WORKAHOLISM

A survey of 8,000 people by the UK Institute of Personnel and

A
Development found that one in three people work more than 48
hours per week and claim to be addicted to their jobs. One in six
people work more than 60 hours a week and three-quarters of
employees currently work overtime but only one-third gets paid for 5
it.

Workaholism can be described as the inability to stop working.

Whether you are in the office, at home, in bed, or socializing, if you
B
find that you cannot stop thinking about work or talking about work
then it is very likely that you are or you are about to become a 10
workaholic.

Until recently many people described workaholism as a

respectable addiction, and half thought that it was an excellent
trait. However, the condition is now recognized as a serious
C
problem and many theories have been offered to try and better 15
understand what motivates the workaholic. Some theories see it as
a strategy to hide underlying emotional problems such as anxiety,
low self-esteem, depression and obsessive-compulsive traits. Some
scientists define a workaholic as a person whose need to work has
become so excessive that it disturbs (upset) physical health, 20
personal happiness, interpersonal relations or the ability to function
socially.

Thorne and Johnson identify two types of workaholics: the active

and the passive. Active workaholics work simply for pleasure of
D
working. They have energy for working longer hours and they 25
believe that such hard working brings special rewards. On the other
hand, passive workaholics are driven (motivated) to work by
insecurities, fear or paranoia until overwork becomes a habit,
damaging the balance of their lives almost without them realizing it.

Workaholics are often stressed. Studies show that Japan has the 30
E
largest amount of workaholics worldwide and overwork is
responsible for 10,000 deaths there each year. The Japanese even
have a word for death by overwork - ‘karoshi’.
F
Physical or mental exercise such as positive thinking, relaxing
35
meditation, or spiritual comfort from family and friends can all help
to overcome workaholism.
Answer the questions about the reading passage.

1. The main idea of this passage is:

A) People in the UK are addicted to work but don’t get paid for it.

B) Workaholism is a respectable addiction.

C) Workaholism is a serious problem all over the world and should be

identified and treated.

D) Physical and mental exercises are important to treat workhaholism.

2. Working overtime in the UK is .

A) a cause of accidents

B) not paid for the majority of employees

C) overpaid for all employees

D) unpaid for all employees

3. A workaholic is a person who .

A) is absent from work every week

B) thinks about holidays while at work

C) has family problems

D) cannot stop working

4. Workaholism may be a way of hiding .

A) social drinking

B) addictive habits

C) personal happiness

D) emotional problems
5. Which country has the highest number of workaholics?

A) The UK

B) India

C) Japan

D) The US

6. Workaholics who work out of fear and insecurities are .

A) active workaholics

B) passive workaholics

C) damaging the balance of their lives

D) both B and C

7. How many people die from workaholism in Japan every year? A)

8,000

B) One in six people

C) 10,000

D) 1,000

8. Which type of workaholic is more energetic and has more fun doing work?

A) Japanese

B) passive

C) active

D) Karoshi

9. What does the pronoun it in paragraph A line 6 refer to?

Work overtime _

10. What does the pronoun they paragraph D line 25 refer to?

Active workaholics