1 . Self-control is the ability to regulate and adjust responses in order to avoid undesirable behaviors, increase desirable ones, and achieve long-term goals. Common goals such as losing weight, exercising regularly, eating healthy food, giving up bad habits, and saving money are just a few worthwhile ambitions that people believe require self-control.
One 2011 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 27 percent of subjects identified a lack of willpower as the primary factor keeping them from reaching their goals. Researchers have found that people who have better self-control tend to be healthier and happier. In one experiment, students who exhibited greater self-control had better grades and higher test scores, and were more likely to be admitted to a competitive academic program. The study also found that when it came to academic success, self-control was a more important factor than IQ scores.
The psychologist Walter Mischel conducted famous experiments in 1975 that were related to delayed gratification. In these experiments, children were offered a choice: they could choose to eat one treat right away, usually a cookie or a candy or they could wait for a brief period of time in order to get two treats. At this point, the researcher would leave the child alone in a room with a single treat. Not surprisingly, many of the kids chose to eat the single treat the moment the experimenters left the room. However, some of the kids were able to wait for the second treat.
Based on his research, Mischel proposed what he referred to as a “hot-and-cool” system to explain the ability to delay gratification. The hot system refers to the part of our willpower that is emotional and impulsive (冲动的) and urges us to act upon our desires. The cool system is the part of our willpower that is rational (理性的) and thoughtful, and enables us to consider the consequences of our actions in order to resist our impulses.
Self-control is an important skill that allows us to regulate behavior in order to achieve our long-term goals. Research has shown that self-control is not only important for goal attainment, and people with greater willpower also tend to do better on all sides.
1. What kind of students does the author think will most probably do best in studies?| A．Those having the highest IQ scores. |
| B．Those respecting the teacher most. |
| C．Those having the greatest willpower. |
| D．Those performing most actively in class. |
| A．Effect. | B．Competition. | C．Hardship. | D．Enjoyment. |
| A．Few children could get two treats. |
| B．Not all the kids were short of patience. |
| C．Most of the children ate another treat. |
| D．Self-control is very important for one’s future. |
| A．Consuming plenty of sweet food. |
| B．Staying up late at night often. |
| C．Copying others’ homework. |
| D．Quitting drinking high-sugar drinks. |
| A．Pleased. | B．Humorous. | C．Surprised. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Concerned. | C．Confused. |
4 . When Shakespeare called a good night’s rest the “cure of hurt minds,” he was really onto something. According to a recent survey, “Most days or every day” in 2020, nearly 15 percent of American adults had trouble falling asleep in the previous month. So you’re a little sleepy — no big deal, right? Wrong. A 1999 article in the medical journal The Lancet showed and decades of research suggest that “sleep debt” can have significant harmful effects on your health.
Happiness is the first to suffer. Everyone knows what it feels like to run on insufficient (不足的) sleep — you can be foggy, inattentive, and bad-tempered. A paper published in the journal Health Psychology in 2020 found that the participants without enough sleep experienced a less positive mood when they came across quite ordinary stress, and smaller increases in positive mood from pleasant events. When lacking sleep, people felt annoyed more and easier, and things feel less fun.
More seriously, sleep loss can cause clinical depression and anxiety. In 2014, Australian scholars studying young women found that a year of frequent sleep difficulties predicted the onset of depression and anxiety in later years.
Some researchers have identified long-time sleep debt as a disease — insufficient sleep syndrome (ISS). Given the reported evidence for how widespread the syndrome is, it might even be classed as an epidemic. Although no study has yet established a connection, it seems reasonable to think about whether the long-term declines in American happiness and increases in social conflicts may be connected to loss of sleep.
Whether you are a sleep-deprived student, or workaholic, or just an old-fashioned insomniac (失眠症患者), attending to sleep is a critical strategy for health and happiness. And adjusting this aspect of your life could be one of the best things you do all year.
1. Why does the author mention Shakespeare?| A．To show Shakespeare’s wisdom. |
| B．To introduce the topic of sleep loss. |
| C．To highlight a serious health problem. |
| D．To give reported evidence of sleep debt. |
| A．It made people feel negative. | B．It led to poor eyesight. |
| C．It caused depression and anxiety. | D．It was not worth much concern. |
| A．Reduction of happiness is linked to sleep loss. |
| B．Long-term lack of sleep is not a disease. |
| C．Sleep debt might affect both individuals and the society. |
| D．Insufficient sleep syndrome is a recognized epidemic. |
| A．To confirm sleep loss is a disease. |
| B．To advocate getting sufficient sleep. |
| C．To tackle widespread sleep problem. |
| D．To prove happiness suffers from sleep debt. |
I’m sorry to hear that life is getting you down right now ... I’m not sure there’s any specific advice I can give to cheer you up. It’s sometimes quite annoying to be reminded how much people love you when you don’t love yourself that much.
I’ve found that it’s of some help to compare one’s moods(情绪)about the world to the weather. Here are some obvious things about the weather:
It’s real.
If it’s dark and rainy, it really is.
It isn’t under one’s control as to when the rain stops, but it will stop one day.
You can’t change it by wishing it away.
It really is the same with one’s moods．The wrong approach is to believe that they are illusions(幻想). Panic, anxiety and anger are as real as weather.
But they will pass; they really will.
