2023 年 12 月大学英语四级考试真题（第 2 套）

A number of studies have looked at how family life can affect productivity and satisfaction in the workplace. However, there has been __26__ little research on the influence of leisure activities. So Ciara Kelly and colleagues recruited 129 hobbyists to look at how the time spent on their hobbies __27__ their work life.

The researchers found that when participants spent longer than __28__ on their leisure activity, their belief in their ability to perform their job was strengthened. But this was only the __29__ when they had a serious hobby that was dissimilar to their job, or when their hobby was similar to their work but they only did it __30__ . When their hobby was both serious and similar to their job, then spending more time on it actually decreased their work __31__ .

Why might that be? To maintain a serious hobby, people need to invest significant psychological resources, say the authors- so if the activity has the same kinds of demands as their work, they may be left __32__ and unable to perform well at their job. But if their hobby is quite different from their career, it may not __33__ in the same way but instead help them develop other knowledge and skills that can __34__ their confidence at work. "Consider a scientist who is a keen rock climber," says Kelly, "Since climbing is so far __35__ from their day-to-day work activities, they can still recover from the demands of their job with plenty of resources."

Having a rival can keep you committed to achieving your goals and enhance your overall performance. But before you go out and find an entrepreneur to outcompete, it's important to understand and avoid the traps that often come with rivalry. After all, competitive rivalry can also hinder effective decision-making and increase your willingness to take risks, behaviors that can ultimately hurt your venture's success.

Finding someone you're committed to outcompeting can be a great way to stay focused on your goals and push your venture to the next level. But when you're intently focused on outperforming your rivals, you may begin to develop a "win-at-all-costs" mentality that causes you to ignore how you achieve success. One group of researchers, for example, examined the link between rivalry and unethical behavior. They found that when people compete against their rivals, they are more willing to behave unethically to win. But such behavior may stain your reputation and strain relationships important to your success. One way to avoid this trap is to stop and reflect on what's important. While outperforming your rivals may provide short-term benefits, the loss of your integrity will have long-term consequences.

One reason having a rival can enhance your venture's performance is that it creates a level of excitement that drives you to work harder. But this eagerness to win may also hurt your venture's success, particularly when it causes you to make impulsive, insensible decisions. But it's possible to avoid such costly mistakes by making a habit of engaging in critical thinking, such as considering opposing viewpoints and conducting cost-benefit analyses, especially for those decisions that are complex and can determine the future of your venture.

The sense of eagerness that comes with having a rival can not only cause you to make poorer decisions, but it can also lead you to take greater risks that put your venture in peril. One way you can overcome the risk inducing effects of rivalry that stand to endanger your venture's success is to remain attentive to your emotional state and actively monitor how such feelings are affecting your decision-making.

A multitasker is one who can perform two or more tasks effectively at the same time, which- apart from the obvious differences- is similar to what a computer does. The concept does indeed come from the realms of technology, where it is used to refer to an operating system that can execute multiple tasks at the same time. However, the question is: can a person really be a multitasker?

For most scientists, the answer is no. So much so that, according to experts in neuroscience (神经系统科学), our brains do not handle multitasking situations well. As soon as two tasks require our attention, productivity suffers. What we call multitasking, therefore, is in reality the ability to move more or less quickly from one task to another. This requires two essential conditions: that one of the tasks needs to be automatic, like walking or eating, and that they both need different mental processes. Answering the phone and writing at the same time, for example.

However, on the other side of the coin there are people who maintain that it is possible to be, or at least seem to be, multitasking. A recent study concluded that regardless of whether people are actually handling several tasks or not, the mere fact that they perceive this activity as multitasking has a positive effect on their performance.

The business perspective offers a different view: multitasking is understood as the ability to adapt to all types of environment within a company and effectively undertake different activities within a set time frame. Indeed, many companies look for people who are skilled in multitasking to improve their productivity. From this different perspective, you can not only be multitasking but this ability can also be taught: something that is easier in fluid organisations, which favour flexibility in their working practices.

The benefits of multitasking are clear. Being quicker and more efficient increases our performance and the number of tasks completed. But having to pay attention to several things at once means that the powers of concentration are reduced and that can lead to more mistakes.