This topic and article derive from http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/05/when_choosing_a_job_culture_ma.html?referral=00563&cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-daily_alert-_-alert_date&utm_source=newsletter_daily_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alert_date&goback=.gde_1567717_member_112861847

As he learned more about the company, Sean questioned how he'd be viewed as the first CAO in a company where everyone else focused on bottom-line results. It was a highly performance-driven environment with lots of business units. Corporate staffs were secondary.

When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters

4:08 PM Wednesday May 2, 2012
by Bill Barnett | Comments (240)

Some organizations will excite you. They'll stimulate your success and growth. Others will be stressful. They may lead you to quit before you've accomplished much or learned what you hoped to. With the pressure (or excitement) of finding a new job, it's all too easy to pursue a job opportunity or to accept an offer with only a hazy view of how the institution really operates. The path to an institution you'll like is to investigate the culture you're thinking of joining before you accept the position.
Sean (name has been changed) is a master at this. He pursued a job offer at a Fortune 500 company to be the first Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). He was well-qualified, presented himself well, and got the offer. He'd been competing with capable people. He was proud he'd "won the contest."
The next step was a return visit, after which he'd decide to accept the offer. Sean had already learned a lot about the company's businesses and some things about the organization. His priority now was culture and how the new position might fit: "I asked people, 'What are you excited about? What are you proud of? Who are your close friends in the company? How does the group function together?'" Sean learned things like who the heroes were, what made them successful, and what his biggest challenges and opportunities would be in the job. The different people he met with were learning from his questions. It was almost like he already worked there, and they were jointly determining how to make the new role successful.
Surprisingly, Sean turned down the offer. The new role was a misfit in the company's culture.
As he learned more about the company, Sean questioned how he'd be viewed as the first CAO in a company where everyone else focused on bottom-line results. It was a highly performance-driven environment with lots of business units. Corporate staffs were secondary.
"I asked how they'd keep score on me, how they'd really know I was making a difference," he said. "We never got to satisfactory answers to that question. They weren't hiding anything. This CAO position was a new one, and they didn't really know."
Sean was concerned that this new position wouldn't fit in the company's culture, that he wouldn't really be accepted, and that it wouldn't be a springboard to the line job that he really wanted after two or three years as CAO. He might have made it work, but why take the risk?
It's not uncommon for job seekers to enter organizations without understanding the culture and come away disappointed. When considering a new job, be sure to investigate the institution's culture. Consider these questions to guide you:
1. What should I learn? Understand the organization's purpose — not just what they say they're doing, but also how their purpose leads to decisions and what makes them proud. Learn how the organization operates. For example, consider the importance of performance, how the organization gets things done, the level of teamwork, the quality of the people, how people communicate, and any ethical issues.
Except for ethical issues, there's no absolute standard of what's best in organizational culture. Different purposes and different organizational features can be more or less appealing to different people. When you understand how the potential employer operates, you'll need to consider how well that matches your goals. Your target organizational culture is an important part of your aspirations.
2. How should I learn? Read everything you can find about the institution, but read with a critical eye. Institutions have formal vision statements, and they often mention cultural topics in other public reports, but these documents are written with a purpose in mind. Independent writers take an independent perspective. They can be more critical, but they can miss details and get things wrong.
Discuss culture with people in the organization. You'll talk to people in the interviewing process, of course. But you may learn different things if you meet others there who aren't involved in your recruiting process. Also talk to people outside the organization who know it — customers, suppliers, partners, and ex-employees. Their different experiences with the institution will affect their views, so ask about situations where they've seen the culture in action.
3. When should I learn? It's hard to learn about culture at an early stage in your search. But your impressions can guide you to target some institutions and avoid others.
Culture may come up in job interviews, although it may be complicated to do much investigation when you're trying to sell yourself. People sometimes worry that discussing culture might make people uncomfortable and put a job offer at risk. The culture topic is certainly not off-base, and it is necessary to know for future growth in the company. Hiring managers should expect it. Whether it's in interviews or after you have an offer, you'll do best if your questions show you're learning rapidly about the organization, taking the employer's perspective, and beginning to figure out how to succeed there. Culture questions can cast you in a positive light. Sean's line of questioning confirmed the CEO's judgment to hire him, even if Sean didn't like the answers.
What's your view of how culture affects the job search? Has culture played a part in how you choose your future employer?

