From a very early age, some children exhibit better selfcontrol than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.” The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1,000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said, “and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.
1. Children with low self-control are more likely to ________．| A．become wealthy in later life |
| B．get good school performance |
| C．have better financial planning |
| D．adopt negative behaviors |
| A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools. |
| B．The study is restricted within few participants. |
| C．It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems. |
| D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success. |
| A．Child’s Selfcontrol Predicts Future Health, success |
| B．Kids are Encouraged to Take Risks at an Early Age |
| C．Children’s Development Cannot be Changed by Teachers |
| D．How to Teach the Kids a Bit of Self-control in schools |
| A．the research has been carried out for five years |
| B．self-control in kids tends to determine their future |
| C．self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence |
| D．children’s self-control is almost the same at early age |
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【推荐1】Many of us like to eat out and treat ourselves to delicious food. We are used to choosing hearty (丰盛的), fat-filled dishes and sugary desserts, which are not easily cooked at home.
The recent rise of light meals, however, gives us a smarter choice. According to Economic Daily, low-calorie, low-fat and high-fibre meals have become popular in China’s restaurants and online delivery plat-forms.
The country saw a rapid increase of restaurants concentrating on light meals, from just 600 in 2017 to more than 3,500 in 2018. According to a report published by Meituan, a major online food delivery plat-form, the number of light meals ordered online also rose 75 percent from the previous year.
Having a light meal, however, doesn’t mean eating only vegetables. Different from the meat-free lifestyle, a typical light dish avoids oily, salty and spicy food. Instead, it contains things like boiled meat, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Healthy nutrients (营养物) are the theme of the light meal.
These dishes are useful for keeping healthy and controlling your weight. That’s probably why so many people, especially the youths are into them. They see it as “a great way to avoid getting fat,” wrote the Telegraph.
“After eating several light meals, I now prefer light flavours,” Zou Jing, a college teacher in Wuhan, told China Daily. She shared a picture of her lunch: a mixture of beef, eggs, corn, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
These changes in eating behaviour are connected to deeper changes in how people think about food, says Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health, US. “Diet quality, not quantity, is important for both weight control and long-term well-being,” Willett told The New York Times.
So the next time you have a party with friends, try a light meal. It will satisfy not only your stomachs but maybe also your hearts.
1. What are light meals?| A．Fat-filled dishes. | B．Low-calorie and high-fibre meals. |
| C．Sugary desserts. | D．Meat free dishes. |
| A．Listing numbers. | B．Giving examples. |
| C．Giving descriptions. | D．Showing other people’s opinions. |
| A．They are usually colourful. |
| B．They are simple and convenient. |
| C．They can help people control their weight. |
| D．They are cheaper than other meals. |
| A．Light meals will stay popular for a while. |
| B．One’s eating habit shows their personality. |
| C．It’s important to eat the right amount of good food. |
| D．There is a change in attitude toward healthy eating. |
【推荐2】Most of us probably cannot imagine modern life without social media, which has both the potential to negatively impact our mental and emotional heath if used blindly and the ability to connect us in many unexpected ways.
With social media, friendships go beyond geography. We are able to find friends old and new, thus maintaining old friendships and making new ones. Some would question the quality of these friendships, but perhaps what is important is that a link exists between you and that person. Then, we can possibly build friendship upon this link in the future.
Nevertheless, social media does consume our energy and lower our self-esteem (自尊) at times. A 2013 study by Ethan Kross and Philippe Verduyn, published by the Public Library of Science, found that the more a person uses Facebook, the more miserable he feels about his own life. An internet celebrity (名人) Essena O’Neill recently announced to quit social media, saying it is “not real life”, taking countless photos just to look great in a single post and seeking social approval from “likes” and “views” have left her feeling “empty”.
However, those affected are usually teenagers who possess shaky self-identities. It is only natural for teenagers to seek popularity and social recognition. However, for every teenager who feels jealous, envious or depressed online, there is another who chooses to feel energetic, inspired and accepted by positive social connections.
From what perspective do we wish to approach social media? Social media does not cause unhappiness; it simply provides an alternative platform for teenagers to experiment with as they grow up, something they have always done offline. Teen activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai says, “What is interesting is the power and impact of social media... we must try to use social media in a good way.”
1. Which best describes the impact of social media on friendship?| A．Social media helps build friendships across distances. |
| B．Social media improves the quality of new friendships. |
| C．Social media only has a short-term impact on friendships. |
| D．Social media makes it harder to maintain old friendships. |
| A．To explain a rule. | B．To make a prediction. |
| C．To present a fact. | D．To prove an argument. |
| A．Positive. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Demand for advances in social media. |
| B．The wide applications of social media |
| C．Advice on using social media positively. |
| D．The possible harm of social media to users. |
【推荐3】Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets’ safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.
When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal (用踏板踩) his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.
Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21st century New York City looks like.
Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.
Lois: We wanted a lane—the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.
Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.
Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.
Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.
Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.
1. What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21st century New York City looks like.”?| A．There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21st century New York City. |
| B．Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York. |
| C．Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21st century New York City. |
| D．It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York. |
| A．the authority | B．the public |
| C．the supporters | D．the government |
| A．Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day | B．A New Bike Lane Appears in New York |
| C．A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers | D．Who Wins an Election |
【推荐1】When you're a teen you start being more aware of what other people think. There seems to be a “right” thing to wear, or say, or do. There also seem to be things that you shouldn’t do-things that could be embarrassing, or lose your points with friends. This can lead to social anxiety.
Some kids feel so anxious that they develop something called social anxiety disorder (障碍), which is diagnosed (诊断) when you worry so much about how you appear to others that you stop doing things you need to and want to do for fear of embarrassing yourself.
