Passage 1
段落 1
"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco," economist Adam Smith once wrote, "are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation."
糖、酒精和烟草，经济学家亚当·斯密曾写道，“这些商品并非生活的必需品，已成为几乎普遍的消费对象，因此，它们是极其受欢迎的征税对象。”
Two and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.
两个半世纪后，大多数国家都对酒精和烟草征收某种形式的税。随着肥胖水平不断上升，对公共卫生系统造成越来越大的压力，世界各国政府开始考虑对糖征税的想法。
Whether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.
税收是否有效是一个有争议的问题。对墨西哥税收的初步审查发现，征税饮料的购买量下降，同时未征税且更健康的饮料销量上升。相比之下，丹麦对高脂肪食品征税在实施一年后被放弃，声称消费者通过越过边境到德国以满足对更便宜、更油腻食品的需求来规避这项税收。
The food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.
食品行业总体上坚决反对此类直接政府行动。然而，对腰围的关注再次提升，这意味着行业团体面临压力，必须证明他们的产品既健康又美味。
Over the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.
过去三十年里，该行业已做出一些努力来提高其产品的质量。例如，一些饮料制造商已经减少了他们饮料中的糖含量。
Many of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.
过去 30 年中，许多减量是通过减少产品中的糖、盐或脂肪含量，或者找到替代成分来实现的。然而，最近。
Some companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.
一些公司已经开始投资一项更具雄心的项目：学习如何调整他们所售食品的基本成分。例如，外面有盐但里面没有，可以减少盐分而不改变味道。
While reformulating recipes(
在重新制定食谱（配方)is one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that
）是改善公共卫生的一种方式，它应该是多方面方法的一部分。关键是要记住
there is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.
没有一种解决方案。为了应对肥胖，需要采用多种方法——包括重新配方、征税和调整份量——将会有所帮助。没有一劳永逸的解决办法。
 

1. What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco.
1. 亚当·斯密对糖、酒精和烟草说了什么。

2. Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?
2. 为什么许多国家开始考虑对糖征税？

3. What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?
3. 我们从丹麦对高脂肪食品的税收中学到了什么？

4. What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?
4. 食品公司最近为了使食品和饮料既健康又美味，做出了哪些努力？

5. What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, "There is no silver bullet"(Line 4, Para 7)?
5. 作者在段落末尾说“没有银弹”（第 7 段第 4 行）是什么意思？

Passage 2
段落 2

You may have heard some of the fashion industry horror stories: models eating tissues or cotton balls to hold off hunger, and models collapsing from hunger-induced heart attacks just seconds after they step off the runway.
你可能听说过一些时尚行业的恐怖故事：模特为了抑制饥饿而吃纸巾或棉球，以及模特在走完秀后仅几秒钟就因饥饿引发的心脏病发作而倒下。
Excessively skinny models have been a point of controversy for decades, and two researchers say a model's body mass should be a workspace health and safety issue. In an editorial released Monday in the American Journal of Public Health, Katherine Record and Bryn Austin made their case for government regulation of the fashion industry.
过度消瘦的模特几十年来一直是一个有争议的话题，两位研究人员表示，模特的体重应该是工作场所的健康安全问题。在周一发布的《美国公共卫生杂志》社论中，凯瑟琳·雷科德和 Bryn Austin 为政府监管时尚行业提出了他们的论点。
The average international runway model has a body mass index (BMI) under 16-low enough to indicate starvation by the World Health Organization's standard. And Record and Austin are worried not just about the models themselves, but about the vast number of girls and women their images influence.
国际平均跑道模特的体质指数（BMI）低于 16，这足以根据世界卫生组织的标准表明处于饥饿状态。Record 和 Austin 不仅担心模特本身，还担心她们的形象对大量女孩和女性的影响。
"Especially girls and tens", says Record. "Seventy percent of girls aged 10 to 18 report that they define perfect body image based on what they see in magazines." That's especially worrying, she says, given that anorexia(厌食症)results in more deaths than does any other mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
特别是女孩和青少年”，Record 说。“70%的 10 至 18 岁女孩表示，她们根据在杂志上看到的内容来定义完美的身体形象。”她说，考虑到据美国国家精神健康研究所称，厌食症导致的死亡人数比任何其他精神疾病都要多，这尤其令人担忧。
It's commonly known that certain diseases are linked with occupations like lung disease in coal miners. Professional fashion models are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders resulting from occupational demands to maintain extreme thinness.
众所周知，某些疾病与特定职业相关，例如煤矿工人的肺病。职业模特尤其容易受到因职业要求保持极端瘦弱而导致的饮食失调的影响。
Record's suggestion is to prohibit agents from hiring models with a BMI below 18.
记录的建议是禁止代理商雇佣 BMI 低于 18 的模特。
In April, France passed a law setting lower limits for a model's weight. Agents and fashion houses who hire models with BMI under 18 could pay $82,000 in fines and spend up to 6 months in jail. Regulating the fashion industry in the United States won't be easy, Record says. But with the new rules in France, U.S. support could make a difference. "A designer can't survive without participating in Paris Fashion Week", she says, adding, "Our argument is that the same would be true of New York Fashion Week."
四月份，法国通过了一项法律，为模特的体重设定了较低的底线。雇佣 BMI 低于 18 的模特的经纪公司和时尚屋可能面临 8.2 万美元的罚款，并可能被判处长达 6 个月的监禁。Record 表示，在美国监管时尚产业不会容易。但有了法国的新规定，美国的支持可能产生影响。“一个设计师如果不参加巴黎时装周就无法生存”，她说，并补充道，“我们的论点是，纽约时装周也是如此。”