Worried That People Are Laughing at You?

This is the VOA Speical English Health Report (http://www.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/health/Worried-That-People-Are-Laughing-at-You--150686245.html)

When you pass a group of people, suddenly they start laughing. What would you feel and think ? Were they laughing at you? Why they were laughing ?


Some people in the study said they felt unsure of themselves in social situation but hid their feeling of insecurity. Other said they avoided social situation where they had been laughed at fefore.

This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives.

In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia


This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Imagine this situation. You pass a group of people. The people are talking to each other. You cannot hear what they are saying. But suddenly they start laughing. What would you think? Would you think they were laughing at something funny that one of them said? Or -- be honest with yourself -- would you think they were laughing at you? Yes, you.

Being laughed at is a common fear. But a major study published in two thousand nine found that this fear is not the same around the world. It differs from culture to culture.
People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them. Less than ten percent of Finns in the study said they would think that, compared to eighty percent of people in Thailand.
Some people in the study said they felt unsure of themselves in social situations but hid their feelings of insecurity. Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before.
The study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia were more likely to be in the first group. They would hide their feelings of insecurity if they were around other people's laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan were more likely to try to avoid such situations if they felt they had been laughed at before.
Shy people often avoid situations that would force them into close contact with other people. They worry that something they say or do will make other people laugh at them. But some people worry much more than others. They may have a disorder called gelotophobia. Gelos is a Greek word. It means laughter. Phobia means fear. This fear of laughter can be truly sad for those who live with it. It can affect how they lead their lives.
In the study, a team from the University of Zurich led more than ninety researchers from around the world. They wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another purpose of the study was to compare the levels of fear of being laughed at in different cultures. The researchers surveyed more than twenty-two thousand people in forty-two different languages. The findings appeared in the scientific journal Humor.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report. Is shyness a serious problem for you or someone you know? It was for a university student who asked people in our audience for advice on how to deal with it. You can find out what they said at voaspecialenglish.com -- where you can also read, listen and learn English with our stories. I'm Faith Lapidus.
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Contributing: Jerilyn Watson
Sound of laughing from http://youtu.be/VT7ohBRYfd4

Learner’s Word of the Day on April 7, 2012

You are current with your timetable. I am conducting a AD Restructuring Project, and currently the project projess is in line with the timetable.
We have to work our brain out. Does it mean that the task is so diffcult , so it make me feel exhausted ?

Learner’s Phrase of the Day 13/3/2012

a mumber of , means "several", is plural : A number of people have left.
by number : She knows all the rooms in the building by number.
in number : We were 30 in number.
number amount/in :We number him amount our friends.
number off : The soldiors number off, straight from the right-hand man.
numbers of : A largy quntity, Numbers of people come to the meeting.
to the number of : There are people to the number of 100 who had taken part in the competition.
without number : I have been there for times without number.

Learner’s Word of the Day 22/2/2012

Fall for
fall for someone:
 to feel a strong attraction for (someone) : to fall in love with (someone)
 I fell for her in a big way. She's gorgeous! Ted fell for Alice and they decided to get married.
fall for something:
to be fooled by (something, such as a trick)
Surely, you don't expect me to fall for that! She fell for the excuse I gave her about getting stuck in traffic.

Stun
to surprise or upset (someone) very much
They were stunned by the news == the news stunned them. The angry criticism stunned them.
to cause (someone) to suddenly become very confused,very dizzy, or unconscious .
weapon that can stun people temprarily

A Document from MySkylines, Express Yourself - Issue 12

Good Habits & Bad
 Rather than sudden, grave resolution, your life is probably more affected by trivial, repetitive, un thinking behavior. Until the day you die, your body and mind will be governed by good habits and bad ones. These acts determine the quality of your existence. Everyone knows that bad habits are easy to form, since they are quite agreeable to man's lazy and selfish nature; but good ones are difficult to fabricate because they need perseverance and lack social reinforcement. but, nevertheless, though bad habits are hard to break, it is never too late to start making good ones--you just need determination and dedication. Doing something over and over again until you don't have to think about it is how actions become habitual in the first place.

An introduction of the Linko District where I live

    Where is the Linko? My friends or classmates asked me the most frequently. Some think Linko is located at Taoyuan, but it's a wrong answer. Linko is located in New Taipei City, part of is tableland, part of is hillside, and the rest is coastal land.

