(a) because they did not want to work hard

(b) because they allowed few citizens to work

(c) because they made slaves work hard

(d) because they restricted work to slaves and a limited number of free citizens

2. During the Middle Ages, people ________. ( A )

(a) worked to fulfill a religious duty

(b) regarded work as something reputable

(c) became more unacceptable to work

(d) felt ashamed to be engaged in work

3. According to the author, the attitude towards work held by most people is that ________. ( B )

(a) work contributes to the individual happiness and sense of personal achievement

(b) work is related to happiness only when it becomes its end product 

(c) work is more than a necessity for most human beings

(d) work is the center of people’s lives and the source of their identity and creativity

4. The negative effects of the absence of work can be seen in all the following cases except ________ .  ( D )

(a) uneasiness after retirement even with no financial cares

(b) psychological malaise from unemployment

(c) regular headaches and psychosomatic illnesses on weekends

(d) work as a burden or a punishment

5. Generally speaking, human beings will not take pride in work ________. ( D )

(a) if there is no obvious end product that is solely attributable to one's personal skill

(b) if they are doing mental work in an institution

(c) if the work requires a lot of efforts to tackle with

(d) if the work does not give a sense of being accomplished

6. The example of machine operators is used to show that ________. ( B )

(a) the more complicated the work is, the more proud the worker will feel

(b) simple jobs can also make people feel proud

(c) machine operating needs quite a lot of knowledge

(d) one feels proud when one becomes master of the machine

7. According to the author, ________. ( C )

(a) people like to store up their energy and rest

(b) the more energy you use the less you will have

(c) expending energy leads to its reproduction

(d) energy expenditure is tangible and needs a reservoir

8. "Esprit de corps" means ________. ( D )

(a) being the best in the factory

(b) part of an inept, uncoordinated "team"

(c) success breeds success

(d) a sense of belonging to an accomplished work group

9. Behavioral research indicates that ________ .  ( C )

(a) human relations at work are more intense

(b) a work group often pressures forcibly its members to adjust to one another

(c) relationships among people at work tend to be less emotional and complicated

(d) group work often produces rough edges among people

C. Understanding vocabulary.

  Choose the correct definition according to the context.

1. But we are much less conscious of the extent to which work provides the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological well-being that can make the difference between a full and an empty life. ( B )

(a) complicated

(b) imperceptible

(c) insignificant

(d) physical

2. At that time work was restricted to slaves and to those few free citizens who had not yet accumulated adequate independent resources. ( A )

(a) amassed

(b) accomplished

(c) acquired

(d) acclaimed

3. It’s not difficult to understand the tarnished reputation. ( A )

(a) tainted

(b) improved

(c) polished

(d) blurred

4. Historically, work has been associated with slavery and sin, compulsion and punishment. ( A )

(a) obligation

(b) complaint

(c) control

(d) obsession

5. Against this backdrop, it may well come as a surprise to learn that not only psychologists but other behavioral scientists have come to accept the positive contribution of work to the individual’s happiness and sense of personal achievement. ( B )

(a) information

(b) setting

(c) theory

(d) understanding

6. Many psychiatrists heading mental health clinics have observed its therapeutic effect. ( C )

(a) psychological

(b) medical

(c) healing

(d) theoretical

7. Large numbers of people regularly get headaches and other psychosomatic illnesses on weekends when they don’t have their jobs to go to, and must fend for themselves. ( A )

(a) concerning body and mind

(b) concerning the mind

(c) of physical disorder

(d) caused by anxiety in the mind

8. This extension of ourselves — in what our hands and minds can do—fills out our personality and expands our ego. ( A )

(a) self

(b) ambition

(c) happiness

(d) ability

9. Cleaning men and janitors will tell you that while the job looks uncomplicated, there are countless subtleties one needs to know.( C )

(a) intricacies

(b) differences

(c) nuances

(d) rules and regulations

10. We’re often misled by the gripes and complaints surrounding difficult work; deep down most people regard their own capacity to conquer the tough job the mark of their own unique personality. ( B )

(a) difficulties

(b) complaints

(c) complexities

(d) harshness

11. While there were ten or twelve of these "teams" that worked together, one in particular was known for its perfect coordination and lightning-like efforts. ( B )

(a) effective ruling

(b) cooperation

(c) efficient production

(d) exemplary spirit

12.And this sense of belonging to an accomplished work group that both outsiders and insiders recognize can handle itself with extreme virtuosity is one of the distinctive satisfactions of the world of work. ( A )

(a) excellence in skill

(b) old fashion

(c) tradition

(d) interest

13. There is little satisfaction to be derived from being part of the inept, uncoordinated "team" that is always last in the formal or informal competition. ( C )

(a) clever

(b) awkward

(c) casual

(d) rapid

14. The bonds that hold the individual to the work group also are responsible for its effectiveness: cohesive groups more easily solve the problems of interdependence and cooperation than do the disunited or those which have little hold on their members. ( B )

(a) understanding

(b) sticking together

(c) effective

(d) disunited

15. And the work group also gently pressures its members to learn how to adjust to one another so that the "rough edges" are worked off because people know they must do certain things with and through one another each day. ( A )

(a) gotten rid of

(b) produced

(c) found out

(d) made less visible

D. Discussing the following topics.

1. In what ways is the author justified in saying, "Work is more than a necessity for most human beings; it is the focus of their lives, the source of their identity"?

2. Do you agree that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"? Give reasons to support your answer.

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