Take a look at the question below and see whether you can figure out the answer: If you’re running a race and you pass the person in second place, what place are you in?
The quiz is deceivingly simple, but there is a little twist. The reason for this question design is not to cheat people, but to figure out natural differences in their thinking styles. More specifically, the test aims to establish whether the quizzer is more of a fast, intuitive thinker or a slow, reflective thinker.
After reading the question, an intuitive answer is likely to be: Since only one place is better than second place, if passing the person in second place, surely you’d be first. In comparison, a slower, more reflective thinker might realize that by passing the person in second place, one person is still in front of you, making you the runner-up.
System 1 is a fast and intuitive approach, which is often ruled by emotional responses, habits or instincts. It has the advantage of creating fast solutions but typically tends to make common reasoning errors. System 2 describes a slow and careful approach, which includes more measured reflection on different choices. It has the advantage of leading to more purposeful results but is also connected with the cost of higher mental effort.
The test question intended to measure people’s preferences of one thinking style over the other. However, in fact, most people use a mixture of System 1 and System 2 approaches, with the context determining which system is more influential. The relative importance of a task and the amount of time available to make a choice can both influence how you think.
With this in mind, we may have to look back on our first question. Rather than trying to identify the better thinking style, the challenge appears to be one of finding balance. Knowing when to think fast and when to think slow might be the real game changer for lifting productivity and success.
1. What does the underlined word “deceivingly” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Seemingly. | B．Extremely. |
| C．Heavily. | D．Strangely. |
| A．They are worse at running races. |
| B．They are more likely to make mistakes. |
| C．They are easily influenced by emotions. |
| D．They often think twice about everything. |
| A．It’s difficult to change one’s thinking style. |
| B．Reflective thinking outweighs intuitive thinking. |
| C．One’s thinking style is determined by certain factors. |
| D．People usually prefer one thinking style to the other. |
| A．Figuring out the better thinking style. |
| B．Changing the game rules to your advantage. |
| C．Striking a balance between work and play. |
| D．Adapting the thinking style to the situation. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】It was an oral English class and in front of us was standing our teacher Lila Betray, who was a university student from the US. Somehow we came to the point whether any of us could sing an English pop song in front of the class. You know, maybe three or more out of ten Chinese students are shy in class. As a result, there was silence in class for quite a while, which made everybody feel rather embarrassed(尴尬的), including the teacher.
I was a shy boy. However, just at that moment, a great idea struck me suddenly."Seize the enjoyment! Seize the opportunity. Yes, there couldn't be a better opportunity." I said to myself. "Why not seize it? Why should I have always to be the guy regretting missing the opportunity just because of shyness? Yes, maybe I should have a try!"
So, I raised my hand. And I remember that it took me quite a while to think what the song's name was. Though I sang no more than five sentences because of forgetting the lyrics(歌词), their clapping hands told me that I did the job well. Later, I got a gift and I was really happy.
I think that is one of the most unforgettable moments in my life. Through this experience, I've also got to know that we should believe that we can do the job well, no matter how difficult it seems for us. Just have a little more courage.
1. The passage mainly tells us about______.
| A．an English pop song |
| B．the author's shy classmates |
| C．the author's English teacher |
| D．the author's unforgettable experience |
| A．Generous. |
| B．Brave. |
| C．Kind. |
| D．Hard-working. |
| A．Most Chinese students are shy in class. |
| B．The author sang well in front of his teacher and classmates. |
| C．The author was not good at singing. |
| D．The author was too shy to sing the song. |
【推荐2】Everyone wants to be truly happy.
Never rest on the past.
Your past is just a story. Everyone has a past often full of pain，disappointment，missed opportunities，and unfulfilled（未实现的）expectations.
Be grateful for what you have got. You could waste hours counting the things you would like to improve，which would only take you away from appreciating your real life.
Never stop improving yourself.
We are all different，and there is no perfect direction or path to our personal development. The whole point is to become the best version of you，and never stop taking lessons from your own life experiences.