    The climate of Linkou is  more cool than most places in the greater Taipei area in the summer time, but in the winter the climate is wetter and colder. The traffic is getting convenient, already have highway and bus, and the MRT is going to run. You can drive car to any places through highway, you can go to the Taipei city by bus and MRT, you can easily go to the airport and Taiwan High Speed Rail Station by MRT.

    Linkou is a re-planning city, the roads are very neat and wider, and there has several big parks and lots of small parks,and the air is very fresh. So people live in Linko have larger space and less stress living environment.

    For me , Linko is a perfect place to live, the fresh air, larger space, neat roads and streets, parks, convenient traffic. There has Carrefour, Welcome where you can buy anything you need. There is a big hospital if we need medical care. 

    I live in a small community with only 66 families. My wife love this community, it's a Chinese style building with traditional decorations and there is a Chinese garden in the center of the community. There is a park on the opposite side of our community. Each room in our house has windows. Through the windows we can see a nice park and blue sky, feel very comfortable and sometimes you can also see a plane flying to Taipei City.

A Document from MySkylines, Express Yourself - Issue 11

Health

    People say that health is the most important thing in life, but it seems to have the least significance in their actual life. We see many people in modern society undermining their health through lack of exercise and unbalanced diets. Alcohol, smoking, and junk food also aggravate this phenomenon. Another new factor adding to many people's health problem is stress. Expert say we can't avoid stress as long as we live in the ever-changing world. So what counts is not how to avoid it, but how to reduce it and cope with it effectively.
    On the other hand, modern medical researchers still suspect our genes have considerable control over our destiny. This means our health is still in the hands of God. However, that doesn't necessarily mean we can't do anything about our bodies. Rather, we should continue to stay fit by temperate living - no smoking, moderate drinking, a nutritional diet and adequate exercise. That way. to some extent, we can make up for the genetically undesirable aspects in our physicality.

-> junk food : food that is high in calories but low in nutritional value
-> aggravate : make worse
-> cope with : deal well with
-> physicality : the physical attributes of a person

Comprehension
1. “But” express a contradiction. What two things are being opposed in the first sentence?
2. What are the five things mentioned that are bad for our health?
3. What can we do about stress?

Express Yourself
1. Do you think you are healthy?
2. Do you eat three meals a day?
3. Do you take vitamins every day? Do you think they help your health?
4. Do you often drink a tonic?
5. Do you exercise every day?
6. Have you eveer been hospitalized? Why?
7. Do you regularly see a dentist? Why or why not?
8. When do you have cold, do you see a doctor right away or just rest at home?
9. Do you believe waht doctors tell you?
10. What diseases are you the most afraid of?
11. What do you think is the most important thong in term of your health?
12. What do you do when you're under stress?
13. Have you ever suffered from insomnia? Did you ever take sleeping pills?

-> contradiction : inconsistency; discrepancy
-> tonic : a medicine that increases mental or physical strength
-> physicality : the physical attributes of a person

Opinion Sample
1. I don't trust doctors, not because they are not intelligent, but our bodies are too complex to understand. Their 6 years of study is not enough.

2. When people have a cold or the flu, they rush to the doctor expecting to be cured, But so far, no effective treatment exist. The best anyone can do is get plenty of rest and vitamin C, especially by drinking orange juice.

3. When it come to dental problem, precaution is always the best option. Visiting a dentist regularly guarantees dental health. When you feel something is wrong with your teeth, it is always too late to cure it.

Vocabulary : common collocations

Complete the sentences with the words from the box
1. I always start the day with a strong cup of coffee to wake me up.
2. It's healthier to eat a light meal in the evening rather than a heavy one.
3. My brother hates hard work because he's so lazy!
4. I'm not a heavy smokers. I only have one or two cigarettes a day.
5 Does he have any close friends? He's always on his own.
6. It's better to do regular, gentle exercise than irregular , strenuous exercise.

Grammar : verbs not used in the progressive form

Check the sentences that sre correct.
(Hint : Remember that verbs that expres thoughts,feelings or states are not usually used in the progressive form.)
1. Jenny likes the new Usher CD.
2. I'm not knowing my classmates very well.
3. Mmm, this coffee is smelling delicious.
4. What do you think of my new apartment?
5. I don't understand what you mean.
6. He's believing in God.
7. This milk tastes horrible.
8. I/m having two older brothers.
9. this book seems realaly interesting.
10. How do you feel about the exam next week?

