One way to prevent anxiety from getting out of control is to recognise its benefits. It is a mistake to think that we’d make better decisions if only we keep our feelings under control. Instead, a mix of feelings like anxiety and logical thinking leads to sound decision-making. It’s true that there is plenty of research showing that higher levels of anxiety can make us more likely to avoid risks in our decision-making. There is also evidence that anxiety can increase the attention you pay to relevant information.
Recent studies have shown that people who are anxious about their relationships (for example, they fear to be abandoned) tend to be better at recognising people who tell lies and are more likely to raise the alarm when danger is present.
In the real world though, it’s worth realising that feeling anxious once in a while is extremely common. It communicates to others that you care, and what’s more, it’s probably a sign that you are intelligent. At least two published studies have identified that people who score higher on measures of anxiety also tend to perform better on intelligence tests. This seems reasonable: if you’re a thinker, you are sure to be always thinking about the future and imagine possible plots, including bad ones.
The important thing, if you are a worrywart (杞人忧天者), is not to let your fear destroy your dreams. And don’t bury your head in the sand. Instead, act on your fears—do the research as well as preparation, so rather than walking blindly into that which you fear, you meet the challenge in full readiness.
When anxiety beats you, or casts a shadow over your life, this is a serious problem. No one is denying that. But like everyday anxiety of this kind that you feel before a presentation or an interview, you needn’t see it as your enemy. Anxiety is an important feeling, developed through evolution. As for people who are fairly anxious by nature, there is reason for cheer, too. Your nerves are a sign of your watchfulness. Listen to them and act on them. Then you can turn your nervousness into your advantage.
1. What is the theme of the passage?| A．Effective ways to prevent anxiety. |
| B．Unexpected benefits of anxiety. |
| C．Tips on how to keep a good mood. |
| D．Common misunderstandings about anxiety. |
| A．It can enable us to be more focused. |
| B．It can stop us from thinking logically. |
| C．It can make us more willing to take risks. |
| D．It can be the only reason for all bad decisions. |
| A．Anxious people are less sensitive to danger. |
| B．Anxious people have difficulty discovering liars. |
| C．Feeling anxious is more likely to put people at risk. |
| D．Feeling anxious occasionally is a sign of intelligence. |
| A．Regard it as our enemy. |
| B．Take action to control it. |
| C．Avoid being defeated by it. |
| D．Treat it as a minor feeling. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】My husband hasn't stopped laughing about a funny thing that happened to me. It's funny now but it wasn't at the time.
Last Friday, after doing all the family shopping in town, I wanted a rest before catching the train, so I bought a newspaper and some chocolate and went into the station coffee shop — that was a cheap self-service place with long tables to sit at. I put my heavy bag down on the floor, put the newspaper and chocolate on the table to keep a place, and went to get a cup of coffee.
When I went back with the coffee, there was someone in the next seat. It was one of those wild-looking youngsters, with dark glasses and worn clothes, and hair colored bright red at the front. Not so unusual these days. What did surprise me was that he'd started to eat my chocolate!
Naturally, I was annoyed. However, to avoid trouble — and really I was rather uneasy about him — I just looked down at the front page of the newspaper, tasted my coffee and took a bit of chocolate. The boy looked at me closely. Then he took a second piece of my chocolate. I could hardly believe it. Still I didn't dare to start an argument. When he took a third piece, I felt more angry than uneasy. I thought, "Well, I shall have the last piece." And I got it.
The boy gave me a strange look, and then stood up. As he left he shouted out. "This woman's crazy!" Everyone stared. That was embarrassing enough, but it was worse when I finished my coffee and got ready to leave. My face went red — as red as his hair — when I realized I'd made a mistake. It wasn't my chocolate that he'd been taking. There was mine, unopened, just under my newspaper.
