The word “motivation” comes from the Latin term motivus, “a moving cause”. It is described as the force that drives us to pursue a goal, including the desire to continue pursuing meaning, purpose, and a life worth living. It fuels competition and boosts social connection. Its absence can lead to mental illnesses such as depression.
People often have multiple motives for engaging in any one behaviour. Motivation might be extrinsic. That means a person is inspired by outside forces—other people or rewards. Anything promised for completing the task or received as a result of completing the task are extrinsic motivators. Extrinsic motivation can increase motivation in the short term, but over time it may gradually decrease.
Motivation can also be intrinsic. Intrinsic motivation comes purely from within, with no expected reward, deadline, or outside pressure. For example, people who are intrinsically motivated to run do so because they love the feeling of running itself. Compared to extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation tends to push people more forcefully, and the achievements are more satisfying, since it is integrated into identity and serves as a continuous source of motivation.
To understand motivation, Abraham Maslow introduced the concept of hierarchy of needs (需求层次) in 1943. According to Maslow, humans are intrinsically motivated to meet physical needs, the most fundamental ones such as needs for food. Then they gradually satisfy several levels of needs from safety, to higher-order needs for love, belonging, and self-respect, and finally move to ward expressing their full potential—self-actualization, the desire to become the most that one can be.
Although the generality of Maslow’s theory has been challenged, many believe it reveals fundamental truths about human motivation. No matter where motivation begins, there are always ways to increase it — whether that be your own motivation or someone else’s. Sometimes you might feel completely unmotivated — and that’s OK. In that situation, allow yourself to feel the discomfort, hear the negative self-talk, and then take action anyway.
1. What is motivation?2. Why is intrinsic motivation more powerful?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
▷According to Maslow, we are motivated by different levels of needs, starting at the lowest and the most basic level known as self-actualization needs.
4. In what way(s) do you think you can get motivated? (In about 40 words)
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【推荐1】There are a lot of different ways you can di g deeper into your personality, and this article will walk you through some of the best to help you get started.
Know what you like. Your values are the motivation behind your goals.
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses. No one is great at everything, and that’s okay. Pay attention to when you are succeeding in a task and when you are struggling.
Get feedback (反馈).
| A．Recognize your values. |
| B．Understand your social needs. |
| C．This will make it more likely for you to achieve your goals. |
| D．But your interest can provide the focus needed to reach them. |
| E．Ask your close friends and family how they see your personality. |
| F．This will increase your awareness of your particular talents and abilities. |
| G．Understanding these needs will allow you to keep yourself balanced and happy. |
【推荐2】If hearing the importance of good social relationships makes you think that you might not have enough, you aren’t alone, said Adam Smiley Poswolsky, workplace belonging expert and author of “Friendship in the Age of Loneliness”.
His suggestion?
Remember that you likely won’t form a strong connection overnight. Research shows that we need 90 hours of time together to consider someone a friend and more than 200 hours to consider them a close friend that you have an emotional connection with. Poswolsky suggested that in our busy world, we should put our friendship on the calendar.
But studies also show that it isn’t just about having relationships.
