Work Your Mind
Here’s something to think about the next time you ask your teacher for help: struggling with schoolwork on your own can help you learn. According to a recent study, the more you struggle while you are learning new information, the better you can remember it later.
This theory might surprise you. When teachers are presenting new information, they often give students lots of help. But a new study shows this may not be the best way to support learning. “Don't be too quick to get help when learning something new,” education expert Manu Kapur told TFK. “Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways.”
Kapur came up with the idea that struggling can lead to better learning. Then he tested it out on students in Singapore. He separated students into two groups. In the first group, students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher’s help. In the second group, students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another, instead of getting help from the teacher.
With the teacher’s help, students in the first group were able to find the correct answers. Students in the second group did not solve the problems correctly. But they did come up with a lot of good ideas. The students were then tested on what they had learned. The group without any help from a teacher scored much higher than the group who had help. Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process, not just the solution.
Kapur’s advice for kids is to put a lot of effort into learning something new rather than going to your teacher for help. “Simply doing a little work or nothing at all won’t work,” says Kapur. “The struggle needs to be a genuine attempt to figure out or solve a problem in as many ways as possible.” When you have doubt on schoolwork, you’d better ____________.
| A．ask your teacher for help |
| B．make it clear by yourself |
| C．ask your classmates to help you |
| D．ask your parents for help |
What’s Manu Kapur educational idea on learning new knowledge?
| A．Give students much help as soon as possible. |
| B．Let students learn it on themselves in one way. |
| C．Let students learn it by themselves in the same way. |
| D．Let students learn it for themselves in different ways. |
How did Kapur check his idea on better learning?
| A．By asking questions. |
| B．By solving art problems. |
| C．By group comparations. |
| D．By solving science problems. |
What is most important in learning knowledge?
| A．Getting the teacher’s help. |
| B．Getting the student’s help. |
| C．Grasping the learning course. |
| D．Receiving the final solution. |
Why can’t some people even get an inch of what they dream of becoming? Blame it on pure dreaming and lack of surrounding goals for achieving their dreams.
Setting goals is very significant part of accomplishing and positive actions. It is like scaling(攀爬) a 200 feet construction and marking in the early hours on what feet you would like to reach at this specific period.
People who set goals literally generate a map of their goal settings in life, marking where they should start, where to pause, where to study a bit, and where and when to end. Once this map comes into being, it allows the map drawer to check where he is in the scheme(安排) of things and whether or not he is making some planning that will take him closer to his goals.
By surrounding goals, people will know how they are doing and what they should be doing to get their goals or dreams in life. They will know if they can relax or if they have to double their efforts when they are falling short of what is expected of them.
Goal surroundings means a person is prepared in dealing with challenges that may affect his plans. Being proactive means one is able to outline possible difficulties that may occur as well as the solutions to these difficulties. By doing this, a person is not easily scared or defeated when challenges occur because he has already prepared for them. He knows they can happen and he has prepared a solution or strategy when that time comes.
Setting goals will enable people to track their progress in whatever hard work they set out to do. It will help people become more confident in themselves and more motivated to get their plans. The purpose of this passage is to _______________.
| A．explain the difference between the two goals. |
| B．show the importance of surrounding goals. |
| C．tell us how to set and achieve one’s goals. |
| D．tell us setting goals makes one confident. |
According to the author, one had better ___________ in making a goal in life.
| A．take an active attitude |
| B．create a scheme as a whole |
| C．consider the possible troubles |
| D．check where he is frequently |
From the passage, we can reach the conclusion that___________________.
| A．achievements come to those who are well prepared |
| B．everyone faces the situation which is scaring or threatening |
| C．the higher one sets his goal, the more achievements he will have |
| D．success never comes to people who always blame |
About five years ago I started at a new school when my family moved to Iowa. I was just a little ex-cited, but I worried I would never fit in with the other sixth graders.
Lucy, a girl in my class, who I thought was not ready for change, didn’t like me from the start. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me. I would ask her a question, and I could tell she thought I was a total fool.
