In life, once on a path, we tend to follow it, for better or worse. What’s sad is that even if it’s the latter, we often follow a certain path anyway because we are so used to the way things are that we don’t even recognize that they could be different. Psychologists call this phenomenon functional fixedness.
This classic experiment will give you an idea of how it works — and a sense of whether you may have fallen into the same trap:
People are given a box of tacks (大头钉) and some matches and asked to find a way to attach a candle to a wall so that it burns properly. Typically, the subjects try tacking the candle to the wall or lighting it to fix it with melted wax (石蜡). The tacks are too short, and the candle doesn’t fasten to the wall. So how can you accomplish the task? The successful technique is to use the tack box as a candle holder. You empty it, tack it to the wall, and stand the candle inside it.
To think of that, you have to look beyond the box’s usual role as a container just for tacks and reimagine it serving an entirely new purpose. That is difficult because we all suffer — to one degree or another — from functional fixedness. The inability to think in new ways affects people in every corner of society. The political theorist Hannah Arend coined the phrase frozen thoughts to describe deeply held ideas that we no longer question but should. In Arendt’s eyes, the complacent reliance on such accepted “truths” also made people blind to ideas that didn’t fit their worldview, even when there was ample evidence for them. Frozen thinking has nothing to do with intelligence, she said, “It can be found in highly intelligent people.”
Another context in which frozen thinking can turn truly dangerous is medicine. If you land in the hospital, it’s natural to want to be treated by the most experienced physicians on staff. But according to a 2014 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), you’d be better off being treated by the relative novices.
1. What does “functional fixedness” mean?2. How is the candle attached to the wall?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
▶Frozen thinking is common among ordinary people but less found in those with high IQ.
4. How can you avoid frozen thoughts in your daily life? (In about 40 words)
2 . Side hustles for college students deliver spending money while still offering the flexibility that a full class schedule requires.
Take class notes
One side hustle for college students involves taking notes in class and selling them.
Three sites — StudySoup, NexusNotes and Stuvia — offer attractive pay for uploading and selling class notes to other students at your university. Each has its own pay formula. But you usually get a bonus when someone signs up to get access to your notes, plus a payment for each set of notes that sell. Students say they can earn $250 to $500 per class, per semester. Because this job requires taking great class notes, you’re likely to do better in school.
Become a tutor
Many younger students have fallen behind academically as they struggled with distance learning. That opens an opportunity for those who have mastered a subject, from high school algebra to Spanish, to teach that subject to others. A number of tutoring platforms allow you to sign up and tutor online or in person.
Some of the best: Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, and, for those who want to teach music, LessonFace.
Be a survey taker
The best option in this category is a site called Prolific, which helps researchers find pre-screened survey participants. What makes this site better than most is that it asks you to answer qualifying questions — age, income, family status, etc. — in advance. Then, the site sends you only the surveys that you’re qualified to take. You’re given an estimate of the time it will require to take each survey and how much it pays. You decide whether it’s worth your time.
Charge scooters
Big campuses are often littered with electric scooters and bikes that can be unlocked and ridden around campus. Riders can drop the scooters just about anywhere. So scooter companies, such as Bird and Lime, enlist “chargers” and “juicers” to pick them up, charge them overnight and return them to a designated area early the next morning.
If you have a late class, there are two benefits to signing up to charge. First, you earn between $5 and $20 for each scooter you return fully charged. You also get to ride the scooters home for free, which isn’t a bad way to get back to your dorm.
1. Which site allows one to get paid by uploading their class notes?| A．Prolific. | B．LessonFace. | C．Wyzant. | D．StudySoup. |
| A．It pays riders for charging scooters. |
| B．It provides more benefits for students. |
| C．It offers a means of free transportation. |
| D．It helps solve litter problem on campus. |
| A．methods to do better in school |
| B．job options for college students |
| C．after-class activities for students |
| D．ways to meet a full class schedule |
3 . The Turnaround
Anxiously, I looked through the roster (花名册) posted on the wall. My body
When I got back home, my father noticed my sullen walk and gloomy face, and asked me what was wrong.
“All my friends
“Well, what are you going to do about it? Are you just going to sit there?” he asked.
