Thank God It's MondayBy Jyoti Thottam[1] As researchers in psychology, economics and organizational behavior have been gradually discovering, the experience of being happy at work looks very similar across professions. People, who love their jobs, feel challenged by their work but in control of it. They have bosses who make them feel appreciated (enjoyed) and co-workers they like. They can find meaning (interest/And they aren't just lucky. It takes real effort to reach that[2] An even bigger obstacle, though （however）, may be our low expectations on the job. Love, family, community (society) — those are supposed (thought) to be the true sources of happiness, while work simply (only) gives us the means (tools) to enjoy them. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who coined the term flow (happiness<->ebb), which adherents (supporter) of positive psychology would use to describe the job-induced highs (high spirit/ happiness), says that distinction (difference) is a false one. "Anything can be enjoyable if the elements of flow are present," he writes in his book Good Business." Within that framework, doing a seemingly boring job can be a source of greater fulfillment (achievement) than one (anybody) ever thought possible."[3] Csikszentmihalyi encourages (urge) us to reach a state (level/ status) in which work is an extension of what we naturally want to do. Immersed (absorbed) in the pleasure of work, we don't worry about its ultimate (final) reward. If that sounds out of reach, take heart (try one’s best). You may soon get some encouragement from the head office (headquarters). A growing (increasing) body (amount) of research is demonstrating (showing) that happy workers not only are happier in life but are also crucial (most important) to the health of a company.[4] Thirty-five years ago, the Gallup Organization started researching why people in certain work groups, even within the same company, were so much more effective (->efficient) than others. Donald Clifton, the Gallup researcher who pioneered that work, conducted (directed) a series of extensive interviews with highly productive teams of workers. From those interviews, Gallup developed a set of 12 statements (rules/ points) designed to measure employees' overall (general) level of happiness with their work, which Gallup calls "engagement". Some of the (criterion->) criteria reflect the obvious requirements of any worker (Do you have what you need to do your job? Do you know what's expected of you at work?), while others reveal (show) more subtle variables (Do you have a best friend at work? Does your supervisor (boss) or someone else at work care about you as a person?). Gallup started the survey in 1998, and it now includes 5. 4 million employees at 474 organizations; Gallup also does periodic random polls of workers in different countries.[5] The polls paint a picture of a rather disaffected (unpleasant/ unsatisfying) U.S. work force. In the most recent poll, from September 2004, only 29% of workers said they were engaged with their work. More than half, 55%, were not engaged, and 16% were actively disengaged. Still (Furthermore), those numbers are better than those (figures) in many other countries. The percentage of engaged workers in the U. S. is more than twice as large as Germany's and three times as great as Singapore's. But neither the late 1990s boom nor the subsequent （following）bust (depression) had much impact (influence) in either direction, indicating (showing/ implying) that the state of worker happiness goes much deeper than the swings (waves) of the economy.[6] James Harter, a psychologist directing (conducting) that research at Gallup, says manycompanies are simply misreading (->misled/ don’t know) what makes people happy at work. Beyond a certain minimum level, it isn't pay or benefits; it's strong relationships with co-workers and a supportive boss. "These are basic human needs in the workplace, but they're not the ones thought by managers to be very important." Harter says. Gallup has found that a strong positive response to the statement (question on questioner) "I have a best friend at work", for example, is a powerful predictor for engagement at work and is correlated with profitability and connection with customers. "It indicates (shows) a high level of belonging," Hatter says.[7] Without it, a job that looks (seems) good on paper (theoretically) can make a worker miserable [to live/lead a miserable/ happy life]. Martina Radix, 41, traded a high-pressure job as an executive assistant at a company where she liked her colleagues for a less taxing position as a clerical worker (clerk) in a law firm six years ago. She has more (free) time and flexibility but feels stifled (depressed) by her co-workers and unappreciated by her boss. "I am a misfit (mismatch) in that department," she says. "No matter how good your personal life is, if you go in to a bad (atom->) atmosphere at work, it takes away from it."In fact, engagement at workHarter estimates thatonly about 30% of the difference between employees who are highly engaged and those who are not. The rest of it is shaped (decided) by the hundreds of interactions that employees have every day with co-workers, supervisors and customers.[9] The most direct fix (remedy/ cure/ solution), then, is to seek out (look for) a supportive (positive) workplace. Finding a life calling (need) unlocks the door to happiness. Lissette Mendez, 33, says her job coordinating the annual book fair at Miami Dade College is the one she was born to do. "Books are an inextricable (inseparable) part of my life," she says.[10] Even if your passion (->passionate) does not easily translate into a profession (job->career), you can still find happiness on the job. Numerous studies have shown correlations between meaningful work and happiness, job satisfaction and even physical health. That sense (feeling/ significance) of meaning, however, can take many different forms. Some people find it in the work itself; others take pride in (be proud of) their company's mission (task) rather than in their specific job. People can find meaning in anything.