1 . During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.
1. What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?| A．Unkind. | B．Lonely. | C．Generous. | D．Cool. |
| A．The classification of the popular. |
| B．The characteristics of adolescents. |
| C．The importance of interpersonal skills. |
| D．The causes of dishonorable behavior. |
| A．They appeared to be aggressive. |
| B．They tended to be more adaptable. |
| C．They enjoyed the highest status. |
| D．They performed well academically. |
| A．Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last |
| B．The Higher the Status, the Better |
| C．Be the Best—You Can Make It |
| D．More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness |
2 . Training for a marathon (马拉松) requires careful preparation and steady, gradual increases in the length of the runs.
During the first week, do not think about distance, but run five minutes longer each day.
| A．After six days |
| B．For a good marathon runner |
| C．Before you begin your training |
| D．With each day, increase the distance by a half mile |
| E．If they still feel good, you can begin running in them |
| F．Time spent for preparation raises the quality of training |
| G．Now you are ready to figure out a goal of improving distance and time |
3 . It always seemed like having traditions was a good thing. They create
The kids were excited as we pulled the freshly
Our hearts seemed to
Years later when my daughter Darla was home from college she
Then during the laughter Darla suddenly got very
Then I
My daughter taught me life’s very important
| A．wonders | B．imaginations | C．memories | D．interests |
| A．took over | B．put out | C．turned down | D．set up |
| A．cut | B．bought | C．grown | D．decorated |
| A．unless | B．before | C．while | D．though |
| A．whisper | B．swing | C．talk | D．dance |
| A．amazement | B．curiosity | C．excitement | D．anxiety |
| A． admire | B． treasure | C．evaluate | D．explore |
| A． hesitated | B．refused | C．pretended | D． offered |
| A．disappointed | B．regretful | C．grateful | D． puzzled |
| A．lasting | B．unique | C． unusual | D． pleasant |
| A．feature | B．schedule | C．celebration | D． souvenir |
| A． serious | B．depressed | C．annoyed | D．quiet |
| A．language | B．shape | C．image | D．expression |
| A．casually | B．shyly | C．humorously | D．gently |
| A．ever | B．yet | C．never | D．just |
| A．explained | B．realized | C．admitted | D．remembered |
| A．comfort | B．hurt | C．understand | D．express |
| A．silently | B．roughly | C．gradually | D．unfairly |
| A．patience | B．desire | C．love | D．determination |
| A．knowledge | B．inspiration | C．technique | D．lesson |
4 . Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).
One of the study's authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr. Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study，the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study，Patrick C.M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
1. When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.| A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time |
| B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time |
| C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand |
| D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch |
| A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music. |
| B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain. |
| C．Because music training might help people with language study. |
| D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music. |
| A．created | B．spelled | C．seemed | D．pronounced |
| A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers |
| B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study |
| C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning |
| D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs |
5 . Very few of us become fluent in another language by studying it in high school.
I made a (an)
After I was
While I’d always considered myself as a quick
Now, a couple of
But most of all, I’ve learned that it really is never too late to learn something new.
1.| A．effort | B．offer | C．mistake | D．appointment |
| A．disgusting | B．pointless | C．cheerful | D．simple |
| A．worst | B．hardest | C．least | D．best |
| A．stay | B．improve | C．decline | D．disappear |
| A．dropped in at | B．took part in | C．paid attention to | D．signed up for |
| A．tested | B．expected | C．requested | D．forced |
| A．advanced | B．middle | C．special | D．introductory |
| A．bothered | B．struck | C．moved | D．scared |
| A．ever | B．even | C．also | D．still |
| A．listener | B．trainer | C．learner | D．interviewer |
| A．absorbed | B．prepared | C．employed | D．noticed |
| A．come back | B．turn up | C．break off | D．slip away |
| A．passages | B．words | C．meanings | D．tips |
| A．months | B．weeks | C．years | D．days |
| A．conversation | B．quarrel | C．speech | D．presentation |
| A．arrange | B．show | C．accomplish | D．trust |
| A．courage | B．time | C．money | D．chance |
| A．mutual | B．renewed | C．poor | D．familiar |
| A．hardly | B．occasionally | C．suddenly | D．completely |
| A．listening | B．relaxing | C．thinking | D．doubting |
6 . Procrastinators (拖延症患者)，take note: If you’ve tried building self-control and you’re still putting things off, maybe you need to try something different. One new approach: Check your mood.