1. The woman telling the story ________.| A．always went shopping with her family on Fridays |
| B．had been very busy and needed some time to recover |
| C．bought some chocolate so that she could keep a place at the table |
| D．wanted a newspaper and some chocolate to take home to her family |
| A．too tired to start an argument |
| B．more and more angry with the boy |
| C．too shy to look in the boy's direction |
| D．more and more disappointed at losing the chocolate |
| A．because she hated being shouted at |
| B．because she saw everyone staring at her |
| C．because she realized that the boy was poor and angry |
| D．because she realized that she had been quite wrong about the boy |
| A．was crazy |
| B．was being careless |
| C．often made mistakes |
| D．was careless and selfish |
【推荐2】How to communicate effectively?
No matter your age or background, effective communication is a valuable skill. It’s also a skill that everyone can learn. Knowing how to communicate well comes in handy when it’s time for a heart-to-heart chat with a friend. Skillful communication can even turn a potential fight into a productive talk. The finest leaders have always been good communicators, whether in education, business or politics.
Remove distraction.
Turn off the television, laptop and any other electronics that could distract from communication. If a call or text comes through on your cellphone when you are talking or listening to someone, turn it off without looking at it.
Never try to be amusing at the expense of other people. Whether you mean to or not, disrespecting others will hurt the communication process. If you’re unsure if something is appropriate, you probably shouldn’t say it.
Communicate eye-to-eye.
Eye contact is the most important form of body language. It shows interest and helps convince people that you can be trusted. During a conversation, it is important to meet others’eyes, using just as much eye contact as feels natural.
Use “I” messages.
When raising concerns, try to start your sentences with “I” instead of “You”, stating clearly how you feel about the situation rather than blaming others. Instead of saying “You’re sloppy,” you might say, “I’m really uncomfortable surrounded by clutter like this. Is there something we can do to deal with it to keep it from being a problem?” “ I”messages improve the chances that listeners will consider your point of view.
Effective communication is a powerful tool that is useful in almost any situation.
| A．There are some exceptions, though. |
| B．Organize and clarify ideas in your mind. |
| C．Be respectful of other beliefs and cultures. |
| D．Interrupting a conversation shows a lack of respect. |
| E．With some practice, you can learn how to communicate well, too. |
| F．It’s important to choose a setting that makes everyone comfortable. |
| G．Developing this skill will improve your relationships everywhere you go. |
【推荐3】We are surrounded by people trying to make the world a better place. Peace activists bring enemies together so they can get to know one another and feel each other’s pain. School leaders try to attract a diverse set of students so each can understand what it’s like to walk in the others’ shoes.
It is true that people who are empathetic (共情的) are more sensitive to the perspectives and sufferings of others. They are more likely to make sympathetic moral judgments. The problem comes when we try to turn feeling into action. Empathy makes you more aware of other people’s sufferings, but it’s not clear whether it actually motivates you to take moral action or prevents you from taking immoral action. For example, in the early days of the Holocaust, Nazi prison guards sometimes wept as they killed Jewish women and children, but they still did it.
Empathy directs you toward moral action, but it doesn’t seem to help much when that action comes at a personal cost. You may feel painful for the homeless guy on the other side of the street, but the chances are that you are not going to cross the street to give him a dollar. Studies investigating the link between empathy and moral action suggest that empathy is not a major player when it comes to moral motivation. Its contribution is slight in children, modest in adults, and nonexistent when costs are significant.
Nobody is against empathy. However, it’s not enough. These days empathy has become a shortcut. It has become a way to experience delicious moral emotions without confronting the weaknesses in our nature that prevent us from actually acting upon them. It has become a way to experience the illusion (幻觉) of moral progress without having to do the nasty work of making moral judgments. Teaching empathy is a safe way for schools and other institutions to seem blameless without risking dispute or hurting anybody’s feelings.
People who actually perform pro-social action don’t only feel for those who are suffering, they feel it necessary to act by a sense of duty. Empathy is less important. If you want to make the world a better place, help people debate, understand, reform, revere and enact their moral principles. Accept that principles conflict.
