Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because “everyone’s winner.” And their report cards sounded more positive (正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them “the overpraised generation.”
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent (才能) is genetic – you’re a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego (自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.What does the author think about the present generation?
| A．They don’t do well at school. |
| B．They are often misunderstood. |
| C．They are eager to win in sports. |
| D．They are given too much praise. |
A fixed mind-set person is probably one who ___ .
| A．doesn’t want to work hard |
| B．cares a lot about personal safety |
| C．cannot share his ideas with others |
| D．can succeed with the help of teachers |
What does the growth mind-set believe?
| A．Admitting failure is shameful. |
| B．Talent comes with one’s birth. |
| C．Scores should be highly valued. |
| D．Getting over difficulties is enjoyable. |
What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?
| A．Encourage them to learn from failures. |
| B．Prevent them from making mistakes. |
| C．Guide them in doing little things. |
| D．Help them grow with praise. |
Q: I currently entered college in New York. Since English is not my first language, I sometimes ask a friend to read my essays to help fix the grammar and language. I believe I'm being graded mainly on my ideas, and my friend helps me get my ideas across better in English. Is this OK?
-Mariana
A: It's good that you want to succeed in your written work at college. Making use of available resources to help you succeed is a smart strategy (策略). But while you may believe that your instructors don't care as much about how you write as they do about your ideas, that' s not a fair assumption.
Certainly, your ideas are important. No matter how polished your writing is, it will not disguise a poorly expressed idea in a paper. But as a college student, being able to organize your thoughts clearly-whether you're speaking in class or writing a paper-is critical to show that you've mastered the material in each course. This does not mean you shouldn't ask others to review your written work before handing it in. That's OK.
You should not, however, allow a friend or anyone else to rewrite parts of your papers for you. Instead, ask them to simply let you know about any parts of the paper that are unclear and need work. Many colleges have writing centers where tutors will work with you on your writing-without doing the work for you.
Regardless of whether you consult with a friend or a tutor, the right thing is for you to talk to your instructors to ask their advice and let them know you plan to seek assistance with your writing. If you ask them in advance for guidance on what's appropriate and what's not for the written work they assign, that will allow you to be as transparent as possible about how you completed your assignments.
-Professor ByronWhat problem does Mariana meet?
| A．She has trouble learning English grammar. |
| B．She wonders if her method on writing is suitable. |
| C．She doesn't get on well with her classmates. |
| D．She isn't able to express herself in English. |
According to Pro. Byron, what's the most important in writing a paper?
| A．Professional advice. | B．Polishing carefully. |
| C．Organizing thoughts. | D．Familiar materials. |
When asking someone for help on your paper, you should ask him ______.
| A．to hand in the paper after reading it |
| B．to write the difficult part for you |
| C．to make a writing. plan for you |
| D．to tell you the part to be improved |
What does the underlined word refer to in the text?
| A．Essays. | B．Courses. |
| C．Ideas. | D．Resources. |
Selfies (自拍) have become an increasingly common way to capture memorable moments. When it comes to taking selfies , knowing the following tips can directly affect the quality of your final product. .
The use of light is vital to improving image quality. Lights can help avoid shadows and create soft features on your face, so turn your face toward the main light. source. If you want to be creative, play with light angles by turning your body, but make sure the photo is properly exposed and your face is lit from the front or the side. Besides, avoid taking selfies against the main light source or with overhead lighting. Additionally, natural light possesses a warmth that makes you look like you're glowing.
When taking selfies, angles also matter a lot. Hold the camera away from your face, and try to take photos both horizontally and vertically. If not, your face might look bigger than usual. Ideally, the universal selfie angle is 45 degrees above your head. But you should study your face at different angles because finding your best angle requires you having seen all of them.
One problem with selfies is that most have distracting backgrounds. You can always do more to show others your best side. Try to simplify the background by taking selfies outdoors or in spacious areas. Document yourself engaging in interesting activities-hiking with family members, visiting landmarks, or working out with friends. At least, you can make the photo appealing by getting rid of your outstretched arm or a background that's too busy.
