As a manager,you want to help your employees.And that's great.When an employee comes to you with a problem,you may tend to jump in and offer advice.While your intentions are noble,you may end up helping where it isn't actually needed or taking over the conversation altogether.
You go into rescuer mode,and it's understandable.You're trying to help out wherever you can.But at the end of the day,you're very;tired because you've taken on more than you should have,and your team member is depressed because responsibilities were taken away from them.You thought you were helping as much as you could,but instead you undermined their morale as they had no chance to achieve something independently.
The easiest way to avoid this situation is to be lazy.You just ask questions,especially,ask the laziest coaching question:"How can I help?"
This is the laziest way to find out what your employee needs from you.By asking something like this,you force the person to decide what they need exactly—they might not even know yet themselves.Or they know what they need and will tell you,in the hope that you'll agree with whatever it is.Either way,asking the lazy question creates a win-win situation,as it results in a clear and direct request that will lead to the solution your employee is looking for.
By asking this lazy question,you avoid jumping in to help in the way which you first think is needed—no more rescuer mode!Asking questions is a self-management tool because it keeps you lazy and yet shows your curiosity.
Be lazy and also be outspoken.Ask your employee,“What do you want from me?”Of course,be careful of how you say this,because not everyone will like this.Ask your employee,really,truly,“What can I do to help?”
It sounds easy,but it can be hard to resist the temptation to jump in and help someone,or to offer advice. However,in the end,you'll find that asking the lazy question makes you more useful to those you manage,and it will help you work less hard and.have more impact.
1.What does the underlined part "undermined their morale" mean in Paragraph 2?
A. Lowered their salary.
B. Made them much lazier.
C. Gave them more freedom.
D. Affected their growth and enthusiasm.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Most people like to be in control of the conversation.
B. It's unwise to ask what an employee actually needs.
C. Sometimes we can't help offering help to others.
D. It is best to offer advice when you're asked to.
3.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A. Being a Lazy Manager is a Good Thing
B. How to Offer Advice at Proper Time
C. Why People are Willing to Help Others
D. How to Become an Independent Employee
Vitamin D is essential for bone-building,cognitive function,joint health,immune function,blood sugar control, positive mood and more.It can help prevent many diseases.Some studies suggest that the lower your vitamin D level is,the higher your risk of death from any cause will be.However,it's not a great idea to just grab a supplement（补充物）off the drugstore shelf and start taking it.
Since many of us are deficient in vitamin D,also known as the "sunshine vitamin”,doctors will often give us a prescription（处方）for high levels of vitamin D supplements,with doses ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 IU (International Units) per day,up to 50,000 IU per week,and sometimes even more.But like all good things,it's possible to get too much of it."Very big doses of vitamin D can cause a build-up of calcium in the blood,which leads to nausea,vomiting,poor appetite,weakness,and weight loss,"says Madeline Basler of Real You Nutrition.Here's the bigger issue: any extra intake of,vitamin D can get stored in the body."A build-up of stored vitamin D can cause avoidable problems,"says Marra Francis,Medical Director at Everly Well,"leading to problems such as kidney stones."
The average daily recommended amounts vary based on your age.The National Institutes of Health set the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D at 600 IU daily for infant,children,and adults up to 70 years old. Adults aged 71 and older need 800 IU,since the ability to absorb vitamin D drops with age.People who are obese may also need more vitamin D because the fat cells take it up,making it less available for use by the body.In winter when you're getting less sun exposure,some experts say it's safe to take daily doses of around 1,000 to 2,000 IU without any risk of complications（并发症）.
Though you'll get a bit of vitamin D from foods—including fatty fish beef liver,cheese,egg yolks and mushrooms,plus fortified foods like milk,orange juice,and cereal—the amounts are so small that there's little need to worry that they’ll put you over the daily does.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A. We can actually reduce the risk of death.
B. People don't really know vitamin D well.
C. Vitamin D supplements are necessary for everyone.
D. Vitamin D should be supplemented carefully despite its importance.
2.The underlined part "are deficient in" in Paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.