1. Why does the author mention the Holocaust in paragraph 2?| A．To show that empathy is limited in preventing people from wrongdoings. |
| B．To prove that empathic people are more likely to make compassionate moral judgments. |
| C．To explain that empathy is helpful for moral teaching. |
| D．To criticize the immoral actions of Nazis. |
| A．Reach out to them. | B．Ignore them. |
| C．Feel sorry for them. | D．Raise money for them. |
| A．People are enthusiastic about empathy. |
| B．Teaching empathy is a quicker way to achieve moral education. |
| C．Empathy alone is not sufficient. |
| D．People are unwilling to take actual actions. |
| A．Try to understand what it’s like to walk in the others’ shoes. |
| B．Be more sensitive to the perspectives and sufferings of others. |
| C．Stop teaching empathy since it is only a sideshow in moral education. |
| D．Take on the duty to act and make real moral progress. |
【推荐1】PARIS -- Students from the Chinese mainland scored the highest level in reading, science, and mathematics in the latest PISA global education test hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), results released on Tuesday showed. They are followed by students from Singapore and China's two special administrative regions -- Macao and Hong Kong. The top OECD countries were Estonia, Canada, Finland, and Ireland.
The OECD's PISA 2018 tested around 600,000 15-year-old students in 79 countries and economies on reading, science, and mathematics. The main focus was on reading, with most students doing the test on computers. Students from Beijing, Shanghai, provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, represented the Chinese mainland in this test. In reading, they scored significantly higher than their peers from other countries.
"Most countries, particularly in the developed world, have seen little improvement in their performances over the past decade, even though spending on schooling increased by 15 percent over the same period," said the OECD when releasing the results. "One in four students in OECD countries are unable to complete even the most basic reading tasks, meaning they are likely to struggle to find their way through life in an increasingly volatile, digital world," it added.
In science and math, around one in four students in OECD countries, on average, do not attain the basic level of science (22 percent) or math (24 percent). That means they cannot, for example, convert a price into a different currency. About one in six students (16.5 percent) in China's Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and one in seven in Singapore (13.8 percent), perform at the highest level in math, compared to only 2.4 percent in OECD countries.
As to equity in education, students performed better than the OECD average in 11 countries and economies, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and the United Kingdom, while the relationship between reading performance and socio-economic status was weakest. "This means that these countries have the most equitable systems where students can flourish, regardless of their background," said the OECD.
The test found that girls significantly outperformed boys in reading on average across OECD countries, by the equivalent of nearly a year of schooling.
1. What can be inferred from para.3-4?| A．Most of the OECD countries show little improvement in the test. |
| B．Students in OECD countries have difficulty in the increasingly volatile, digital world. |
| C．Students in OECD countries do not attain the basic level of reading. |
| D．Singapore students perform at the highest level in math. |
| A．identify | B．transform |
| C．confirm | D．exclaim |
| A．A test was carried out to find the smartest student. |
| B．The performance that the students showed in math in the test is worrying. |
| C．There is an urgent need to improve the equity in education. |
| D．Students from China did a good job in the PISA global educational test. |
【推荐2】Why was school created?
If you’re honest with yourself, though, you know what a great place school is.
Schools are not a new invention. You may have seen some old one-room schoolhouses that have been around for several hundred years or more.
In fact, education dates back to the very first humans ever to live on Earth. Why? To survive, every generation has found it necessary to pass on its knowledge, skills, values, and traditions to the next generation. How can they do this? Education! Each subsequent generation (后代) must be taught these things.
Rather than every family being responsible for education, people soon found out that it would be easier and more efficient to have a small group of adults teach a larger group of children.
| A．In this way, the idea of school was born. |
| B．The earliest schools, though, date back thousands of years. |
| C．At that time, schools focused on reading, writing, and maths. |
| D．Ancient schools weren’t like the schools we know today, though. |
| E．We’re sure that’s a question that every student asks from time to time. |
| F．The earliest human beings didn’t need schools to pass along information. |
| G．You have fun, learn all kinds of interesting things, and get to spend time with your friends. |
【推荐3】Creating devices that are better for the environment may involve working up a good sweat. That's because engineers are using sweat to make systems that store energy. One such device is a type of capacitor. It is powered by sweat and can be used to charge a device. Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland developed the device. A capacitor is an electrical component that stores energy physically, in a form very much like static electricity. ( In contrast, batteries store energy chemically. )
The system recently developed is a supercapacitor. This is a capacitor with two conducting sur-faces on which a charge of energy is stored. The energy it stores can be used later. The energy could power an LED light or a type of electronic. Researchers described their new model May 11, 2020 in a scientific journal. The findings are exciting because devices powered by sweat could pave the way to wearable tech that is both safer and better for the environment. Today's wearable electronics include gadgets strapped to the body, such as watches and fitness trackers. However, engineers are also creating electronics that are part of clothing or stuck onto the skin.
