Pete Rose, the famous baseball player, whom I have never met, taught me something so valuable that changed my life. Pete was being interviewed in spring training the year he was about to break Ty Cobb's all- time hits record. One reporter asked，"Pete, you only need 78 hits to break the record. How many at-bats(轮到击球）do you think you'll need to get the 78 hits? " Without hesitation, Pete said，" 78. " The reporter yelled back，"Ah, come on, Pete. You don't expect to get 78 hits in 78 at-bats, do you? "
Mr. Rose calmly shared his rule in life with all the reporters who were anxiously awaiting his reply. "Every time I step up to the plate, I expect to get a hit! If I don't expect to get a hit, I have no right to step in the batter's box in the first place ！ If I go up hoping to get a hit, then I probably don't have a prayer of getting a hit. It is the positive (积极的）expectation that has got-ten me all of the hits in the first place. "
When I thought about Pete Rose's rule and how it was applied to everyday life, I felt a little embarrassed. As a business person, I was hoping to make my sales meet the quotas(定额）. As a father, I was hoping to be a good dad. As a married man, I was hoping to be a good husband.
The truth was that I was an adequate (合格的） salesperson, I was not so bad as a father, and I was an okay husband. I immediately decided that being okay was not enough ！ I wanted to be a great salesperson, a great father and a great husband. I changed my attitude to one of positive expectation, and the results were amazing. I was fortunate enough to win a few sales trips, I won Coach of the Year in my son's baseball league, and I share a loving relationship with my wife ！ Thanks, Mr. Rose ！ Which of the following sayings can most appropriately be used to describe Mr. Rose's rule?
| A．He who doesn't want to be a general can't be a good soldier. |
| B．Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success. |
| C．If you work hard enough, your dreams will come true. |
| D．Rome was not built in one day. |
What can be inferred about Pete Rose from the passage?
| A．He was generous to share all his rules with every-one. |
| B．He got all the hits he wanted because of good luck. |
| C．He set himself a goal of being the best. |
| D．He liked to dream of something impossible. |
Bysaying “I was an adequate salesperson” (Para. 4)the writer probably means“__________”.
| A．he could make adequate money as a salesperson |
| B．he didn't do an excellent job as a salesperson |
| C．he was good enough to be a salesperson |
| D．he knew how to sell goods in a proper way |
Which of the following is NOT a role of the writer?
| A．A teammate of Rose. |
| B．A salesman. |
| C．A father. |
| D．A baseball coach. |
Why does the writer thank Mr. Rose at the end ofthe passage?
| A．Because Mr. Rose showed him how to be a successful salesperson. |
| B．Because Mr. Rose taught him to face life with positive expectation. |
| C．Because Mr. Rose trained him to win Coach of the Year for his son. |
| D．Because Mr. Rose gave him advice on managing a happy family. |
In a class this past December, after I wrote some directions on the board for students about their final examination, one young woman quickly took a picture of the board using her smart phone. When I looked in her direction, she apologized: “Sorry. Was it wrong to take a picture?”
“I can’t read my own handwriting ,”the young woman explained.“It’s best if I take a picture of your writing so I can understand the notes.”
That remark started a class-wide conversation about taking a picture instead of taking notes. For those in the photo-taking camp, motivations extended beyond their inability to comprehend their own handwriting. Some took pictures of notes because they knew their phone was a safe place to store material. They might lose paper, they reasoned, but they wouldn’t lose their phones. Some took photos because they wanted to record exactly the manner in which I had noted information on the board. Others told me that during class they liked to be able to listen to the discussion attentively.
Yet the use of cameras as note takers, though it may be convenient, does raise significant questions for the classroom. Is a picture an effective replacement for the process of note-taking?
Instructors encourage students to take notes because the act of doing so is more than merely recording necessary information—it helps prepare the way for understanding. Encouraging students to take notes may be an old-fashioned instructional method, but just because a method has a long history doesn’t mean it’s out of date. Writing things down engages a student’s brain in listening, visual, and kinesthetic（触觉的）learning—a view supported by a longstanding research. The act of writing down information enables a person to begin committing it to memory, and to process and combine it, establishing the building blocks of learning new concepts.
Taking a picture does indeed record the information, but it deletes some of the necessary mental engagement that taking notes employs. So can the two be equally effective?
