The bomb is for self-protection and it also has a deterrent effect. If somebody knows you have a nuclear weapon in your house, they re going to think twice about breaking in.
But those who want to ban the bomb for American citizens claim that if you have one locked in the cabinet, with the fuse in a drawer, you would never be able to assemble it in time to stop an intruder .
Another argument against allowing people to own a bomb is that at the moment it is very expensive to build one. So what your association is backing is a program which would allow the middle and upper classes to acquire a bomb while poor people will be left defenseless with just handguns.
16.According to the passage, some people started a national association so as to ________.
A) block any legislation to ban the private possession of the bomb
B) coordinate the mass production of the destructive weapon
C) instruct people how to keep the bomb safe at home
D) promote the large-scale sale of this newly invented weapon
17.Some people oppose the ownership of H-bombs by individuals on the grounds that ________.
A) the size of the bomb makes it difficult to keep in a drawer
B) most people don t know how to handle the weapon
C) people s lives will be threatened by the weapon
D) they may fall into the hands of criminals
18.By saying that the bomb also has a deterrent effect the spokesman means that it ________.
A) will frighten away any possible intruders
B) can show the special status of its owners
C) will threaten the safety of the owners as well
D) can kill those entering others houses by force
19.According to the passage, opponents of the private ownership of H-bombs are very much worried that ________.
A) the influence of the association is too powerful for the less privileged to overcome
B) poorly-educated Americans will find it difficult to make use of the weapon
C) the wide use of the weapon will push up living expenses tremendously
D) the cost of the weapon will put citizens on an unequal basis
20.From the tone of the passage we know that the author is ________.
A) doubtful about the necessity of keeping H-bombs at home for safety
B) unhappy with those who vote against the ownership of H-bombs
C) not serious about the private ownership of H-bombs
D) concerned about the spread of nuclear weapons