2009年考研英語全題型高分強化教程(21)

Globalization and Its Impact

全球化及其影響

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Outstanding Cultural Diversity Programs

　　From the Chrysler Corporation to the Central Intelligence Agency, cultural diversity programs are flourishing in American organizations today. Firms can no longer safely assume that every employee walking in the door has similar beliefs or expectations. Whereas North American white males may believe in challenging authority, Asians tend to respect and defer to it. In Hispanic cultures, people often bring music, food, and family members to work, a custom that U.S. businesses have traditionally not allowed. A job applicant who won't make eye contact during an interview may be rejected for being unapproachable, when according to her culture, she was just being polite.

　　As a larger number of women, minorities, and immigrants enter the U.S. work force, the workplace is growing more diverse. It is estimated that by 2008 women will make up about 48 percent of the U.S. work force, and African Americans and Hispanics will each account for about 11 percent; by the year 2050, minorities will make up over 50 percent of the American population.

　　Cultural diversity refers to the differences among people in a work force due to race, ethnicity, and gender. Increasing cultural diversity is forcing managers to learn to supervise and motivate people with a broader range of values systems. According to a recent survey by the American Management Association, half of all U. S. employers have established some kind of formal initiative to promote and manage cultural diversity. Although demographics isn't the only reason for the growth of these programs, it is a compelling one. An increasing number of organizations have come to believe that diversity, like quality and customer service, is a competitive edge. A more diverse work force provides a wider range of ideas and perspectives and fosters creativity and innovation.

　　Avenues for encouraging diversity include recruiting at historically black colleges and universities, training and development, mentoring, and revamped promotion review policies. To get out the message about their commitment to diversity, many organizations establish diversity councils made up of employees, managers, and executives. Although many Fortune 500 companies are making diversity part of their strategic planning process, some programs stand out from the crowd.

　　At Texas Instruments, strategies for enhancing diversity include an aggressive recruiting plan, diversity training, mentoring, and an incentive compensation program that rewards managers for fostering diversity. Each business unit has a diversity manager who implements these strategies and works closely with the company's Diversity Network. The network provides a forum of employees to share ideas, solicit support, and build coalitions.

　　Convinced that strengthening diversity is a business imperative, Du Pont has established several programs to achieve that goal. In addition to training workshops and mentoring, Du Pont has established over 100 multicultural networks through which employees share work and life experiences and strive to help women and minorities reach higher levels of leadership and responsibility within the organization. Over half of Du Pont's new hires for professional and managerial positions are minorities and women.

　　Disney World's director of diversity wants theme park guests to see themselves reflected in the diversity of Disney's employees. Working to attract diverse employees, Disney hopes to convince them that the organization understands, respects, and values who they are. By holding a variety of diversity celebrations every year-including Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Awareness Month, and Native American Heritage Month-Disney opens the door to this kind of understanding.

　　What do we learn from strong, successful diversity program such as these, as well as similar programs at Microsoft, Xerox, Procter & Gamble and Digital Equipment Corporation? First, they can go a long way toward eliminating prejudice in the workplace and removing barriers to advancement. Second, to be more than just the latest corporate buzzword, diversity programs require commitment from the top and a culture that supports an inclusive environment.

Reading Comprehension

1.According to the passage, who the word "minority" refer to in the last sentence of the second paragraph?_______
[A]women and immigrants
[B]African Americans and Hispanies
[C]the American population
[D]none of the above

2.Texas Instruments' strategies for enhancing diversity not include_____.
[A]recruiting plan
[B]diversity training
[C]setting up of a network
[D]a staff-rewarding compensation program

3.How do you understand the part "who they are" in the sentence "Disney hopes to convince them that the organization understands, respects, and values who they are."?
[A]It here means that Disney can remember all its employees' names.
[B]It here means that Disney will value and respect each employee's own characteristics and abilities.
[C]It here means that Disney think all the employees have the same characteristics.
[D]It here means that Disney will require the employees to be the same no matter who they are.