I didn’t know what to say, just shaking my head. I thought hard for thirty minutes about what my dad said, and it started making
After almost a year, I tried out for my seventh-grade team with great confidence. Regardless of the outcome, I knew that I had worked hard and learned something about mental
| A．froze | B．changed | C．shook | D．expanded |
| A．calm | B．lonely | C．nervous | D．dead |
| A．made | B．supported | C．accepted | D．celebrated |
| A．history | B．trouble | C．sense | D．way |
| A．task | B．spot | C．hand | D．reward |
| A．Accidentally | B．Conveniently | C．Temporarily | D．Honestly |
| A．rolled | B．moved | C．struggled | D．collapsed |
| A．saw | B．walked | C．powered | D．looked |
| A．toughness | B．flexibility | C．well-being | D．suffering |
| A．purer | B．funnier | C．sweeter | D．quicker |
4 . Millions of migratory(迁徙的)birds occupy seasonally favorable breeding(繁殖)grounds in the Arctic, but scientists know little about the formation, maintenance and future of the migration routes of Arctic birds and the genetic determinants of migratory distance. In a new study, a multinational team of researchers under the leadership of Dr. ZHAN Xiangjiang from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences integrated two state-of-the-art techniques-satellite tracking and whole genome sequencing(基因排序)-and established a continental-scale migration system of peregrine falcons in Eurasian Arctic.
The researchers tracked 56 peregrine falcons from six Eurasian Arctic breeding populations and sequenced 35 genomes from four of these populations to study the migration of this species. They found that the birds used five migration routes across Eurasia, probably established between the last Ice Age 22, 000 years ago and the middle-Holocene 6, 000 years ago. “Peregrine falcons initiated their autumn migration mainly in September, and arrived at their wintering areas mainly in October, " said Professor Mike Bruford, an ecologist at Cardiff University. “Peregrine falcons that depart from different breeding grounds use different routes, and winter at widely distributed sites across four distinct regions. Individual birds that were tracked for more than one year exhibited strong path repeatability during migration, complete loyalty to wintering locations and limited breeding dispersal(扩散). ”
The researchers quantified the migration strategies and found that migration distance is the most significant differentiation. They used whole genome sequencing and found a gene-ADCY8, which is known to be involved in long-term memory in other animals in previous research- associated with differences in migratory distance. They found ADCY8 had a variant at high frequency in long-distance migrant populations of peregrine falcons, indicating this variant is being favorably selected because it may increase powers of long-term memory thought to be essential for long-distance migration.
“Previous studies have identified several candidate genomic regions that may regulate migration-but our work is the strongest demonstration of a specific gene associated with migratory behavior yet identified, ”Professor Bruford said. The researchers further looked at models of likely future migration behavior to predict the impact of global warming. If the climate warms at the same rate as it has in recent decades, they predict peregrine populations in western Eurasia have the highest probability of population decline and may stop migrating altogether.
“Our work is the first to begin to understand the way ecological factors may interact in migratory birds, ” said Dr. ZHAN Xiangjiang. “We hope it will serve as a cornerstone to help conserve migratory species in the world. ”
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．Five birds’ historical migration routes were rebuilt. |
| B．Peregrine falcons stick to the areas where they winter. |
| C．Two novel research methods of migration were invented. |
| D．Peregrine falcons leave for Arctic regions in September. |
| A．It is a newly-discovered gene in the new study. |
| B．It serves as a fundamental part of long-distance migration. |
| C．It could be strengthened by the power of long-term memory. |
| D．It turned out to be more favored by birds than the other animals. |
| A．It has discovered a new genomic region of birds. |
| B．It has predicted the rate at which the climate warms. |
| C．It analyses the reasons for the decrease of peregrine falcons. |
| D．It encourages attention to environmental effects on migratory birds. |
| A．Researchers Help Conserve Migratory Species |
| B．Biologists Find Evidence of Migration Gene in Birds |
| C．How Long-term Memory Helps Long-distance Migration |
| D．How Ecological Factors Affect Birds’ Migratory Distances |
5 . The Public Transport Fares in New York
On our website, you can find out how much it costs to ride the subway, bus, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North in the New York area.
★ Subways and buses
●Fare for most riders on subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses:$2.85.
●Express buses cost $6.85.
More information about subway and bus fares
●Riding the subway costs $2.85 for most riders. People with disabilities or who are 65 or older are qualified for a reduced fare.
●An unlimited ride MetroCard can save you money. It gives you unlimited rides for a certain length of time.
●MetroCards cost $1. All cards except for the Single Ride card are refillable (可充值的).
●Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride for free when they are with a fare-paying adult.
●You pay the fare at turnstiles (旋转闸门) before you aboard the train. You don’t have to do anything afterwards.
★ Railroads: LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) and Metro-North
●Fares vary based on when and where you are travelling.
●Buying tickets on your phone is the most convenient option.
More information about railroad fares
●Peak (高峰的) fares are charged during business rush hours on any weekday train scheduled to arrive in New York City terminals between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. or depart New York City terminals between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Metro-North trains, peak fares also apply to travel on any weekday train that leaves Grand Central Station between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.
●Off-peak fares are charged at all other times on weekdays, all day on Saturday and Sunday, and on holidays.
●Use our trip planner to find fare information. Get schedules and directions and see whether a trip is during peak or off-peak hours.
