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Passage 1Online DegreesToday, you can earn a degree from a major university without ever having sat in one of their classrooms. Many colleges and universities are jumping on the distance learning bandwagon and offering online courses and degree programs.In this article well look at how online degrees work, what you should look for if you are pursuing a degree via the online option, and what employers think of online degrees.Online Learning ProgramsWith a computer, an Internet connection and a little self-discipline, you can earn a degree from home, work, or anywhere else for that matter. Online degree programs follow much the same routines as traditional learning, with a few twists. There are lectures, but they wont be in person. There are assignments, but you wont hand them to your instructor. There are exams, but you wont be able to look at your neighbors paper. There may be a set time that “class” begins, but you dont have to be there then. In most situations, you are free to “go to class” when it fits your schedule. If you get a phone call during class, you dont have to miss anything. If you get sick, you dont have to ask for someones notes, and you just visit the lecture later.Youll communicate with your instructor by e-mail, chat rooms, bulletin boards, and instant messaging. Your classroom will live in a special software program that uses text chat and bulletin boards, as well as streaming audio or recorded lectures. You may be put into a virtual workgroup with other students and be required to solve a problem. You may have to work through interactive puzzles and quizzes. Contrary to popular belief, you will have contact with other students and the instructor.Depending on the program and institution, distance learning may consist of synchronous (live) sessions or asynchronous (non-live) sessions. Transcripts and notes from lectures are archived, so you can always go back if you missed something. If there are live sessions with discussions among students, you can go back to those as well. Assignments may even be returned with audio clips so your instructors can convey their tone of voice along with their comments.Printed documents may be sent to you through the mail, or you may have the options of printing them yourself or reading them online.Some schools require an initial “boot camp” held at the campus (if there is one), where you will meet the other students, instructors and support personnel. Youll learn how to use the technology, learn about the library and reference systems, and begin your coursework.Evaluating the ProgramSo once you know the school is accredited, is the decision easy? Not necessarily. There are still a lot of questions to ask before you make your selection, such as:How is the course presented?Investigate the method by which the instructor gives lectures. Does the instructor simply put the lecture online as text? Are there accompanying slides? Is there any interaction? Is there video or audio? Are exams given? How are assignments turned in? The format of the course is sometimes as important as the content. Great content is more easily absorbed if its done in a dynamic and innovative manner that involves interaction between the student and instructor as well as interaction with the content itself. Online learning technology provides many opportunities for innovation. Find a school that takes advantage of it. How do students interact with each other?Is there an established method for interaction and congregating? Online programs can use chat rooms, instant messaging, teleconferencing, and video conferencing to communicate. The key is to find a program that has this interaction built into it and even requires it. How the online community functions should be very important to both the instructor and the educational institution.Are the instructors qualified?Check out the credentials and degrees the instructors hold, as well as their knowledge of online learning and its differences from classroom learning. What kind of support do the instructors get for their online courses? If technical problems arise, is there someone to turn to? A school that is dedicated to its online programs will have the development staff and the support staff to make it successful. Instructors (and students) have to be able to adapt to changing technology.What kind of reputation does the school have?It may seem simple a good school will have a good online program. That may be true, but it is also probable that its online program is still too new to judge, so youre left with nothing but the reputation of the schools traditional programs. This reputation, however, may not be as straightforward as you think. You can look at the overall quality of the school and make a judgment, but there may be weaknesses in the program in which you are interested. Its not uncommon for a great school to have a weak program or two.How are students evaluated?Earning a degree should mean just that earning it. If students arent assessed properly and degrees are handed out with little or no verification that any knowledge has been transferred from the instructor to the student, then how can the program be rated? Students, particularly adult students, learn more by doing than by simply listening. For this reason, it is important to ensure that part of the program involves applying what has been learned.The Employers ViewThe big question in everyones mind is, “Is an online degree from an accredited college or university seen by potential employers as a lesser degree?” V, a career network Website, did a survey of 239 HR professionals. According to the results, 77 percent of respondents believe that an online degree earned at an accredited institution like Duke or Stanford is more credible than one