What does the text imply about this tendency we have to devote ourselves to work and romanticize
long-hours culture?
READ THE FOLLOWING TEXT AND CHOOSE THE OPTION WHICH BEST COMPLETES EACH
QUESTION ACCORDING TO THE TEXT:
Why do we buy into the 'cult' of overwork?
By Bryan Lufkin, 9th May 2021
Although many of us associate overly ambitious workaholism with the 1980s and the finance industry,
the tendency to devote ourselves to work and glamourize long-hours culture remains as pervasive as
ever. In fact, it is expanding into more sectors and professions, in slightly different packaging. Overwork
isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world,
for many different reasons.
In Japan, a culture of overwork can be traced back to the 1950s, when the government pushed hard for
the country to be rebuilt quickly after World War Two. In Arab League countries, burnout is high among
medical professionals, possibly because its 22 members are developing nations with overburdened
healthcare systems, studies suggest. Reasons for overwork also depend on industry. Some of the
earliest researchers on burnout in the 1970s asserted that many people in jobs geared toward helping
others, like employees in clinics or crisis-intervention centers, tended to work long hours that led to
emotional and physical exhaustion – a trend which is shown up in the pandemic, too. But millions of us
overwork because somehow, we think it’s exciting – a status symbol that puts us on the path to success,
whether we define that by wealth or an Instagram post that makes it seem like we're living a dream life
with a dream job. Romanticization of work seems to be an especially common practice among
"knowledge workers" in the middle and upper classes. In 2014, the New Yorker called this devotion to
overwork "a cult".
According to Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. "We
glorify the lifestyle, and the lifestyle is: you breathe something, you sleep with something, you wake up
and work on it all day long, then you go to sleep. Again, and again and again."
Adapted from: Home - BBC Worklife.
Why do we buy into the 'cult' of overwork?
By Bryan Lufkin, 9th May 2021
Although many of us associate overly ambitious workaholism with the 1980s and the finance industry, the tendency to devote ourselves to work and glamourize long-hours culture remains as pervasive as ever. In fact, it is expanding into more sectors and professions, in slightly different packaging. Overwork isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world, for many different reasons.
In Japan, a culture of overwork can be traced back to the 1950s, when the government pushed hard for the country to be rebuilt quickly after World War Two. In Arab League countries, burnout is high among medical professionals, possibly because its 22 members are developing nations with overburdened healthcare systems, studies suggest. Reasons for overwork also depend on industry. Some of the earliest researchers on burnout in the 1970s asserted that many people in jobs geared toward helping others, like employees in clinics or crisis-intervention centers, tended to work long hours that led to emotional and physical exhaustion – a trend which is shown up in the pandemic, too. But millions of us overwork because somehow, we think it’s exciting – a status symbol that puts us on the path to success, whether we define that by wealth or an Instagram post that makes it seem like we're living a dream life with a dream job. Romanticization of work seems to be an especially common practice among "knowledge workers" in the middle and upper classes. In 2014, the New Yorker called this devotion to overwork "a cult".
According to Anat Lechner, clinical associate professor of management at New York University. "We glorify the lifestyle, and the lifestyle is: you breathe something, you sleep with something, you wake up and work on it all day long, then you go to sleep. Again, and again and again."
Adapted from: Home - BBC Worklife.
Gabarito comentado
Análise do Tema Central:
O foco da questão está em interpretação de texto em inglês, mais especificamente na identificação da ideia principal acerca da cultura de excesso de trabalho (“overwork culture”). O texto questiona o motivo de tantas pessoas ainda se dedicarem intensamente ao trabalho e glamourizarem jornadas longas, citando diferentes países, áreas e motivações.
Como interpretar este texto?
É essencial destacar palavras-chave e ideias centrais do texto, como “remains as pervasive as ever” (“permanece tão difundido quanto sempre”) e “People work long hours all over the world” (“pessoas trabalham longas horas em todo o mundo”), que mostram o caráter mundial e contínuo do fenômeno.
Ao interpretar o texto, busque informações explícitas e implícitas, evitando se deixar enganar por palavras que limitem ou distorçam o alcance da ideia. O domínio da compreensão global ajuda a evitar erros comuns em provas.
Justificativa da Alternativa Correta (D):
A alternativa D (“ainda é difundida em várias partes do mundo”) é a melhor porque o texto afirma claramente que o excesso de trabalho não é exclusivo de algumas áreas, mas um fenômeno global e persistente. O trecho “Overwork isn't a phenomenon exclusive to Silicon Valley or Wall Street. People work long hours all over the world, for many different reasons.” é decisivo para a resposta.
Análise das Alternativas Incorretas:
A) Errada. Limita a questão apenas ao Vale do Silício e Wall Street, contrariando o texto, que amplia o fenômeno para todo o mundo.
B) Incorreta. Sugere que a tendência está sendo questionada globalmente, mas o texto não aborda essa contestação de forma explícita.
C) Errada. Afirma que está diminuindo, enquanto o texto aponta para uma expansão e manutenção dessa cultura.
Estratégias para Provas:
Fique atento a generalizações indevidas e limite-se ao que o texto realmente afirma. Evite distrações com opções tentadoras, mas restritivas ou opostas ao conteúdo central.
Referência Teórica:
Livros consagrados como "Practical Criticism", de I.A. Richards, ensinam a importância da leitura atenta de frases-chave e da análise tanto literal quanto inferencial – comportamento essencial para qualquer candidato de vestibular.
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