4. According to the passage, the success of diversity programs mainly lie with _____.
[A]the employees and the countries
[B]the countries and their culture
[C]each organization's heads and its culture
[D]the heads of each organizations and the employees

5.Judging from the passage, most employers' attitude towards the diversity programs is­______.
[A]supporting
[B]indifferent
[C]opposing
[D]welcome

答案與題解

1.[D]
從文章的第二段我們可以了解到美國勞動力的一些組成元素，包括女性、移民、非洲裔美國人、西班牙裔美國人等等，但是這里說的少數民族不僅指非洲裔美國人西班牙裔美國人，它應該大于非洲裔美國人、西班牙裔美國人、一些女性，當然不是所有的美國人口都是少數民族，因此選[D]。

2.[C]
判斷這一題的選項，我們可以從第五段中獲取足夠的信息。第五段第一句話說，"At Texas Instruments, strategies for enhancing diversity include an aggressive recruiting plan, diversity training, mentoring, and an incentive compensation program that rewards managers for fostering diversity." 從這句話我們可以判斷[A][B]是正確的，[C]是錯的，應該是對經理的補償制度；[D]項也是正確的，也是該公司的一項策略。

3.[B]
本題考查理解能力。根據課文第七段內容，迪斯尼公司的多元文化主管希望其主題公園的游客們能夠感受到迪斯尼員工多元文化的氛圍。為了吸引具有不同文化背景的員工，迪斯尼希望讓員工相信公司會理解、尊重與珍惜每一個員工。這里所謂的珍惜每一個員工，是表示尊重他們身上展現的不同，包括他們的能力、信仰和習慣、文化上的不同。

4.[C]
文章最后一句話說，"Second, to be more than just the latest corporate buzzword, diversity programs require commitment from the top and a culture that supports an inclusive environment." 即多元文化計劃并不僅僅是一種時髦的說法，它要求企業頭腦人物下定決心，還要求有一個包容型的工作文化氛圍。所以選[C]。

5.[A]
答好此題需要把握好全文。文中一直在講各個公司是如何積極的采取措施、布置戰略來提升公司的多元文化，因此，他們的態度不是漠然、不是反對，而是支持。不選[D]是因為，welcome只是指出歡迎，不能反映具體的行動，而supporting更有積極配合的意思。

Words

the Central Intelligence Agency  美國中央情報局(=CIA)
defer to   尊重, 順從
Hispanic   西班牙裔美國人：具有拉丁美洲或西班牙血統的美國公民或居民
unapproachable   不能接近的, 不可親的, 無可匹敵的
ethnicity   屬于少數民族：種族特性、背景或關系
demographic   人口統計信息
mentor   導師，作為（另一個人的）忠實顧問或良師
revamp   修訂或重整（手稿等）
buzzword  時髦詞語；漂亮口號

Notes

1. 第一段的Whereas North American white males may believe in challenging authority, Asians tend to respect and defer to it.句中，it指代authority；連詞whereas連接的分句與后一個分句構成對比關系。

2. 第一段的最后一句話A job applicant who won't make eye contact during an interview may be rejected for being unapproachable, when according to her culture, she was just being polite.中，who引導的是一個定語從句，先行詞是applicant；句中的when并非"當......的時候"之意，而是表示轉折含義，相當于but，although， though。

3. 第三段中的Increasing cultural diversity is forcing managers to learn to supervise and motivate people with a broader range of values systems.句中increasing為現在分詞作定語，強調動作的正在進行；motivate somebody with something是指"用......來鼓勵某人"。此句中還用到了一個比較級，雖然另一比較項并未出現，但是從上下文我們可以得知是和過去相比。

4. 第三段中的 "Although demographics isn't the only reason for the growth of these programs, it is a compelling one."一句中，although引導的是一個表示讓步關系的狀語從句，意為"雖然，盡管"。