A. having an inadequate amount of B. paying much attention to
C. being interested in D. being concerned about
3.How much vitamin D should a healthy 60-year-old lady take daily in summer?
A. About 800 IU. B. About 600 IU.
C. No less than 1,000 IU. D. No less than 5,000 IU.
4.What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?
A. What other ways people can take to get vitamin D.
B. What foods we should eat every day to balance our diets.
C. Whether daily foods would overdose people with vitamin
D. D.Whether vitamin D can be supplemented by the foods we eat.
As a legally blind student,the first day of school holds special meaning for me.Along with excitement and nerves over new teachers and new classes,that day in each August also affirms my sense of belonging—a sense that lam claiming a right just as other students do when they.board the school bus or walk to campus.
Since it was passed over thirty-five years ago,the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has required state and local schools receiving federal funding to provide students with disabilities with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).Currently,over 6 million students across the country with various types of disabilities benefit from the IDEA's protections.But parents and school districts have contested exactly what that actually requires.
The case arose,after the parents of Endrew F.,a student with autism,decided his school was not doing enough to educate their son.Each year from preschool to fourth grade,the school district renewed Endrew's individual education goals without making substantial（大量的）changes.This suggested the plan was failing to help make meaningful progress.
Eventually,Endrew's parents enrolled him in a private school,where he improved significantly through a new plan designed to address specific behaviors and goals.When his parents attempted to re-enroll Endrew in public school again,the district offered a version of its previous plan.The school district argued that was sufficient because it provided Endrew "some" educational benefit.
IDEA empowers（使有能力）students with disabilities to aim high with support from school administrators and input from parents.For me,the Act did just that.From preschool through twelfth grade,I received my right to accommodations such as enlarged papers,a seat in the front of the classroom,and support from vision and mobility specialists outside the classroom.At the same time,my parents,like Endrew's,demanded that my disability should not stop me from becoming independent.Each year,they met with school officials to insist on adjustments to my learning plan as necessary.
1.What's the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A. To introduce the theme of the passage.
B. To show the importance of the first school day for disabled students.
C. To show the difference between disabled students and healthy ones.
D. To reveal the author's sympathy towards disabled students.
2.What can we know from the passage?
A. Parents often doubt the benefit of IDEA.
B. The IDEA has many difficulties in practicing.
C. Endrew's education goals remain the same every year.
D. Disabled students can't make progress in public schools.
3.By taking the example of Endrew,the author means to_______.
A. discuss whether the IDEA applies to children with autism
B. argue Endrew is not suitable for studying in public schools
C. illustrate public schools should do more to help disabled students
D. show public schools lack experience in helping students make progress
4.What's the author's attitude towards IDEA according to the passage?
A. Disapproving. B. Approving.
C. Objective. D. Unconcerned.
Haad Farang (Haad Sai Yao),KohMuk
This small but striking bay in Thailand has waters free from riptides（激流）,making it safe for families to play water in the sun.As its nickname implies—Farang is Thai for foreigners—you'll find a large concentration of backpackers here.Still,with only a couple of simple food shops,it's a far cry from the noises of Chaweng beach on Koh Samui or Kamala on Phuket,which makes it to be one of the top tourist destinations.
Rent a sea kayak（皮划艇）(100 baht,which is around￡2 an hour) and go around the comer to Tham Morakot (the Emerald Cave),a winding cave that opens up to a.bay walled by thick leaves and often visited by groups of monkeys.It is very inspiring,but to fully appreciate it,be sure to prepare a light to avoid knocking into cave walls and other kayaks.To avoid being crowded,make the trip in the late afternoon.
Where to eat
The Ko Yao Viewpoint Hotel is the best place for tourists.Drink the sweet cocktails in favour of an icy Chang beer and sit in the last rays of the day.
Where to stay
Cheaper hotels of comparable quality are set slightly back in the forest,but if you want beachfront access it's worth choosing one of the basic hotels at Koh Mook Charlie Beach Resort (bungalows from￡32).