1. What do Record and Austin say about fashion models' body mass?
1. 记录和奥斯汀对时尚模特的体重有什么看法？

2. What are Record and Austin advocating in the Monday editorial?
2. 在周一的社论中，雷科德和奥斯汀倡导了什么？

3. Why are Record and Austin worried about the low body mass index of models?
3. 为什么 Record 和 Austin 担心模特的低体重指数？

4. What do we learn about France's fashion industry?
4. 我们从法国的时尚产业中学到了什么？

5. What does Record expect of New York Fashion Week?
5. 记录对纽约时装周有什么期望？

Passage 3
段落 3

In the information technology industry, it is widely acknowledged that how well IT departments of the future can fulfill their business goals will depend not on the regular updating of technology, which is essential for them to do, but on how well they can hold on to the people skilled at manipulating the newest technology.
在信息技术行业，人们普遍认为，未来 IT 部门能否实现其商业目标，不仅取决于他们必须进行的常规技术更新，而且取决于他们能否留住那些擅长操作最新技术的人才。
Most employers are confining themselves to dealing with the immediate problems. There is little evidence, for example, that they are stepping up their intake of raw recruits for in-house training, or retraining existing staff from other functions. This is the course of action recommended by the Computer Software Services Association, but research shows its members are adopting the short-term measure of bringing in more and more consultants on a contract basis. However, this approach is becoming less and less acceptable as the general shortage of skills, coupled with high demand, sends contractor rates soaring.
大多数雇主都在处理眼前的问题。例如，几乎没有证据表明他们在增加内部培训的新员工，或者重新培训来自其他职能的现有员工。这是计算机软件服务协会推荐的做法，但研究表明其成员正在采取短期措施，即越来越多地以合同方式聘请顾问。然而，随着技能普遍短缺和高需求，这种做法越来越不被接受。
While many companies in the financial services sector are managing to contain their losses by offering skilled IT staff 'golden handcuffs' - deferred loyalty bonuses that tie them in until a certain date - other organizations, like local governments, are unable to match the competitive salaries and perks on offer in the private sector and contractor market.
尽管许多金融服务行业的公司通过提供“黄金手铐”——即延迟发放忠诚奖金，将员工绑定到一定日期——来控制损失，但其他组织，如地方政府，却无法与私营部门和承包市场提供的具有竞争力的薪资和福利相匹配。
Many industry experts advise employers to link bonuses to performance wherever possible. However, employers are realizing that bonuses will only succeed if they are accompanied by other incentives such as attractive career prospects, training, and challenging work that meets the individual's long-term ambitions.
许多行业专家建议雇主尽可能将奖金与业绩挂钩。然而，雇主们开始意识到，如果奖金伴随着其他激励措施，如诱人的职业前景、培训和满足个人长期抱负的挑战性工作，那么奖金才会成功。
For many employers, however, the urgency of the problem demands a more immediate solution, such as recruiting skilled workers from overseas. But even this is not easy, with strict quotas on the number of work permits issued. In addition, opposition to the recruitment of IT people from other countries is growing, as many professionals believe it will lead to even less investment in training and thus a long-term weakening of the UK skills base.
然而，对于许多雇主来说，问题的紧迫性要求更迅速的解决方案，例如从海外招聘熟练工人。但这并不容易，因为对发放工作许可证的数量有严格的配额限制。此外，反对从其他国家招聘 IT 人员的声音日益增长，因为许多专业人士认为这会导致对培训的投资进一步减少，从而长期削弱英国的技术基础。
 