Batteries power most wearable devices today. Yet those batteries often contain chemicals that can harm the environment. That's where the idea of using a bodily fluid comes into play. Electrolytes（电解质） are minerals in your body that have an electric charge. With the device, the sweat serves as the electrolyte. “That's kind of a new way of using sweat,” observes Mallika Bariya. She is a scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. She did not take part in the new study. She says electrolytes are an important part of these supercapacitors. They're needed for these devices to provide power. Sweat is interesting, not gross, she argues. It can tell you about someone's health. Also, the chemical makeup of sweat can change depending on what part of the body makes it.
1. How does a supercapacitor work?| A．It contains batteries that store energy chemically which could be used later to charge a device. |
| B．It contains batteries that store energy physically which could be used later to charge a device. |
| C．It is powered by sweat and store energy chemically which could be used later to charge a device. |
| D．It is powered by sweat and store energy physically which could be used later to charge a device. |
| A．A supercapacitor powered by sweat could charge wearable tech. |
| B．Wearable tech is safer and better for the environment. |
| C．A supercapacitor works with two conducting surfaces on which a charge of energy is stored. |
| D．Engineers are creating different electronics that are tied to the body with a strap. |
| A．The sweat reacts with the chemicals and stores energy. |
| B．The sweat is mixed with electrolytes and changes its chemical makeup. |
| C．The sweat gets rid of some harmful chemicals. |
| D．The sweat contains minerals called electrolytes that have an electric charge. |
| A．Electrolytes play an important part in storing energy |
| B．Working up a sweat may one day power up a device |
| C．Supercapacitors are better for the environment |
| D．Batteries that power devices can harm the environment |
【推荐1】Most people have had a dog or wanted one as their companion at some time in their lives. If you are thinking of buying a dog, however, you should first decide what sort(种类、类型)of companion you need and whether the dog is likely to be happy in the surroundings(环境) you can provide. Specialists’ advice is available to help you choose the most suitable(合适的) breed of dog. But in part, the decision depends on common sense. Most breeds were originally developed to perform specific tasks. Therefore, if you want a dog to protect you or your house, for example, you should choose one that has the right size and characteristics(特征/色/点). You must also be ready to devote a lot of time to training the dog when it is young and giving it the exercise it needs throughout its life. Dogs are demanding pets, while cats are connected with the house and so they are satisfied if their place is safe. A dog is connected with its master and wants him to show proof of his affection (感情).
The best time to buy a baby dog is when it is between 6 and 8 weeks old so that it can transfer(转移) its affection from its mother to its master. If baby dogs have not established(建立)a relationship(关系)with the human being until they are over eight months old, their strong relationship will always be with dogs. They are likely to be too shy when they are brought out into the world to become good pets.
1. According to the passage, what should be considered first in buying a dog?| A．The age of the dog. | B．The size and characteristics of the dog. |
| C．Whether the dog will get used to the environment(环境). | D．Whether the dog can set up a good relationship with human beings. |
| A．Because it can keep a strong relationship with other dogs forever. |
| B．Because it is less likely to be familiar with the surroundings. |
| C．Because it’s easier for it to establish a relationship with its mother. |
| D．Because it’s easier for it to form a relationship with its master. |
| A．sort | B．price | C．age | D．colour |
| A．The proper time to buy a dog | B．Tips on raising(养)a dog |
| C．The sort of companion you need | D．Dogs are better pets than cats |
【推荐2】The amount of carbon taken in by growing plants increased from 1982 through 1999 as temperatures rose and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased. But a new study in Friday ’ s edition of the journal Science found a drought - related decline in such plant growth from 2000 to 2009,even though temperatures continued to climb.
