C When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done. These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity. Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning. What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avent and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities — from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga — by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time” vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up. The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies. This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier. (1) What does the author think of time displayed everywhere? A. It makes everybody time-conscious. B. It is a convenience for work and life. C. It may have a negative effect on creative work. D. It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life. (2) How do people usually go about their work according to the author? A. They handle the most urgent task on hand first. B. They combine clock-based and task-based planning. C. They set a time limit for each specific task. D. They accomplish their tasks one by one. (3) What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers? A. They seize opportunities as they come up. B. They always get their work done in time. C. They have more control over their lives. D. They tend to be more productive. (4) According to the researchers, which of the following statements about today’s business culture is true? A. It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies. B. It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice. C. It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives. D. It aims to bring employees’ potential and creativity into full play. (5) It can be inferred from the passage that ______. A. task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work. B. it is important to keep a balance between work and life. C. performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier. D. a scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.
C
When it’s five o’clock, people leave their office. The length of the workday, for many workers, is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they’re done.
These days, the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches, but on cell-phones and computers. That may be a bad thing, particularly at work. New research shows that clock-based work schedules hinder morale (士气) and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours. For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m. to noon, etc. On the other hand, task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish. They work down the list, each task starts when the previous task is completed. It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.
What, then, are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avent and Anne-Laure Sellier, they had participants organize different activities — from project planning, holiday shopping, to yoga — by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under “clock time” vs “task time.” They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives. Task timers are happier and more creative, but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening, and seize opportunities that come up.
The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture. Smart companies, they believe, will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.
This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office, but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time. While most people will still probably need, and be, to some extent, clock-timers, task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity. It’ll make those tasks easier, and the task-doers will be happier.
| A. It makes everybody time-conscious. |
| B. It is a convenience for work and life. |
| C. It may have a negative effect on creative work. |
| D. It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life. |
| A. They handle the most urgent task on hand first. |
| B. They combine clock-based and task-based planning. |
| C. They set a time limit for each specific task. |
| D. They accomplish their tasks one by one. |
| A. They seize opportunities as they come up. |
| B. They always get their work done in time. |
| C. They have more control over their lives. |
| D. They tend to be more productive. |
| A. It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies. |
| B. It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice. |
| C. It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives. |
| D. It aims to bring employees’ potential and creativity into full play. |
| A. task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work. |
| B. it is important to keep a balance between work and life. |
| C. performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier. |
| D. a scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation. |
题目解答
答案
| 【小题1】C | 【小题2】B | 【小题3】D | 【小题4】B | 【小题5】A |
解析
文章讨论了两种时间管理方式:基于时钟的时间管理和基于任务的时间管理。基于时钟的时间管理方式更高效,但会降低幸福感;基于任务的时间管理方式更幸福和有创造力,但效率较低。研究者建议在需要创造力的工作中采用基于任务的时间管理方式。
步骤 2:分析每个问题
(1) 作者对时间显示在各个地方的看法是什么?
文章提到,时间显示在各个地方可能对创造性工作有负面影响。因此,选项C是正确的。
(2) 根据作者,人们通常如何进行工作?
文章提到,人们通常会结合基于时钟和基于任务的时间管理方式。因此,选项B是正确的。
(3) Tamar Avnet和Anne-Laure Sellier在他们的实验中关于基于时钟的时间管理方式发现了什么?
实验发现,基于时钟的时间管理方式更高效。因此,选项D是正确的。
(4) 根据研究者,关于当今的商业文化,以下哪项陈述是正确的?
研究者认为,当今的商业文化没有足够重视基于任务的时间管理方式。因此,选项B是正确的。
(5) 从文章中可以推断出什么?
文章建议在需要创造力的工作中采用基于任务的时间管理方式。因此,选项A是正确的。