大学英语自学教程下.docx

大学英语自学教程下.docx

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大学英语自学教程下

大学英语自学教程（下）

01-A.WhatIsaDecision?

2

01-B.SecretsofSuccessatanInterview4

02-A.BlackHoles7

02-B.WorldswithinWorlds9

03-A.Euthanasia:

ForandAgainst11

03-B.AdvantageUnfair13

04-A.SlaveryonOurDoorstep16

04-B.ReturnofTheChainGang18

05-A.TheNewMusic20

05-B.DifferentTypesofComposers21

06-A.ImprovingIndustrialEfficiencythroughRobotics23

06-B.PredictingEarthquakes25

07-A.LeisureandLeadership27

07-B.TheTimeMessage29

08-A.JetLag:

PreventionandCure32

08-B.CoetrollingYourConcentration34

09-A.AginginEuropeanCountries37

09-B.Children'sSelf-esteem39

10-A.TheCampaignforElection42

10-B.TheAmericanTwo-partySystem44

11-A.SacrificedtoScience?

46

11-B.Let'sStopKeepingPets49

12-A.LetYourMindWander51

12-B.ToSleep,PerchancetoDream55

13-A.Work,Labor,andPlay59

13-B.TheWorkman'sCompensation61

14-A.TheTeacher'sLastShockinglesson64

14-B.TheSeedsofWrath66

15-A.TheComputerandThePoet69

15-B.ChangestoComeinU.S.Education71

01-A.WhatIsaDecision?

Adecisionisachoicemadefromamongalternativecoursesofactionthatareavailable.Thepurposeofmakingadecisionistoestablishandachieveorganizationalgoalsandobjectives.Thereasonformakingadecisionisthataproblemexists,goalsorobjectivesarewrong,orsomethingisstandinginthewayofaccomplishingthem.

Thusthedecision-makingprocessisfundamentaltomanagement.Almosteverythingamanagerdoesinvolvesdecisions,indeed,somesuggestthatthemanagementprocessisdecisionmaking.Althoughmanagerscannotpredictthefuture,manyoftheirdecisionsrequirethattheyconsiderpossiblefutureevents.Oftenmanagersmustmakeabestguessatwhatthefuturewillbeandtrytoleaveaslittleaspossibletochance,hutsinceuncertaintyisalwaysthere,riskaccompaniesdecisions.Sometimestheconsequencesofapoordecisionareslight;atothertimestheyareserious.

Choiceistheopportunitytoselectamongalternatives.Ifthereisnochoice,thereisnodecisiontobemade.Decisionmakingistheprocessofchoosing,andmanydecisionshaveabroadrangeofchoice.Forexample,astudentmaybeabletochooseamonganumberofdifferentcoursesinordertoimplementthedecisiontoobtainacollegedegree.Formanagers,everydecisionhasconstraintsbasedonpolicies,procedures,laws,precedents,andthelike.Theseconstraintsexistatalllevelsoftheorganization.

Alternativesarethepossiblecoursesofactionfromwhichchoicescanbemade.Iftherearenoalternatives,thereisnochoiceand,therefore,nodecision.Ifnoalternativesareseen,oftenitmeansthatathoroughjobofexaminingtheproblemshasnotbeendone.Forexample,managerssometimestreatproblemsinaneither/orfashion;thisistheirwayofsimplifyingcomplexproblems.Butthetendencytosimplifyblindsthemtootheralternatives.

Atthemanageriallevel,decisionmakingincludeslimitingalternativesaswellasidentifyingthem,andtherangeisfromhighlylimitedtopracticallyunlimited.

Decisionmakersmusthavesomewayofdeterminingwhichofseveralalternativesisbest--thatis,whichcontributesthemosttotheachievementoforganizationalgoals.Anorganizationalgoalisanendorastateofaffairstheorganizationseekstoreach.Becauseindividuals（andorganizations）frequentlyhavedifferentideasabouthowtoattainthegoals,thebestchoicemaydependonwhomakesthedecision.Frequently,departmentsorunitswithinanorganizationmakedecisionsthataregoodforthemindividuallybutthatarelessthanoptimalforthelargerorganization.Calledsuboptimization,thisisatrade-offthatincreasestheadvantagestooneunitorfunctionbutdecreasestheadvantagestoanotherunitorfunction.Forexample,themarketingmanagermayargueeffectivelyforanincreasedadvertisingbudget.Inthelargerschemeofthings,however,increasedfundingforresearchtoimprovetheproductsmightbemorebeneficialtotheorganization.

Thesetrade-offsoccurbecausetherearemanyobjectivesthatorganizationswishtoattainsimultaneously.Someoftheseobjectivesaremoreimportantthanothers,buttheorderanddegreeofimportanceoftenvaryfrompersontopersonandfromdepartmenttodepartment.Differentmanagersdefinethesameproblemindifferentterms.Whenpresentedwithacommoncase,salesmanagerstendtoseesalesproblems,productionmanagersseeproductionproblems,andsoon.

Theorderingandimportanceofmultipleobjectivesisalsobased,inpart,onthevaluesofthedecisionmaker.Suchvaluesarepersonal;theyarehardtounderstand,evenbytheindividual,becausetheyaresodynamicandcomplex.Inmanybusinesssituationsdifferentpeople'svaluesaboutacceptabledegreesofriskandprofitabilitycausedisagreementaboutthecorrectnessofdecisions.

