戴尔美语练功坊全民英检阅读(10/15)
下面一篇阅读测验，大约在英检中级程度，同学可试做看看，
了解自己的实力。
Meetings can waste a great deal of time. But you can make
your meeting run more smoothly by following a few simple rules.
First, have an agenda. This will help keep you focused on
what is important. Next, decide who needs to be involved.
More people mean less efficient discussion. Finally,
keep the discussion moving. Thank each speaker as he or
she finishes and move on to the next speaker. This encourages people
to make their remarks brief.
The problem with meetings, of course, is that no one likes them,
no one wants them, and no one needs them. Yet, everyone has them.
Meetings are the corporate world's response to primitive
socializing behaviors. People feel more comfortable when
making decisions in groups. They can then share the blame if a decision
turns out to be the wrong decision. Sharing credit for a correct
decision is not often found in groups. Then individuals tend
to remind people of how persuasive they were in the meeting when the
"right" decision was made.
What happens after a meeting is more important than
what happens during the meeting. The skills used then are more
professional and less procedural. So no matter how well you run a meeting,
it is the work that gets done after the meeting that is important.
1. What is one way to run a meeting well?
(A) Watch how your manager runs meetings.
(B) Minimize the number of participants.
(C) Let the group make decisions.
(D) Let everyone speak.
2. What is the purpose of the meeting agenda?
(A) To keep the speakers organized.
(B) To allow free discussion.
(C) To send to others in advance.
(D) To keep focused on important items.
3. How should you receive other people's comments at a meeting?
(A) Try to keep others from talking.
(B) Thank them and move on.
(C) Give them as much time as they want.
(D) Criticize them in public.
4. In conclusion the author feels
(A) real work is left to the professionals.
(B) all meetings should be in the morning.
(C) no one should receive credit for his work.
(D) meetings should be held more frequently.
答案：1. B 2. D 3. B 4. A
原文及题目翻译：
开会可能浪费我们许多时间，但是你可以藉著依循某些简单规则来使得
会议进行的比较顺利。首先，定出议程，这可以帮助你持续专注在重要事务
。其次，决定谁需要来参与，人愈多表示讨论愈没效率。最后一点，
要让讨论持续进行。每个发言者发言完毕要对他们说谢谢，然后轮下一位
发言者。这样可以鼓励人们发言简短。
当然，开会的问题在于没有人喜欢开会，没人想要开会，没人需要开会。
然而，人人都在开会。开会是群体社会对原始社交行为的反应。一般人觉得
在群体中做决定比较自在，如果一项决定结果证实是错误决定，他们可以
分担责难。做了正确决定之后，在群体中要分享功劳则很少见。这时个人
往往会提醒大家当初再做出“正确”决定的会议中，他是多么具有说服力。
开会之后发生的事情比开会进行中发生的事情更重要。那时所使用的技巧
比较倚重专业，而比较不是重程序，所以无论你让会议进行的多么好，
真正重要的是开会之后所做的事。
1. 会议进行顺利的方法之一是什么？
(A) 观察你的经理主持会议。
(B) 将与会者的数目减至最低。
(C) 让团体去做决定。
(D) 让大家发言。
2. 会议议程的目的为何？
(A) 让发言者井然有序。
(B) 允许自由讨论。
(C) 预先传送给他人。
(D) 保持专注于重要事项
3. 会议中应该如何接受别人的意见？
(A) 试着阻止别人发言。
(B) 谢谢他们，然后继续会议。
(C) 尽量多给他们时间。
(D) 公开批评他们。
4. 在结论中作者觉得
(A) 真正的工作是留给专业人士来完成。
(B) 所有会议都必须在早上。
(C) 没有人应该因工作表现而受褒扬。
(D) 会议应该经常举行。