1 . There is a famous study called “the marshmallow (棉花糖) test”, conducted by Stanford University professor Walter Mischel. The experiment measured how well children could delay immediate gratification (满足) to receive greater rewards in the future an — ability that predicts success later in life.

For a long time, people assumed that the ability to delay gratification had to do with the child’s personality and was, therefore, unchangeable. But more recent research suggests that social factors—like the reliability of the adults around them — influence how long they can resist temptation (诱惑). Now, findings from a new study add to that science, suggesting that children can delay gratification longer when they are working together toward a common goal.

In the study, researchers repeated a version of the marshmallow experiment with 207 five- to six-year-old children from two very different cultures —Western, Germany and a farming community in Kenya. Kids were first introduced to another child and given a task to do together. Then, they were put in a room by themselves, presented with a cookie on a plate, and told they could eat it now or wait until the researcher returned and receive two cookies. (The researchers used cookies instead of marshmallows because cookies were more attractive treats to these kids.) Some kids received the standard instructions. But others were told that they would get a second cookie only if they and the kid they’d met (who was in another room) were able to resist eating the first one. That meant if both cooperated, they’d both win.

Results showed that both German and Kikuyu kids who were cooperating were able to delay gratification longer than those who weren’t cooperating. Apparently, working toward a common goal was more effective than going it alone.

“Delaying gratification is not just about material benefits,” says Sebastian Grueneisen, coauthor of the study. “Addressing various social issues often necessitates giving up short-term gains for long-term advantages.”

1. What was the traditional belief about kids’ ability to delay gratification?

A．It is dependent on rewards.	B．It is relevant to intelligence.
C．It is linked to social factors.	D．It is a fixed personality trait.

2. What do we know about the new study?

A．It is an extended version of Mischel’s experiment.	B．It took age differences into consideration.
C．It was carried out on a local basis.	D．It reveals the secret of success.

3. What proved to influence children’s ability to delay gratification in the new study?

A．Self-control.

B．Reliable adults.

C．Cooperation.

D．Cultural differences.

4. What does Grueneisen stress in the last paragraph?

A．Instant rewards bring short-term benefits.	B．Delaying gratification holds social value.
C．Cooperation is motivated by self-satisfaction.	D．Social development outweighs personal benefits.

2 . How to communicate better with other people

As people who live in society we need to communicate daily with other people——friends, families, co-workers, our partners and so on, regardless of whether we like social relationships.    1    There are five tips to help you.

Adapt your language. It is necessary that you know how to adapt your language to the training and educational level of the person you are speaking with and to the context where the conversation takes place.

    2    Sometimes, when trying to generate a conversation, people say things without really thinking about them. These expressions can give us a wrong idea of what a person really is like. Give yourself a little more time to continue the conversation, so you can get to know the other person better.

Look into the eyes. If you do not look directly into the eyes when you speak, it can give the feeling that you would like to be somewhere else or that the conversation ends as soon as possible. But looking very fixedly without looking away can make the other person uncomfortable.    3    

Make people feel comfortable when talking to you.    4    If you detect these types of signals, it is best to make people feel relaxed by making a joke, adapting your oral and gestural language or showing that you care about the person and what they tell you.

Practice active listening. Looking into the eyes, nodding or adding small comments is what is known as active listening. During the conversation, it is necessary to remain silent.    5    Do not have a passive attitude with the subject, which shows symptoms of interest in what they tell you.

A．Do not judge ahead of time.

B．Sometimes, people get nervous when talking to you.

C．Body language can help us solve this problem.

D．It is unnecessary to learn how to express yourself correctly.

E．However, it is more important to give signals that you are paying attention.

F．So the ideal is to find a balance, then forget about it and do it naturally.

G．Learning to make yourself understood and interact correctly with others is very important.

3 . Sunshine Community has been taken care of by the volunteers for a long time. Back in the old days, the community _________ thousands of old people. For the past twenty years, the _________ of selflessness has been passing in the community, whose members fix _________ for the elderly every day.

An old resident, Lisa, enjoyed the generosity twice. “When I _________ both my legs, the community volunteers fed me and my husband so much food that with great gratitude I had to say stop. But my husband _________, “I hope I’ll break my legs, too, because I love the food,” Lisa says, breaking out laughing. As they grew older, the volunteers were more _________than she imagined. “When my husband _________, the comfort cards and calls were _________,” she says. They kept helping her know she was _________ alone.

As Lisa grew older, she needed more care. However, it didn’t prevent the volunteers from __________ and helping. They even offered better service and __________ to cooking in their own homes. They all enjoyed it, and then they delivered the food to Lisa’s.

Now they are serving almost ten times as much food to the elderly. And many ingredients in those meals are __________. In spring, the volunteers supply all kinds of usual vegetable seed- lings (幼苗) to the residents to plant in the gardens. The __________then gladly bring their __________ back to share with other residents. The whole community is full of __________ when enjoying the food.

1.

A．recorded

B．housed

C．prevented

D．criticised

2.

A．summary

B．comment

C．quality

D．cause

3.

A．meals

B．cards

C．apartments

D．gardens

4.

A．admired

B．hid

C．hurt

D．removed

5.

A．complained

B．debated

C．apologised

D．teased

6.

A．considerate

B．creative

C．economical

D．emotional

7.

A．pulled out

B．passed away

C．got up

D．came back

8.

A．limited

B．unwanted

C．confusing

D．unending

9.

A．always

B．never

C．ever

D．still

10.

A．giving

B．exchanging

C．observing

D．reminding

11.

A．applied

B．failed

C．took

D．objected

12.

A．natural

B．unusual

C．permanent

D．single

13.

A．hunters

B．patients

C．designers

D．growers

14.

A．schedules

B．submissions

C．vegetables

D．flowers

15.

A．harmony

B．power

C．innocence

D．chaos

4 . Peer pressure occurs when a peer group has direct or indirect pressure to do certain actions. The term “peer” often refers to people one knows in real life and that have a similar social status to oneself. However, the larger culture can also bring about peer pressure.     1    .

Many people consider peer pressure a negative thing.     2    . People, especially teens and young adults, may be more likely to do prosocial behaviors when they see people their own age doing the same things. Evidence shows that teens with friends who volunteer are more likely to volunteer themselves.

Research suggests peer pressure sometimes begins in elementary school.     3    . Some may be isolated by members of the larger group. Children may begin to worry about balancing a sense of loyalty to their friends with fairness to others.

Research has long shown that peer pressure can increase the risk of someone trying drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes.     4    . While some may experiment with alcohol or drugs once or twice and decide it’s not for them, others who begin using a substance may find it difficult to quit.

    5    . Some children find it becomes more difficult to go against the group over time. But it’s important to realize that not only do younger children face peer pressure, they are also able to stand up to it.

A．However, this isn’t always the case.

B．Coping with peer pressure can be tough.

C．Unconsciously, we are all influenced by people around us.

D．Certain people are more affected by peer pressure than others.

E．At this age, group values and routine begin to form among children.

F．It’s impossible to resist peer pressure when a child is struggling to fit in.

G．For example, television can convey to the public an acceptable way to behave.