1. How much might a subway trip cost a 68-year-old man with two children under 44 inches tall?| A．$2.35. | B．$2.85. | C．$5.70. | D．$6.85. |
| A．A weekday train leaving Grand Central Station at 10 pm. |
| B．A weekday train leaving Grand Central Station at 7 am. |
| C．A weekday train departing New York City terminals at 9 pm. |
| D．A weekday train departing New York City terminals at 8:30 am. |
| A．To know special offers. | B．To leave your advice. |
| C．To check fare information. | D．To book a train ticket. |
6 . A few weeks ago, I received a package containing seeds from my friend. When I asked her what they would
I sowed the seeds in a flowerpot. In the first few days, I was very excited to search for the slightest signs, but
I watered the plants in dry periods. On the eighth day, to my great
I am certain that after a few more days, my plants will be ready for
Let us all slow our pace down and be patient. So long as we take steps to set our hearts free, time and patience will
| A．grow | B．run | C．look | D．break |
| A．immediately | B．finally | C．quickly | D．regularly |
| A．anything | B．everything | C．something | D．nothing |
| A．shocked | B．disappointed | C．embarrassed | D．scared |
| A．surprise | B．pity | C．shame | D．anxiety |
| A．packed | B．lined | C．crowded | D．piled |
| A．courage | B．freedom | C．interest | D．relief |
| A．harvest | B．loss | C．sights | D．rest |
| A．picking | B．ending | C．brightening | D．taking |
| A．impress | B．assist | C．surround | D．reward |
7 . Psychological science is full of interesting topics, many of which tell a coherent picture of human nature, but some of which create seemingly contradictory stories. A case in point is the tricky and misunderstood intersection between strength-based science and the research on narcissism (自恋).
There is now convincing evidence to show that narcissism is on the rise, especially in our youth. Some researchers have gone so far as to say that it is occurring in epidemic proportions, with about 25% of young people showing symptoms of narcissism. The inflated ego of Generation Me is reflected in reality TV, celebrity worship, out-of-control consumerism, materialism...perhaps even a new type of president.
We are correct to be concerned about this phenomenon but our fear that all kids are potential narcissists has caused an unhelpful counter-reaction to approaches that seek to make our children and teens feel good about themselves.
In my own research on strength-based parenting it is common for people to wrongly label this approach as a recipe for self-entitlement. Their argument seems to be that a child who knows their strengths will automatically view themselves as better than everyone else. It is argued that the self-assurance that comes with identifying and using their positive qualities will make a child arrogant, selfish and uncaring. Genuine confidence about one’s strengths is categorized as over-confidence; desirable self-knowledge is branded as excessive self-admiration.
Why does this occur? It’s partly because more is known about narcissism than strengths. While strengths psychology has largely stayed within the limit of academic journals or has been applied only within certain contexts such as the workplace, research on narcissism has made its way into the mass media and into our collective conscious. The New York Times noted that narcissism is a favored “go-to” topic and that people everywhere are diagnosing others with it.
The fear that a strength-based approach will cause narcissism also occurs because we unwittingly fall prey to binary (非此即彼的) thinking. We mistakenly believe that one cannot be both confident and humble. We focus on Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian rather than Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa. There’s no way that Gandhi and Mother Teresa could have achieved what they did without confidence in their strengths, and yet they are both pillars of humility and selflessness.
When we assume that strength-focus is the same as a self-focus, we fail to entertain the idea that people who know their strengths are, actually, more likely to be pro-social and focus on helping others.
It’s tempting to conclude that every young person is at risk of becoming a narcissist but I’d like to stand up for the thousands of young kids I have worked with who are caring, thoughtful and humble — even when they use their strengths.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Both strengths psychology and narcissism are difficult to understand. |
| B．Approximately a quarter of kids are potential narcissists. |
| C．Knowing the kids’ strengths has an opposite effect on making them feel good. |
| D．An increasing number of youth are showing an inflated sense of self. |
| A．Strengths psychology is less accessible to the general public. |
| B．Academic journals and mass media report more on narcissism. |
| C．There is a lack of strengths in our collective consciousness. |
| D．A number of people are diagnosed with narcissism by doctors. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Neutral. | C．Favorable. | D．Cautious. |
| A．A Recipe for Self-entitlement |
| B．Teens’ Narcissism Diagnosis |
| C．Binary Thinking of Psychological Science |
| D．Teens’ Confidence Misunderstood |
8 . Besides regularly donating blood, Ashish, the 48-year-old surgeon also encourages others to do the same through Bloodline, a nonprofit association he founded in 2017.
According to Ashish, who has been a doctor at a United Family Healthcare hospital in Shanghai since 2007, Bloodline is aimed at creating a blood bank that can help the community as well as individuals with rare blood types who face an urgent need for blood.
“My father, a doctor who specialized in treating chest infections, only charged those who could afford the medical treatment. For those who couldn’t pay, he never mentioned money and instead gave them the drugs for free.” he says.