1. According to the first paragraph, the success of IT departments will depend on
1. 根据第一段，IT 部门的成功将取决于

2. What possible solution to the long-term problems in the IT industry is referred to in the second paragraph?
2. 第二段中提到了什么可能的解决方案来解决 IT 行业的长期问题？

3. In some businesses in the financial services sector, the IT staffing problem has led to
3. 在金融服务行业的一些企业中，IT 人员配备问题导致了

4. Employers accept that IT professionals are more likely to stay in their present post if they
4. 雇主认为，IT 专业人士更有可能留在他们目前的工作岗位上，如果他们

5. According to the final paragraph, the UK skills base will be weakened by
5. 根据最后一段，英国技能基础将受到削弱

Passage 4
段落 4

Encourage your original thinkers and live with their strange habits, says Alan
鼓励你的原创思想家，与他们奇怪的习性共存，艾伦说Worthin
值得.
Current business wisdom is that companies need creative, innovative people to beat competitors. The reality is that companies have always needed new ideas to survive and progress, but in the
当前商业智慧认为，公司需要富有创意和创新精神的人来击败竞争对手。但现实是，公司始终需要新想法来生存和进步，但在这个past
过去 they weren't particularly good at encouraging the people who produced them.
他们并不擅长鼓励那些生产他们的人。
Original thinkers don't always fit easily into the framework of an organization. However, the advice from managing director, John Serrano, is 'get rid of the dull people and encourage the unusual ones'. Essentially, he believes that companies need to learn how to manage their original thinkers in order to ensure that the business profits from their contribution. He also says, 'Original thinkers often find it difficult to drive change within the organization, so they resign, feeling angry and disappointed. It is essential to avoid this.'
原创思想家并不总是能轻易地融入组织的框架。然而，总经理约翰·塞拉诺的建议是“摆脱那些乏味的人，鼓励那些不寻常的人”。本质上，他相信公司需要学会如何管理他们的原创思想家，以确保业务从他们的贡献中获得利润。他还说：“原创思想家往往发现很难在组织中推动变革，所以他们辞职，感到愤怒和失望。避免这种情况是至关重要的。”
'You can't recognize original thinkers by the way they look,' says Ian Freeman. An apparently ordinary exterior can conceal a very creative thinker.' His consultancy, IBT Personnel, has devised a structured way to identify original thinkers. 'We define employees as champions, free-wheelers, bystanders and weak links, and most original thinkers come into the category of free-wheelers. They may miss deadlines if they become involved in something more interesting. They are passionate and highly motivated but have little or no understanding of business directions and systems.'
你不能通过外表来识别原创思想家，伊恩·弗里曼说。看似普通的外表可能隐藏着一个非常有创造力的思想家。他的咨询公司 IBT Personnel 已经制定了一种结构化的方法来识别原创思想家。“我们将员工定义为冠军、自由主义者、旁观者和薄弱环节，而大多数原创思想家都属于自由主义者类别。如果他们参与更有趣的事情，可能会错过截止日期。他们充满激情且高度动机化，但对商业方向和系统了解甚少或没有。”
Headhunter George Solomon also thinks original thinkers have their disadvantages. 'They may have a bad influence within an organization, especially given the current management trend for working in teams. The original thinkers themselves may be unaware of any problem, but having them around can be disruptive to colleagues. who have to be allowed to point out when they are being driven crazy by the original thinkers' behavior.
猎头乔治·所罗门也认为原创性思维者有其不利之处。'他们可能在组织中产生不良影响，尤其是在当前团队合作的经营管理趋势下。原创性思维者本身可能没有意识到任何问题，但他们的存在可能会对同事造成干扰。这些同事需要被允许指出当他们被原创性思维者的行为逼疯时。’' Yet, in his opinion, the 'dream team' in any creative organization consists of a balanced mixture of original thinkers and more practical, realistic people.
然而，在他看来，任何创意组织中的“梦之队”都由原创思维者和更多实际、现实的人士的平衡组合构成。
Original thinkers may fit into the culture of 21st century organizations, but more traditional organizations may have to change their approach. Business psychologist Jean Row believes that the first step is to check that original thinkers are worth the effort. 'Are the benefits they bring worth the confusion they cause? If so, give them what they want, allow plenty of space, but set clear limits. Give them extremely demanding targets. If they fail to meet them, then the game is up. But if they succeed, your organization stands only to gain.'
原创思想家可能适合 21 世纪的组织文化，但更传统的组织可能需要改变他们的方法。商业心理学家 Jean Row 认为，第一步是检查原创思想家是否值得投入努力。“他们带来的好处是否值得他们造成的混乱？如果是，就给他们想要的，给予充足的空间，但设定明确的界限。给他们极其严格的目标。如果他们未能实现，那么游戏就结束了。但如果他们成功了，你的组织只会从中受益。”
 

