We live in a world where we want everything instantly. In this instant world it is hard to succeed in anything. To achieve your goal you first have to change your life from instantly to persistently(坚持地).
Persistence is the course you need to set. When you change your expectancy from instantly to persistently you will gain an advantage of time that many do not have. Time works against those who live instantly. Opportunities are never seen because when something doesn't happen instantly people move on to the next thing on their list and consider the current goal a failure.
Persistent people have the advantage of time. It allows them to step back, observe and assess the progress of the goal they are pursuing(追求). Some things take longer to develop; some just need to be left there for a while to find their own way.
When you live instantly you gain and lose instantly. Many times you do not know how you got there or how to get back because it is not repeatable.
When you live persistently you learn how things work, how to correct a plan and how to guide it to make it successful. You do not panic because you know you have more than enough time.
Slow down and take time to enjoy the journey. If what you are doing is not fun then stop doing it and do something else.
Everything you do should be in pursuit of a better tomorrow than you had yesterday. You should take time to develop your abilities to reach your goals. Do not get discouraged just because your success is not instant.
Celebrate each step along the way. People who live instantly don't take time to appreciate what they have accomplished. They are just looking for the next thing that they can get instantly.
You must be grateful for the time it takes to reach your goal. Persistence will get you there if you really want to get there.
1. People who want things instantly will fail in many things because _______.| A．they want greater efficiency |
| B．they don't stick to their goal |
| C．they often change their lifestyle |
| D．they tend to pursue a higher target |
| A．the willpower | B．a target |
| C．a plan | D．an opportunity |
| A．focus more on the result |
| B．work slower than instant people |
| C．will get rewarded for their efforts |
| D．look for the next thing to do immediately when finishing one target |
| A．to blame those who live instantly |
| B．to persuade people to live happily |
| C．to praise those who have succeeded. |
| D．to suggest learning the art of persistence |
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【推荐1】How to cultivate your sense of happiness?
Relieving stress and anxiety might help you feel better — for a bit. Martin E.P. Seligman, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a pioneer in the field of positive psychology, does not see ridding negative emotions as a path to happiness.“What makes life worth living,” he said, “is much more than the absence of the negative.”
To cultivate the components of well-being, which include engagement, good relationships, accomplishment and purpose, Dr. Seligman suggests the following four exercises based on research at the Penn Positive Psychology Center, which he directs, and at other universities.
Identify Signature Strengths
Write down a story about a time when you were at your best.
Set aside 10 minutes before you go to bed each night to write down three things that went really well that day. Next to each event answer the question, “Why did this good thing happen?” Instead of focusing on life’s lows, which can increase the likelihood of depression, the exercise “turns your attention to the good things in life, so it changes what you attend to,” Dr. Seligman said.
Make a Gratitude Visit
Think of someone who has been especially kind to you but you have not properly thanked.
Respond Constructively
“Love goes better, commitment increases, and from the literature, even sex gets better after that.”
| A．The next time someone you care about shares good news, give an “active constructive response.” |
| B．Write a letter describing what he or she did and how it affected your life, and how you often remember the effort |
| C．Find the Good |
| D．To Dr. Seligman, the most effective long-term strategy for happiness is to actively cultivate well-being. |
| E．People like you more, relationships go better, life goes better. |
| F．It doesn’t need to be a life-changing event but should have a clear beginning, middle and end. |
| G．Well-being consists not merely of feeling happy but of experiencing a sense of satisfaction. |
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” We all know that healthy habits can help us build a strong body, but how can we live a happy life? Over the past two decades, scientists have identified many techniques to raise our happiness, but these methods cannot work magic. “Things like poverty or injury are obviously going to affect your well-being,” says Laurie Santos, at Yale University. “But for many of us, our happiness is much more under our control than we think.” Her free course, The Science of Well-being, explores evidence-based ways to increase happiness.
For a taste of what the course involves, consider our tendency to compare ourselves negatively with the people around us. By recognizing when those thoughts have started to arise, you can consciously shift the reference point to something more neutral(中立的).With this kind of thinking, you may start to feel more content.