5.第六段的第一句話"Convinced that strengthening diversity is a business imperative, Du Pont has established several programs to achieve that goal."中，過去分詞convinced和其后面他that引導的賓語從句構成句子的狀語部分，that goal是指enhancing or promoting diversity。

杰出的文化多元計劃

　　從克萊斯勒公司到中央情報局，美國各大機構如今正在大肆推進多元文化計劃。企業不再輕言每個員工都持有大致相同的信念或期望。北美的白人男子也許會將挑戰當權者當成自己的信仰，而亞洲人對領導們一般十分尊重，而且言聽計從；西班牙裔人常常是聽著音樂，帶著食物，拖家帶口來上班；然而，美國公司從來不允許這樣的習慣。在面試中沒有目光交流的應聘者會因為不善于溝通而被刷下來，而也許按照她的文化習俗，這些舉動只是禮貌的表現。

　　隨著更多的婦女、少數族裔以及移民人群進入美國就業隊伍，企業員工文化背景更加多元。預計到2008年，婦女將占美國就業人數的48%左右，非洲裔與西班牙裔美國人將分別占到11%。到2050年，美國總人口中少數族裔將超過50%。

　　企業多元文化是指在同一個公司里由于員工的民族、種族與性別的不同而存在的差異。企業文化的日益多元化促使管理者們學習以更為寬廣的文化價值觀去領導和激勵員工。據美國管理協會最近一項調查顯示，美國所有企業中有一半已經正式推行旨在促進與處理多元文化的計劃。雖然人口結構的變化不是促進多元文化計劃的惟一原因，但它是一個強勁的動因。越來越多的企業與機構已經意識到，同產品質量與客戶服務一樣，員工的多元化也可以成為競爭優勢。更加多元化的員工隊伍意味著更廣闊的思路和意見，能夠促進企業的創造與革新。

　　促進多元文化的途徑包括：到歷來黑人較多的大學招聘雇員，培訓與培養人才，提供職業導師，調整升職考核政策等。為了廣泛宣傳其多元文化計劃，許多機構建立了由員工、部門經理及高層管理者組成的委員會。許多《財富》五百強企業都還在嘗試把多元文化管理作為其戰略部署的一部分，一些計劃已經脫穎而出。

　　得克薩斯州儀器公司的促進多元文化管理戰略包括大膽的招賢行動、多元人才培訓、提供職業導師活動以及對經理們促進多元文化計劃進行獎勵的鼓勵性報酬項目。每個部門由一個管理者負責實施多元文化的戰略決策并與公司的多元文化網絡密切協作。這一網絡為員工之間交流思想，相互幫助及結成同盟提供了媒介。

　　杜邦公司認為促進多元文化已經是企業管理的大勢所趨，因此，他們也制定了幾個相應的計劃。除了舉辦講座與提供職業導師活動之外，杜邦公司還開辟了100多個多元文化網站供員工相互交流工作與生活體驗，同時鼓勵婦女與少數族裔向責任重大的高層領導職務進軍。在杜邦公司新聘的專業技術與管理人員中，婦女與少數族裔占了一半以上。

　　迪斯尼公司的多元文化主管希望其主題公園的游客們能夠感受到迪斯尼員工多元文化的氛圍。為了吸引具有不同文化背景的員工，迪斯尼希望讓員工相信公司會理解、尊重與珍惜每一個員工。通過舉辦各種文化紀念活動，如馬丁·路德·金誕辰紀念日、亞太文化傳統月、拉美文化傳統月、關注殘障人士月、美國土著文化傳統月等，迪斯尼公司為人們理解多元文化提供了機會。

　　這些企業卓有成效的多元文化計劃以及微軟、施樂、寶潔、數字設備等公司的類似計劃對我們有何啟示？首先，這些計劃有助于消除工作中的歧視以及升職障礙。 其次，多元文化計劃并不僅僅是一種時髦的說法，它要求企業頭腦人物下定決心，還要求有一個包容型的工作文化氛圍。