[11] The desire for meaning is so strong that sometimes people simply (only) create it, especially to make sense (make sth. meaningful) of difficult or unpleasant work. In a recently completed six-year study of physicians (->surgeon) during their surgical residency, for example, it was found that the surgeons were extremely dissatisfied in the first year, when the menial (slave) work they were assigned, like (such as) filling out endless copies of patient records, seemed pointless (meaningless). Once they started to think of (regard) the training as part of the larger process of joining an elite group of doctors, their attitude changed. They're able to reconstruct (reconsider) and make sense of their work and what they do. By the end of year one, they've started to create (feel) some meanings.[12] While positive psychology has mostly focused on (stressed/ emphasized) the individual (pursue->)pursuit of happiness, a new field — positive organizational scholarship — has begun to examine the connection between happy employees and happy (successful) businesses. Instead of focusing on profitability and competition to explain success, researchers in this field are studying meaningfulness, authentic leadership and emotional competence (ability). Not the typical B-school buzzwords, but they may soon become part of the language spoken by every M. B. A.domain (field) and kind of (a little/ somewhat) fringe-ish", says Thomas Wright, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of Nevada, Reno. Early hints (clues) of the importance of worker happiness were slow (dull/ stupid) to be accepted (admitted/ understood). A 1920s study on the topic at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Co. in Cicero. It looked at (examined) whether increased lighting, shorter workdays and other worker-friendly fixes (measures) would improve (increase) productivity. While (Although) the workplace changes boosted (improved) performance, the experimenters eventually (finally) discovered (found) that the differences workers were responding to not in the physical environment but in the social one (factor). In other words, the attention they were getting was what made them happier and more effective. This phenomenon came to be known as the Hawthorne effect. "The researchers came to realize that it was people'ssays. But later studies that looked at job-satisfaction ratings were inconsistent. Broader measures (degree) of happiness, it turns out, are better predictors[14] Making any of those changes depends on the boss, although not necessarily, the CEO. So a handful of (many) business schools are trying to create (educate) a new kind of frontline manager, based on the idea of "authentic leadership". Instead of imposing faddish (fashionable) management techniques on each supervisor, authentic leadership begins with self-awareness. Introverted bosses have to know their own style and then find strategies to manage (administrate) people that feel natural (friendly). In other words, by figuring out (working out) their strengths (advantages), they[15] The goal (objective->purpose->aim) not necessarily a world (field) in which people love their work above everything else. Work, by definition, is somewhat (a little) unpleasant relative to all the other things we could be doing. That's why we still expect to get paid for doing it. But at the very least, businesses (companies or organizations) could do better just by paying attention to what their employees want and need (financially and spiritually). Then more of us could find a measure (degree) of fulfillment (achievement) in what we do. And once in a while (now and then/ occasionally), we might hope to transcend (surpass) it all. It can happen on the basketball court (field), in front of a roaring crowd, or in a classroom, in front of just one grateful (thankful) student. (1, 669 words)ABOUT THE AUTHORJyoti Thottam is a writer and a business reporter for Time magazine in New York. She was the president of the South Asian Journalists' Association from 2001-2002.EXERCISESI . Reading ComprehensionAnswer the following questions or complete the following statements.1. By the title "Thank God It's Monday", the author wanted to convey the idea that _____.A. people love their work above everything elseB. people can find happiness in their workC. most people have the experience of being happy at workD. people can find meaning in whatever they do2. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, _____.A. love, family and community are not supposed to be the true sources of happinessB. work simply gives us the means to enjoy the happiness we get from love, family and communityC. even a seemingly boring job can be a source of happiness for usD. the positive psychology that is used to describe the job-induced highs is false3. According to the research made by the Gallup Organization, what makes people happy at work?A. Reasonable pay or benefits.B. Positive relationship with co-workers and boss.C. People's engagement with their work.D. Both A and B.4. According to the research made by the Gallup Organization, the number of engaged workers in Singapore was about _____.A.10%B. 14.5%C.16%D.29%5. Now Martina Radix _____.A. has a high-pressure job but she has positive relationship with her co-workersB. has a less demanding job but she has a bad relationship at workC. has more time and flexibility so she is satisfied with her personal lifeD. is an executive assistant at a company but she feels she is a misfit in that department6. People can find meaning in their work in the following situations EXCEPT _____.A. if they love their job very muchB. if their work itself is very importantC. if their company's mission is very importantD. if they are paid at a minimum level7. By the end of year one, surgical residents can find their menial work meaningful because _____.A. in the past year, they have become accustomed to the workB. they can stop doing such pointless jobs as filling out endless copies of patient recordsC. they realize that the menial work is a necessary step to become a doctorD. they're able to construct their fame if they deal with patients more often8. What made the workers happier and more effective, according to the study at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Co. in Cicero, in the 1920s?A. The attention paid to the workers.B. The new worker-friendly measures.C. The improvement of the physical environment.D. The improvement of the social