I’m not sure how to measure the effectiveness of either method. For now, I allow students to take notes however they see fit—handwritten or photographed—because I figure that some notes, no matter the method of note-taking, are better than none.The woman apologized in the class because she_________.
| A．took a picture of the board |
| B．missed the teachers’ directions |
| C．had the bad handwriting |
| D．disturbed other students’ learning |
Students refuse to take notes by hand because__________.
| A．they are unable to take notes |
| B．they are more likely to lose notes |
| C．they are interested in using their phones |
| D．they have a good memory of teachers’ instructions |
According to the passage, taking notes by hand__________.
| A．requires students to think independently |
| B．is unsuitable for students to learn new ideas |
| C．helps students actively participate in learning |
| D．proves to be an old and useless learning method |
What’s the author’s opinion towards taking notes by phones?
| A．Supportive. |
| B．Neutral. |
| C．Doubtful. |
| D．Disapproving. |
Self-control can make you happier not only in the long-run, but also in the moment.
The research showed that self-control isn’t about giving up desires, but more about managing conflicting goals. Since most people consider highly self-controlled ones as being more task-centered, the scientists decided to find out the connection between self-control and people’s happiness to determine if being self-disciplined leaves people feel less joyful.
Through a set of tests-including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and another that randomly interviewed volunteers on their smart phones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and satisfaction.
The smart phone experiment also showed how self-control may improve mood. Those who showed the greatest self-control reported more good moods and fewer bad ones. But this didn’t appear to be linked to being more able to resist temptation(诱惑)—it was because they exposed themselves to fewer situations that might inspire desires in the first place. They were doing a number of things that bring them happiness and avoiding problematic desires and conflicts.
That became clear in the study’s last experiment, which looked into how self-control affects the way people handle goals that conflict with one another. In particular, the researchers were interested in how self-disciplined and less-disciplined people differed when it came to choosing among “virtues” and “vices” like the pleasure of eating sugar cookie vs. the pain of gaining weight. Participants were asked to list three important goal conflicts they experienced regularly and were also questioned on how they managed to balance the goals.
The highly self-controlled showed an obvious difference from those with less discipline over their lives. They tended to avoid creating situations in which their goals would conflict, and reported fewer instances of having to choose between short-term pleasure and long-term pain. As a result, they experienced fewer negative emotions.
And self-control doesn’t always mean self-denial: it may mean saving now to get big payoff later. For dieters, it means making choices to avoid entering a bakery since you are more likely to buy a cupcake. Granted, self-control isn’t the best way to instant satisfaction, but it may bring something even better: long-term contentment.According to the research, the self-controlled people _____.
| A．enjoy less pleasure of life |
| B．focus less on completing their tasks |
| C．make others feel less delighted |
| D．are better solving problems and conflicts |
From the smart phone experiments, the researchers found self-controlled people _____.
| A．like to challenge more goals |
| B．may have more good moods |
| C．are easier to resist temptation |
| D．are less satisfied with their life |
Different from the less-controlled ones, the highly self-controlled people_____.
| A．rarely prefer pleasures |
| B．often create conflicting goals |
| C．like to put up with pain |
| D．stay away from negative emotions |
The underlined word ‘self-denial’ in the last paragraph probably means______.
| A．self-sacrifice |
| B．self-help |
| C．self-confidence |
| D．self-improvement |
We’re always looking for well-written reviews of books, music, movies, television shows, websites, video games and other products. When writing a review, concentrate on exactly what you liked or didn’t like. Give examples of strengths and weaknesses, be descriptive and provide background information on an author, director, actor or musician, if possible. Find professional reviews in magazines or newspapers and see how reviewers deal with their topic, but be sure to express your own voice in your review.
Grammar Hint for Reviews: When describing a book, movie, album or anything else, use the present tense.
Book Reviews
Discuss an author’s technique, strengths and weaknesses instead of focusing on the plot. Does the story flow? Is there a strong sense of character and place? Did you stay up until dawn to finish it? Is it good reading for teenagers? What influence did it have on you and why? If you’ve read other books by the same author, discuss how this book compares.
Movie Reviews
Think of the major Oscar categories and consider the performances, music, lighting and setting, etc. Do these work together? Did some hold up while others didn’t? If the movie is based on a book, discuss whether one is better than the other and why. If the movie is a remake, compare the film to its original.
Remember that a well-written movie review should discuss strengths and weaknesses. Some readers may not have seen a movie yet, so don’t give away an exciting scene or the ending!
