<p>Passage 1
Being funny has no place in the workplace and can easily wreak havoc on an otherwise blossoming career. Of course, laughter is necessary in life. But if you crack jokes and make snide remarks at work, you will eventually not be taken seriously by others. You will be seen as someone who wastes time that could better be spent discussing a project or an issue. Additionally, many corporate-minded individuals do not have the time to analyze comments with hidden meaningsthey will take what you say as absolute and as an accurate representation of your professionalism in the workplace.</p>
<p>Passage 2
Are we now compelled, as a culture, to be comical, no matter the setting or the endeavor? And if so, what on earth gave rise to this troubling idea? One possible culprit may be corporate America itself, where being funny is now seen as a valuable asset. Fortune 500 companies dole out big fees to comedy consultants who offer humor seminars and improv workshopsall in the name of improved productivity. But how exactly are funnier employees better for business? According to Tim Washer, a former improv performer who is now a communications executive at IBM, funniness helps foster team-building and, of course, learning how to “think outside the box.”</p>
<ol>
<li>Both authors would agree with which of the following statements?</li>
</ol>
<p>(A) Workplace culture has gradually changed over time.
(B) Consultants can help employees learn how to succeed professionally.
(C) Humorous employees are usually popular.
(D) Humor is not appropriate in all situations.
(E) Humor is not valued by corporate executives.</p>
<p>I got perplexed when I found out that the answer is D. How could be “in all situations” correct? The authors are talking only about humor in “workplaces”. Also, we know that extreme answers, and those that seemingly tend to be fine until some irrelevant or unstated word is included are usually wrong. This question, though, completely defies that rule.</p>