environment.9. According to the article, which of the following statements is true?A. The better productivity of a company depends on its CEO.B. Authentic leaders should learn more management techniques.C. Bosses should find strength in both themselves and their employees.D. The results of the studies on job-satisfaction ratings were all similar.10. The author's purpose in writing this article is _____.A. to make more people enjoy their workB. for people to find fulfillment in what they doC. to reevaluate some theories in positive psychologyD. to help business be more effective and productiveII. VocabularyA. Read the following sentences and decide winch of the four choices below each sentence is closest in meaning to the underlined word.1. I advocate a holistic recognition that biology and in an inextricable manner (way).A. complicatedB. unavoidableC. customarylove of the picturesque and sublime nature.A. immenseB. fascinating (attractive)C. magnificent (great/ noble)D. enchanting (attractive)3. One important feature (property/ character) of the period was the growth (development) of Buddhism. Its adherents honored the Buddha in order to be reborn in his paradise.A. sponsors C. advocators D. advisors4. As censorship was extremely strict in that period, little authentic news came out of the country.A. negativeB. disastrousC. officialD. reliable5. If a block of wood is completely immersed in water, the upward force is greater than the weight of the wood.A. dippedB. pressedC. forcedD. pushed6. According to Zhuangzi, a Daoist (道家) philosopher of the late 4th century B.C., through mystical union with the Dao the individual could transcend nature and even life and death.A. dissolveB. upraise (bring up)C. surpassD. depress (->suppress)7. As economic growth ground to a halt (stop), the local populations grew (became) more and more disaffected.A. indifferentB. resentfulC. unvaluedD. (dignity->)indignant (>angry)8. Capitalism was beset (be troubled) by cycles of "boom and bust", periods of expansion and prosperity followed by economic collapse [->collapsible] and waves of unemployment. [beheaded= killed]A. failureB. transitionC. (lose->)lossD. depression [the Great Depression]9. At that time (=then), life was nearly as taxing (burdensome) for all-black bands: black musicians were required to use kitchen entrances and service elevators (=lift), which forced them to confront the ugly realities of racial discrimination. [Hard Times]A. miserableB. hard (=difficult)C. unbearableD. harsh10. Modern and implicit (<->explicit) censorship has nothing like the power of the old system and contrary opinion is never entirely stifled.A. releasedB. arrestedC. retarded (->retardant)D. prohibited [pro-: (1)officially; (2)forward]B. Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use each word orexpression only once and make proper changes where necessary.in control of within the framework variables it turns out on papertake away from once in a while trade... for make sense take heartattended by those who can afford (=pay for) the fees (->fare). [(1)border; (2)](now and then/ occasionally).if the expression on theof the Security Council. [city council]5. He lost his confidence after he lost the first two trails, but his coach told him to(<->lose one’s heart), so that he could win at last.his success in writing it.7. The presentation of his paper was highly praised, but that the paper was copied from the Internet. [think great/ much of sb./ think highly of sb.<->think little of sb./ look down upon sb.; Turn out: (1)The police turned out to the site of the crime; (2)The produce or product turned out;(3) It has been proved that…;]to her. [She doesn’t understand it].the meeting, and after singing and prayer she10. The early settlers copper for corn from natives. [to settle in somewhere/ ~ an argument][scorn (look down upon sb.;)]IV. ClozeThere are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose theright word or phrase from the list given below for each of the blanks. Change the form if necessary. supposed to be unless all too often which externalthoroughly that on the other hand in return ironically Although, as we have seen, people generally long (want/ desire) to leave their places of workand get home, ready (=willing) to put their hard-earned free time to good use, 1 all too often (frequently)they have no idea (=don’t know) what to do there. 2 Ironically , jobs are actually easier to enjoy than free time, because like flow activities they (work) have built-in goals, feedback, rulesencourage one (anybody) to become involved (join) in one's work, to concentrate and lose oneself (be absorbed) in it. Free time, 4 on the other hand, is unstructured (unorganized), and requires much greater effort to be shaped into something (meaningful) that can and especially inner discipline, help to make leisure (free time) what it is 5chance for "re-creation" . But on the whole (in general), people miss the opportunity to enjoy leisureeven more 6 thoroughly (completely)than they do with working time. It is in the improvidentthe greatest wastes of American life occur. [tourism and recreation industry]Mass leisure, mass culture, arid even high culture when only attended to (actively<->)8 external Reasons — such as the wish to display (show) one's status — are parasites of the mind. They absorb (=exhaust) psychic energy without providing substantive (considerable) strength (energy) 9 in return. They leave (=make) us more exhausted, more disheartened (depressed) than we were before. 10and free time are likely (possible) to be disappointing. Most jobs and many leisure activities —especially those involving the passive consumption of mass media — are not designed (intended) to make us happy and strong, or to make us learn to enjoy our work. [attend a meeting/ a class]IV. TranslationPut the following party into Chinese.1. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who coined the term flow, which adherents of positive psychology would use to describe the job-induced highs, says that distinction is a false one. "Anything can be enjoyable if the elements of flow are present," he writes in his book Good Business. "Within that framework, doing a seemingly boring job can be a source of greater fulfillment than one ever thought possible."米哈里·奇凯因特米哈里认为这种区分是错误的。
