在GMAT考试中，
. “The most effective business leaders are those who maintain the highest ethical standards.”
“最有效率的企业领导是保持最高道德标准的人。”
1， 支持者会认为, 高道德会赢得reputation and trust; 第一, 高道德生产高质量的产品以及service,顾客稳定stable share of the market; 第二, 高道德会让员工满意度提高(公平，平等). 从而attract those applicants with high ability and keep the employees loyal to the company---最终导致高的productivity.
例子：Bayer, one of the largest pharmaceutic companies in the world, announced that the company would cease production of one of its major products, because of the hazardous ingredients it contained. By doing so, the company suffers great loss on profitability, but gains strong public support and understanding, which can contribute to the long-term success of the company.
2， 但在更多的情况下, 高道德也许不equal to maximal profit. 比如,a, 如果把道德放在第一位的话,企业的executive很可能无法执行裁员活动complete the normal administration, such as raising the price, reducing the superabundant staff… b, 高道德的话，很可能采用最高标准的环保生产——这样很不是cost-effective. 总之，Following such undue concern about ethics, the company may find it impossible to survive in the radical competitive market, let alone to gain large profit.
View1: the definition of highest standards of ethics vary from person to person and time to time. Therefore, it is impractical to find and then stick to the highest standards of ethics. At some circumstance, violation of ethics may generate immediate efficiency and productivity. Examples: ??
View2: the regulations and laws of authorities are more feasible and suitable standards to follow.
View3: while waiting for government regulations may draw back the processes of eliminating the ill actions, we can count on the authorities to speed up the process of refining the laws and regulations.
The assertion at issue is that business people who uphold the highest ethical standards are the most effective leader. I strongly agree with this statement. For a while, unethical behavior might seem effective. But a few examples from the investment banking industry keenly illustrate how dishonesty and corruption in leadership can bring a business to its knees, shattering the trust of its employees and ruining its reputation with clients.
Consider the cases of Michael Milken, former head of junk bond trading at Drexel Burnham Lambert, and Paul Mozer, formerly in charge of Salomon Brothers’ government bonds trading. Each of these men engaged in double-dealing and other illegal acts, reaping tremendous profits for their companies, and winning the admiration of subordinates and superiors alike. However, their successes were relatively short-lived. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations in each case revealed massive wrongdoing. As a result, Drexel went out of business. And Salomon Brothers barely recovered, after suffering the forced resignations of its top executives, a financially devastating loss of reputation, and the exodus of many valued employees.
Moreover, Salomon’s survival is probably owing entirely to its subsequent leadership under Warren Buffett. Buffett, who was on the Salomon Brother board of directors at the time of the scandal, was brought in to save the beleaguered company. His success in keeping it afloat at all can be directly tied to his sterling ethical reputation in the international business community at the time. Buffett’s reputation restored at least some lost confidence among clients and investors, and probably prompted some employees to reconsider their decisions to leave the company.
While not every case of unethical leadership is quite so public or devastating as these, they do illustrate an important point. In any business, once corruption at the top becomes known, the predictable outcome will be damaged reputation, lower worker morale, and, along with them, lost productivity.
In conclusion, unethical conduct at the leadership level in a company might go unnoticed and serve one’s interests in the short-term. However, in the long run it will work against one’s effectiveness and may even prove ruinous.
112. “The overall quality of life in most societies has never been better than at the present time because of recent advancements in such areas as business and technology.”
“因为最近商业和技术方面的发展，大多数社会的总体社会质量前所未有的好。”
1， 物质生活更丰富，生活更便利，不受天灾威胁
2， 节奏太快，远离自然
3， 进步是双刃剑要好好利用double-edged sword
1. progress in technology and business确实给人们的生活带来了considerable improvement. a, in the material life，提供了unprecedented diversity of service and products。supermarket：hundreds and thousands of products for people to choose;——三月份就可以吃到新鲜的草莓fresh strawberry b, 方便。高效率in the convenience of our own homes ：得到信息在网上，订餐order a dinner via internet; c, 人们的健康状况更好了，很多曾经可以威胁人生命的病现在只要简单的医疗手段就可以解决。
2. 但是，也不是说全都是好处，同时也有消极的影响。比如a, 人们spend more time on television and internet, 忽略了overlook the necessary communication in the family。造成了alienation between the family members. b, 再比如，fast communication on-line 剥夺了人们深入思考的可能。deprive people of deep and comprehensive thinking.
3. 使人们更加忙碌，疲劳。a, 人们的效率提高了，却被要求做更多的事了，实际上，人们更加忙碌了。比如the invention of laptops provide the possibility for people to continue their work after they leave the company. even on holiday. b, 新技术发展很快，demand changes every day. 这样accelerate the job obsolescence。造成人们suffer more pressure and anxiety.
The stated opinion is that recent advancements in business and technology have made overall quality of life better than ever. I disagree somewhat with the speaker’s viewpoint. For although such advancements have improved our lives in many respects, they have also diminished our quality of life in other ways.
Clearly, progress in business and technology has produced many benefits. For example, we can research problems and their solutions in minutes on the Internet; productivity is at an all-time high. And we can get more done in less time, leaving more time for hobbies, entertainment or other leisure activities. We can even mix a little work into our leisure time, by taking our laptops and cell phones on vacation. This way, we can stay one step ahead on projects at work, anticipating deadlines and staying in touch with co-workers and important clients.
In addition, leisure time has itself been enhanced by business and technology. Never before have we had so many spectacular diversions available, or so many leisure- and entertainment-related businesses vying for our attention. Moreover, we can obtain everything form airline tickets to a language course and holiday wardrobe via the Internet, in the convenience of our own homes.
Nevertheless, advances in business and technology have compromised our quality of life as well. For all the wonders of computers, they have spawned their own special illnesses and ailments, like severe eyestrain, back and neck problems, and carpal tunnel syndrome. And though we now have a world of information available in a keystroke, some of this information—like pornography, hate group diatribes and bomb-building instructions—are harming our society, especially our children. Even apparently harmless material, like direct mail advertising and telephone soliciting, is endlessly annoying. Finally, family life is sometimes a casualty of all this progress, with parents and children spending more time transfixed before their computer monitors and less time together.
In conclusion, advances in business and technology are a mixed blessing. For while we enjoy many benefits of this so-called progress, in many ways it has changed our lives for the worse.