题目
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn"t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn"t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的)ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of "indifferent relationships". It"s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they"re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort .As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and(产出).The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we"re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than Mends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals" sense of self-worth.Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one"s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I"ll take it anyway.46. What did the author realize when he re-entered the corporate world?A) Making new Mends with his workmates was not as easy as he had anticipated.B) Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships helped him expel solitary feelings.C) Working in the corporate world requires more interpersonal skills than self-employment.D) Building close relationships with his colleagues was not as important as he had ejected.47. What do we learn from many studies about collegial relationships?A) Inharmonious relationships have an adverse effect on productivity.B) Harmonious relationships are what many companies aim to cultivate.C) Close collegial relationships contribute very little to product quality.D) Conflicting relationships in the workplace exist almost everywhere.48. What can be inferred about relationships at work from an academic analysis?A) They should be cultivated.B) They are virtually irrelevant.C) They are vital to corporate culture.D) They should be reasonably intimate.49. What does the author say about people who are socially lazy?A) They feel uncomfortable when engaging in social interactions.B) They often find themselves in confrontation with their colleagues.C) They are unwilling to make efforts to maintain workplace relationships.D) They lack basic communication skills in dealing with interpersonal issues.60. What is one of the benefits of indifferent relationships?A) They provide fun at work.B) They help control emotions.C) They help resolve differences.D) They improve work efficiency.
When I re-entered the full-time workforce a few years ago after a decade of solitary self-employment, there was one thing I was looking forward to the most: the opportunity to have work friends once again. It wasn"t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn"t emerge as a priority at all. This is surprising when you consider the prevailing emphasis by scholars and trainers and managers on the importance of cultivating close interpersonal relationships at work. So much research has explored the way in which collegial (同事的)ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy, undermining, anger, and more.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of "indifferent relationships". It"s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they"re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort .
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and(产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we"re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than Mends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals" sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one"s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I"ll take it anyway.
46. What did the author realize when he re-entered the corporate world?
A) Making new Mends with his workmates was not as easy as he had anticipated.
B) Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships helped him expel solitary feelings.
C) Working in the corporate world requires more interpersonal skills than self-employment.
D) Building close relationships with his colleagues was not as important as he had ejected.
47. What do we learn from many studies about collegial relationships?
A) Inharmonious relationships have an adverse effect on productivity.
B) Harmonious relationships are what many companies aim to cultivate.
C) Close collegial relationships contribute very little to product quality.
D) Conflicting relationships in the workplace exist almost everywhere.
48. What can be inferred about relationships at work from an academic analysis?
A) They should be cultivated.
B) They are virtually irrelevant.
C) They are vital to corporate culture.
D) They should be reasonably intimate.
49. What does the author say about people who are socially lazy?
A) They feel uncomfortable when engaging in social interactions.
B) They often find themselves in confrontation with their colleagues.
C) They are unwilling to make efforts to maintain workplace relationships.
D) They lack basic communication skills in dealing with interpersonal issues.
60. What is one of the benefits of indifferent relationships?
A) They provide fun at work.
B) They help control emotions.
C) They help resolve differences.
D) They improve work efficiency.
Perhaps my expectations of lunches, water-cooler gossip and caring, deep-and-meaningful conversations were a legacy of the last time I was in that kind of office environment. Whereas now, as I near the end of my fourth decade, I realize work can be fully functional and entirely fulfilling without needing to be best mates with the people sitting next to you.
In an academic analysis just published in the profoundly-respected Journal of Management, researchers have looked at the concept of "indifferent relationships". It"s a simple term that encapsulates (概括) the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even, dare I say it, disposable or substitutable.
Indifferent relationships are neither positive nor negative. The limited research conducted thus far indicates they"re especially dominant among those who value independence over cooperation, and harmony over confrontation. Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort .
As noted above, indifferent relationships may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some of the issues that pop up at work. But there are nonetheless several empirically proven benefits. One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and(产出).
The other is self-esteem. As human beings, we"re primed to compare ourselves to each other in what is an anxiety-inducing phenomenon. Apparently, we look down on acquaintances more so than Mends. Since the former is most common among those inclined towards indifferent relationships, their predominance can bolster individuals" sense of self-worth.
Ego aside, a third advantage is that the emotional neutrality of indifferent relationships has been found to enhance critical evaluation, to strengthen one"s focus on task resolution, and to gain greater access to valuable information. None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing but, hey, I"ll take it anyway.
46. What did the author realize when he re-entered the corporate world?
A) Making new Mends with his workmates was not as easy as he had anticipated.
B) Cultivating positive interpersonal relationships helped him expel solitary feelings.
C) Working in the corporate world requires more interpersonal skills than self-employment.