During his growing up years, Ashish was also exposed to social services, helping collect food and money for a local children’s hospital.
Ashish first donated blood when he was 18. After arriving in China in 2003, Ashish learned mandarin at Fudan University in Shanghai before becoming a graduate student in general surgery at Shanghai Huashan Hospital. Here, he continued participating in blood donation drives as his way of giving back to society. In 2011, he became a volunteer at the Shanghai Blood Center where he helped raise public awareness about blood donations.
The idea of setting up an online community for this cause came in 2013 as he believed that there should be a group of expats who get together voluntarily to work with patients and organize regular gatherings to raise public awareness. In 2017, this community was officially registered as Bloodline.
“Our organization currently has a presence in 14 cities, including Beijing, Dalian, and Guangzhou. It’s often a small group of people in each city but they can help a great deal.” says Ashish, who holds the roles of ambassador and director of the foreign volunteers group at the Shanghai Blood Center.
Ashish has also placed greater emphasis on raising awareness of their causes in children, noting that people from the younger generations are more receptive to the idea of donating blood. Bloodline is currently planning to launch a junior club within the organization where youth will get to tour blood donation centers, witness how the blood is processed, who the end users are, and the difference that they can make to the lives of those in need of blood.
“We come from different countries and have different skin colors, but the blood streaming through our bodies is the same. When there is a need to roll up sleeves and save lives, we will step forward bravely.” he says.
1. The aim of Bloodline is to ________.| A．assist children in local hospitals |
| B．collect money for the community |
| C．reduce the financial burden of poor people |
| D．help people with urgent need for rare blood |
| A．benefited from blood donation himself |
| B．got involved in other social services as well |
| C．received his medical degree in Fudan University |
| D．got the idea of founding Bloodline from his father |
| A．Love is without boundaries. |
| B．Hard work leads to success. |
| C．One needs to return the favour. |
| D．Family influences children most. |
9 . I was a boy of nine in 1960. I used to mow the lawn for Mrs. Long. She paid me little for the job, but promised to give me a Christmas present.
I spent much time
As Christmas approached, it was with
“What is it?” I asked.
“A kind of magic,” she said. Her words were enough to set my mind
On Christmas morning, I had this box on my knees. With great
It was a miracle to my
The
| A．asking | B．recalling | C．proving | D．wondering |
| A．possibly | B．usually | C．hardly | D．definitely |
| A．reasoned | B．inquired | C．checked | D．complained |
| A．anxiety | B．patience | C．difficulty | D．confirmation |
| A．cover | B．hold | C．include | D．involve |
| A．value | B．shape | C．meaning | D．lightness |
| A．running | B．going | C．dancing | D．thinking |
| A．surprise | B．excitement | C．energy | D．confidence |
| A．childish | B．sharp | C．brilliant | D．creative |
| A．fancy | B．average | C．popular | D．expensive |
Quite contrary to general belief, it is not only bad guys that commit crimes, “good” guys do that too. Sadly enough, unlike in the movies, we can’t actually divide the world into good and bad guys. Real life is never as simple as that. Just as diseases range from the common cold to serious forms of cancer, crimes also vary in degree. For example, smoking in an elevator will trouble people, but much less than endangering them with a gun.
Besides breaking the law themselves, people tolerate various levels of crime. Why? It may be that, by seeing others do something, we accept it more easily. For example, most people will find it easier to speed on a highway when everybody else is driving over the speed limit. So the people around us influence how much law-breaking we can tolerate.
We must also wonder whether seeing violence on television or reading about it in the newspapers makes us tolerate crime more than we should. We become used to seeing blood on the media. Because we see thousands of dead people on TV, maybe we just try to ignore the situation behind the violence.
If so many citizens tolerate violence and crime, or even commit crimes themselves, it may simply be because of the human mind. Our minds may not care about specific laws. Instead, we may have a system of values that usually prevents us from hurting other people to improve our own lives. Yet, when it comes to respecting the rights of a mass of unknown individuals, we might not be so responsible. While most people would not steal a wallet containing $50, they may not mind cheating on taxes, because cheating on taxes does not hurt any single person. It hurts society, but “society” remains an abstract idea that is not as real as a certain person.
When we realize that many people have mistaken belief about law-breaking, we could think it isn’t surprising that so many people have a criminal record. How could we improve the level of honesty in our society? Would strict laws help make our society better? Probably not. Honesty will have to come from social pressure: in the family, at school, on the job, each and every one of us can encourage honesty by showing which behaviors are unacceptable.
1. What is the general belief about committing crimes?2. What does the writer think of the violence on social media?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Some people do not mind cheating on taxes because they believe cheating on taxes is not a crime by nature.
4. How can we improve the level of honesty in our society? (about 40 words)