My teacher made us sit by each other for the last term. Lucy was horrified (惊骇的). I didn’t wear make-up (化妆品), and I didn’t wear those terrible bell-bottom pants. I didn’t exactly look like the coolest girl. But, I kept smiling at her, though she rolled her eyes, and I kept telling her she looked beautiful, even when she was angry.
Finally, Lucy let me talk to her, even in sight of her “cool” friends. She started telling me how beautiful I looked. I still remember that first time when she smiled at me saying that, and I smiled right back, telling her thanks. Lucy invited me over to her house for a party, and talked to me all the time instead of her other friends. Lucy, the girl who hated me, called me her best friend. After that, we still were good friends a whole year later.
I may have moved to Arizona after that, but I will never forget Lucy. It’s funny — I still remember her birthday. She was a great friend. And to think, she considered me her enemy at first. Though it was hard, and it felt like I was wasting my time, and losing my dignity (尊严), I still smiled at Lucy when she made fun of me. I’m not stupid, I didn’t think she was right in doing those things, but I still put up with it. And we became great friends.
About two weeks ago, I read a sentence by Abraham Lincoln: “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” Immediately, I smiled, thinking of Lucy. That sentence just reminded me how great it was for me to change Lucy into my friend in that state of Iowa five years ago.When the author started at a new school in Iowa, she worried _____.
| A．she looked stupid when asking questions |
| B．she didn’t look like the coolest girl in her class |
| C．she was not ready for change at all |
| D．she couldn’t get along well with her classmates |
How did the author change Lucy’s attitude towards her?
| A．By wearing make-up. |
| B．By keeping smiling at Lucy. |
| C．By wearing bell-bottom pants. |
| D．By sitting beside Lucy in class. |
From Paragraph 5, we know the author thought _____.
| A．it was right of her to suffer when making friends |
| B．it was a waste of time to make friends with Lucy |
| C．it was a shameful thing to put up with what Lucy did |
| D．it was foolish of her to smile at Lucy all the time |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Patience is important in making friends. |
| B．Friendship needs to be cared for. |
| C．Making friends means losing enemies. |
| D．Kindness can defeat any enemy. |
When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of at-tractions can seem overwhelming. If you’re short on time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St. Petersburg. There you can see lots of different paintings of old masters inside the Hermitage. Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists.
The Russian Museum
The Russian Museum holds one of the largest collections of Russian art in the world. View Russian art creations through the ages, from Byzantine (拜占庭)-style icons to the Socialist Realism of Stalin’s times.
Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden buildings from the Karelia Region of Russia. These impressive structures are made without any nails (钉子) — the wood fits together with joints and grooves (沟槽).
Peterhof
Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun. You’ll be charged for admission (门票), but go to Peterhof when the fountains (喷泉) are working — during the day in the summer. They are shut off in winter as well as in the evenings.
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood is an attractive must-see sight. The beautiful look may make your eyes brighten, and the paintings inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
The Bronze Horseman Statue
The Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian Culture and a symbol of St. Petersburg. Made famous by Alexander Pushkin (普希金), this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness.If you’re interested in paintings, you’d better go to _____.
| A．the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof |
| B．the Hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| C．Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
| D．the Russian Museum and Kizhi Island |
The man on the Bronze Horse refers to _____.
| A．Peter the Great | B．Alexander Pushkin |
| C．Byzantine | D．Stalin |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．The fountains in Peterhof can be seen all year round. |
| B．The largest collection of Russian art is in the Hermitage Museum. |
| C．The buildings on Kizhi Island are made of wood. |
| D．You can visit Peterhof free of charge. |
The main purpose of this passage is to _____.
| A．show the wonderful history of Russia |
| B．introduce the famous buildings in Russia |
| C．persuade artists to study St. Petersburg |
| D．attract tourists to visit St. Petersburg |
One day I was walking home along the street with my iPod on, when suddenly my headphones(耳机) were knocked off my head and a man threw his arm around my neck, saying “Just be quiet.” I was being attacked, and this man’s arm was gripping (紧夹) onto me! I started screaming and tried to pull him off me, but failed. He was forcing me to walk towards the back of an auto repair shop and he just kept saying: “Be quiet.”