The use of gratitude journals, where you regularly count your blessing, work on a similar basis. We have a tendency for “hedonic adaptation”, essentially getting used to the good things in our life over time, and taking them for granted, so they no longer bring us the same interest—we should delay that process.
Other tips like small acts of kindness may surprise you with rewarding experience. However, those approaches to happier life should be used carefully. There is now some evidence that pursuit of happiness can have the opposite effect if it becomes time-consuming. Keeping a gratitude journal appears to be effective if it is used once a week. It seems that the technique may become a burden if it is practiced too regularly.
There seems little doubt that we can learn to be happier, but we should recognize that the path to a better life is with ups and downs. You cannot remove every negative feeling, but with some science-backed strategies, you can shift the balance so as to experience more positive feeling than negative ones.
1. How can we deal with the tendency to compare ourselves negatively with those around us?2. What does “hedonic adaptation” mean?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
As approaches to happier life small acts of kindness can effectively improve our well-being, we should use them as much as possible.
4. In addition to the methods mentioned in the passage, what other method(s) can you take to increase happiness? (In about 40 words)
No matter what your vacation destination is, you will need to take the climate into consideration. If you are visiting a tropical location, you will need to bring along the appropriate clothing. While you may be expecting warm and sunny weather, it is still advised that you prepare for the worst. Raincoats and an umbrella may be a great addition to your summer clothing.
Perhaps, the most popular summer vacation destination is the beach. Each year millions of individuals and families flock to beaches. When vacationing at the beach, it is important that you bring along proper clothing and sunscreen. Many vacationers do not realize the dangers of sunbathing without sunscreen. In addition to sunscreen, you will need to make sure that you have beach towels and plenty of water on hand.
For the most part, if you forget to bring along certain supplies you can purchase replacements. Many popular vacation destinations have inflated prices. To prevent unnecessary expenses, you are encouraged to check your luggage before you leave. In addition to the above mentioned preparation tips, you must inform friends and family of where you are going. In case something happens back home, you can easily be reached.
1. In the passage the author intends to _____
| A．give advice on how to prepare for vacation |
| B．make a plan for his summer vacation |
| C．share his experience about summer vacation |
| D．warn readers against cheaters during vacation |
| A．they are useful as well as practical |
| B．they are designed to cheat travelers |
| C．they may make you puzzled in a way |
| D．they can include all the destinations |
| A．you must consider the climate first |
| B．you should wear shorts and T-shirts |
| C．you must prepare proper clothes |
| D．you should expect the sunny weather |
| A．vacationing at the beach is the first but one |
| B．vacationers on beach are at the risk of sunburn |
| C．you must drink plenty of water before going to beach |
| D．you have to stay outdoors when going camping |
【推荐1】Do you like to drink Coca-Cola? You can thank enslaved Africans. They brought the kola nut — one of the main parts of Coca-Cola — to what is now the United States. They also brought watermelon, black-eyed peas, some peppers and many more. These foods are eaten in the U.S. today. They show how Africans forced into slavery — beginning in the 1500s — influenced the American diet.
History professor Frederick Opie wrote a book about some of the foods that connect Africa and America—Soul Food from Africa to America. He says, “If you know what people eat, you can find out where they’re from.”
Opie explains that people who were bringing enslaved Africans to North America wanted to keep them alive and earn a profit. As a result, Africans on the slave ships were fed food they knew and liked. Those foods landed along with the people. Fruit and vegetables brought from Africa grew well in America. One reason is that enslaved Africans planted their own gardens to help feed themselves. In time, the plants from Africa slowly moved from gardens of the enslaved to those of the wealthy and powerful. For example, the homes of U.S. presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had gardens planted with seeds from Africa.
Those fruit and vegetables changed the way cooks made foods in America. Take pies as an example. In England, pies were made with meat. African-Americans took the English meat pie and made it with fruit or vegetables, such as sweet potatoes. Yet for the most part, the skilled black chefs have been written out of American history. In fact, both their work and their skill shaped American food. Some ways of cooking that are well-known in the U.S. today were reported in West Africa before 1500. They include deep frying fish and barbecuing meats.