Never lose a sense of purpose in what you are doing.
Your time and power are limited，so spend them wisely and use your energy on something meaningful.
| A．Never waste time. |
| B．Never focus on what is missing. |
| C．Being truly happy is rather difficult. |
| D．Finding a purpose helps you live a better life. |
| E．There are many ways for us to find happiness. |
| F．No matter what your past looks like，don’t let it influence you. |
| G．If you stop improving yourself，you will realize that your life will be meaningless gradually. |
【推荐3】If you had to make one life choice, right now, to set yourself on the path to future happiness, what would it be?
Would you choose to put more money into savings each month? To change careers?
Meanwhile, all day long we are surrounded by messages about what will make us happy, like ads. Other messages are in our daily living. When a friend buys a new car, we might wonder if a newer car would make our own life better. Over time we develop the feeling that our life is here, now, but the things we need for a good life are over there, or in the future.
Looking at life through this lens, it’s easy to believe that the good life doesn’t really exist, or else that it’s only possible for others. However, the truth is: The good life is a complicated life. For everybody, the good life is joyful and challenging.
| A．Full of love, but also pain. |
| B．Fame was now lower on the list. |
| C．Would you decide to travel more? |
| D．They are always just out of reach. |
| E．What have you achieved in the past years? |
| F．It’s only human nature to pursue material comforts. |
| G．In a survey, millennials were asked about their most important life goals. |
【推荐1】Dogs have a kind of sensor at the end of their nose that helps them recognize small changes in temperature when other animals are nearby. The scientists say the discovery can help researchers better understand how some animals identify their prey (猎物).
The scientists reported that the wet skin surface at the end of a dog’s nose is full of nerve endings. “Dogs are able to sense the thermal radiation (热辐射) coming from warm bodies or weak thermal radiation and they can also direct their behavior according to this signal”, wrote the researchers. “We tested whether we can find an area in the brain that shows higher activity if they are exposed to a warmer object.” Brain imaging tests showed increased brain activity when dogs were shown objects that were warmer than their environment.
The study had two sets of experiments. In one, researchers used weak thermal radiation to train three dogs. In the other, 13 dogs were given brain imaging tests to see how the brain reacted if they recognized weak thermal radiation. Researchers were careful to note that all the animals were privately owned. The owners gave “informed permission for their dogs to be used in the study”.
Researchers noted, “It is possible that other animals own a similar sense and that adds a new chapter to the story of prey-predator (捕食者) relationships.” They wrote that in the gray wolf, the closest wild relative of dogs, “the ability to sense the radiation from warm bodies would be advantageous for such predators”.
1. What helps dogs sense other animals nearby?| A．The small change in temperature. |
| B．The higher activity in their brain. |
| C．The nerve endings at the end of their noses. |
| D．The close relations with gray wolves. |
| A．To find out if dogs have thermal radiation. |
| B．To find out how dogs get away from danger. |
| C．To find out the relations between dogs and wolves. |
| D．To measure the dogs’ reaction to other warmer objects. |
| A．In a travel magazine. | B．In a science report. |
| C．In an advertisement. | D．In a health report. |
【推荐2】Can Training Your Working Memory Make You Smarter?
We would all like to increase our cognitive(认知的) ability beyond the limits set by Mother Nature. So it’s no wonder that brain-training programmes — which typically focus on training our working memory—are a multibillion-dollar industry. But can this kind of training really make us smarter?
Cognitive training sees the brain as a kind of muscle that can be made stronger with the right kind of practice. It consists of tasks or games carried out on computers or smart phones. Despite much research, there has so far been no agreement about its effectiveness. Some think that cognitive training increases a broad range of cognitive abilities, while others less optimistic.
Yet we do know that some cognitive skills, such as working memory and intelligence, tend to go together and are predictors of real-life skills such as work performance. Thus, training one cognitive skill might lead to an improvement in many other cognitive and non-cognitive skills. That is exactly the underlying hypothesis(假设) on which working-memory training is based.
