It’s 5 p.m., and you’ve just realized that report you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow. It’s time to buckle down and open your computer. Actually, you should probably make dinner first. You usually like cooking, though it’s hard to enjoy with this work hanging over your head, and oh—it’s actually pretty late! Maybe you should just try again in the morning. This is the cycle of procrastination, and I promise you, we have all been there.
Procrastination is when we avoid a task we said we would do, for no good reason, despite expecting our behavior to bring negative consequences. Obviously, it’s irrational to do something you expect to harm you. But ironically, procrastination is the result of our bodies trying to protect us, specifically by avoiding a task we see as threatening.
We’re most likely to procrastinate tasks that evoke negative feelings, such as dread, incompetence, and insecurity. Because procrastination is motivated by our negative feelings, some individuals are more susceptible (易受影响的) to it than others. People who have difficulty regulating their emotions and those who struggle with low self-esteem are much more likely to procrastinate. However, it’s a common misconception that all procrastinators are lazy. When you’re feeling lazy, you’re more likely to sit around doing nothing than distract yourself with unimportant tasks. In fact, many people procrastinate because they care too much. Procrastinators often report a high fear of failure, putting things off because they’re afraid their work won’t live up to their high standards.
Whatever the reason for procrastination, the results are often the same. Procrastinators are likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, ongoing feelings of shame and physical ailments (轻病) associated with high stress.
So, how can we break the cycle of procrastination?
Traditionally, people thought procrastinators needed to cultivate discipline and practice strict time management. But today, many researchers feel the exact opposite. Being too hard on yourself can layer additional bad emotions onto a task. What we really need to do is to address and reduce these negative emotions.
1. What is procrastination?2. What kinds of people are more likely to procrastinate?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Ø Procrastinators are affected by negative emotions, are all lazy and are likely to suffer from physical ailments associated with high stress.
4. What strategies can you use to break the cycle of procrastination in your daily life? (In about 40 words)
The term “multitasking” originally
3 . Borders, departments, or issue areas all represent what systems analysts call system boundaries. System boundaries divide the big, messy, interconnected world into smaller subsystems. This is useful, even necessary. Our minds and our collective governance systems would be stuck if we had to always consider all the connections of everything to everything else. But dividing systems into subsystems can sometimes break a natural cooperativity. For instance, a decarbonizing country will spend money in its energy and transportation sectors and save money in its health system.
Decarbonization could be a win for the whole, but it might be experienced as a bother for particular subsystems.
Donella Meadows, the early systems modeler, wrote that system boundaries are “lines in the mind, not in the world.” And that is actually good news. If departments, and disciplines are just ideas, then there is nothing immovable about them. We can make these borders less obvious and conduct partnerships across them. We can even redraw them to include more of what matters in a single project or investment. That’s the premise of multisolving — using one investment of time or effort to achieve several goals at once.
For instance, Warm Up New Zealand (WUNZ) upgraded the energy efficiency of residential buildings and provided jobs in the building sector after a financial downturn. The project resulted in better health for residents, as well. That translated into health systems savings. Taken together, a 2011 study estimated that across all these benefits, the project saved $3.90 for every $1 invested.
Multisolving seems possible everywhere and like an obvious choice. Yet, it is very much the exception, not the rule. Why is multisolving still so rare when it has the power to boost progress on some of the most urgent issues we face?
Unfamiliarity stands in the way, as does an often-unexamined assumption that making issues smaller makes them easier to address. We often hear the viewpoint, “I already work on poverty (or climate, etc.) and that’s hard enough. Why should I add biodiversity or pollution to the mix?” Fundraising for crossing borders can be a struggle too. Funders want the “visible results” shown, but they don’t always see crossing borders as an essential part of achieving those results.
It is easy to devalue and underemphasize connection-building. After all, it can be delicate and not always visible. But to realize goals in today’s world, from equitable policies and low-carbon facilities to values like cooperation and fairness, we do need deep shifts, and we need them soon. And facilitating the flow of ideas back and forth across borders is one way to speed change.
1. As for systems boundaries, the author is ______.| A．critical | B．puzzled | C．supportive | D．unconcerned |
| A．Prediction. | B．Precondition. | C．Prevention. | D．Presentation. |
| A．People are familiar with multisolving. |
| B．WUNZ performed multisolving successfully. |
| C．Raising money helps to produce visible results. |
| D．Multisolving is widely used to address problems. |
| A．Multisolving: Hard to achieve soon |
| B．Multisolving: Essential to solve small issues |
| C．Multisolving: Conducting partnership across borders |
| D．Multisolving: Making systems whole, healthy, and sustainable |
If you listen to the stream of articles and podcasts telling us how to become a billionaire in 10 easy steps, you might hold the belief that squeezing ourselves dry each second of the day will bring happiness and success.
But this obsession with productivity is costing us. Even a car doesn’t stay in the same gear the whole time. “We are not machines,” says psychologist Professor Drew Dawson. “Performance declines as a function of time, of task and time of day.”
Instead of moments of boredom, where we might let our minds wander and come up with novel solutions to problems and novel ways of thinking, we seek constant stimulation - and have a lowered tolerance for boredom as a result.
