Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

Many people associate their self-worth with their work. The more successful their career, the better they feel about themselves. Work-related self-esteem is therefore a worthy ideal to pursue with vigor, right? Well, not always. according to recent research, in which psychologists interviewed 370 full-time workers over a period of three weeks, the reality is a little more complicated. And it involves negative as well as positive consequences.

Its natural to be drawn towards pleasure and to step away from pain. In the workplace, if that pleasure comes from a triumph which swells our self-respect, people will try to repeat the accomplishment. But repeating that accomplishment is often not realistic, which can lead to severe negative emotional consequences when it doesn't reoccur. This form of motivation is widely regarded as a negative type of motivation. It can hinder other more positive motivation types, such as completing a task purely because its fulfilling or enjoyable.

What consumes the employee instead is a pressing need to feel mighty and sure of themselves. They then take on only tasks and objectives which serve that ego-driven need. As a result, to avoid feelings of shame and worthlessness associated with failure, they extend themselves to such a degree that there's a subsequent adverse effect on their well-being. This internal pressure to succeed at all costs demands a lot of effort. It depletes their energy, culminating in disproportionate levels of damaging sentiment.

Those negative emotions mount into heightened anxiety, impacting their ability to make the most of their personal life. Their desire to avoid feeling inferior ends up making them feel inferior when it comes to their diminished capacity for friendship and leisure. They end up dissatisfied both at work and outside of it.

But thankfully, for those people compelled almost entirely by this specific form of motivation, the news isn't all bad, or bad at all. The study also discovered several positive outcomes that can actually outweigh the harmful ones. though these types of employees are motivated by the desire to avoid negative consequences, they are also motivated by the excitement of pursuing emotional rewards. This excitement makes pursuing goals enjoyable and stimulates pleasure and pride that would result from success. An effect of the positive motivation is that it neutralizes the existence of negative motivation.

Sure, it affects peoples personal lives to what could be deemed an unhealthy extent, because leisure activities are often seen as a part of life that must be sacrificed to manage work and family demands.

However, the way people feel about their work has less to do with whether they're motivated by the preservation of self-esteem but more with the fact that they're simply motivated.

46. What does the author say about the pursuit of work-related self-esteem?

A) It may result in negative motivation.

B) It contributes to ones accomplishments.

©) It can increase ones vigor as one keeps trying.

D) It costs too much emotionally and psychologically.

47. What do employees tend to do in pursuing work-related self-esteem?

A) Take on tasks well beyond their actual capabilities.

B) Strive to succeed at the expense of their well-being.

C) Resort to all means regardless of the consequences.

D) Exaggerate their sense of shame and worthlessness.

48. What do we learn about people over-concerned with work-related self-esteem?

A) They may often feel inferior to their colleagues.

B) They cannot enjoy their personal life to the full.

C) They are never satisfied with their achievements.

D) They have their own view of friendship and leisure.

49. What is the good news we learn from the recent research?

A) The pursuit of goals may turn out to be enjoyable and pleasant.

B) The emotional rewards from goal pursuit are worth the pains taken.

C) The negative consequences of goal pursuit can mostly be avoided.

D) The goal of swelling self-esteem can be achieved if one keeps trying.

50. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A) Workers have to make sacrifices to preserve self-esteem.

B) Self-esteem swells when workers are strongly motivated.

C) Pursuit of goals affects peoples personal lives to an unhealthy extent.

D) People feel positive about their work as long as they are motivated.

答案解析：

46. 由题干中的关键词“pursuit of work-related self-esteem”定位到第二段。第二段提到“This form of motivation is widely regarded as a negative type of motivation”，即这种追求自尊的动机被广泛认为是一种负面动机，所以选A。

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47. 由题干中的关键词“employees tend to do”和“pursuing work-related self-esteem”定位到第三段。第三段提到“to avoid feelings of shame and worthlessness associated with failure, they extend themselves to such a degree that there's a subsequent adverse effect on their well-being”，即为了避免失败带来的负面感受，他们会透支自己，从而损害身心健康，所以选B。

48. 由题干中的关键词“over-concerned with work-related self-esteem”定位到第四段。第四段提到“impacting their ability to make the most of their personal life... they feel inferior when it comes to their diminished capacity for friendship and leisure”，即这种过度关注会影响他们享受个人生活的能力，所以选B。

49. 由题干中的关键词“good news”定位到第五段。第五段提到“This excitement makes pursuing goals enjoyable and stimulates pleasure and pride”，即追求目标带来的兴奋感让这个过程变得愉快，所以选A。

50. 由题干中的关键词“last paragraph”定位到最后一段。最后一段提到“the way people feel about their work... more with the fact that they're simply motivated”，即人们对工作的感受更多地与他们是否被激励有关，而与动机类型无关，所以选D。