1. It is important for a company to encourage original thinkers because
1. 对于一家公司来说，鼓励有独立思考能力的人很重要，因为

2. John Serrano thinks that original thinkers should be
2. 约翰·塞拉诺认为，原创思想家应该

3. What does Ian Freeman say about original thinkers?
3. 伊恩·弗里曼对原创思想家有何看法？

4. What problems can be observed when there are original thinkers in the workforce?
4. 当工作中有原创性思维者时，可以观察到哪些问题？

5. A traditional organization wishing to employ original thinkers needs to
5. 想要雇佣创新思维者的传统组织需要

Passage 5
段落 5

The phrase almost completes itself: midlife crisis. It's the stage in the middle of the journey when people feel youth vanishing, their prospects narrowing and death approaching.
这句话几乎可以自行完成：中年危机。这是人生旅程中人们感到青春逝去、前景变窄、死亡临近的阶段。
There's only one problem with the cliche（套话）. It isn't true.
套话只有一个问题。它并不真实。
"In fact, there is almost no hard evidence for midlife crisis other than a few small pilot studies conducted decades ago," Barbara Hagerty writes in her new book, Life Reimagined. The bulk of the research shows that there may be a pause, or a shifting of gears in the 40s or 50s, but this shift "can be exciting, rather than terrifying. "
事实上，除了几十年前进行的一些小型试点研究外，几乎没有关于中年危机的硬性证据，”芭芭拉·哈格蒂在她的新书《重新想象生活》中写道。大部分的研究表明，在 40 岁或 50 岁时可能会有一个暂停，或者换挡，但这种转变“可以令人兴奋，而不是令人恐惧。”
Barbara Hagerty looks at some of the features of people who turn midlife into a rebirth. They break routines, because "autopilot is death." They choose purpose over happiness—having a clear sense of purpose even reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease. They give priority to relationships, as careers often recede （逐渐淡化）
芭芭拉·哈格蒂探讨了将中年转变为重生的人的一些特点。他们打破常规，因为“自动驾驶等于死亡。”他们选择目标而非幸福——甚至拥有明确的目标感还能降低患阿尔茨海默病的风险。他们将关系置于首位，因为事业往往逐渐淡化。.
Life Reimagined paints a picture of middle age that is far from gloomy. Midlife seems like the second big phase of decision-making. Your identity has been formed; you've built up your resources; and now you have the chance to take the big risks precisely because your foundation is already secure.
生命重新构想描绘了一个远离忧郁的中年景象。中年似乎像是第二个重要的决策阶段。你的身份已经形成；你已经积累了资源；现在你有机会承担大风险，正是因为你的基础已经稳固。
Karl Barth described midlife precisely this way. At middle age, he wrote, "the sowing is behind; now is the time to reap. The run has been taken; now is the time to leap. Preparation has been made; now is the time for the venture of the work itself."
卡尔·巴特正是这样精确地描述中年。他写道：“播种已经完成；现在是收获的时候。奔跑已经结束；现在是跳跃的时候。准备已经做好；现在是投身于工作本身的冒险时刻。”
The middle-aged person, Barth continued, can see death in the distance, but moves with a "measured haste" to get big new things done while there is still time.
中年人，巴特继续说，可以看到死亡在远处，但仍然以“有节制的匆忙”行动，在还有时间的时候完成大事。
What Barth wrote decades ago is even truer today. People are healthy and energetic longer. We have presidential candidates running for their first term in office at age 68, 69 and 74. A longer lifespan is changing the narrative structure of life itself. What could have been considered the beginning of a descent is now a potential turning point—the turning point you are most equipped to take full advantage of.
巴特几十年前所写的内容在今天依然适用。人们的健康和精力更加持久。我们有 68 岁、69 岁和 74 岁的总统候选人竞选首次任期。更长的寿命正在改变生活的叙事结构。曾经可能被视为下滑开始的地方，现在却是一个潜在的转折点——一个你最能充分利用的转折点。
 