Peopleoftenassumethatadecisionisanisolatedphenomenon.Butfromasystemspointofview,problemshavemultiplecauses,anddecisionshaveintendedandunintendedconsequences.Anorganizationisanongoingentity,andadecisionmadetodaymayhaveconsequencesfarintothefuture.Thustheskilledmanagerlookstowardthefutureconsequencesofcurrentdecisions.

01-B.SecretsofSuccessatanInterview

Thesubjectoftoday'stalkisinterviews.

Thekeywordsherearepreparationandconfidence,whichwillcarryyoufar.

Doyourhomeworkfirst.

Findoutallyoucanaboutthejobyouareapplyingforandtheorganizationyouhopetoworkfor.

ManyoftheemployersIinterviewedmadethesamecriticismofcandidates."Theyhavenoideawhatthedaytodayworkofthejobbringsabout.Theyhavevaguenotionsof"furtheringthecompany'sprospects’orof'servingthecommunity',buthavenevertakenthetroubletofindouttheactualtaskstheywillberequiredtodo.”

Donotletthisbesaidofyou.Itshowsanunattractiveindifferencetoyouremployerandtoyourjob.

Takethetimetoputyourselfintotheinterviewer'splace.Hewantssomebodywhoishard-workingwithapleasantpersonalityandarealinterestinthejob.

Anythingthatyoufindoutabouttheprospectiveemployercanbeusedtoyouradvantageduringtheinterviewtoshowthatyouhavebotheredtomastersomefactsaboutthepeoplewhoyouhopetoworkfor.

Writedown（andremember）thequestionsyouwanttoasktheinterviewer（s）sothatyouarenotspeechlesswhentheyinviteyourquestions.Makesurethatholidaysandpayarenotthefirstthingsyouaskabout.Ifallyourquestionshavebeenansweredduringtheinterview,reply:

"Infact,Ididhaveseveralquestions,butyouhavealreadyansweredthemall.”

Donotbeafraidtoaskforclarificationofsomethingthathasbeensaidduringtheinterviewifyouwanttobesurewhatwasimplied,butdobepolite.

Justbeforeyougototheinterview,lookagainattheoriginaladvertisementthatyouanswered,anycorrespondencefromyourprospectiveemployer,photocopiesofyourletterofapplicationorapplicationformandyourresume.

Thenyouwillrememberwhatyousaidandwhattheywant.Thisisveryimportantifyouhaveappliedformanyjobsinashorttimeasitiseasytobecomeconfusedandgiveanimpressionofinefficiency.

Makesureyouknowwhereandwhenyouhavetoreportfortheinterview.Gotothebuilding（butnotinsidetheoffice）adayortwobefore,ifnecessary,tofindouthowlongthejourneytakesandwhereexactlytheplaceis.

Aimtoarrivefiveortenminutesearlyfortheactualinterview,thenyouwillhavealittletimeinhandandyouwillnotpanicifyouaredelayed.Youstartatadisadvantageifyouarriveworriedandtenminuteslate.

Dressinclean,neat,conservativeclothes.NowisNOTthetimetoexperimentwiththepunklookor（girls）towearlow-cutdresseswithminiskirts.Makesurethatyourshoes,handsandhair（andteeth）arecleanandneat.

Havetheletterinvitingyouforaninterviewreadytoshowincasethereisanydifficultyincommunication.

Youmayfindyourselffacingoneinterviewerorapanel.Thelatterisfarmoreintimidating,butdonotletitworryyoutoomuch.Theinterviewerwillprobablyhaveatableinfrontofhim/her.Donotputyourthingsorarmsonit.

Ifyouhaveabagoracase,putitonthefloorbesideyourchair.Donotclutchitnervouslyor,worsestill,dropit,spillingeverything.

Shakehandsiftheintervieweroffershishandfirst.Thereislittlelikelihoodthatapaneloffivewantstogothoughtheprocessofallshakinghandswithyouinturn.Soyoudonotbeupsetifnooneoffers.

Shakehandsfirmly--aweakhandsuggestsaweakpersonality,andacrushinggripisobviouslypainful.Donotdropthehandassoonasyourshastoucheditasthiswillseemtoshowyoudonotliketheotherperson.

Speakpolitelyandnaturallyevenifyouarefeelingshy.Thinkbeforeyouansweranyquestions.

Ifyoucannotunderstand,ask:

"Wouldyoumindrephrasingthequestion,please?

"Thequestionwillthenberepeatedindifferentwords.

Ifyouarenotdefinitelyacceptedorturneddownonthespot,ask:

"WhenmayIexpecttoheartheresultsofthisinterview?

"

Ifyoudoreceivealetterofferingyouthejob,youmustreplybyletter（keepaphotocopy）assoonaspossible.

Goodluck!

02-A.BlackHoles

Whatisablackhole?

Well,it'sdifficulttoanswerthisquestion,sincethetermswewouldnormallyusetodescribeascientificphenomenonareinadequatehere.Astronomersandscientiststhinkthatablackholeisaregionofspace（notathing）intowhichmatterhasfallenandfromwhichnothingcanescape?

notevenlight.Sowecan'tseeablackhole.Ablackholeexertsastronggravitationalpullandyetithasnomatter.Itisonlyspace--orsowethink.How