“It leads people to a false assumption that the world’s most successful people are literally making good use of every single minute,” Dawson says. “That’s a myth. We’re not hardwired to act that way as humans, and it’s a good recipe for burnout.”
COVID-19, for a variety of reasons, has led people to question and even opt out of this myth. “Who wants to lie on their deathbed going, ‘I wish I’d been more productive’?” Dawson says. “Post-COVID, people are starting to say, ‘what am I losing compared to what am I gaining?’”
So, if not more productivity, what should we be aiming for?
·Get our priorities straight.
A life spent chasing the state of being able to do everything is less meaningful than a life of focusing on a few things that count. We can reflect on five things that matter most to us and lead a life around them. Once clear on them, we also become clear on where to direct our attention and what to say “no” to.
·Enjoy downtime(停工期)for its own sake
Glorifying productivity can blind us to the value of other parts of our lives, including boredom, connection, creativity and play. But activities in our lives don’t need to always be productive or worthwhile-enjoying an activity is reason enough to spend time on it.
We weren’t meant to be productive all the time, so stop constantly struggling, and start chilling.
1. What does “obsession with productivity” refer to in the passage?2. How has COVID-19 changed the situation according to the passage?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
It is more meaningful to focus on a few things that count in life, so we can reflect on five things in our life to say “no” to. 4. Do you agree with the statement “enjoying an activity is reason enough to spend time on it”? Why or why not?(In about 40 words)
5 . Is your teen time really that different from that of your parents or grandparents?
Weak. Easy to be angry. Addicted to their phones. Are these what come to mind when we think of the teens of this generation (一代人)? While there may be a little of truth to this thought, there might be more to the teens of this generation than what is generally seen.
Never before have the lives of any generation been as connected with mobile technology and social media as the teens of this generation. It follows then that there will be some problems resulting from this new age of technology. The popular use of social media has led to a world in which teens are responsible to join. Compared to the parents or grandparents who were likely less connected, these teens are “busy” in their social circles. It is no wonder then that the health of this generation’s teens has been damaged.
Moreover, the teens today are more independent. This is quite different from the more village spirit or community thought of the parents’ and grandparents’ times. Gone is the relationship among neighbours who are friendly with one another and quick to offer a helping hand when they see another in need. In its place, we have teens who may not even know who lives in the unit next to theirs, much less offer a friendly nod or wave when they happen to cross streets with a neighbour.
Yet, the influences of technology on the teens of this generation are not all bad. The very connectedness that social media brings about has led to an opening of minds and a development of dialogue among people of various cultures and backgrounds. Using social media means that one can know those people and their different ways of life. The parents or grandparents of this generation probably did not have the same chance to get to know people outside of their social circles at their age, so they may have fixed ideas of people different from them. The teens of this generation, on the other hand, has the chance to use this technology to learn more about and try to understand the various things out there. As a result, this might be why the teens of this generation are generally more open-minded than their parents and grandparents.
All in all, the teens of this generation are different in many ways from their elders. Every generation is a product of the events of their time and this generation therefore is different from past generations, with the changes around them at the same time.
1. Which statement is correct according to the passage?| A．Most old people may not know their next-door neighbors. |
| B．People usually think the new generation is stronger and calmer. |
| C．Social media and technology may bring some influences to teens. |
| D．The new generation may have fixed ideas of people different from them. |
| A．Broken. | B．Relieved. |
| C．Increased. | D．Developed. |
| A．Brave and smart. |
| B．Open and independent. |
| C．Friendly and confident. |
| D．Responsible and patient. |
| A．The new generation is better because of their age. |
| B．Technology has bad influences on the old generation. |
| C．People use social media to learn different people. |
| D．The use of social media brings some benefits to the new generation. |
| A．How Does the New Generation Change the Culture? |
| B．How Are Teens Today Different from Past Generations? |
| C．What Are the Weaknesses of the Old and New Generation? |
| D．What Are the Influences of Technology on the New Generation? |
6 . I love a group text—a grext, if you’ll permit me—but lately, the huge number of them competing for my attention has felt out of control. By the time I wake up, the notifications have already started rolling in; as I’m going to bed, they’re still coming. In between, I try to keep up, but all it takes is one 30-minute meeting before I’ve somehow gotten 100 new messages. I scroll up and up, trying to find where I left off, like I’ve lost my place in a book that keeps getting longer.
For better or for worse, we might be in the Age of the Group Chat. One study found that less than 2 percent of participants had only one-on-one chats on social media. 42 percent said that group chats can feel like a part-time job. Other studies have found that group chats can contribute to group bond and shared fun. A group text can be like a reminder that you’re part of something. Some researchers call this “ambient virtual presence”: Even when you’re alone, you’re not alone. This is like bats and dolphins producing a continuous sound and use the resulting echo (回声) to sense what’s around them.
But taking in too many signals can create a “waterfall type of effect,” where messages keep flooding in and adding up. Eventually, you’re underwater. Adding to the disorder, without a standard rule, people have very different ideas about group norm and what degree of responsiveness is required—which can cause real tension.