Grammar : simple present or present progress

Underline the correct verb form to complete the paragraph
(Hint :  We use the simple present , permanent situation, and regular events, and the present progressive for situations happening now or around now)

I belong / am belonging to a book club, which meets / is meeting every month. It's a lot of fun and I always talk / am talking to interesting people there. There are eight of us in the group and we always take / are taking turns choosing a book that we like / are liking. Roght now, we read / are reading a book by the writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez called Love in the Time of Cholera. I enjoy / are enjoying this book because I lean / am learning a lot about another culture. Sometimes I can't go to the meeting, because I study / am studying at college this semester and I don't have time. Anyway, I think /  am thinking reading groups are a great idea. Everyone should join one!

A Document from MySkylines, Express Yourself - Issue 10

Men & Women
    The traditional roles of men and women are changing. Even though men have not been freed from being the principal breadwinners, they are also expected to help with household chores. Women too are making money outside the home, but they still operate under the assumption that childrearing is primarily their function. Men and women alike cry under the load and insist they are overworked and underappreciated. Both are probably right. But women still have more to complain about than men. more of the housekeeping burden falls on their shoulders than on their husbands', and at work they are paid less and promoted less often. What may be worse, the stress being placed on them may be taking its toll on their children and spouses; society needs to understand that women are just human, not superwomen.

Comprehension
1. Are modern women free from childcare?
2. Which gender suffers more from the change in roles? Who benefits more?
3. What should men understand about women?

operate : work
assumption : an idea or a statement as true without proof.
underappreciate : not to be thankful for
takes its toll (on) : have a very bad effect on (sth) or (sb) over a long period of time.
gender : sexual identity

Opinion Samples
1. Men and women alike seek fame and fortune; it is part of human nature. But women's ambitions have been thwarted throughout history, either through lack of opportunity( trank, education,etc.) or beacuse of domestic duties. So, many of them have sought vicarious success in their husbands or children.
2. In term of theft, men and women are equally honest; which is to say that most people will not steal, either out of ethical consideration or the fear of being caught. but verbal and emotional honesty is a different matter. While it is true that some men will say anything to seduce a woman, most women will lie shamelessly about their true feelings in order to trap a man in amrrage. I suppose that the primary difference is that the man is only looking for a brief moment of enjoyment, but the women believes her entire life's finances may be as at stake.
3. I'd love it if I could stay at home all day. With the modern conveniences available, most of the drudgery of housework is gone. I could finish everything that needed to be done by noon without even straining myself, and I'd have th=e rest of the day to relax, read,paint,compose, or just watch TV or listen to music. What's wrong with a life like that?
4. The vast majority of people in modern society, whether male or female, have dull, boring jobs. The work, quite simply, because they need the money, not out of any enduring interest in the work itself. And increasingly, both mates have to get jobs just to make ends meet. ( Most people in the modern society, both male or female that they have rigid and tedious jobs. The job is very easily, they need the money, not because of any continued interest in the job itself. And more and more both mates need to have jobs only for subsistence. )
5. I chose not to marry. It's not because I'm opposed to marriage and having a family, but because women are changing. Today's woman cares far more about her profession than she does about her family. ( I chose not to marry. Not because I'm against marriage and family, but because the female are changing. Today's woman concerns much more for her profession than she does about her family. )
6. Women are expected to perform the traditional wife-and-mother roles whether or not they have paid jobs, but men can focus on getting ahead in their career (even if they do contribute a bit to  the housework , as a sort of hobby). Until it becomes socially acceptable for males to take a more active part at home, the "superwoman" myth will continue to bedevil the modern female. Ten years ago women complained that housewifery was too confining, and thay wanted their chance to climb the corporate ladder. now, whichever rung thay may have reached, these same women feel stuck there and bemoan the lack of time they can spend with their children. ( Women are expected to do the traditional wife-and-mother roles whether or not they have paid work, but men can concentrate on his career (even if they do contribute a bit to  the domestic affairs , as a sort of hobby). Until it becomes socially acceptable for males to take a more active part at home, the "superwoman" myth will continue to plague the modern women. Ten years ago women muttered that the domestic was too limited, and they wanted their chance to climb the corporate ladder. now, whichever rung thay may have reached, these same women feel stuck there and bemoan the lack of time they can spend with their children )