In the same way that one has to accept the weather, one has to accept how one feels about life. “Today’s a bad day” is a perfect approach.“Hey-ho, it’s raining inside; it isn’t my mistake, and there’s nothing I can do about it. But when the sun comes out, I shall take full advantage.”
I don’t know if any of that is of any use... I just hope this brings you a little more pleasure and purpose in life.
Best wishes!
Yours,
Stephen Fry
1. How does Crystal feel according to the letter?| A．Ignored. | B．Ashamed. | C．Panicked. | D．Unhappy. |
| A．offer tips on making friends |
| B．teach skills of writing poems |
| C．share comfort and encouragement |
| D．explain ways of observing weather |
| A．Literature. | B．Watch This. |
| C．Just Ask. | D．Science Forum. |
| A．Happy. | B．Curious. | C．Upset. |
7 . Tricks To Preparing For Winter SADness
Have you felt tired and sleepy recently? Or do you experience a mood shift as it turns to winter?
There’s been a fair bit of research supporting light therapy (疗法) as being effective for seasonal kinds of depression. So don’t withdraw like the hibernating bear but walk outside to expose yourself to the sun every day.
Choose essential foods to boost mood.
When the temperature drops, our body loses more heat and requires high calorie food to supplement this loss.
Engage in more social interaction.
Too nervous to enter winter? Not every mild blue feeling in winter is SAD. It may be just a psychological response that everyone could experience seasonally. If winter comes, can spring be too far behind?
| A．If so, just lighten up. |
| B．If not, it couldn’t be better! |
| C．Work out on a regular basis to keep fit. |
| D．Get outside regularly to absorb some light. |
| E．But food merely containing carbs can make you feel more tired. |
| F．It is a great way to invite a friend or family member to support each other. |
| G．Remember, even 20 or 30 minutes could make a huge difference. |
| A．Worried. | B．Delighted. | C．Disappointed. |
9 . I am an anxious traveller. I arrive at airports and train stations extra early. I double-check all of my documents, feel butterflies in my stomach until I’ve arrived where I’m going. Non-anxious people laugh at me for being nervous. I used to feel bad about it, seeing it as unreasonable, weak. Not anymore now. I’ve learned to respect my anxiety.
Recently, I was driving along a country road at the start of a long trip that would mainly be on a large highway. I began feeling that something could go wrong. What if I run out of petrol? I worried, even though I still had plenty. So when I saw a petrol station just before the entrance to the highway, I decided to fill up. Just in case. And that’s when I discovered that one of my front tyres was badly deflated (漏气的). If I’d taken no notice of my anxiety, the tyre would have blown on the highway. My planning ahead, even though it wasn’t necessary, saved me from a possible disaster.
A growing number of psychologists are getting the message out that anxiety and other negative feelings have a role to pay in our lives. Psychologist Dennis-Tiwary thinks our culture goes to extremes in demonizing (妖魔化) difficult emotions. She knows what it’s like to be trapped by anxiety. “I remember a period at work when there was a lot going on,” she says. Worries kept waking her up at 4 a.m. and it kept her from fang back to much-needed sleep.
Instead of trying to stop this unpleasant feeling, however, Dennis-Tiwary leaned into it. “If you sit with the anxiety, you have an opportunity to learn from it,” she says. “I usually write down two or three things I could do to solve it” The next day, she always s felt calmer.
But how do we manage anxiety before it takes control of us? According to Dennis-Tiwary, solutions include meditation (冥想), exercise, volunteering, and close contact with nature.
1. By sharing his experience of driving on a country road, the author wants to ________.| A．show that anxiety could benefit us |
| B．argue that being nervous is unreasonable |
| C．warn us of the possible danger of driving on highway |
| D．inform us of the importance of making full preparations |
| A．Pay no attention to it. | B．Share it with others. |
| C．Depend on it. | D．Face it positively. |
| A．To provide an example. |
| B．To offer solutions. |
| C．To support an argument. |
| D．To give background information. |
| A．The Upside of Anxiety |
| B．Learn to Cope with Anxiety |
| C．My Struggle with Negative Feelings |
| D．Misunderstandings about Difficult Emotions |
10 . Five ways to get through homesickness
Whether you moved for work, school, or just to explore a new area, moving away from your family can be really hard. Experiencing homesickness after moving away from your family is totally normal.
Bring along comforts from home.
Maybe you have a favorite blanket that you used to sleep with. Maybe you could grab a recipe for your favorite dessert. It won’t be exactly the same, but you can take some creature comforts with you to make yourself feel more at home.
Reach out to friends.
When you’re feeling down, see if a friend wants to go grab a drink or a cup of coffee. Let them know that you’re missing your family members, and see if they can relate(理解；有同感).
Stay busy.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to try? Maybe you’ve never been rock climbing before, or maybe your friend invited you to play video game with them. A fun new hobby can help distract you from your feelings and make you happier in your new place. Joining clubs and hobby groups is also a great way to meet new people in a brand-new area.
| A．Try out a new hobby. |
| B．This is especially true if you’re in college. |
| C．You won’t have time to be sad if you’re busy. |
| D．It will stop sadness from taking over your life. |
| E．You could also carry on some family traditions. |
| F．If you feel like you need to cry a little bit, do it! |
| G．Here are five things you can do to help yourself get through the hard time. |