1. What can be known from the first two paragraphs?| A．Peppers aren’t to most Americans’ taste. |
| B．Africans are the real creator of Coca-Cola. |
| C．Eating habits generally differ from place to place. |
| D．Africans and Americans learn from each other in cooking. |
| A．To show African plants were spreading in the U.S. |
| B．To confirm Americans enjoyed growing their own gardens. |
| C．To explain why African plants could grow well in America. |
| D．To prove seeds from Africa were popular with American presidents. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By listing differences. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By giving examples. |
| A．Many American Foods Aren’t American at All |
| B．How Enslaved Africans Influenced American Diet |
| C．The Journey of Slaves: from Africa to America |
| D．Why African Foods Can Grasp Americans' Stomachs |
【推荐2】Rumors (谣言): we've all heard some and we've all spread some. In more traditional times they shook entire families. Today, they travel differently because the way we share information has also changed.
The fact is that rumors have great potential to upset things, whether socially or personally. We don't enjoy being on the receiving end of one, since they usually don't have good intentions. They are somewhat veiled (掩饰的) messages.
Normally rumors are oral messages: word of mouth. The paradox (自相矛盾) is that there is no evidence to support rumors, but the more people share it, the more they see it as true. To finish explaining rumors, we think that they follow certain very clear laws. Secrecy: The source is unknown. There is also a proven phenomenon that human beings usually forget the source of a message before they forget its content. Certainty: We hardly question rumors simply because of the mental effort involved. On the other hand, no one likes to doubt a person who convinces us that the information they spread is true. Change: It acts like a tree. New rumors branch out to fill in the gaps left by the first rumor.
Another property (属性) of rumors is that they tend to become viral. Each receiver is at the same time a potential transmitter (传输者) of the information. The receiver often adds their own opinion. Their manner and tone of transmitting it also changes it.
How can we end rumors? The answer is as simple as it is impossible: preventing people from communicating. A more realistic response is equally difficult, although less than the first one. It is that we should be critical of the information we receive. We should ask ourselves if the source is reliable. Ask (if possible) the person you heard it from whether they also trust the information. We should also think about if the rumor benefits someone, and if that someone started the rumor.
One rumor to be especially cautious of is a rumor about groups relatively unable to defend themselves. That's why we say, "History is always told by the winners." The first payment the defeated must make is to accept the victor's version of the story.
1. What can we learn about rumors?| A．We have all heard some and believed them. |
| B．We're happy to be the receiving end of them. |
| C．They may have negative influence on society. |
| D．They often hide good intentions in the messages. |
| A．Rumours keep changing, just as trees change their colour. |
| B．Rumours are deeply rooted in reality, like tree roots in the earth. |
| C．New rumours have gaps, like the space between tree branches. |
| D．New rumours grow out of the original, like branches out of a trunk. |
| A．Something easily spread. |
| B．Something acceptable. |
| C．Something easily defended. |
| D．Something beneficial. |
| A．It is easy to prevent people from spreading rumors. |
| B．People are often active in judging the rumors critically. |
| C．We should think about the hidden message of the rumors. |
| D．Stories told by the victors are usually better worth trusting. |
【推荐3】Secrets of the Rainbow
The storm is over: the sun is shining. But when you go outside, the rain is still falling, and you see a breathtaking sight in the sky: a shimmering arch of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple light. No pot of gold sits at that rainbow’s end.
In empty space, all these colors travel equally fast: 671 million miles an hour. But when sunlight passes through water, it slows down.
As light enters water, it bends, or refracts (折射). The amount of refraction depends on how fast the light travels through water. So once sunlight enters a raindrop, the different colors split apart and travel separate paths.
After you find a rainbow, look for a second rainbow outside the main one. It’s called a secondary rainbow and is usually fainter, so it’s harder to see.
| A．Sunlight usually looks pale. |
| B．Its colors are in the opposite order. |
| C．Instead, a rainbow is its own reward. |
| D．There’s more to a rainbow than we can see. |
| E．Some colors go through water faster than others. |
| F．Then the colors reflect off the back of the raindrop. |
| G．A rainbow only needs the right mix of sunlight and rain. |
