首页
登录
职称英语
[originaltext]W: First of all, when do people start to work in American offices
[originaltext]W: First of all, when do people start to work in American offices
游客
2023-12-22
44
管理
问题
W: First of all, when do people start to work in American offices?
M: Right, well, the official work day starts at 9:00 am. This should really mean 9 o’clock—not ten past or half past nine.
W: Would you say that people work very hard in offices in America?
M: Well, I don’t know about employees in your country. But some nations have a philosophy that you work when the "boss" is around. And anytime he’s not there, you can relax by reading the newspaper or whatever one likes doing in a personal way.
W: And things are different in the States, you’re saying?
M: Well, in America one is being paid for his time. So employees are expected to find other work if their own desks are clear, or to help someone else with his or her work. But they never sit idle or do nothing.
W: Yes. As the saying goes, "time is money".
M: Exactly. Your employer "owns" your time while he is paying you for it. That is precisely what "time is money" means. And anyway the boss doesn’t ask more of you than he is doing himself: he...he will probably work through the lunch hour himself and even take work home at night.
W: Talking about lunch hours. What about them? Do you have to take them seriously?
M: Oh yes, sure, of course. The employee’s lunch hour should be taken within the period allowed, unless you are officially discussing company business, say, a business lunch. It’s the same too with the end of the day. I mean...work until the day officially ends at five o’clock, unless you are in an office where "flextime" is the accepted practice.
W: Oh, so you have the flextime system, do you? I wasn’t sure about that.
M: Oh yes, sure. Flexible working hours, that is, starting or ending work earlier or later. I know that this is very common in Europe. But here in the US it is still relatively new. Certainly, there are a million or so Americans on the system today. And the number is growing. Well, for the same reasons as in Europe—to keep traffic and commuting problems down. And as more women now work, it gives more family time.
W: Could you say something about contract of hiring in America, please?
M: Well, it’s different in America from, say Asia, perhaps Europe, too. I’m not sure. We are more democratic, I think. It means perhaps that we won’t develop such a permanent relationship between employer and employee. I know that in some countries people relax when they have once got a job, because they know they will almost never be fired—unless they do something awful.
W: You mean that your employer can just fire you in America?
M: No, no, no. There are, of course, legal protections in the US. So employees cannot be unjustly fired without good reason. Workers must do a good job, produce well, and get along with their colleagues. Or they can be "let go", as it is called.
W: From one day to the next, you mean?
M: Well, it’s rarely done without warning, but it is important to remember that in the United States you are a member of a business firm and not a family. It makes a difference.
W: I wonder, is the physical or external appearance of office life different from European offices?
M: Well, I have heard people comment on the informality found in American offices. And this is certainly a little difficult for people who are more used to a hierarchical system to adjust to, of course. But there are some very formal offices, too, say, in...in big banks, law firms and major corporations.
But in many establishments the atmosphere is loose and easy with a lot of joking, and teasing, and wandering in and out of offices among all levels of employees.
W: Well, that’s about it. I think, oh, except to briefly mention all those coffee breaks I’ve heard about in the United States.
M: Ha-ha, that’s right. Nearly all large offices have coffee wagons that circulate for mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee breaks. But you should remember that although 15 minutes are allotted twice a day for relaxation and chatter, many employees take their coffee to their desks and keep on working. In small offices the coffee pot is often "on" all day and employees take coffee whenever they like or they can make tea for themselves. It all depends...
11. When does the official work day start in American offices?
12. How many minutes a day are the coffee breaks in large American offices?
13. What does "flextime" mean?
14. According to the interview, which statement is true?
15. Generally, what is the interview about?
选项
A、The difference in office life between the US and Europe.
B、The democratic aspect of American office life.
C、The problems people are faced with in American offices.
D、Office routines in the US.
答案
D
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3294225.html
相关试题推荐
ChinesepeoplehaveshownevidentinterestinAfricanproducts.[br][originalt
ChinesepeoplehaveshownevidentinterestinAfricanproducts.[br][originalt
ChinesepeoplehaveshownevidentinterestinAfricanproducts.[originaltext]Le
WhatisZepeto?[br][originaltext]Zepeto,anavatar-builderfromSouthKor
WhatisZepeto?[br][originaltext]Zepeto,anavatar-builderfromSouthKor
WhatisZepeto?[br][originaltext]Zepeto,anavatar-builderfromSouthKor
WhatisZepeto?[originaltext]Zepeto,anavatar-builderfromSouthKoreanap
Whatistheguideoftheorganizationaimedtoanswer?[originaltext]Fewcom
Whatisthemaintopicofthepassage?[br][originaltext]Myteenagesonre
Whatisthemaintopicofthepassage?[br][originaltext]Myteenagesonre
随机试题
Theprocessby【66】ofwhichhumanbeingsarbitrarilymakecertainthingsstan
Whatdoes"trashtalk"meanhere?A、Totalkaboutsomeoneinanamusingway.B、To
Commutershavea40percentgreaterriskofendingupdivorced,accordingt
有关超声生物显微镜(UBM)的描述,错误的是()A.其因穿透力强可用于眼
患者女,20岁。因外伤致第4、第5颈椎骨折并发颈髓损伤,四肢呈弛缓性瘫痪,高热4
患者,男性,66岁,诊断心绞痛入院,舌下含服硝酸甘油0.5mg后眼前发黑、恶心,
甲房地产公司的写字楼A在建工程的用地是3年前通过出让方式取得的,土地使用权年期为
班级管理模式中的“目标管理”是由()提出的。 A.马卡连柯B.德鲁克
证券投资咨询机构从事上市公司并购重组业务,应具有两年以上从事公司并购重组财务顾问
(2013年真题)关于轻型井点降水施工的说法,正确的有()。A.轻型井点一般可采
最新回复
(
0
)