Getting there
Fly from Bangkok to Trang with Air Asia (from￡30),then take a one-hour Tigerline ship from Hat Yao Pier (￡19).Besides,a five-hour ship from Phuket at Rassada Pier(￡41) goes directly to the island and will drop passengers at Haad Farang.
For more information and service,please click here.
1.What is most likely to attract many people to Haad Farang?
A. Its riptides. B. Its scenery.
C. Its simple food shops. D. Its quiet environment.
2.What can we infer about the Tham Morakot?
A. It has winding rivers suitable for boating.
B. There live groups of monkeys inside it.
C. Tourists need to take care when swimming here.
D. There are fewer people in the late afternoon.
3.Which of the following is the advantage of the hotels back in the forest?
A. They are near the sea. B. They are not expensive.
C. It's very quiet there. D. It's of high quality there.
4.Where is the text most probably taken from?
A. Travel magazines. B. Newspapers.
C. Internet. D. Travel Agency notes.
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher—Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水).
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D.(医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
1.What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
A. She made Teddy feel ashamed.
B. She asked the children to play with Teddy.
C. She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row.
D. She told the class something untrue about herself.
2.What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
A. He often told lies. B. He was good at math.
C. He needed motherly care. D. He enjoyed playing with others.
3.In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
A. She taught fewer school subjects.
B. She became stricter with her students.
C. She no longer liked her job as a teacher.
D. She cared more about educating students.
4.Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
A. She had kept in touch with him.
B. She had given him encouragement.
C. She had sent him Christmas presents.
D. She had taught him how to judge people.
5.Which of the following sentences is Wrong?
A. Mrs. Thompson told a lie that she loved them all the same on the first day.
B. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become the smartest child in the class.
C. Dr. Stoddard was encouraged and felt himself to be very important.
D. Mrs. Thompson was the best teacher of Dr. Stoddard in his whole life.
I have had thousands of classes since I started school nine years ago. But only one _______was the most important.
It happened last term just after I had got a _______ result in an exam. I was sad and had lost _______. I decided to go to a class which can tell me how to be _______.
The speaker walked into the room. But he did not start talking like a teacher. _______, he held up a twenty dollars note!
“Who wants this?” he asked. Unsurprisingly, _______ of us in the class held up our hands. The speaker smiled. Then he put up the note on the blackboard and asked the _______ question. Again, we all put up our hands. The speaker smiled again, but _______ nothing. Suddenly, he threw the note onto the floor! Then he asked the same _______ a third time.
I didn’t ________ what the speaker was doing. Why was he asking the same question again and again? I didn’t know what to do. I wanted the note, ________ I put my hand up again. After a while, he ________ the note and started to laugh. “You have all just told me how to become successful,” he said to us ________ the note in his hand.
“The note is worth twenty dollars. It is ________ worth twenty dollars, even though I throw it on the floor. You are like the________. No matter ________ happens to you, you still have your worth.”
When I heard those words, I was deeply ________. Suddenly, I ________ I was worth a lot. I may have done badly in an exam, but it doesn’t ________ I can’t do well in the future. If I believe in ________, I will be successful!
1.A. classroom B. subject C. class D. school
2.A. same B. good C. lucky D. bad
3.A. shelter B. heart C. face D. concern
4.A. extreme B. successful C. famous D. rich
5.A. Instead B. Exactly C. Otherwise D. Because
6.A. both B. neither C. all D. none
7.A. same B. different C. difficult D. math
8.A. said B. bought C. saw D. wanted
9.A. student B. teacher C. question D. way
10.A. remember B. understand C. notice D. find
11.A. so B. though C. if D. or
12.A. took out B. packed up C. picked up D. put down
13.A. from B. with C. by D. above
14.A. never B. sometimes C. hardly D. always
15.A. exam B. question C. view D. note
16.A. when B. who C. what D. how
17.A. worried B. ruined C. suffered D. moved
18.A. realized B. forgot C. dreamed D. decided
19.A. know B. mean C. think D. vote
20.A. money B. friendship C. violence D. myself