1. What does the author think of the phrase "midlife crisis"?
1. 作者如何看待“中年危机”这个短语？

2. How does Barbara Hagerty view midlife?
2.芭芭拉·哈格蒂如何看待中年？

3. How is midlife pictured in the book Life Reimagined?
3. 书《生命再想象》中是如何描绘中年时期的？

4. According to Karl Barth, midlife is the time ______.
4. 根据卡尔·巴特的说法，中年是这样一个时期 ______。

5. What does the author say about midlife today?
5. 作者今天对中年有何看法？

Passage 6
段落 6

In spring, chickens start laying again, bringing a welcome source of protein at winter's end. So it's no surprise that cultures around the world celebrate spring by honoring the egg.
春天，鸡又开始下蛋，为冬末带来了蛋白质的欢迎来源。因此，世界各地的人们通过尊敬鸡蛋来庆祝春天，这并不令人惊讶。
Some traditions are simple, like the red eggs that get baked into Greek Easter breads. Others elevate the egg into a fancy art, like the heavily jewel-covered "eggs" that were favored by the Russians starting in the 19th century.
一些传统很简单，比如希腊复活节面包中烤入的红鸡蛋。而另一些则将鸡蛋提升为一种精致的艺术，比如 19 世纪开始受到俄罗斯人喜爱的、装饰有大量宝石的“鸡蛋”。
One ancient form of egg art comes to us from Ukraine. For centuries, Ukrainians have been drawing complicated patterns on eggs. Contemporary artists have followed this tradition to create eggs that speak to the anxieties of our age: Life is precious, and delicate. Eggs are, too.
一种古老的蛋艺形式来自乌克兰。几个世纪以来，乌克兰人一直在鸡蛋上绘制复杂的图案。当代艺术家遵循这一传统，创作出反映我们这个时代焦虑的鸡蛋：生命宝贵而脆弱。鸡蛋也是如此。
"There's something about their delicate nature that appeals to me," says New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast. Several years ago, she became interested in eggs and learned the traditional Ukrainian technique to draw her very modern characters. "I've broken eggs at every stage of the process—from the very beginning to the very, very end. "
"他们的精致特质让我着迷，”纽约客漫画家罗兹·查斯特说。几年前，她对鸡蛋产生了兴趣，并学习了传统的乌克兰绘画技巧来描绘她非常现代的角色。“我在过程的每个阶段都打破过鸡蛋——从一开始到最后的最后。”
But there's an appeal in that vulnerability. "There's part of this sickening horror of knowing you're walking on the edge with this, that I kind of like, knowing that it could all fall apart at any second" Chast's designs, such as a worried man alone in a tiny rowboat, reflect that delicateness.
但是，这种脆弱性中有着一种吸引力。“有一种令人作呕的恐怖感，知道你正走在边缘上，我有点喜欢，知道这一切可能在任何时刻崩溃”查斯特的设计，比如一个独自在 tiny rowboat 上的担忧的男人，反映了这种脆弱性。
Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs also spoke to those fears. The elaborate patterns were believed to offer protection against evil.
传统乌克兰装饰蛋也反映了这些恐惧。复杂的图案被认为可以抵御邪恶。
"There's an ancient legend that as long as these eggs are made, evil will not prevail in the world," says Joan Brander, a Canadian egg-painter who has been painting eggs for over 60 years, having learned the art from her Ukrainian relatives.
“有一个古老的传说，只要这些鸡蛋被制作出来，世界上就不会有邪恶，”加拿大鸡蛋画家琼·布兰德说，她已从事鸡蛋绘画超过 60 年，这门艺术是从她的乌克兰亲戚那里学来的。
The tradition, dating back to 300 B. C., was later incorporated into the Christian church. The old symbols, however, still endure. A decorated egg with a bird on it, given to a young married couple, is a wish for children. A decorated egg thrown into the field would be a wish for a good harvest.
传统起源于公元前 300 年，后来被纳入基督教会。然而，古老的符号仍然存在。给年轻夫妇的装饰鸡蛋是希望有孩子。将装饰鸡蛋扔进田野是希望有好收成。