To test this hypothesis, we examined all the studies about working-memory training we could find with normally developing children: 26 experiments and 1,601 total participants. Children represent an ideal test group: during childhood, skills are still at the beginning of their development. Thus, cognitive training is more likely to succeed with children than adults.
The results were very clear. Working-memory training did not show any effect on children’s fluid intelligence, a person’s ability to solve new problems and adapt to new situations. It didn’t influence their academic achievement or other cognitive abilities, either. The only reliable effect was that children got better at what they trained to do. No more, no less. So performing working-memory tasks does seem to make you better at doing them. Nonetheless, the fact that participants got better at such tasks does not necessarily mean that their working-memory ability increased. They may just have learnt how to perform that particular type of task.
The results do indicate that the use of working-memory training programs as an educational tool is fruitless. More generally, together with other research, the results contribute to disproving cognitive training companies’ promises of a better brain.
The results have even more important implications theoretically. They question the hypothesis that training general cognitive mechanisms can affect other cognitive or real-life skills. Beyond working-memory training, other recent studies have shown the limitations of different types of cognitive training. For example, music training fails at improving cognitive skills outside music — including academic skills.
However, these negative results must not discourage us from training our cognitive and non-cognitive skills. We just have to be aware of the actual limitations of such practice in areas outside what we are actually training. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it — the most efficient way to develop a skill is, after all, to train that skill.
1. According to the passage, cognitive training is likely to ________.| A．uncover the secrets of human minds |
| B．make one’s brain stronger through practice |
| C．bring much profit to the training companies |
| D．earn a good reputation for the training company |
| A．made some scientific studies |
| B．compared different test groups |
| C．reviewed the previous research |
| D．got some children involved in the experiment |
| A．adapt to new situations quickly |
| B．gain greater academic achievements |
| C．do better in the field that they are trained in |
| D．succeed when they deal with real life problems |
| A．Uninterested. | B．Objective. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Optimistic. |
【推荐3】The age of 18 is when a person legally reaches adulthood. But does this truly stand for our maturity? The very word “ADULT” can be broken into 5 parts containing qualities necessary for your personal development.
A-ACCOUNTABLE (负责任的)
D-DETACHMENT FROM EGO (脱离自我)
EGO — A small 3-letter word that has the power to damage a big 12-letter word — RELATIONSHIP. Getting attached to one’s ego has a harmful effect similar to holding a beautiful red rose firmly.
U-UNDERSTANDING
In a world population of about 8 billion, each of us is 100% unique. We communicate with different kinds of people on a daily basis. Collective decisions for various issues involve interacting with people to reach an agreement. It is necessary to understand and respect each other’s beliefs.
L-LISTEN
When we listen to others, thoughts and ideas from them are directly transmitted (传达) to us.
T-TAKE A STAND
We collect data in the form of parents’ suggestions on careers, friends’ advice on relationships or content that we read on social media. This data should be analyzed and questioned before reaching our own conclusions.
So you think you are an A-D-U-L-T?
| A．This will help us to broaden our minds. |
| B．Check and see how many of these we have! |
| C．The stronger a person’s hold, the deeper the wound. |
| D．Our minds should be trained to work in the same manner. |
| E．An information system performs the following functions. |
| F．As a baby, we would cry unnecessarily or even mess up the place. |
| G．It’s time we stop spoon feeding of opinions by others and learn to take our own stand on matters. |
【推荐1】San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its Nutty Narrows Bridge. The bridge has attracted visitors from many different parts of the world, and is now regarded as a symbolic landmark of Longview.
The bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder named Amos Peters, and it was originally built to help the local squirrels move between the Park Plaza office building and a city park across the street without being hit by the rushing cars.
Before the bridge was built, local squirrels had to cross the busy road between the two places for the nutty feast thrown for them by the staff in the building. Working around the neighborhood, Peters often witnessed squirrels being hit or run over.