Kids with social anxiety disorder aren't just nervous when they’re at parties or giving a speech in class. Even small interactions (互动), like answering a question in class or eating with friends in the cafeteria can feel extremely scary to kids with social anxiety disorder. That's because they fear they might accidentally do something embarrassing or offensive, and it will make others judge or even reject them.
And while kids who are just shy will gradually warm up to new people and situations over time, kids with social anxiety don't. Shyness might hold you back to some degree from doing things, but it won't deeply influence your ability to do your job as a teenager, which is to function in school, function in your family, and to have friends and be a part of your peer-related community. But social anxiety will.
Many teens experience anxiety disorders. Being brave and telling someone how you feel might seem scary, but if you can get over that obstacle, someone will want to listen. Asking for help can be hard, but it really is important.
1. What is the main cause of social anxiety?| A．Lack of friendship. | B．One's appearance. |
| C．School performance. | D．Other’s judgment. |
| A．Alice, who skips school to avoid answering questions in class. |
| B．David, who always thinks he can't do as well as his classmates. |
| C．Chris, who feels nervous every time he gives a speech in public. |
| D．Jenny, who has been in low spirits since she failed the last exam. |
| A．it influences people around you |
| B．it only makes your grades suffer |
| C．it greatly affects your normal life |
| D．it is related to your study or work |
| A．What Is Social Anxiety Disorder |
| B．How Social Fear Ruins Relationships |
| C．Why Teens Suffer from Social Anxiety? |
| D．When Anxiety Disorders Go Unnoticed |
【推荐2】The Central African country of Gabon is home to two-thirds of all African forest elephants. The forests in Gabon are extremely dense. That makes it hard to know exactly how many forest elephants there are. But scientists have found a new way to count them. They use evidence that the animals leave behind. In other words, they look for elephant waste.
Researchers collected waste samples (样品) over a period of three years. The researchers walked about 12 kilometers each day. They looked for waste as well as other signs of elephants, including footprints and broken trees. They tested the waste samples for DNA. As a result, they learned that in Gabon, there are about 95,000 forest elephants. The earlier numbers were believed to be much lower, at 50,000 to 60,000.
Even with the new information, the International Union for Conservation of Nature believes the population of forest elephants in Central Africa has dropped sharply. It believes the numbers have decreased by 86 percent in the last 31 years. Forest elephants are threatened by land clearing and by hunters. What’s worse, climate change has reduced the amount of fruit available in the country’s forests. Because of this, the elephants are seeking food out from farms. This creates a conflict (冲突) between people and elephants.
The researchers who worked on the new elephant count said the animals live throughout Gabon, covering 90 percent of the total surface area. Almost 90 percent of the country is covered in forests. Emma Stokes is the area director for the Wildlife Conservation Society. She said Gabon is “very unique” or special, because elephants can be found in so many parts of the country.
During their counting efforts, the researchers looked for fresh waste. When they found a sample, they put it in a small glass container. After a period of time, they sent the containers to a laboratory in Libreville, Gabon’s capital. Scientists looked at about 2,500 samples. The DNA helped the scientists guess how many different elephants lived in the area where the samples came from.
1. What does the underlined word “dense” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Thick. | B．Distant. | C．Attractive. | D．Dangerous. |
| A．footprints | B．waste samples | C．broken trees | D．food types |
| A．It is destroying their homes. |
| B．It is changing their eating habits. |
| C．It is making it hard for them to get enough food. |
| D．It is resulting in a temperature too high for them to stand. |
| A．Elephants can move more freely in it. |
| B．The elephant population drops sharply in it. |
| C．Elephants can be seen almost everywhere in it. |
| D．More measures have been taken to protect the elephants. |
【推荐3】I traveled to Hawaii several months ago, in part to cover a story on invasive plants and animals and their impact on the state. As I worked on this story, I kept thinking about the fact that some plants and animals become uncontrollably invasive when they’re brought into a new ecosystem, while others don’t. For example, over the past two hundred years or so, there have been approximately 20, 000 non-native plant species either intentionally or accidentally brought into Hawaii alone. But only a small part of those plants — 200 species or so — have become invasive, threatening the environment, the economy, or human health.
An example from Hawaii’s forests: the invasive plant strawberry guava thrives as it gives off a chemical that prevents all other plants from growing nearby, and it also absorbs more water than native species. What makes these particular species so successful? Most of the reasons involve how a particular species interacts with its new environment. First, invasive species may be highly adaptable to a variety of climates. Second, they are usually quite fecund (多产的), which ensures that they can multiply rapidly. Third, they are usually threatening when it comes to resources like nutrients and space, easily crowding out their native counterparts (对应的物种). And finally, invasive species thrive when there are no natural enemies or pests in their new space.
How can we eradicate invasive species once they’re in place? Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to do that — conservationists would have to notice that the species is a problem before its population has established and grown to an uncontrollable size. Instead, most conservationists battling invasive species aim for control in key ecological pockets.
It is a constant battle, though, and humans are always playing catch-up. If you’re thinking of planting unusual plants in your garden or keeping a foreign pet, perhaps reconsider and go for a native one. You never know when they might escape and tip over an ecosystem.
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us?| A．A substantial number of species in Hawaii are severely endangered. |
| B．Not all uncontrollably invasive species threaten the environment. |
| C．A small number of plants are intentionally introduced. |
| D．Not all non-native species become invasive. |
| A．The first reason. | B．The second reason. |
| C．The third reason. | D．The last reason. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Hopeless. | C．Uncaring. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Avoid the battle between native and foreign pets. |
| B．Create an ideal ecosystem for the pet. |
| C．Prevent the pet from escaping. |
| D．Get a native pet. |