College Reviews
Begin by providing an overview of the college, including location, size and a description of the campus and/or dorm life. Think about all aspects of your college visit. What academic, athletic and after-class programs are available? What are the students like? What makes the college different from others? Every school has strengths and weaknesses. Be objective. Consider what the school has to offer and who might enjoy or benefit the most from attending there.When writing a review, you ________.
| A．cannot refer to any previous review |
| B．must express your own views and opinions |
| C．must provide some information about the author |
| D．needn’t give any examples to support your views |
Which aspects should be included in all three reviews?
| A．Strengths and weaknesses. | B．Plot and character. |
| C．Programs and scenes. | D．Location and description. |
Where can you probably find the passage?
| A．In a personal diary. |
| B．In an official report. |
| C．In a tourist guidebook. |
| D．In a popular magazine. |
One morning when I was 11, I explored the town’s abandoned round grain barn（谷仓）. I found a chained sliding door that was wide enough for me to pass through.
Inside, there was a heavy smell of dead mice in the dark. After my eyes adjusted, I noticed a shaft (升降机井) that rose all the way to the top of the barn. On one side was a one-man elevator with a long rope and roller.
I stepped onto the platform and gave the rope a drag and the elevator began sliding up the shaft, but stopped halfway. After a brief panic attack, I noticed holes in the wall at regular intervals, forming a ladder. For reasons known only to an 11-year-old, I decided it would be better to go up than down. So, with shaking hands, I began climbing the wall.
After what seemed like forever, I reached the top of the shaft. I stood up, dusted myself off and found…absolutely nothing of interest. It was just an empty room with a ladder leading up to the roof. I climbed all the way up here for this? Then I noticed a fire extinguisher（灭火器）,which I’d always wanted to shoot off. So this was the chance of a lifetime. I tried it, and, much to my surprise, the thing worked! It shot out a thick cloud of powder that instantly filled the room. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to choke to death, and they’d probably never even find my body.
Luckily, I remembered the ladder to the roof. I climbed up, popped the straw roof and saw a bright blue sky.
I suddenly realized the dust and powder pouring out of the top could draw attention. So when the dust had settled, I climbed down and slipped out of the chained door. I’m not sure if I was more excited about being alive or about not being caught, but I ran all the way back home.When the author got inside the barn, he _______.
| A．noticed a man on the elevator |
| B．opened the chained sliding door |
| C．saw many dead mice in the dark |
| D．found a shaft leading to the top |
Which of the following is the right order of the author’s adventure?
a. The elevator stopped halfway.
b. He entered the round grain barn.
c. He climbed to the top of the shaft.
d. He found a fire extinguisher and shot it off.
| A．b-a-c-d | B．b-c-a-d |
| C．b-a-d-c | D．b-c-a-d |
After getting out of the chained door, the author might feel _______.
| A．inspired | B．relieved |
| C．surprised | D．disappointed |
From the passage, we can learn that the author was probably a boy full of _______.
| A．passions | B．dreams |
| C．curiosity | D．imagination |
A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self-made man — the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts, usually beginning by working with his hands. While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common laborer or even the skilled factory worker, he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or laborer of some sort.
This attitude toward manual(体力的) labor is now still seen in many aspects of American life. One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously (豪华地) furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel, expensive hobbies, and college education for the children; yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself, will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward, furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery. On the contrary, the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes. A professional man may talk about washing the car, digging in his flowerbeds, painting the house. His wife may even help with these things, just as he often helps her with the dishwashing. The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living, or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.From paragraph 1, we can know that in America _________.
| A．people feel painful to mention their fathers as laborers |
| B．people can always rise to the top through their won efforts |
| C．college professors win great respect from common workers |
| D．people tend to have a high opinion of the self-made man |
According to the passage, the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because _________.
| A．servants in American are hard to get |
| B．she takes pride in what she can do herself |
| C．she can hardly afford servants |
| D．It is easy to prepare a meal with canned food |
The expression “wait on table” in the second paragraph means “_________”.
| A．wait to lay the table |
| B．keep accounts for a bar |
| C．serve customers in a restaurant |
| D．work in a furniture shop |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
| A．American Attitude toward Manual Labor |
| B．A Respectable Self-made Family |
| C．Characteristics of American Culture |
| D．The Development of Manual Labor |