TO: You@you.com

FROM: The_Boss@yourfuture.com

RE: Work Ethic

1    Great job! You're doing well in school, getting involved in several activities outside of school, and  preparing yourself for a successful career in the future. You're off to an excellent start.

2    But I'm speaking for all of your future employers when I give you this advice:  A strong work ethic is key in standing out among other employees. If you establish your reputation as a cooperative, committed employee who genuinely cares about the job and is not afraid of hard work, you will do well in your career.

3    Read on for tips on boosting your work ethic. You can put these tips to work today, in school, in extracurriculars, and at part-time jobs.

4    1. Go the extra mile. Every job involves a specific set of duties. Performing those basic tasks will get you paid, but not necessarily noticed.

5    “The best way to impress a supervisor is to do something that shows you will go above and beyond what’s expected,” says Rick Probstein, CEO of a New York employment firm. He describes one employee who spent the weekend doing market research for a new project and presented it to his boss Monday morning. His effort allowed the company to complete the project ahead of schedule. “How could the supervisor not be impressed by that?” asks Probstein.

6    2. Show interest. Your employer wants to see that you are truly interested in the job. You can show your commitment to your job and career by asking questions, showing enthusiasm, and staying focused.

7    “Don’t appear distracted,” advises Monique Sudikoff, a vice president for the Nielsen Company in Westport, Conn. She has watched younger workers in her market research firm fall asleep in meetings or glance at cell phones during training sessions. She even noticed one new employee checking her hair in her computer screen while an experienced co-worker was explaining an important concept.

8    “If you are sleepy or have to get focused, ask for a break and get a cup of coffee,” she says.

9    3. Offer respect. One thing you can’t overemphasize in the workplace is respect. It’s vital to show others that you respect them. That may involve something as simple as speaking politely or as challenging as recognizing the value of opinions that differ from your own.

10    You can show respect in any number of ways. Say thank you. Be thoughtful about imposing on the time of fellow employees. Accept suggestions or criticisms with a positive attitude. Find out how people prefer to be addressed (as in “Mr. Wright” versus “Sean”), and honor their wishes.

11    Another way to demonstrate respect for your job and your colleagues is to dress appropriately for the job.

12    4. Be a team player. The value of teamwork is a life-long lesson. In kindergarten, you might have been graded on how well you played with others. To be truly successful in your career, you need to be able to work well with others. Whether you work in an office, a warehouse, a department store, or anywhere else, showing a strong work ethic means contributing as part of a team.

13    More than anything else, that means becoming aware of your team’s shared goals and then dedicating yourself to helping to meet them. Teamwork involves doing your job well and considering the needs and feelings of co-workers. If a colleague is behind on a project, maybe you can pitch in and help him or her catch up. Or if a supervisor praises your work, you might point out that two of your co-workers also played key roles.

(595 words)

1. Memo: 

备忘录的书端一般由三行文字组成，包括收件人、发件人和事由。如果不是电子邮件的话，还可在发件人之下增加一行，写明日期和时间。

2. Mark Rowh: 

Mark Rowh is an experienced community college educator and author of 20 books and 500 magazine articles. The text is taken from Career World, Sept. 2009.

3. You’re off to an excellent start. 

你已踏上一个良好的开端。

句中副词off意为on one’s way“踏上路程”，start 用作名词。

4. Performing those basic tasks will get you paid, but not necessarily noticed. 

完成这些基本任务会让你获得工资，但不一定会让你受到注意。

get you paid 意为“使你得到报酬”，动词get在句中含有“使某人处于某种情况或状态”的意思。后半句中noticed前省略了get you。

5. She has watched younger workers in her market research firm fall asleep in meetings or glance at cell phones during training sessions. 

她看到过她的市场研究公司中一些年轻的工人开会时睡觉，或在培训时瞄手机。

注意：在 watch sb. do sth. 的结构中，watch后面的动词前不用 to 。类似的动词还有 see, hear 等。

6. That may involve something as simple as speaking politely or as challenging as recognizing the value of opinions that differ from your own.

这可能会涉及一些如讲话有礼貌之类的简单的事情，或如承认与自己不同的意见之价值这样具有挑战性的事情。

句子开头的代词 that 指上文的to show others that you respect them。something 后面有两个以as 开头的并列结构，用于修饰 something。opinions 后面的 that 引导的是定语从句，修饰 opinions。

7. More than anything else, that means becoming aware of your team’s shared goals and then dedicating yourself to helping to meet them.

最为重要的是，这意味着要明白团队的共同目标，然后全身心致力于帮助实现它们。

句中的代词 that 指上文 showing a strong work ethic。dedicate oneself to 意为“为…献身”，注意 to 后面须跟名词或动名词。

* Read the following paragraphs until you have learned them by heart.

Great job! You’re doing well in school, getting involved in several activities outside of school, and preparing yourself for a successful career in the future. You’re off to an excellent start.

But I’m speaking for all of your future employers when I give you this advice: A strong work ethic is key in standing out among other employees. If you establish your reputation as a cooperative, committed employee who genuinely cares about the job and is not afraid of hard work, you will do well in your career.