Meetings are the most universal — and universally despised — part of business life. Bad meetings, in particular, do more than ruin an otherwise pleasant day. The following are three deadly sins to watch for in business meetings.
■ Meetings that are ritualistic instead of necessary
For many businesses, routine meetings that lack focus and clear agenda often end up wasting time and boring people. Attendees eventually flip an “off” switch in their brains. Therefore, do not hold a meeting unless you have a defined agenda and concrete next steps. Also, try scheduling the meetings in the afternoon when escaping the cubic can be a welcome relief.
■ Meetings that are too rigid and a one-way conversation
People often tune out monotone lecturers and become restless, watching the clock and hoping to kick off their weekend. In the age of YouTube, there’s simply no reason to not inject a bit of humor in a meeting to gain attention, generate enthusiasm and engage the attendees. If you show PowerPoint slides, remember that the general rule of thumb is no more than one slide a minute, one idea per slide and as few words as possible.
■ Meetings that harp on setbacks
If a boss spends 95 percent of each meeting yelling at workers and demanding them to explain why their performances aren’t up to par, he is likely to hurt morale and stress his employees out rather than inspire them. Why not use the past as a platform for understanding and planning future strategies? The collective brain power should be wisely used to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Q : With which may the author disagree:
A. Without clear goals and structured agenda, meetings become useless rituals.
B. Having one person lecture does little to stimulate discussion and fresh ideas.
C. Employees are more creative and productive in the afternoon hours.
D. Breaking up a meeting with music, a video or great stories energizes the session.
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早先西班牙擔心申請救助伴隨 IMF 嚴格的緊縮條款,但近日 IMF 發表研究顯示,過分嚴格的緊縮條款,反而有害經濟復甦,西班牙對此的疑慮減輕。現在主要壓力來自於歐元成員國的外交壓力,尤其是德國總理梅克爾。梅克爾擔心的是即便援助了西班牙,且歐洲央行實施干預,也只能讓市場穩定幾個月。德國希望在提供援助同時,授以歐官員對成員國稅收和開支計劃的否決權,但包括法國在內的歐元成員國不願意在預算上喪失自主權。
4. Soros 認為,解決歐洲的經濟困境,關鍵在德國
德國要嘛承擔更多援助其他歐元區債務人的責任,要嘛離開歐元,讓 Euro 貶值,其他國家能進入經濟調整階段。
5. 可經由投資新加坡上市的非緬甸公司,參與緬甸的投資機會
緬甸目前政治經濟條件急劇開放,政經改革可望大幅提升油田的開採和生產。
緬甸現階段唯一在境外上市的公司是祐碼戰略,另有三家在新加坡上市的非緬甸公司,投資包含緬甸在內的石油業務的 Interra Resources Limited (新交所代號: 5GI)、投資緬甸紙業級包裝制品的 UPP Holding Limtied (新交所代號: U09)、網路基礎建設的公司 Ntegrator International Limited (新交所代號: 5HC)
Paul Frijters, Tony Beatton 研究指出,幸福感最高的年紀是 65 歲附近,人生最憂鬱的是中年36 - 46 歲。你覺得呢?
Yale University scientists have discovered a planet whose surface is littered with precious diamonds. Dubbed 55 Cancri e, the rocky planet is twice the size of Earth but weighs eight times more, making it a “Super Earth.”
First observed transiting its parent star in 2011, 55 Cancri e makes a full orbit in just 18 hours, in contrast to Earth’s 365 days. Since it's perilously close in to its sun-like host star, surface temperatures reach an inhabitable 2,150 degrees Celsius. Extremely high temperatures, along with carbon, make perfect conditions for creating diamonds.
Unlike Earth’s chemical make-up, 55 Cancri e has no water and is composed primarily of carbon (graphite and diamond), iron, and silicon carbide. Scientists speculate that about one third of the planet’s mass — the equivalent of the weight of three Earths — is pure diamond.
Science fiction has dreamed of diamond planets for many years. Now it’s amazing that we finally have evidence of its existence in the universe. Located 40 light-year away from Earth, the gemlike planet is clearly visible to the naked eye in the northern constellation Cancer.
Q:With which statement would the author probably agree?
A.
Many distant planets have compositions similar to those of Earth.
B.
Even if humans learn how to travel at the speed of light, the round trip to 55 Cancri e would take 40 years.
C.
A single year on 55 Cancri e takes more time than one of Earth’s days.
D.
Sadly for people who daydream of a glittering oasis, 55 Cancri e couldn’t support life.