Fear of that tension can make wordless or even leaving a chat feel dispiriting. And anyway, you might not want to miss out. The desire isn’t to exit the room so much as to break a window. If group messaging is like echolocation, then disconnecting means lost.
Ultimately, most of us do want connection, even if it involves some duties; we’ll take quantities of messages when we’re busy if it means we can reach out when we’re hurting. A general advice is to give up grexts that are carrying on but that don’t really interest you. But when you can’t, you’ll just have to accept that belonging takes some effort. That’s the nature of relationships, right?
1. The author uses his experience in Paragraph 1 to _______.| A．introduce the topic | B．predict the ending |
| C．highlight an opinion | D．illustrate an argument |
| A．Lonely people prefer group chats. | B．Bats and dolphins have group chats. |
| C．Group chats offer a sense of belonging. | D．Group chats create a few part-time jobs. |
| A．Group chat needs a standard rule. |
| B．Group chat gives us more fear than joy. |
| C．Group chat helps promote strong connection. |
| D．Group chat is just a way to maintain relationships. |
Over the past several decades, many different benefits of humor
8 . The Power of ”Like“
Like it or love it, social media is a major part of life. Teens spend more than half of their waking hours online. And most of what they do is read and respond to posts by friends and family. Clicking on a thumbs-up or a heart icon is an easy way to stay in touch.
Clicking ”like“ on a post can increase the number of people who see it. If other people have liked a post, new viewers will be more likely to like it too. Many social media sites share more of the higher-ranked posts.
According to recent studies, viewing one’s own posts with a lot of likes activates the reward system in their brains, especially for teens. Positive responses to teens’ own photos (in the form of many likes)tell them that their friends appreciate the material they’re posting.
A like is a social cue. Teens use it to learn how to navigate their social world. Clicking”like“ is a simple act that can have complex results. All tech users will be thoughtful about social media.
| A．As a result, that popularity can feed on itself. |
| B．It’s no surprise that feedback from peers affects how teens behave. |
| C．Joining social media can give people a sense of being in the know. |
| D．Their brains respond to those likes by turning on the reward center. |
| E．For example, images related to alcohol may encourage teens to drink. |
| F．And that can, inappropriately, make us feel less successful than them. |
| G．But those ”likes“ can have power that goes beyond a simple connection. |
9 . In the modern age, social media platforms have emerged as powerful tools for communication, networking, and self-expression. With billions of active users worldwide, these platforms have profoundly influenced the human interaction. Recent psychological studies have delved into understanding the influence of prolonged (长期的) social media usage on individual self-esteem (自尊) and identity formation.
Context and Prevalence (流行)
Social media platforms, including Weibo, WeChat Moments, Douyin, and Little Red Book, offer ways for individuals to project curated versions of their lives. While this can serve as a medium of affirmation, it also compares one’s daily life against the specially edited highlights of others, which could potentially lead to feelings of failure and unsatisfactory.
Research Findings on Self-Esteem
A study conducted among adolescents aged 13-19 showed that extreme social media use correlates with lower self-esteem scores. Participants who spent over five hours daily on these platforms demonstrated significant tendencies towards self-devaluation (自我贬低) and negative self-perception (自体感受). The study believed that the constant exposure of idealized images and lives leads to an involuntary (不自主的) comparison, often placing the individual on the lesser end of the spectrum.
Implications for Identity Formation
For adolescents, a critical time of identity formation happens during the teenage years. Social media can often blur the lines (模糊界限) between personal identity and digital persona (面貌，形象). A study tracked teenagers for five years and found that heavy social media users often experienced identity confusion. Their digital avatars, formed under societal pressures, sometimes overshadowed their real personalities, leading to internal conflicts and a confusion to real selfhood.
Possible Solutions and Future Research
While the negative influence of social media on mental well-being are evident, it’s also essential to highlight its potential benefits. Platforms can help to add a sense of belonging, provide informational support, and serve as outlets for creative expression. Future research could explore potential interventions (介入，干涉) to reduce the negative effects.
In conclusion, while social media offers a huge number of opportunities and ways for expression, it’s important that teenagers approach it with awareness. The psychological landscape it shapes is hard to understand, and understanding its depths requires continued research, empathy (共鸣), and active measures.
1. What do we know about the study involving adolescents aged 13-19?| A．It took five hours for participants to take part in the study |
| B．It suggested that we should not compare our lives with others |
| C．It caused self-devaluation and negative self-perception to participants. |
| D．It showed that too much social media use resulted in low self-esteem. |
| A．Social media algorithms (算法). | B．Digital marketing tools. |
| C．Online versions of individuals. | D．Digital assistants. |
| A．They cause identity crises (危机) to them. | B．They lead to feelings of unsatisfactory. |
| C．They project version of their lives. | D．They overshadow their personalities. |
| A．Entirely negative. | B．Quite positive. | C．Mixed with caution. | D．Indifferent and neutral. |
1.正反双方的观点及理由；
2.你的看法。
注意: 1.词数 100 左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
How’s everything going?
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What’s your idea about the topic? Look forward to your reply.
Yours,
Li Hua
