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.