Saying no starts small
'All right then-just one more piece…' Words every girl has said when they are faced with the delicious cheesecake. Of course, many of us know we may eat the whole thing in the end.
It isn't just girls. Most of us find it hard to say 'no' to something attractive, However, scientists now say that willpower is very important to success and a happy life.
Scientists in different countries have been studying the effects of willpower on people's lives for a long time. The results are similar, according to an article on February 7 in the Guardian, a famous British newspaper.
In one experiment, scientists told young children that they could either have a marshmallow(圆形软糖) now, or two marshmallows in 15 minutes. Waiting obviously needed more willpower. Scientists then continued studying the children as they grew up. They wanted to see if some children always had stronger willpower. They also wanted to see how having stronger willpower affected their lives.
Years later, scientists found that the children who had waited for two marshmallows were all healthier, happier and richer adults. Oppositely, the children who had shown weaker willpower at that young age were more likely to be in low-paid jobs, to be overweight, to have social problems.
But there is hope, Roy F Baumeister, an American social psychology(心理学) professor(教授) told the Guardian. Baumeister says we can train our willpower just like we train our muscles. Even a little practice can strengthen our overall self-control if we do it regularly.
You could start by making yourself stand up straight, speaking in complete sentences, or using a computer mouse with the other hand. Scientists have found that people who manage to change little habits often perform much better in laboratory willpower tests.
Like muscles, willpower can 'get tired'. Don't try to do too many things at the same time, or when you don't have enough energy, for example when you are ill. If you already feel tired, you can try to recharge(恢复) your willpower with a good night's sleep and by eating well.The example of a girl eating cheesecake is used to_______.
A.prove that girls have weak willpower |
B.introduce the topic of willpower to the readers |
C.show that cheesecake is especially attractive to girls |
D.show the connection between willpower and success |
What can we infer from the experiment?
A.The scientists had already known the results before the experiment. |
B.It showed that willpower is the most important to success and a happy life. |
C.The children who chose to wait were more likely to be successful in their lives. |
D.The children who chose only one marshmallow at first had stronger willpower. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the training of willpower?
A.You should have a goal every day. |
B.Good rest and proper diet can help. |
C.Willpower needs to be exercised regularly. |
D.Keep willpower from being used too much. |
What is the article mainly about?
A.How willpower and muscles are similar and how they can be trained. |
B.How willpower affects people's lives and how it is similar to muscles. |
C.How willpower is important to success and how we can make it stronger. |
D.How willpower is connected with success and how they affect each other. |
Every teacher probably asks himself time and again:What are the reasons for choosing teaching as a career? Do the rewards of teaching outweigh the trying comments? Answering these questions is not a simple task.Let's see what the author says.
Why do you teach? My friend asked the question when I told him that I didn't want to be considered for an administrative position.He was puzzled that I did not want what was obviously a "step up" toward what all Americans are taught to want when they grow up:money and power.
Certainly I don't teach because teaching is easy for me.Teaching is the most difficult of the various ways I have attempted to earn my living.I teach because teaching is a profession built on change.When the material is the same,I change the more important,my students change.
I teach because I like the freedom to make my own mistakes,to learn my own lessons,to stimulate myself and my students.As a teacher,I'm my own boss.If I want my freshmen to learn to write by creating their own textbook,who is to say I can't? Such courses may be huge failures,but we can all learn from failures.
I teach because I like to ask questions that students must struggle to answer.The world is full of right answers to bad questions.While teaching,I sometimes find good questions.
Besides,teaching gives me pace,and variety,and challenge,and the opportunity to keep on learning.
Last,teaching offers love.Not only the love of learning and of books and ideas,but also the love that a teacher feels for that rare student who walks into a teacher's life and begins to breathe.Perhaps love is the wrong word:magic might be better.These are the real reasons I teach,these people who grow and change in front of me.Being a teacher is being present at the creation,when the clay(黏土)begins to breathe.
I teach because,being around people who are beginning to breathe,I occasionally find myself catching my breath with them..What do all Americans are to taught to get _______when growing up?
A.money and power | B.freedom and happiness |
C.wealth and safety | D.life and money |
The author chose teaching as a career because teaching________.
A.is full of love | B.can change anytime |
C.can make people breathe | D.A & C |
What does the author think of teaching_________?
A.it is difficult for him to do |
B.it is free to make mistakes |
C.it brings him too much |
D.it makes me him lose much |
According to the passage,failure is also ___________.
A.an enemy | B.a lesson | C.a teacher | D.a friend |
The best title of the passage is _____________.
A.Teaching is terrific |
B.Teaching is difficult |
C.Why I like teaching |
D.Why I chose teaching as a career |
Once you are in the examination room with the paper in front of you there is nothing else to do but give it your best.You will find it goes by very quickly - so make the best of it.Most people feel nervous and a bit scared before an exam but don't worry,once you start concentrating on the passage your nerves will calm down - you'll be too busy.
●Always remember exams are not there to catch you out or make you fail.Examiners try their best to make the exams fair while keeping to the standard set for each level.They want you to pass.
●The exam is part of the Standard Grade course.All your work will have prepared you for this and you and your teacher will have practiced close readings.You know what you are doing.
●Don't be put off by those sitting around you.If someone at the next table starts writing and you are only half way through reading the passage that is their problem not yours.Ignore them.Concentrate on your reading.Be totally selfish, this is one day you can think about yourself and getting your best mark.
●If you find a question hard don't panic.Move on to the next question after a minute or so but always remember to come back and put in an answer.
Don't worry if there are difficult words in the passage or something you don't understand.It would be a strange exam if everyone understood everything.Read through and carry on with the passage.You can still get enough marks to reach the level required even if there are some blanks in your reading.Your nerves will calm down if you ______.
