The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fueling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, she delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems — how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.The passage mainly deals with .
A.the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer |
B.the relationship between genius and success |
C.the decisive factor in making a genius |
D.the way of gaining some sense of distinction |
By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could .
A.come to understand the inner structure of writing |
B.join a fascinating circle of writers someday |
C.share with a novelist her likes and dislikes |
D.learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security |
In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.
A.her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success |
B.her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance |
C.she acquires the magic of some great achievement |
D.she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write |
What can be concluded from the passage?
A.A fueling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success |
B.A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing. |
C.As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. doesn’t matter, but just his/her effort. |
D.What really matters is what you do rather than who you are. |
Why Doesn't Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been amazingly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple launches a product, everyone knows how to compete.This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable. When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple's products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple's success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first assumption. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price. Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P(标准普尔)500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, and it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future. Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation(革新)and then that innovation becomes commoditized(商品化)very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The fabulous part of this assumption is the " chief-sorcerer" theory of success which places one magician, like Steve Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells.
What about Apple's own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration(一体)of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It's a better explanation. Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort. A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted. There is no "move the Earth" feeling to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it's not a formula. It's complex, it's subtle, but it's not magic. It's a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.When a new product of Apple comes out, often it _________.
A.ruins an industry dramatically |
B.puts itself in an unbeatable position |
C.starts a revolution of an industry |
D.is soon overtaken by imitated products |
According to the passage, other companies don't "copy being Apple" because_________.
A.Apple is not a successful company |
B.they have no access to relevant resources |
C.it's hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs |
D.being Apple takes more than time and efforts |
We can infer from Para. 5 that _________.
A.other companies are dedicated to integration |
B.Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages |
C.Apple will hold the leading position in this industry |
D.other companies don't have an extraordinary team as Apple does |
What does the author think of Tim Cook's statement?
A.Neutral. | B.Disappointing. | C.Indifferent. | D.Acceptable. |
WASHINGTON—Laura Straub is a very worried woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.
It’s not easy, even desperate.
“We have many children left to place: 40 out of 75,” said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreign exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago, family life was more accommodating. For one thing, more mothers stayed home.
But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend their academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes.
School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.
In searching for host families, who usually receive no pay, exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone who has the ability to do it.
“We are open to many different types of families,” said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25- year-old programme that sends about 30,000 teenagers on academic year exchange programmes worldwide.
“For elderly people, exchange students keep us young; they really do!” said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst from Denmark.Vickie Weiner is the person who ________.
A.works for a programme called LEC | B.works for a programme called ASSE |
C.is 25 years old | D.hosts foreign students |
From the passage we can learn that at the beginning of the exchange programmes_______.
A.all the families could host foreign students |
B.only young couples could host foreign students |
C.only those who were retired could host foreign students |
D.those who were not too old could host foreign students |
Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.US Struggles to Find Host Families |
B.Idea of Hosting Students Is Different |
C.Foreign-exchange Program Is Going On |
D.Exchange Students Keep Old People Young |
All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Mart to buy everything. In Texas, they come for another reason: to see the wind turbine(涡轮机), which supplies 5% of the store’s electricity. It along with other facilities, such as exterior walls coated with heat-reflective paint, makes this Wal-Mart a green giant.
The laws of economics suggest that Wal-Mart, with 5, 200 stores worldwide, influences everything including the price of all kinds of goods. It throws its weight behind environmental responsibility, and the impact could be amazing. “One little change in product packaging could save 1, 500 trees,” says Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott.“If everybody saves 1, 500 trees or 50 barrels of oil, at the end of the day you have made a huge difference.”
Scott wants Wal-Mart to do its part too. He has promised to cut the existing greenhouse-gas emissions(排放)over the next few years and promised to construct new stores that are more efficient. He wants Wal-Mart’s fleet of more than 7, 000 trucks to get twice as many miles per gallon by 2015. Factories that show Wal-Mart they’re cutting air pollution will get preferential treatment in the supply chain. Wal-Mart says it’s working with consumer-product manufacturers to reduce their packaging and will reward them if they do so.
Some people may doubt it is a bid to attract attention from Wal-Mart’s controversial labor and health-insurance practices. But it’s not just window dressing, because Wal-Mart sees profits in going green. Scott says, “This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy. We don’t go where we don’t think there’s a great interest in change.”