earned at an Internet-only institution.Other sources, such as Thomas L. Russell of North Carolina State University, did studies that revealed that there is little if any difference in the quality of education received through online distance learning versus traditional classrooms. John Losak at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale found similar results in his own study. He analyzed graduation rates, time to graduation, and knowledge, as well as other elements. He found the students performed as well or better in online courses.As more and more people get online degrees and use them in the workforce, HR managers and hiring managers will begin to feel more secure about the quality of education these people have. If the studies that were done by Thomas L. Russell and John Losak showing the quality of online education to be as good as or better than that of traditional education hold up on a larger scale, then the future of getting jobs and advancements based on online degrees will be bright.Until then, choose schools carefully, and check for accreditation and strong programs. When youve completed the degree, go to job interviews armed with information to counter any questions about the quality or validity of your degree. Make sure the interviewer knows how you achieved the degree, how you worked it into a busy schedule, how you overcame any obstacles. It will show a self-motivation and discipline that may be just the qualities the company is looking for.1. Which of the following is the unique characteristic of online education that traditional education doesnt have?A) There are lectures, but they wont be in person.B) There are assignments, and you must hand them to your instructor.C) If you get sick, you have to ask for someones notes.D) If you get a phone call during class, you will miss something.2. What can you do in some schools initial “boot camp”?A) To meet the other students and instructors. B) To read books in the library.C) To attend class in person. D) To hand your paper to your instructor.3. What is the best type of online lecture?A) One with no accompanying slides. B) One that is simply put online as text.C) One without video or audio. D) One with interaction during the lecture.4. Great content is more easily absorbed if its done in a _ manner.A) static and innovative B) traditional and obsoleteC) dynamic and innovative D) simple and active5. What is the most important part of online communication?A) To use chat rooms and instant messaging to communicate.B) To find a program that has interaction built into it.C) To find an established method for interaction.D) To use video conferencing to communicate.6. What will be employers view about online degrees as more are used in the workforce?A) They will feel doubtful about the quality of online education.B) They will feel more secure about the quality of online education.C) They will not be quite sure about the quality of online education.D) They will fully trust the quality of online education.7. What may be the qualities that some companies are looking for according to the passage?A) Quality of your degree. B) Validity of your degree.C) Self-motivation and discipline. D) Ability to overcome obstacles.8. A school that is dedicated to its online programs will have the _ and the support staff to make it successful.9. The reputation of the school, however, may not be as _ as you think.10. Students, particularly _, learn more by doing than by simply listeningPassage 2Time Off from Work Gains in ImportanceAmerican workers are saying they need a break. As their number of hours clocked on the job has crept higher, more time off has become a bigger priority. In the past few years, human resources experts say time off has consistently placed among the top three employee concerns, along with compensation and staffing levels, whereas it used to be farther down the list. In a S poll taken online in November 2004, 39% of workers said if given the choice, they would choose time off over the equivalent in additional base salary. Of course, most of the 4,600 respondents are still opting for the bigger paycheck, but the desire for time off is up almost 20% from just three years ago when S conducted a similar poll.The reasons for this shift are many and varied. Some have to do with the way a new generation is thinking about work, while others are driven by how companies are responding to recent economic pressures.A New GenerationThe results may in part represent the needs of a new breed of workers. The average American is working one month (160 hours) more each year than a generation ago. According to recruiting and human capital management expert John Sumser, younger workers work for meaning first and money second. He goes on to warn employers that these are the people who are the foundation for the next workforce and they may not buy the existing paradigm (范例). A study released in late 2004 by the New York-based Families and Work Institute concludes that the new brand of young workers is rejecting the work-centric style of their parents generation. The study, which examines changes in the workforce over the past 25 years, found that younger workers are more likely to be “family-centric” or “dual-centric” (with equal priorities on both career and family) rather than “work-centric” when compared to members of the Boomer Generation.September 11th and the End of the Roaring NinetiesThe impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11th cut across all age groups of the workforce. We collectively entered a new era, reevaluating lifes priorities and making changes in our attitude toward time spent at work versus hobbies and family. “I started looking at things completely differently. Ive been far less willing to put in the 14-hour days necessary to get noticed