Often, procrastinators attempt to avoid the anxiety or worry aroused by a tough task with activities aimed at repairing their mood, such as checking Facebook or taking a nap. But the pattern, which researchers call “giving in to feel good,” makes procrastinators feel worse later, when they face the consequences of missing a deadline or making a last-minute effort, says Timothy Pychyl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton University.
Increasingly, psychologists and time-management consultants are focusing on a new strategy: helping procrastinators see how attempts at mood repair are destroying their efforts and learn to control their emotions in more productive ways.
The new approach is based on several studies in the past two years showing that negative emotions can damage attempts at self-control. It fills a gap among established time-management methods, which stress behavioral changes such as adopting a new organizing system or doing exercises to build willpower.
Researchers have come up with a playbook of strategies to help procrastinators turn mood repair to their advantage. Some are tried-and-true classics: Dr. Pychyl advises procrastinators to just get started, and make the doorstep for getting started quite low. “Procrastinators are more likely to put the technique to use when they understand how mood repair works,” says Dr. Pychyl, author of a 2013 book, “Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.” He adds,“A real motive power comes from doing what we intend to do—the things that are important to us.”
He also advises procrastinators to practice “time travel”—projecting themselves into the future to imagine the good feelings they will have after finishing a task, or the bad ones they will have if they don’t. This cures procrastinators’ tendency to get so stuck in present anxieties and worries that they fail to think about the future.
Another mood-repair strategy, self-forgiveness, is aimed at dismissing the self-blame. University freshmen who forgave themselves for procrastinating on studying for the first exam in a course procrastinated less on the next exam, according to a recent study led by Michael Wohl, an associate professor of psychology at Carleton.
Thomas Flint learned about the technique by reading research on self-control, including studies by Dr. Sirois and Dr. Pychyl. He put it to use after his family moved recently to a new house. Instead of beating himself up for failing to unpack all the boxes gathered in his garage right away, Mr. Flint decided to forgive himself and start with a single step. I’d say, "OK, I’m going to take an hour, with a goal of getting the TV set up, and that's it, he says; then he watched a TV show as a reward. Allowing himself to do the task in stages, he says, is “a victory.”
1. What does Timothy Pychyl mean by mentioning the “giving in to feel good” practice in Paragraph 2?| A．It probably does more harm than good. |
| B．It prevents procrastinators from giving up. |
| C．It helps procrastinators meet the deadline. |
| D．It effectively drives away anxiety and worry. |
| A．Sticking to one’s intention. |
| B．Doing things that really matter. |
| C．Getting started from a low doorstep. |
| D．Learning important techniques of mood repair. |
| A．To make their future plan more practical. |
| B．To accelerate the speed of finishing the task. |
| C．To stop people from worrying about their travel. |
| D．To free people from the present negative emotions. |
| A．Self-blame prevents students from putting things off. |
| B．Procrastinators are still able to get good scores in exams. |
| C．University freshmen can get rid of procrastination easily. |
| D．Self-forgiveness is an effective way to cure procrastination. |
8 . Listening to your parents fight is very hard to do, and you may. not know how to respond When they start up again. However, there are some things you can do to try to make them understand how you feel and hopefully get them to decide to stop on their own.
Choose the right time to talk to your parents. Although you want their fighting to stop immediately, it’s best if you stay away (if possible) during your parents’ fight
Write out what you want to say in advance
Talk to someone you trust about your parents’ fighting. If you’re not sure whether or not you should talk to your parents, if you’re not sure what you should say to them when you do talk to them, or if you’ve talked to them but nothing has changed, you should try to find a trusted adult to talk to,
| A．Explain how you feel |
| B．Wait until they’ve calmed down |
| C．Tell your parents what you think • |
| D．Pick someone who cares about you and you can trust |
| E．Describe to your parents how things seem to you |
| F．If you are nervous about remembering everything you want to say to your parents ‘ |
| G．If they are opening to talking, do your best to listen to them without interrupting (打断) |
注意：1. 词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅。
参考词汇：住宿 — accommodation
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