My mind froze with fear. Then I heard my great-grandmother’s voice in my head. She was saying: “Come on now, I know you are stronger than that!” She was the rock in our family until she died four years ago.
I have never had any self-defense(自卫) training, but I went for it—I let out a loud scream as I kicked my leg back into his shin(胫骨)! He let go of me and I ran off. When I looked back to see if he was running after me, I saw he was running in the opposite direction. Then I ran like crazy to a nearby drugstore.
I asked the girl at the counter for the phone and called my mom. She picked me up five minutes later and I explained what happened through sobs. “I am calling the police!” She exclaimed. When we got home, two officers were waiting for us and I told them what had happened.
After my experience, I was afraid to do anything. Things slowly got better, but I still don’t like anyone going near my neck.
The fear isn’t totally gone—after all, the guy is still out there somewhere. But I had a new understanding of my own strength. I never expected to be able to fight off an attacker. I am stronger than I realized. How did the author get rid of the man?
| A．Her great-grandmother came and helped. |
| B．She used all her strength to pull him off her. |
| C．Her loud scream scared the attacker and people came to help. |
| D．Her great-grandmother’s words gave her the strength to defend herself. |
After the author escaped from the man, _________.
| A．she called the police |
| B．she called her mother |
| C．she screamed to get more attention |
| D．she looked back to remember his appearance |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The accident left no influence on the author now. |
| B．The attack made the author more confident in a way. |
| C．The author Suddenly remembered some self-defense moves. |
| D．The author was so frightened that she did nothing to fight back. |
What might be the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
| A．To show the importance of self-defense training. |
| B．To warn teenagers of possible dangers on the way to school. |
| C．To show how brave she was while she was being attacked at that time. |
| D．To share her experience and tell us that we are perhaps not as weak as we thought we were. |
I'm not so sure I like my friends any more. I used to like them-to be honest. We'd have lunch, talk on the phone or exchange e-mails, and they all seemed normal enough. But then came Facebook and I was introduced to a sad fact: many of my friends have dark sides that they had kept from me.
Today my friends show off the unpleasant aspects of their personalities via Facebook. No longer hidden, they're thrown in my face like TV commercials—unavoidable and endless advertisements for the worst of their personalities.
Take Fred. If you were to have lunch with him, you'd find him warm, and down-to-earth. Read his Facebook and you realize he's an unbearable, food-obsessed bore. He'd pause to have a cup of coffee on his way to save a drowning man—and then write about it.
Take Andy. You won't find a smarter CEO anywhere, but now he's a CEO without a company to run. So he plays “Mafia Wars” on Facebook. He's doing well-level 731.Thanks to Facebook, I know he's playing about 18 hours a day. Andy, you've run four companies—and this is how you spend your downtime? What happened to golf? What happened to getting another job?
Take Liz. She is positive that the H1N1 vaccine will kill us all and that we should avoid it. And then comes Chris who likes to post at least 20 times a day on every website he can find, so I get to read his thoughts twice, once on Facebook and once on Twitter.
In real life, I don't see these sides of people. Face to face, my friends show me their best. They're nice, smart people. But facing Facebook, my friends are like a blind date which goes horribly wrong.
I'm left with a dilemma. Who is my real friend? Is it the Liz I have lunch with or the anti-vaccine lunatic(狂人) on Facebook? Is it the Fred I can grab a sandwich with or the Fred who weeps if he's at a party and the wine isn't up to his standards?Who is opposed to the H1N1 vaccine in the text?
| A．Fred. | B．Andy. | C．Liz. | D．Chris. |
According to the text, Facebook tends to ________.
| A．present another side of people |
| B．offer some food for free |
| C．show endless advertisements |
| D．get you to attend more parties |
The text is developed mainly by ________.
| A．giving examples | B．following the time order |
| C．listing figures | D．raising questions |
The author focuses on the question of “________”.
| A．what is Facebook? | B．what happened to golf? |
| C．who is my real friend? | D．who can help me? |