and climb the corporate ladder,” said Tony Jackson, a 43-year-old employee of a New York City-based financial services company. “Frankly, I cant see that changing.”Even before September 11th, some experts say the slow shift in worker attitudes was already underway due to the end of the roaring 1990s, when hours were long and significant personal wealth was created. For those who fared well financially, some opted for careers of contract work where they could call more of the shots pertaining to (与有关的) time off, or new occupations with greater personal rewards. For others, even if their bank accounts were not spilling over from Americas economic heyday (全盛时期), their own energy had been depleted due to unrelenting (毫不松懈的) years of work hours and high stress. They were ready for something less taxing.Families and Work Institute President and co-founder Ellen Galinsky agrees. She says the S poll numbers show evidence of an increase in need for time off and a shift in thinking due to the fact that workers have been pushed to their limit in recent years. “This new generation of workers is at the edge of how long they can work. It just feels like too much. They are not slackers (懒虫); they just dont want more,” says Galinsky.Monetary Needs Less Intense Due to Dual Income Households“Weve decided we prefer to have more time to ourselves,” says Carol Kornhaber, a New England software programmer in her late twenties. Kornhaber and her husband are both working but have sought out jobs where they are not pressed to put in long hours. Instead, they have insisted upon eight-hour days and having enough vacation time to travel, a major interest they share. Financial pressures are eased by both of them working and keeping a careful watch on their expenses. “We are lucky in a lot of ways to have found bosses who understand our needs.”BurnoutTrying to squeeze more productivity out of workers may be nothing new, but it has become particularly acute in recent years. This has been due in large measure to recession-induced layoffs and other trends such as the rising cost of healthcare benefits. After a layoff, workers who remain behind are often asked to pick up most or even all the load of the people who were let go, requiring more and more hours at the office. As new corporate initiatives are planned, the inverse is also true. As Sumser observes, “the additional workload, which runs across the economy from the office worker to the manufacturing line, seems to be a function of the cost of benefits. The regulations make it cheaper to add workload for existing employees than to hire new players.” The Families and Work Institute reports that nearly one third of U.S. employees often or very often feel overworked or overwhelmed by how much work they have to do. Nearly three out of four report that they frequently dream about doing something different from their current job.Show Me the MoneyOverworked or not, the majority in the S poll still chose to fatten their paycheck if given the choice. For many, it was a practical matter. Says Peggy Jones, an accountant in a Boston area business services company, “I already get three weeks a year that I cant use up because Im so busy. Id definitely go for the extra money to pay some bills or make a big purchase Ive been holding off on.” For Jones, the realities of running a household and saving up for college for her children simply need to take precedence over extra free time.Companies Are Already RespondingTo many human resources experts it is inevitable that, given the growing health of the economy and the upcoming population-driven labor shortages as the Boomer Generation moves into retirement, the pendulum of control in the employee-employer relationship will swing back to the employee side. That is expected to begin in just a few years. According to human resources expert, Larry Schumer, at S, “since most companies succeed based on a motivated and capable workforce, they have offered and will continue to offer more paid flexibility, whether it be through tried and tested time-off programs or the next great idea.” Where will that new balance of employer versus employee needs lie? Time, or perhaps time off, surely will tell.1. Which of the following has been rising in importance in the past few years?A) Compensation. B) Time off. C) Right to vote. D) Staffing levels.2. According to the passage, we know that the Boomer Generation is concerned _.A) about family and work equally B) more about workC) more about family D) about neither work nor family3. What can be inferred about Tony Jackson?A) He is 43 years old. B) He works in a financial services company.C) He has changed his life and work attitude. D) He spends 14 hours a day on his work.4. When did American workers gradually begin to change their attitudes towards work?A) After September 11. B) In November 2004.C) In late 2004. D) At the end of the roaring 1990s.5. According to Ellen Galinsky, why did workers change their mind about work?A) They have been pushed to the limit of their working hours.B) They increased their need to enjoy life.C) They have more rights than before.D) They dont want to work for a living.6. Carol Kornhaber and her husband dont have too much financial pressure because _.A) they have parents who are rich B) they dont have children to feedC) they both have a high salary D) they both have work and they are thrifty7. After a layoff, the employees who keep their jobs usually have to _.A) find another job in case they are fired B) do what their bosses tell them toC) work longer hours to avoid being fired D) do the work left by the laid-off workers8. According to S, compared with three years ago, the desire for time off is up almost _.9. According to the poll from S, the majority of employees preferred to _ if they had the choice.