1 . For many high school students, it seems that there is never enough time. There are several steps you can take to organize your time better.
Make a to-do list every day. It makes it easy to plan any activities or meetings you may have in addition to homework. Be sure to set priorities (优先事项).
Use spare time wisely. Instead of wasting your spare time, read a book or do homework.
Decide on the time that is good for you to do certain things. If you are more of a morning person, try getting up an hour earlier and do schoolwork before school.
Review your notes every day.
Tell your friends and family about your work timetable. Explain that you will be working at certain times and ask them not to disturb you.
| A．Set goals for yourself. |
| B．Get a good night’s sleep. |
| C．Do the most important tasks first. |
| D．And also, do not be afraid to say “no”. |
| E．You should finish your task on time. |
| F．Don’t take phone calls during the time you set aside for work. |
| G．Don’t wait until just before a test to try and remember everything. |
2 . I read somewhere that we spend a full third of our lives waiting. But where are we doing all of this waiting, and what does it mean to an impatient society like ours? To understand the issue, let’s take a look at three types of “waits”.
The very purest form of waiting is the Watched-Pot Wait, It is without doubt the most annoying of all Take filling up the kitchen sink(洗碗池)as an example. There is absolutely nothing you can do while this is going on but keep both eyes fixed on the sink until it’s full. During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks. This kind of wait makes the waiter helpless and mindless.
A cousin to the Watched-Pot Wait is the Forced Wait. This one requires a bit of discipline. Properly preparing packaged noodle soup requires a Forced Wait. Directions are very specific. “Bring three cups of water to boil, add mix, simmer three minutes, remove from heat, let stand five minutes.” I have my doubts that anyone has actually followed the procedures strictly. After all, Forced Waiting requires patience
Perhaps the most powerful type of waiting is the Lucky-Break Wait. This type of wait is unusual in that it is for the most part voluntary. Unlike the Forced Wait, which is also voluntary, waiting for your lucky break does not necessarily mean that it will happen.
Turning one’s life into a waiting game requires faith and hope, and is strictly for the optimists among us. On the surface it seems as ridiculous as following the directions on soup mixes, but the Lucky-Break Wait well serves those who are willing to do it. As long as one doesn’t come to rely on it, wishing for a few good things to happen never hurts anybody.
We certainly do spend a good deal of our time waiting. The next time you’re standing at the sink waiting for it to fill while cooking noodle soup that you’ll have to eat until a large bag of cash falls out of the sky, don’t be desperate. You’re probably just as busy as the next guy.
1. While doing a Watched-Pot Wait we tend to __________.| A．keep ourselves bus | B．get absent-minded | C．grow anxious | D．stay focused |
| A．The Forced Wait requires some self-control. | B．The Forced Wait makes people passive. |
| C．The Watched-Pot Wait needs directions. | D．The Watched-Pot Wait engages body and brain. |
| A．It is less voluntary than the Forced Wait. | B．It doesn’t always bring the desired result. |
| C．It is more fruitful than the Forced Wait. | D．It doesn’t give people faith and hope. |
| A．Take it seriously | B．Don’t rely on others | C．Do something else | D．Don’t lose heart |
3 . Have you ever complained that there just aren’t enough hours in a day? Do you usually find yourself falling short on time in completing assigned tasks?
That didn’t change until I discovered the time management technique called Time Blocking. Since then, I have been able to transform my daily schedule for the better with the help of Time Blocking.
It is a simple time management technique where you schedule your day such that it is divided into time blocks that are dedicated to specific tasks or groups of tasks.
| A．So what is it exactly? |
| B．Is everyone interested in it? |
| C．I used to be in the same boat. |
| D．The benefits of Time Blocking are substantial. |
| E．Let’s further explain the concept in another way. |
| F．You’ll encounter countless questions like these in your life. |
| G．You’ll need to be very specific about the time and what you’re planning to do. |
4 . Recently, the Norwegian island of Sommary announced that it was getting rid of time to become the world’s first time-free zone. It sounded extremely pleasant—to leave the clock behind and do what you wanted whenever you wanted to. Unfortunately, the idea turned out to be a clever strategy to attract public attention by Norway’s tourism agency rather than the real deal. But it raises a fundamental question—can we live totally without time?
“From a consciousness viewpoint we simply can’t lose our awareness of time, as it’s closely connected to our sense of self,” explains German psychologist Marc Wittmann. “Many cells in our body possess their own autonomous clock. If those clocks get out of sync (不同步), however, it could cause problems.” Canadian scientist Holly Andersen agrees, believing it’s not possible to have conscious experience without the passage of time. Think about how your personal identity is built over time and filed away as memories. “These memories make up who you are over time,” says Andersen.