D) Building close relationships with his colleagues was not as important as he had ejected.
47. What do we learn from many studies about collegial relationships?
A) Inharmonious relationships have an adverse effect on productivity.
B) Harmonious relationships are what many companies aim to cultivate.
C) Close collegial relationships contribute very little to product quality.
D) Conflicting relationships in the workplace exist almost everywhere.
48. What can be inferred about relationships at work from an academic analysis?
A) They should be cultivated.
B) They are virtually irrelevant.
C) They are vital to corporate culture.
D) They should be reasonably intimate.
49. What does the author say about people who are socially lazy?
A) They feel uncomfortable when engaging in social interactions.
B) They often find themselves in confrontation with their colleagues.
C) They are unwilling to make efforts to maintain workplace relationships.
D) They lack basic communication skills in dealing with interpersonal issues.
60. What is one of the benefits of indifferent relationships?
A) They provide fun at work.
B) They help control emotions.
C) They help resolve differences.
D) They improve work efficiency.
题目解答
答案
参考答案：DABCD
解析
整体考察内容
本文围绕工作场所中的“冷漠关系”（indifferent relationships）展开，探讨其定义、形成原因及潜在好处，批判了传统上对职场亲密关系的过度强调。题目主要考查对细节信息的理解、推理及观点把握。
46题解析：作者重返职场的感悟
题目问作者重返企业界时意识到了什么。根据原文第一段：“It wasn"t until I entered the corporate world that I realized, for me at least, being friends with colleagues didn"t emerge as a priority at all.”（直到进入企业界，我才意识到，至少对我来说，与同事成为朋友根本不是优先事项。）
- A选项“交朋友不如预期容易”未提及，文中说的是“不是优先事项”，非“难”；
- B选项“积极关系帮助驱除孤独”与作者经历相反，作者曾是自由职业者，重返职场后发现不需要亲密同事；
- C选项“企业需要更多人际技能”未提到；
- D选项“建立亲密关系不如预期重要”符合文意，“不是优先事项”即重要性降低。
47题解析：关于同事关系的研究结论
题目问从众多研究中了解到什么。原文第一段：“So much research has explored the way in which collegial ties can help overcome a range of workplace issues affecting productivity and the quality of work output such as team-based conflict, jealousy...”（大量研究探讨了同事关系如何帮助克服影响生产力和产出质量的问题，如团队冲突、嫉妒等。）
- A选项“不和谐关系对生产力有负面影响”为上述内容的反向推理：既然同事关系能克服这些问题，说明不和谐关系会导致问题，符合逻辑；
- B选项“公司旨在培养和谐关系”未提及，研究强调的是同事关系的作用，非公司目标；
- C选项“亲密关系对质量贡献小”与文意相反，研究说同事关系能帮助提升质量；
- D选项“冲突关系无处不在”未提到。
48题解析：学术分析对职场关系的结论
题目问学术分析如何推断职场关系。第三段：“Indifferent relationships... encapsulates the fact that relationships at work can reasonably be non-intimate, inconsequential, unimportant and even... disposable or substitutable.”（冷漠关系概括了一个事实：职场关系可以是非亲密的、无关紧要的、不重要的，甚至是可替代的。）
- A选项“应该培养”与文意相反，作者讨论的是“冷漠关系”的合理性；
- B选项“实际上无关紧要”符合“inconsequential, unimportant”；
- C选项“对企业文化至关重要”未提及；
- D选项“应该适度亲密”与“non-intimate”矛盾。
49题解析：作者对“社交懒惰者”的看法
题目问作者如何描述“社交懒惰者”。第四段：“Indifference is also the preferred option among those who are socially lazy. Maintaining relationships over the long term takes effort. For some of us, too much effort.”（冷漠也是社交懒惰者的首选。长期维持关系需要努力，对一些人来说太费力。）
- A选项“社交时不适”未提及，仅说“懒惰”；
- B选项“常与同事冲突”对应“harmony over confrontation”（重视和谐超过冲突），非懒惰者特征；
- C选项“不愿为维持关系努力”符合“too much effort”的语境；
- D选项“缺乏沟通技能”未提到。
50题解析：冷漠关系的好处之一
题目问冷漠关系的好处。第五段：“One of those is efficiency. Less time chatting and socializing means more time working and output.”（其一就是效率。少聊天社交意味着更多时间工作和产出。）
- A选项“工作有趣”与文末“None of that might be as fun as after-work socializing”相反；
- B选项“控制情绪”未提及，文末说“emotional neutrality”（情感中立）增强批判性评价，非控制情绪；
- C选项“解决分歧”与第五段“may not always be the most helpful approach in resolving some issues”矛盾；
- D选项“提高效率”符合原文。