1. Why do people in many cultures prize the egg?
1. 为什么许多文化中的人们都珍视鸡蛋？

2. What do we learn about the decorated "eggs" in Russia?
2. 我们从俄罗斯装饰的“鸡蛋”中学到了什么？

3. Why have contemporary artists continued the egg art tradition?
3. 为什么当代艺术家继续传承蛋雕艺术传统？

4. Why does Chast enjoy the process of decorating eggs?
4. 为什么查斯特喜欢装饰鸡蛋的过程？

5. What do we learn from the passage about egg-painting?
5. 从这段关于蛋彩画的文字中，我们学到了什么？

Passage 7
段落 7

You can negotiate virtually anything. Projects, resources, expectations and deadlines are all outcomes of negotiation. Some people negotiate deals for a living. Dr Herb Cohen is one of these professional talkers, called in by companies to negotiate on their behalf. He approaches the art of negotiation as a game because, as he is usually negotiating for somebody else, he says this helps him drain the emotional content from his conversation.
你可以协商几乎所有事情。项目、资源、期望和截止日期都是协商的结果。有些人以协商交易为生。Herb Cohen 博士就是这些人之一，被公司邀请代表他们进行谈判。他将谈判艺术视为一种游戏，因为他通常是在为他人谈判，他说这有助于他从对话中排除情感内容。
The starting point for any deal, he believes, is to identify exactly what you want from each other. Negotiation requires two people at the end saying ‘yes”. This can be a problem because one of them usually begins by saying “no”. Top management may well reject the idea initially because it is the safer option.
任何交易的起点，他认为，是明确彼此想要从对方那里得到什么。谈判需要双方最终都说“是”。这可能是个问题，因为其中一方通常一开始会说“不”。高层管理可能一开始会拒绝这个想法，因为这更安全。
It is a misconception that skilled negotiators are smooth operators in smart suits. Dr Cohen says that one of his strategies is to dress down so that the other side can relate to you. People will generally feel more comfortable with somebody who appears to be like them rather than superior to them. They may not like you but they will feel they can trust you.
这是一种误解，认为熟练的谈判者总是穿着光鲜的智能西装。科恩博士表示，他的策略之一是穿着休闲，以便对方能与你产生共鸣。人们通常会更舒服地与看起来像他们而不是优于他们的人相处。他们可能不喜欢你，但他们会觉得他们可以信任你。
Inevitably some deals will not succeed. Generally, the longer the negotiations go on, the better chance they have because people do not want to think their investment and energies have gone to waste. However, joint venture can mean joint risk and sometimes, if this becomes too great, neither party may be prepared to see the deal through. More common is a corporate culture clash between companies, which can put an end to any deal.
不可避免地，有些交易将不会成功。一般来说，谈判持续的时间越长，成功的可能性就越大，因为人们不希望认为他们的投资和精力都白费了。然而，合资企业可能意味着共同的风险，有时，如果这种风险变得过大，任何一方可能都不愿意继续这笔交易。更常见的是公司之间的企业文化冲突，这可能导致任何交易都告吹。
De Cohen thinks that children are the masters of negotiation. They understand the decision-making process within families perfectly. If Mum refuses their request, they will troop along to Dad and pressure him. If all else fails, they will try the grandparents, using some emotional blackmail. They can also be very single-minded and have an inexhaustible supply of energy for the cause they are pursuing.
科恩认为孩子是谈判的大师。他们完美地理解家庭中的决策过程。如果妈妈拒绝他们的请求，他们就会成群结队地去爸爸那里施压。如果所有其他方法都失败了，他们会尝试去找祖父母，利用一些情感勒索。他们也可以非常专注，为他们追求的事业提供无尽的能量。
 