Like Bill Gates, who started his charitable foundation, Scott happens to be promoting Wal-Mart’s image at a time when his company’s reputation is declining. He acknowledges that he launched the plan partly to shield (保护)Wal-Mart from bad press about its contribution to global warming. “By doing what we’re doing today, we avoid the headline risks that are going to come for people who did not do anything,” he says. “At some point businesses will be held responsible for the action they take.” Meanwhile, should Wal-Mart succeed at shrinking its environmental footprint and lowering prices for green products, both the planet and the company will profit.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A.Lee Scott is Wal-Mart’s CEO |
B.there are 5, 200 stores in the world |
C.Wal-Mart has a great influence on the world market |
D.Wal-Mart has more than 7, 000 trucks all over the world |
What does the underlined sentence “This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy.” mean in the fourth paragraph?
A.Wal-Mart predicts huge profits in its green activity. |
B.Wal-Mart’s green activity is just window dressing. |
C.Wal-Mart aims to solve its health-insurance practices. |
D.Wal-Mart doesn’t have any social responsibility at all. |
What will Wal-Mart probably do in the future?
A.Reduce air pollution in its present stores. |
B.Give favorable treatment to its consumers. |
C.Ask the factories to reduce their packaging. |
D.Demand the fleet of trucks to use more fuel than before. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.Provide the background of the green plan. |
B.Stress the purpose of Wal-Mart’s green plan. |
C.Present the risk that Wal-Mart is facing nowadays. |
D.Analyze the similarity between Bill Gates and Scott. |
I really hadn’t meant to yell at them. But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen.
With a tiresome report to write, I felt bothered at my desk. Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault. A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly.
“Ok, you two here, what an awful thing you are attempting!” I was shouting angrily. I made for them, while it became evident that the boy wanted no part of me. “Get away from us!” he shouted back, there being an expression of support from his sister.
All of a sudden, I found the fault in myself. Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers(钳子) and crawled towards them, “Crabby(暴躁的) Daddy is here. Ha, Ha, Ha, he likes to yell at children, and then eat them!” My son continued to keep me away, but now he was laughing and crying at the same time. My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well. Still, I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way.
Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself. It only shows just how to get rid of something (ill-feelings, responsibility…) by blaming others. It’s not my “best self”.
We have to search for our “best self” when with our children. They don’t need perfect parents, but they do need parents who are always trying to get better. Here, I am reminded of the words of a great thinker. “When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook (stream)…” Then, in our lifetime, couldn’t we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level, what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children?Which of the following made the author aware of his fault?
A.No obvious reason. | B.The boy’s yelling back. |
C.His self-awareness. | D.The girl’s shouting back. |
According to the passage, the author will _________ in another similar situation.
A.play a crab again like this time | B.apologize to kids in a sincere way |
C.avoid blaming kids in a hurry | D.beat them up about such things |
What will the writer go on to write about in the next paragraph(s)?
A.How to behave ourselves properly when kids are at fault. |
B.How to play with our children in a more interesting way. |
C.How to deal with the housework with children around us. |
D.How to persuade children to do what they are told to. |
What does “the boy wanted no part of me” in the third paragraph mean?
A.The boy was happy because I loved them. |
B.The boy was curious because I wanted to help them. |
C.The boy was very happy for I was angry. |
D.The boy didn’t want me to join them. |
Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your tin7eproperly, you can do your homework snore quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn It doesn't mean that yep must always like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now arid later to do and learn other things. Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier. Sometimes the subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them
Here's some advice for you; have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions; have eve- rything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start;read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things;when memorizing, first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing,check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview.
Don't try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods. There are many students who know many good learning methods but don't study well. They forget that the most useful learning method is to study hardThe main purpose of the article is to___.
A.prove that learning is not difficult、 |
B.make parents interested in study |
C.tell the importance of self-teaching |
D.tell the students how to study well |
The first thing to remember in studying is that you must___.
A.like the subject |
B.follow the teacher |
C.enjoy learning |
D.study hard |
The following advice is given in the article EXCEPT___
A.to put a pen, paper and books beside you before study |
B.to study at any possible time and place |
C.to review and preview |
D.to pay attention to the most important things |
We can conclude the passage with a saying“___”.
A.No pains,no gains |
B.Better late than never |
C.Study comes first |
D.Good methods, good results |