One day, he found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and the topic of that day s coffee break discussion was changed to squirrel safety. Peters and his colleagues came up with the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the permission of the city council (市议会). The council approved, and the bridge was named “Nutty Narrows”.
It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became known on newspapers.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters passed away in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
1. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to______.| A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts | B．set up a local landmark |
| C．help improve traffic | D．protect squirrels from being hit by cars |
| A．The committee got the council's permission. | B．The squirrel bridge idea was born. |
| C．A councilwoman named the bridge. | D．A squirrel was found dead. |
| A．Passing them a rope. | B．Directing them to store food for winter. |
| C．Teaching them a lesson. | D．Showing them how to use the bridge. |
| A．It was replaced by a longer one. | B．It was built from wood and metal. |
| C．It was repaired after years of use. | D．It was ten-foot long. |
【推荐2】How do you address（称呼）people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.
*When talking to strangers there is often no special forms of address in English. Usually, If you want to catch the attention of ạ strange, it is necessary to use such a phrases as "Excuse me".
*In British English "Sir" and "Madam" are considered to be too formal（正式）for most situations. They are used mostly to customers in shops or restaurants. While in American English "Sir" and "Madam" are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with older people whose names you don't know.
*When you, talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use "Mr." "Mrs." "Ms.", ect, before their family names.
*There are many other forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use. For example, "pal" and "mate" can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men.
1. According to the passage, "Excuse me" is mainly used to_______| A．catch the attention of a stranger. | B．apologize to others |
| C．address a person you don't know | D．suggest good manners |
| A．Mr. John | B．Smith | C．John | D．Mr. Smith |
| A．"Sir" and "Madam" are used more often in America than in England. |
| B．While addressing friend, people just use their first names. |
| C．"Pal" and "mate" are usually only use between men. |
| D．People often use "Mr." "Mrs." or "Ms." Before the first names of those people who they don't know very well. |
| A．card | B．textbook | C．storybook | D．grammar book. |
【推荐3】Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent (大陆) on the planet. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -94.7℃in eastern Antarctica in 2010. The continent experiences regular Katabatic winds, reaching 300 km per hour. There is little rainfall and the air is very dry. Indeed, the Polar Plateau (极地高原) is regarded as a desert which experiences similar rainfall levels to the Sahara Desert.
It is the fifth-largest continent and is almost 1.5 times the size of the United States. Its coastline covers about 18,000 km. About 98% of the continent is covered in a thick continental ice sheet and the remaining 2% is rock.
Antarctica has six months of daylight followed by six months of darkness. It contains 70% of the planet’s freshwater and 90% of the world’s ice.
Strong winds and wild storm shave been closely connected with Antarctica since its discovery and continue to be a main challenge for modern explorers. Most of the early diaries and tales of exploration of Antarctica are filled with stories of how the weather was man’s biggest enemy on the continent. Nature’s power is seldom seen as ferocious as it is in Antarctica, making it one of the most difficult places to live on Earth.
The first people to reach the South Pole were from the Norwegian-led expedition (探险队) of Roald Amundsen on December 14,1911. One month later, Robert, Scott’s British expedition also reached 90 South but all members unluckily died on their return journey.
Before this, the thought over the existence of a “southern land” was not confirmed until the early 1820s. At this time, British and American business operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic Peninsula area and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. In 1840, it was believed that Antarctica is indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
1. What can we know about Antarctica from paragraph 1?| A．It is covered by sand. | B．It hardly rains there. |
| C．The air there is wet. | D．The average temperature there was high. |
| A．Strong. | B．Gentle. | C．Common. | D．Amazing. |
| A．Norwegian. | B．British. | C．American. | D．Russian. |
| A．Antarctica: A Dream Place | B．Antarctica: A Challenging Place |
| C．Antarctica: A Plateau | D．Antarctica: Expedition’s New Goal |