While we can’t give up the concept of the passage of time at such fundamental levels, day in day out forcing our bodies to stick to an abstract concept of time that ignores natural rhythms may lead to physical problems. A typical example is Daylight Saving Time (DST)—where we move clock time one hour forward relative to the cycle of daylight. There are a number of studies suggesting that switching to DST disturbs our internal body clocks, leading to less sleep, worse performance in tests and learning issues.
The clock, it seems, isn’t always good for us. So, how can we live in a world ruled by clock time? “Giving yourself permission to do something without any time limit can help restore some of your body’s normal rhythms. If possible, wake up naturally or go for a walk until you feel you’re done. You don’t have to have a life where you meditate (冥想) for ten hours a day,” says Andersen. “But letting go of time restrictions on your actions for a twenty-minute period can be very healthy.”
1. What can we say about Sommargy’s announcement?| A．It failed to draw public attention. | B．It was just a marketing trick. |
| C．It was a rather practical policy. | D．It caused too many problems. |
| A．Many people tend to save time in unhealthy ways. |
| B．It is difficult to accurately sense the passage of time. |
| C．Your sense of self has little to do with your memories. |
| D．It is impossible for us to live without the sense of time. |
| A．To show how our body clocks actually work. |
| B．To explain why DST helps improve efficiency. |
| C．To prove clock time’s potential harm to our health. |
| D．To deny the link between body clocks and clock time. |
| A．Exercise for twenty minutes every day. | B．Try to do things outside the clock’s control. |
| C．Find effective ways to make use of our time. | D．Meditate more to restore our body’s rhythms. |
5 . People spend about a third of their lives sleeping. That might sound like time wasted, but it’s not. Even in a deep sleep, the brain is busy. It’s hard at work sorting memories, cleansing itself of harmful wastes and more. This time of rest also helps the body build stronger bones and heal wounds faster. Experts recommend that teens get about nine hours of sleep each night. But surveys show that only about one-third of 18-year-old report getting at least seven hours of sleep per night. As teens go through puberty(青春期), they become natural night owls. Their bodies don’t release the hormone melatonin (褪黑激素)—which tells the brain it’s time for bed—until later at night. This shifts their circadian rhythm(昼夜节律) so that sleep comes most easily between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. But most pubic middle and high schools in the United States start before 8:30 a.m. And that’s a major problem.
Another reason for teens’ widespread sleep shortage maybe screens. Survey data from 370.000 U.S. teens has shown an increase in trading sleep for screen time. But losing sleep to screens isn’t just a matter of choosing to stay up later. The light emitted by phones, laptops and the other devices makes the brain resist sleepiness. That’s because the glow contains blue wavelengths also found in sunlight. This can deceive the brain into thinking it’s daytime.
Lack of sleep has been linked to unhealthy eating and feeling more anxious. Sleep-deprived people also have higher risk of feeling depressed, using alcohol or drugs, or getting in car accidents. Research suggests that people who use screens in bed have a harder time nodding off. New LED tech could lessen that effect. But in the meantime, experts suggest putting away electronics at least 30 minutes before bed. “It might be hard to quit a lively group chat or save the next episode of a show until tomorrow, but turn off and turn in. Your body and brain will thank you.”
1. What does the first paragraph imply?| A．There is more for the brain to deal with. |
| B．The brain is the busiest during sleeping time. |
| C．Sleep is vital to our health and wellbeing. |
| D．Many are suffering sleep-related problems. |
| A．Early school start time. | B．The circadian rhythm. |
| C．Their tight timetable. | D．Their free lifestyles. |
| A．Talk. | B．Mislead. | C．Threaten. | D．Transform. |
| A．Avoid any digital device. | B．Buy new-tech products. |
| C．Maintain a good mood. | D．Cut down screen time. |
6 . Overcome Your Procrastination
Procrastination (拖延) is a phenomenon we are familiar with. When we procrastinate we waste our free time and put off important tasks we should do until it’s too late. It’s a bad habit stopping us achieving greater success in life.
Break your work down into little parts.
Part of the reason why we procrastinate is that we find the work too much and huge for us. Break it down into little parts, and then focus on one part at a time. If you still procrastinate after doing so, break it down even further.
Change your environment.
Look at your work desk and your room. Do they make you want to work or do they make you sleepy?
Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.
I’m so sure if you spend just 10 minutes talking to people like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, you’ll be more inspired to act than if you spend the 10 minutes doing nothing. The people we are with influence our behavior.
| A．Talk to people who inspire you to take action. |
| B．Having a friend makes the whole process much more fun. |
| C．Soon, your task will be so simple that you will think you can do it now. |
| D．If it is the latter, you should begin to change your workspace. |
| E．Having just one deadline for your work is like an invitation to procrastinate. |
| F．Find out someone who has already achieved the similar result to your goals. |
| G．Here, I will share some personal steps taken to overcome procrastination with great. |
7 . Thomas Edison was one of the most successful inventors the world has ever seen.