A.give your best to read the passage. |
B.don't worry about the exam |
C.feel nervous |
D.start focusing on the passage |
What should you do if you find a question very difficult?
A.I will feel afraid. | B.I move on to see the next question. |
C.I come back and put in an answer. | D.I give it up. |
Which of the following statement is right according to the passage?
A.You need to get every answer right to get the higher grade in each level. |
B.If you don't know an answer to a question it is best to leave it blank. |
C.It is important to always write in sentences. |
D.It is important not to be affected by those around you |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
A.How to get marks. |
B.How to study well. |
C.What to do in an examination |
D.What to do when are afraid in an examination. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Staying calm | B.Don’t be nervous |
C.Keeping silent | D.Tips of taking an exam |
Hi,dear boys and girls! Do you know how to be a healthy kid? Here are some rules you should follow.
First,eat different foods,especially fruit and vegetables.You may have a favorite food,but you'd better eat something different,if you eat different foods,you will probably get more nutrients(营养物质)your body needs.
Second,drink water and milk as often as possible.When you're really thirsty,cold water is the No.l choice(选择).Milk is a great drink that can give you more calcium(钙)your body needs to grow strong bones(骨头).
Third,listen to your body.How do you feel when you are full? When you are eating,notice how your body feels and when your stomach(胃)feels comfortably full.Eating too much will not make you feel comfortable and make you fat.
Fourth,limit(限制)screen time.Screen time is the time you watch TV,DVDs and videos,or using computers.It is good to take more exercise such as basketball,bike riding and swimming.You can't watch TV for more than two hours a day.
Fifth,be active.One thing you'd like to do as a kid is to find out which activity you like best.Find ways to be active every day.Follow these rules and you can be a healthy kid.You should eat different foods especially ___.
A.meat | B.hamburgers |
C.sweets | D.fruit and vegetables |
Which kind of drinks can give you more calcium?
A.Juice | B.Milk | C.Cold water | D.Tea |
According to the passage,you should follow ____ rules if you want to be healthy.
A.five | B.nine | C.fifteen | D.thirteen |
According to the passage,which of the following is TRUE?
A.When you're eating,you don't have to notice how your body feels. |
B.You can eat your favorite food as much as possible. |
C.You can watch TV whenever you like to get more information. |
D.We should try to live in an active way in our life. |
Which is the best title(标题)of the passage?
A.How to make yourself important |
B.How to be a healthy kid |
C.How to be a popular kid |
D.How to make your parents healthy |
My grandfather is an eighty-year-old man. He always complains about how fast things have changed, and he often says that life used to be better.
Families aren't families the way they used to be. A lot of families have broken down. If husband and wife have problems with their marriage, they no longer stay together. And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children, but now not anymore. Everyone's working. No one has time to look after children at home.
And the cars! No one walks anymore; everyone drives. We used to walk five miles to school every day, even in winter. But now we don't. And in school, the children don't have to think anymore. In math class, for example, we used to add, subtract, multiply and divide in our heads. Kids don't use their heads anymore; instead, they use calculators(计算器).
Most families have computers now. In the past we didn't have computers. We didn't even have lights. My mother used to spend all day cooking in the kitchen. But now nobody eats home-cooked food anymore.
And people don't talk to each other anymore. They are too busy to talk, too busy to eat, too busy to think ..
Life used to be simple, but it isn't anymore. What does the grandfather think of the life now?
A.He thinks the life is the same as it used to be. |
B.He thinks the life now is worse than it used to be. |
C.He thinks the life now is better than it used to be. |
D.He thinks the life now is very good. |
What does the underlined word "marriage" mean in Chinese?
A.生活 | B.工作 | C.婚姻 | D.家庭 |
What has happened to students these years according to the passage'?
A.The students don't have to think anymore in school. |
B.The students use calculators in math class. |
C.The students used to walk to school, but now they don't. |
D.All of the above. |
What changes have happened to some families?
①There are lights at home
②People like to eat home-cooked food
③Lots of families have computers
④Lots of couples live apart because of unhappy problems
A.①②④ | B.②③④ | C.①②③ | D.①③④ |
Which is RIGHT according to the passage?
A.People have too much time to talk with each other. |
B.Life now is very simple. |
C.Some families have become single-parent families. |
D.Lots of mothers stay at home and look after their children |
Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness and sadness, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person. With each passing day we learn to deal with various situations.
Love plays a main role in our life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person could become cruel. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who show us with love and care. They teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad. But we don’t always care about it. It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands others’ feelings.
Happiness can bring people a peaceful mind. No mind is happy without peace. Sadness is the cause of the death of a loved one or the failure. But all of these things will pass away.
Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us a specific way. Success brings in money, pride and self-respect.
Hope is what keeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well. Hope makes us dream. Hope builds in patience. Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour, because after every night there is a day.
Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is out of our control. Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be bright or dark. So the only choice is to work hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow.We usually have to accept _______ if we want to be successful.
A.love | B.failure | C.sadness | D.hope |
In which section can readers probably read the passage?
A.Business. | B.Travel. |
C.Lifestyles. | D.Education. |
What does the word “despair” mean in Chinese?
A.颓废 | B.遗憾 | C.悲伤 | D.绝望 |
What’s the meaning of the last sentence of the whole passage?
A.When choosing between “today” and “tomorrow”, you’d better enjoy tomorrow. |
B.If you work hard today, you’ll have a better life in the future. |
C.What you can only choose is to work hard today rather than tomorrow. |
D.The only choice you make is that you should enjoy a better tomorrow. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To encourage people to love each other. |
B.To tell people how to deal with happiness and sadness. |
C.To give readers some information about life. |
D.To remind people to keep having a beautiful dream. |