| A．Start small. |
| B．The quality also matters. |
| C．Listen and ask real questions. |
| D．Many people may feel lonely and want closer connections. |
| E．And good friendships are often two people helping each other. |
| F．In other words, we should commit to bolding activities regularly. |
| G．But having relationships between good and bad often can be unhelpful. |
【推荐3】Are you interested in higher education in the United States？The following advice might help you．
●College，University or Institute
College and universities offer undergraduate degrees in arts and sciences．And both can help prepare young people to earn a living．But many colleges don’t offer graduate studies．Universities are generally bigger,offer more programs and do more research．An institute of technology can offer a wide choice of programs and activities．Seventyfive percent of freshmen go there with a strong interest and involvement in the arts．
●The Application Process
International admissions officers advise students to apply to at least three schools．You may be able to apply online and pay the application charge with a credit card,or by mail．You should study the websites of schools to find information about how and when to apply,how much it will cost and whether any financial aid is available．
●Get a Student Card
If you requesting a visa for the first time，you will have to go to an American embassy or consulate（领馆）．You will need to bring a government form sent to you by your American school that shows you have been accepted．A consular official will also take your picture and your fingerprints．You will also need banking and tax records that show you have enough money to pay for your education．
●Financial Aid
American schools provide aid，like scholarships，fellowships,to almost half of foreign graduate students，but only ten percent of undergraduates．But grants，which，unlike a loan，does not have to be paid．
1. It can be inferred from the passage that American colleges and universities________．| A．have their own origins in institutes of technology |
| B．have both similarities and differences |
| C．can offer a wide choice of programs and activities |
| D．provide about seventy-five percent students with art courses |
a．Apply online
b．Find out how much it will cost and whether any financial aid is available online
c．Pay the application charge with a credit card，or by mail
d．Choose at least three schools
e．Find information about how and when to apply online
| A．a-c-e-d-b | B．e-d-c-a-b |
| C．d-a-c-e-b | D．b-c-e-d-a |
| A．paying an American embassy or consulate some money |
| B．taking your picture and your fingerprints |
| C．showing a government form given by the American school admitting you |
| D．providing evidence that you have enough money to pay for your education |
| A．to make some money |
| B．to provide foreign students with a guide |
| C．to improve education quality |
| D．to attract foreign visitors to America． |
【推荐1】When it comes to the health problem, how can you, the workaholic (工作狂), refocus and get the best out of life? A few suggestions are listed as follows.
SLEEP FOR MORE THAN EIGHT HOURS! Make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep and plenty of rest. Don’t believe that you can always “catch some sleep or rest later.” Your body cannot make up for lost sleep or rest time because it is not physiologically possible.
SET STRICT FAMILY TIME! Resolve(决意) to make Saturdays and Sundays strictly for family time. And stick to this! Mondays until Fridays you make an excuse not to relax and spend time with your family because it’s work time, why not make a similar excuse for Saturdays and Sundays? “I can’t work today because I’m spending time with my family.”
GET SOME FOOD IN! Make sure you get food in your stomach. Workaholics are known to be food-skippers. If you can’t afford to get off your desk or from doing paperwork, have food delivered to you. It’s always a good idea if you have crackers (薄脆饼) on your drawer to ease the hunger pain.
CONFINE WORK! Resolve to confine work in your office. Don’t bring work to your home! Keep those files in your office desk where they belong. Practice working only within your working hours. If you have an eight-to-five working schedule, stick to it.
WORK UP THOSE MUSCLES! Exercise, exercise, exercise! Set aside at least an hour each day or every other day for exercise. Your body needs to be conditioned, and working non-stop isn’t going to give it the proper physical conditioning it needs. Since most workaholics tend to have their behinds stuck on their chairs, it’s even more important that you get some exercise.
MAKE A PLAN! Plan your day. Work on only one or two things at a time. It’s much easier to work on something and finish it first and then move on to the next rather than do a number of things all at the same time and never finish or accomplish anything at the end of the day. Make out a list of priorities (优先权). Write down things that need to be worked on immediately or are urgent, keeping the least ones at the bottom of your list. After you’ve done this, be guided by this list. Turning this activity into a habit will also help you manage your time better, be more organized, and accomplish more.
1. The passage is intended for ________.| A．those who are hardworking |
| B．those who keep themselves healthy and alive |
| C．those who consider work the center of their life |
| D．those who live a busy, successful and happy life |
| A．Don’t be food-skippers. |
| B．Don’t have your behinds stuck on your chairs. |
| C．Make sure of time available for your family. |
| D．Make up for lost sleep whenever possible. |
| A．organizing your time and finishing urgent things first |
| B．finishing a number of things at once |
| C．working on only one or two things each day |
| D．accomplishing as much work as possible at any given moment |
| A．improve | B．start |
| C．practice | D．restrict |
| A．LIVE TO WORK | B．WORK TO LIVE |
| C．MAKE WORK YOUR LIFE | D．STOP TO ENJOY WORKING |
【推荐2】Life affects friendships. As we grow, marry, fight in wars, move across the country or change jobs. old friendships fall away and new ones come. As long as we live; the things around us change, and as long as things change, friendships are affected.