Bui people found that although Edison was good at inventing new things, he was a poor fisherman. He used to spend an hour almost every day sitting at the side of a river and fish. He always fished all alone by himself.
People asked Edison, “Why are you so crazy about fishing when you are so bad at it?” His answer was, “I really never caught ant fish because I have never used any bait (诱饵).” Another question followed, “Why would you fish without bait?” Edison answered, “Because when you fish without bait, people don’t disturb you and neither do the fish.
Sometimes the world’s best inventor was the world’s worst fisherman. In fact, because Edison was the world’s worst fisherman, he could become the world’s greatest inventor.
Are you setting aside some time for yourself to think?
► Slowing down and taking long showers is a good idea.
►
► Long walks are good too.
► Afternoon naps have been proved to improve creativity.
| A．But he never caught any fish. |
| B．It provides me my best time to think. |
| C．So is listening to some soft classical music. |
| D．In all, Edison has thousands of inventions. |
| E．He was asked the reason behind him being a fisherman. |
| F．To make your brain work better, you need to take a rest. |
| G．Set aside 15-20 minutes per day so that you can do nothing. |
The pace of modern industrial life forbids this kind of glorious and magnificent idling. But, worse than that, it imposes upon us a different conception of time as measured by the clock and eventually turns the human being into a clock himself. (This sort of thing is bound to come to China, as is evident, for instance, in the case of a factory of twenty thousand worker. The luxurious prospect of twenty thousand workers coming in at their own sweet pleasure at all hours is, of course, somewhat terrifying.)Nevertheless, such efficiency is what makes life so hard and full of excitement. A man who has to be punctually at a certain place at five o'clock has the whole afternoon from one to five ruined for him already. Every American adult is arranging his time on the pattern of the schoolboy - three o'clock for this, five o'clock for that, six-thirty for change of dress, six-fifty for entering the taxi, and seven o'clock for arriving at the destination. It just makes life not worth living.
1. The writer objects to efficiency mainly on the grounds that it ____.
| A．entitles us to too much leisure time |
| B．deprives us of leisure time |
| C．urges us to get things done punctually |
| D．imposes on us a perfect concept of time |
| A．more emphasis on efficiency |
| B．magnificent idling of time |
| C．the excitement of life |
| D．terrifying schoolboy |
| A．Chinese workers come to work when it is convenient |
| B．Americans ought not to work so hard for efficiency |
| C．Chinese engineers are on better terms with the management |
| D．all Americans are forced to be efficient against their will |
| A．every American is arranging his time in the pattern of a schoolboy |
| B．every American is reluctant to be efficient |
| C．every one should have some time to spend as he pleases |
| D．being punctual is an undesirable habit which should not be formed |
However wealthy we may be, we can never find enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Economics deals with this problem through the concept of opportunity cost, which simply refers to whether someone’s time or money could be better spent on something else.
Every hour of our time has a value. For every hour we work at one job we could quite easily be doing another, or be sleeping or watching a film. Each of these options has a different opportunity cost—namely, what they cost us in missed opportunities.
Say you intend to watch a football match but the tickets are expensive and it will take you a couple of hours to get to and from the stadium. Why not, you might reason, watch the game from home and use
For economists, every decision is made by knowledge of what one must forgo—in terms of money and enjoyment—in order to take it up. By knowing precisely what you are receiving and what you are missing out on, you ought to be able to make better-informed, more reasonable decisions. Consider that most famous economic rule of all: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even if someone offers to take you out to lunch for free, the time you will spend in the restaurant still costs you something in terms of forgone opportunities.
Some people find the idea of opportunity cost extremely discouraging: imagine spending your entire life calculating whether your time would be better spent elsewhere doing something more profitable or enjoyable. Yet, in a sense it’s human nature to do precisely that we assess the advantages and disadvantages of decisions all the time.
In the business world, a popular phrase is “value for money.” People want their cash to go as far as possible. However, another is fast obtaining an advantage: “value for time.” The biggest restriction on our resources is the number of hours we can devote to something, so we look to maximize the return we get on our investment of time. By reading this passage you are giving over a bit of your time which could be spent doing other activities, such as sleeping and eating. In return, however, this passage will help you to think like an economist, closely considering the opportunity cost of each of your decisions.
1. According to the passage, the concept of “opportunity cost” is applied to ________.
| A．weighing the choice of opportunities |
| B．reducing missed opportunities |
| C．making more money |
| D．taking more opportunities |
| A．taken to have dinner with friends |
| B．spared for watching the match at home |
| C．saved from not going to watch the match |
| D．spent on the way to and from the match |
| A．Opportunities you make up for. |
| B．Opportunities you forget in decision-making. |
| C．Opportunities you give up for better ones. |
| D．Opportunities you miss accidentally. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Negative |
| C．Subjective | D．Objective |