答案:D<<< 用滑鼠框起來反白,就可以看到答案
- Improviser 文苦工
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精選多益/ 全民英檢中(高)級/ 托福單字片語
planet (n) 行星
surface (n) 表面
litter (v) 亂丟
precious (adj) 貴重的
diamond (n) 鑽石
dub (v) 命名;稱做
55 Cancri e (n) 巨蟹座55E
weigh (v) 秤重量
observe (v) 觀察
transit (v) 通過橫越
orbit (n) 軌道;運行
in contrast to N:和…相較之下
perilously (adj) 危險地
uninhabitable (adj) 無法居住的
carbon (n) 碳
condition (n) 狀況;條件
make-up (n) 組成 = composition (n)
compose (v) 組成
primarily (adv) 首要地;主要地
graphite (n) 石墨
iron (n) 鐵
silicom carbide (n) 金剛砂
speculate (v) 推測
mass (n) 質量
equivalent (n) 等量
fiction (n) 小說
amazing (adj) 驚人的
evidence (n) 證據
existence (n) 存在
universe (n) 宇宙
locate (v) 位於…;地處…
gemlike (adj) 寶石般的
visible (adj) 可見的
naked eye:肉眼
constellation (n) 星座
distant (adj) 遙遠的
similar (adj) 相似的
even if:即使
speed (n) 速度
round trip (n) 來回旅行;雙程旅行
single (adj) 單一的
daydream (v) 做白日夢
glittering (adj) 閃閃發亮的
oasis (n) 綠洲;樂土
support (v) 支持;維持
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All doctors swear to do no harm to their patients, but medical mistakes kill enough people each week to fill four jumbo jets. Were medical errors a disease, they would be the sixth leading cause of death —just behind accidents and ahead of Alzheimer’s. What other industry misses the mark this often?
Change can start with two simple but crucial reforms. First, video recording can be used to enhance compliance among medical experts. Reviewing videos of surgery can also lead to quality improvement. Second, each hospital should have an online dashboard to include important information such as rates for infection, readmission, surgical complications and “never event” errors. To make transparency more effective, government must play a role in making fair and accurate reports available to the public. In doing so, it will unleash the power of the free market. When hospitals have to compete on measures of safety, they will no doubt improve how they serve their patients.
If you won’t sit down for a meal before checking a restaurant’s performance ratings, why shouldn’t you be able to do the same thing when your life is at stake?
Q:What’s the best title for this article?
A. How to Prevent Hospitals From Killing Us.
B. Why Doctors Overlook Medical Errors.
C. Hospitals Are Moving Toward Increased Transparency.
D. The Role of Government In Fixing Health Care.
答案:A << 用滑鼠框起來反白,就可以看到答案
- Improviser 文苦工
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精選多益/ 全民英檢中(高)級/ 托福單字片語
1.swear (v) 發誓
2.do harm to N:對…造成危害
3.patient (n) 病患
4.error (n) 錯誤過失
5.disease (n) 疾病
6.leading (adj) 主要的;最重要的
7.cause (n) 原因
8.mark (n) 標準
9.crucial (adj) 重要的
10.reform (n) 改革
11.enhance (v) 提高;增加
12.compliance (n) 服從
13.review (v) 評論;檢閱
14.surgery (n) 手術
15.improvement (n) 改善;提升
16.dashboard (n) 儀表板
17.include (v) 包含
18.infection (n) 感染
19.readmission (n) 再入院
20.complication (n) 併發症
21.never event error:不應發生的失誤
22.transparency (n) 透明化
23.effective (adj) 有效率
24.play a role in N:在…上扮演一個角色
25.fair (adj) 公平的
26.accurate (adj) 正確的
27.available (adj) 可取得的
28.unleash (v) 解開…束縛
29.compete (v) 競爭
30.measure (n) 措施;基準
31.no doubt:無庸置疑地
32.serve (v) 為…服務
33.at stake:深陷危險之中
34.prevent (v) 避免
35.overlook (v) 忽視
36.increase (v) 增加
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文苦工註:總以為還有時間做想做的事,說想說的話。但人世無常,愛要及時,才不會有來不及的遺憾。Live every day as if it were your last!
《實習醫生》CHASING THE CARS
Since its release in mid-July, Gangnam style has taken the world by storm. Even North Koreans, so cut off from the world, know of it. In the hilarious music video, the performer Psy (short for psycho) does an invisible horse-riding dance. He, along with a group of gorgeous women, raps and hops around Seoul pretending to be galloping.
This insanely addictive song does have its serious side, though. What Psy sings is about Gangnam, a fashionable neighborhood in Seoul with a bizarre concentration of the country’s wealth. That the residents there have risen not by following the traditional virtues of diligence and dedication but by living on a coveted piece of geography inspires both envy and distaste. Psy choreographed the funny dance routines to poke fun at Gangnam’s rich people who take up horseback riding simply to show off their luxurious lifestyles. This is exactly why the song soon gained enormous popularity in South Korea, where the growing gap between rich and poor is serious enough to have become an issue in the presidential election.
Q:What’s the main idea of this article?
A. Gangnam Style fever will continue unabated.
B. Gangnam Style mocks the ostentatious display of wealth.
C. Gangnam Style highlights the gap between rich and poor.
D. Gangnam Style overturns some Korean stereotypes.
答案: B << 用滑鼠框起來反白,就可以看到答案
- Improviser 文苦工
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(Source:Photograph by: Maggie Wong , Vancouver Sun)
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