As drought caused by warming reduces the land ’ s ability to take in carbon,the result could be more carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere,and thus more warming,Zhao Maosheng from the University of Montana explained in a telephone interview.
“This is a pretty serious warning that warmer temperatures are not going to endlessly improve plant growth ’” co - author Steven Running,also from the University of Montana ’ said in a statement. “ We see this as a bit of a surprise,and potentially significant on a policy level because previous interpretations suggested global warming might actually help plant growth around the world, “ he said.
Instead, he and Zhao found a small but measurable decline of about 1%,compared to a6% increase in the past decade.
Their study,based on the data collected by NASA satellites,found that north areas continued to increase plant growth,thanks to warmer temperatures and a longer growing season.
Someone commented, "This past decade’ s net decline in earthly productivity suggests that a complex relationship between temperature, rainfall, cloudiness, and carbon dioxide, probably in combination with other factors such as nutrients(营养)and land management,will determine future patterns and trends in productivity.,,
1. From the first paragraph, we can learnin the recent decade or so.| A．the emission(排放)of carbon hasn’ t been reduced |
| B．draught has been causing loss of soil and water |
| C．carbon dioxide levels have been rising |
| D．the rise of temperature doesn' t promote the plant growth |
| A．more and more land will be abandoned |
| B．the climate becomes warmer and warmer |
| C．the emission of carbon dioxide increases |
| D．draught further reduces the number of the plants |
| A．confirm Zhao' s views on the influence of temperature rise |
| B．urge the government to take necessary measures |
| C．warn the people to strengthen the plant protection |
| D．support Zhao’ s views on the plant production |
| A．global warming will determine the future productivity |
| B．various factors play a key role jointly on future productivity |
| C．earthly productivity actually increased in the past decade |
| D．temperature rise has had no effect on future producticity patterns |
【推荐3】An inspiration for poets and authors, explorers and adventurers, the vast Arabian Desert is one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. It is hard not to be moved by its dramatic land or its seemingly endless sea of sand dunes (沙丘). However, limiting the physical movement of these natural desert wonders themselves is an almost impossible task.
Strong winds that blow up through these wide-open spaces sweep the surface, reshaping large sand dunes at will. In addition, running water from winter rains carves fresh patterns into the desert floor. The unique geography and constant flow of sand presents a set of challenges to the early settlements, particularly since many of them are situated in remote desert locations.
Fortunately, a discipline exists that traces its roots back to some of the earliest known civilizations, and which has also helped settlers there build safe, stable structures. Known as geotechnical engineering, it involves using geological knowledge to solve engineering problems and it is helping preserve desert operations through breakthroughs in sand and soil stabilization, without harming the natural environment.
Experts have piloted a new method of sand control that involves spraying chemicals onto sand around facilities where there is an absence of vegetation or biodiversity. Thus, a hard coat is created that prevents the sand from moving. This has proven so successful that it will cover a total of 700 square kilometers in the upcoming projects. The chemicals hold sand in place for between three to five years without influencing the environment, at which point another coat can be applied if required. We are now using predictive modeling and satellite imaging to determine the effectiveness of the approach, while trials have been scheduled to assess whether it can be applied to access roads und pipeline routes as well.
But as technology advances, so too must our approach to urban development. And as the science of materials progress, we can expect to see more examples of changing the way we connect with our surroundings.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph of the text?| A．To introduce the theme. |
| B．To present the main idea. |
| C．To show the beauty of desert. |
| D．To emphasize an impossible task. |
| A．Sand keeps flowing in a certain pattern. |
| B．Deserts are remote and relatively uninhabited. |
| C．Running water from winter rains is running out. |
| D．Strong winds change the shape of sand dunes at will. |
| A．The chemicals con work for more than 5 years. |
| B．Sand around the facilities is coated with vegetation. |
| C．A chemical coat is formed to stop the sand from flowing. |
| D．The method has been applied to 700 square kilometers successfully. |
| A．Our way of life is changing faster than ever. |
| B．Advances in materials are beyond our expectation. |
| C．We are in the hope of setting examples of changing the world. |
| D．The science of materials contributes to our relationship with nature. |
