单选题
The Role of Leadership

In an organisation where there is faith in the abilities of formal leaders, employees will look towards the leaders for a number of things. During drastic change times, employees will expect effective and sensible planning, confident and effective decision-making, and regular, complete communication that are timely. The best way to summarize is that there is a climate of trust between leader and the rest of the team. The existence of this trust brings hope for better times in the future, and that makes coping with drastic change much easier.
In organisations characterized by poor leadership, employees expect nothing positive. In a climate of distrust, employees learn that leaders will act in indecipherable ways and in ways that do not seem to be in anyone's best interests. The organisation must deal with the practical impact of unpleasant change, but more importantly, must labor under the weight of employees who have given up, have no faith in the system or in the ability of leaders to turn the organisation around.
When we talk about preparing for the change journey, we are talking about leading in a way that lays the foundation or groundwork for any changes that may occur in the future. Preparing is about building resources, by building healthy organizations in the first place. Much like healthy people, who are better able to cope with infection or disease than unhealthy people, organizations that are healthy in the first place are better able to deal with change. As a leader, you need to establish credibility and a track record of effective decision-making, so that there is trust in your ability to figure out what is necessary to bring the organisation through.
Leaders play a critical role during change implementation. During this period, effective leaders need to focus on two things. First, the feelings and confusion of employees must be acknowledged and validated. Second, the leader must work with employees to begin creating a new vision of the altered workplace, and helping employees to understand the direction of the future. Focusing only on feelings may result in wallowing. That is why it is necessary to begin the movement into the new ways or situations. Focusing only on the new vision may result in the perception that the leader is out of touch, cold and uncaring. A key part of leadership in this phase knows when to focus on the pain, and when to focus on building and moving into the future.
In a sense you never completely arrive, but here we are talking about the period where the initial instability of massive change has been reduced. The critical thing here is that leaders must now offer hope that the organization is working towards being better, by solving problems and improving the quality of work life. While the new vision of the organization may have begun while people were slogging through the swamp, this is the time to complete the process, and make sure that people buy into it, and understand their roles in this new organization.
Playing a leadership role in the three phases is not easy. Not only do you have a responsibility to lead, but as an employee yourself, you have to deal with your own reactions to the change, and your role in it. However, if you are ineffective in leading change, you will bear a very heavy personal load. Since you are accountable for the performance of your unit, you will have to deal with the ongoing loss of productivity that can result from poorly managed change, not to mention the potential impact on your own enjoyment of your job.

单选题 In what way do employees behave with a good leader when a change is under the way?
A They allow the leaders to make any decisions.
B They rely on the leaders and wish to be trusted.
C They hope for the improvement of working conditions.
D They have confidence and show readiness to help.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对原文细节的整理和推断。题目问:在变革来临的时候,优秀的领导带领的员工会如何表现?D选项中的They have confidence and show readiness to help与文中的信息点trust及expect timely communication相对应,信任并且期待着及时的沟通,可以推断他们愿意提供一定的帮助,故选D。
[干扰项解析] B选项为干扰项,原文中反复强调的a climate oftrust指的是互相信任的氛围,并不是员工的意愿“wish to be trusted”。
单选题 During the drastic changes, what is the more serious challenge poor leadership must face?
A Employees feel reluctant to accept the changes.
B Employees show indifference to the changes.
C Employees despair of the competence of leaders.
D Employees look down upon the leaders.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对关键词的转化。C选项Employees despair of the competence of leaders“对于领导力感到绝望”与第二段末句more importantly, ...employees who have given up, have no faith in...相对应,故选C。
[干扰项解析] B中的Employees show indifference to the changes与原文不符,并不是漠不关心,而是distrust的负面情绪一直存在。
单选题 To lead a change in an organisation, a leader should
A behave in a reliable and determinant way.
B gather enough information and financial support.
C reform the organisation and reallocate the resources.
D work under the pressure and be healthy.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对细节的定位,关键在于原文第三段最后一句:作为领导者,你需要建立威信,并给人留下能够有效做出决策的印象。behave in a reliable and determinant way正符合题意。
[干扰项解析] B、C选项是对原文的过度推断,不符合题意。
单选题 When putting changes into practice, if emotions of employees draw all the attention,
A employees will be grateful to leaders.
B the workplace will present a new appearance.
C leaders will be considered nice and easy-going.
D any change will never be carried out.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对细节的推断。题目问:在变革执行期间,如果只关注员工的情绪,那么会如何? D选项“不会完成任何的变革”与原文中的result in wallowing“结果是原地踏步”相对应,故选D。
[干扰项解析] C选项中的leaders will be considered nice and easy-going,与原文out of touch, cold and uncaring对应,“不关心员工的情绪会让人认为领导冷酷、漠不关心”,但并不是说,关心员工的情绪,就一定能会产生相反的效果。
单选题 The changes will be put a temporary end when
A employees recognize them and reposition themselves.
B employees can overcome the difficulties they meet.
C employees have barriers removed and workplace improved.
D employees have faith in the development of the future.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对关键词的同义转化。题目问:到什么时候可以暂时终止变革呢? A选项recognize them and reposition themselves实际上是指原文中buy into it, and understand their roles in this new organization。buy into指“买账,认可”,故选A。
[干扰项解析] C选项have barriers removed and workplace improved由原文中的solving problems and improving the quality of work life改写而来,但原文指领导者通过解决问题和改善工作环境来给员工提供更多的希望,动作的实施者为leaders而不是employees。
单选题 What are the possible results if change isn't well managed?
A Leaders will work under greater pressure.
B Leaders won't get any sense of satisfaction from work.
C Leaders feel greatly disappointed to the change.
D Leaders feel guilty of the loss of the company.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查对关键词的转换。本题的信息点在末段第二句,而A选项中的work under greater pressure指的就是bear a very heavy personal load,故选A。
[干扰项解析] B选项“没有任何满足感”与原文“可能影响到你工作的快乐”并不对应,属于过度推断。