When we were children, we had best friends. No matter what happened we were still friends. We live our lives, however, and do what life calls for us to do. As we got older, memories are lost, faces get changed, and even friends’ names from childhood are forgotten.
Do you have a question about friendship? Do you wonder what to do with a friend who is no longer friendly? Perhaps you will see that you can’t control others. If someone wants to be your friend, it is their choice. All you can do is treat them well and do the best for them when you are with them. Then you wish them well when they leave.
You can talk to old timers and they will tell you that life is full of unbelievable joy and unbelievable sorrow, and that what bothers you today will one day becomes a memory and the pain will be gone. Seniors might tell you that you will learn more as you get older. They will tell you that friendships come and friendships go: Sometimes when they go it will hurt, but you will be okay with it. It is the process of getting along that matters. It’s the way life works, after all.
1. What can we learn about friendship according to the text?| A．Friends in childhood are sometimes forgotten by us. |
| B．Friends are always around us and will never go away. |
| C．Friendship can not be easily affected by one’s family. |
| D．Friends in childhood are the best no matter what happens. |
| A．Find out the reason why our friendship has changed. |
| B．Forget them and make new friends who have a lot in common with us. |
| C．Care about them and do the best for them when we are together. |
| D．Do our best to control them and make them listen to us. |
| A．Old times can bring joy and sorrow to our life. |
| B．The pain caused by memories can last forever. |
| C．It hurts when friendships come and go. |
| D．The process of getting along is the most important. |
| A．How to share happiness with friends? | B．How to deal with unfriendly people? |
| C．How to make friends in childhood? | D．How to face the changes in friendship? |
【推荐3】My husband Robert and I had volunteered to help build an irrigation (灌溉) system for bananas in Zambia. The Heart of Africa Mission is run by local Zambians, with a focus on community development. We were there to share our agricultural (农业的) experience and knowledge with the African farmers.
We left snow-covered Alberta, Canada in January. We spent the next four weeks working side by side with the local Zambians in a banana plantation (种植园). The banana plantation would help make the Heart of Africa Mission self-supporting. It would also teach banana farming to the students there. Students would go on to teach others. It has done that and more. Through the jobs created, several families now have food, education for their children, and enough housing. The plantation is producing well and is a source of great pride for all who work there.
My husband worked hard at building the irrigation system. But the story he tells most often is of the young man who stopped us on one of our walks somewhere. He pointed to his bike, and laughing widely, told Robert, “Look, look, it still works.” Robert had repaired it for him. A bike in Zambia is like a truck in North America—necessary transportation for people and produce. Robert’s small effort made a big difference in this man’s life.
“We sure appreciate (感激) your sacrifice (牺牲),” our organizer often says. For us it was never a sacrifice, only an honor to have the chance to work in a place so far from our own, to be able to exchange ideas and thoughts. All this happened while living in a beautiful sunny country in the green of the rainy season, while at home in Alberta, the snow would cover the landscape (风景) for months. No, the volunteer work was never a sacrifice. It was only an honor.
1. What can we learn about the author from the first paragraph?| A．She likes to take adventures. | B．She is probably an expert in agriculture. |
| C．She started the Heart of Africa Mission. | D．She used to live in Africa for a long time. |
| A．Costly. | B．Tiring. | C．Challenging. | D．Fruitful. |
| A．To ask for help. | B．To express his thanks. |
| C．To show his cycling skills. | D．To tell them about his work. |
| A．It enabled her to work harder. | B．It brought her public recognition. |
| C．It made her appreciate her life more. | D．It allowed her to experience different things. |