1. Dr Cohen treats negotiation as a game in order to
1. 科恩博士将谈判视为一种游戏，以便

2. Many people say “no” to a suggestion in the beginning to
2. 许多人一开始就拒绝了一个建议

3. Dr Cohen says that when you are trying to negotiate you should
3. 科恩博士表示，当你试图进行谈判时，你应该

4. Deals sometimes fail because
4. 交易有时会失败，因为

5. Dr Cohen mentions children’s negotiation techniques to show that you should
5. 科恩博士提到儿童的谈判技巧，以表明你应该

Passage 8
段落 8

However attractive the figures may look on paper, in the long run the success or failure of a merger depends on the human factor. When the agreement has been signed and the accountants have departed, the real problems may only just be beginning. If there is a culture clash between the two companies in the way their people work, then all the efforts of the financiers and lawyers to strike a deal may have been in vain.
然而，无论这些数字在纸面上看起来多么吸引人，从长远来看，合并的成功或失败取决于人为因素。当协议签署且会计师们离开后，真正的问题可能才刚刚开始。如果两家公司在人员工作方式上存在文化冲突，那么金融家和律师们为达成交易所做的所有努力可能都徒劳无功。
This was the issue in 2001 when the proposed merger between two pharmaceutical companies promised to create one of the largest players in the industry. For both companies the merger was intended to reverse falling market share and shareholder value. However, although the companies' skill bases were compatible, the chief executives of the two companies could not agree which of them was to head up the new organization. This illustrates the need to compromise if a merger is to take place.
2001 年，当两家制药公司提出的合并承诺将创造行业中的最大玩家之一时，这就是问题所在。对于这两家公司来说，合并的目的是扭转市场份额和股东价值的下降。然而，尽管两家公司的技能基础相匹配，但两家公司的首席执行官无法就谁将领导新组织达成一致。这说明了如果合并要发生，就需要妥协。
But even in mergers that do go ahead, there can be culture clashes. One way to avoid this is to work with focus groups to see how employees view the existing culture of their organization. In one example, where two global organizations in the food sector were planning to merge, focus groups discovered that the companies displayed very different profiles. One was sales-focused, knew exactly what it wanted to achieve and pushed initiatives through. The other got involved in lengthy discussions, trying out options methodically and making contingency plans. The first responded quickly to changes in the marketplace; the second took longer, but the option it eventually chose was usually the correct one. Neither company's approach would have worked for the other.
但即使是在进行的合并中，也可能出现文化冲突。避免这种情况的一种方法是，与焦点小组合作，了解员工如何看待他们组织的现有文化。在一个例子中，两家食品行业的全球组织计划合并，焦点小组发现这两家公司表现出非常不同的特征。一家以销售为导向，确切知道自己想要实现的目标，并推动项目实施。另一家则参与长时间的讨论，系统地尝试选项并制定应急计划。第一家对市场变化反应迅速；第二家则花费更长的时间，但最终选择的选项通常是对的。任何一家公司的做法都不适用于另一家。
The answer is not to adopt one company's approach, or even to try to incorporate every aspect of both organizations, but to create a totally new culture. This means taking the best from both sides and making a new organization that everyone can accept. Or almost everyone. Inevitably there will be those who cannot adapt to a different culture. Research into the impact of mergers has found that companies with differing management styles are the ones that need to work hardest at creating a new culture.
答案不是采用一家公司的做法，甚至试图将两家组织的各个方面都纳入其中，而是创造一种全新的文化。这意味着从双方取其精华，打造一个每个人都能接受的新组织。或者说，几乎每个人都能接受。不可避免地，总会有一些人无法适应不同的文化。关于合并影响的研究发现，管理风格不同的公司需要最努力地创造新的文化。
Another tool that can help to get the right cultural mix is intercultural analysis. This involves carrying out research that looks at the culture of a company and the business culture of the country in which it is based. It identifies how people, money and time are managed in a company, and investigates the business customs of the country and how its politics, economics and history impact on the way business is done.
另一个有助于获得合适文化混合的工具是跨文化分析。这涉及到进行研究，考察公司的文化和其所在国家的商业文化。它确定了在一家公司中人们、金钱和时间是如何被管理的，并调查该国的商业习俗以及其政治、经济和历史如何影响商业运作。
1. According to the text, mergers can encounter problems when
根据文本，合并可能会遇到问题时

2. The proposed merger of two pharmaceutical groups failed because
2. 两个制药集团提出的合并失败，因为

3. According to the text, focus groups can help companies to
3. 根据文本，焦点小组可以帮助公司

4. Creating a new culture in a newly merged organization means that
4. 在一个新合并的组织中创造一种新的文化意味着

5. According to the text, intercultural analysis will show
5. 根据文本，跨文化分析将显示