You can also download some photo apps that allow you to adjust the lighting and contrast. Some apps offer useful filters, which can change your skin tone and eliminate pimples (粉刺) on your face.To get an image of high quality, you need to _______.
| A．be under the light source |
| B．be against the main light |
| C．face the main light source |
| D．have the photo fully exposed |
How can you find the angle that suits you most?
| A．Study your face at different angles. |
| B．Hold the camera far enough from you. |
| C．Keep the camera lower than your face. |
| D．Place the camera 45 degrees above your head. |
Which of the following should be avoided when taking selfies?
| A．The use of natural light. |
| B．A landmark as a background. |
| C．Changes of the skin tone. |
| D．A busy background. |
The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment' sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2009, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world-Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can withdraw and deposit books. Little Free Libraries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults, or tour guides.
In 2009. Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. "I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other," Bol said. .
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary.org, there are now 18,000 0f the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. But an Atlantic article says the little, structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads . The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries' main appeal. "A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading; a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life," says the Atlantic article. "Every book is a potential source of inspiration "How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
| A．Citizens shared them. | B．Tod Bol donated them. |
| C．US government provided them. | D．The communities bought them. |
Why did Tod Bol want to build more Little Free Libraries?
| A．He wanted to promote his idea worldwide. |
| B．He was inspired by the sharing economy. |
| C．They can offer neighbors more chances to talk. |
| D．They are a gift to please his mother. |
What does the author of the Atlantic article believe?
| A．The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries. |
| B．Little Free Libraries are physical and human. |
| C．E-reader downloads are undoubtedly beneficial. |
| D．Little Free Libraries are more popular than e-reader downloads. |
Little Free Libraries attract readers most in that ______.
| A．they connect strangers together |
| B．they are located all over the world |
| C．they are in various shapes and sizes |
| D．they may give readers a sense of discovery |
Upon entering college, Yang Yi was uncertain about a lot of things. However, the 19-year-old international economics and trade student was certain about one thing: She wanted to participate in animal welfare efforts.
“I'm .always a nature and animal lover," she said. She joined the environmental protection association at her school. Now being president of a group of 25, she leads its efforts to help stray（流浪）cats and dogs by raising money to buy them food and collecting old clothes to make them homes.
However, sometimes the association raises doubts. Some students have questioned whether helping stray animals breaks the laws of nature. "We tried to resolve the controversy," Yang said. “For wild animals, the best way to protect them is to preserve their environment and their natural habitat, and to let them live their own way. However, for animals that depend heavily on humans, such as dogs and cats, the proper way to treat them is to respect them and take care of them." Besides, if not accommodated properly, stray animals can bring threats to public health, as they are the main cause of rabies（狂犬病）in cities. "Now, many young people in China have agreed upon the need to strike a balance between humans and nature. The only problem is how," said Yang. Yang and her fellow volunteers are cautious about what they do to help. For instance, sometimes people feed stray cats human food such as chocolate. But Yang and her friends point that such food can be dangerous to stray cats.
Yang also cooperates with Non-Governmental Organizations to spread animal protection knowledge. One of their recent exhibits was about animals in the entertainment industry. "We are still figuring out the best way to protect animals, but simple deeds such as saying no to animal performances can prevent wildlife from being captured and tamed. Step by step, we'll eventually reach our goal," she said.Why did Yang Yi join the environmental protection association?
| A．She majored in a relevant field. |
| B．She wanted to protect nature and animals. |
| C．She was uncertain about her life. |
| D．She intended to know about animal welfare. |
What do the group members do for stray animals?
| A．They shelter them with old clothes. |
| B．They feed human food to them. |
| C．They train them for entertainment. |
| D．They donate money to the association. |
In paragraph 3,Yang believes that
| A．all animals should live naturally |
| B．young people have known how to balance human and nature |
| C．stray animals are bound to spread rabies |
| D．chocolate is not a proper food for stray cats |
What does Yang Yi think of her work?
| A．Enjoyable. | B．Doubtful. | C．Hopeful. | D．Awful. |
According to researchers, money can buy happiness, but only if you spend it on someone else．
Spending as little as $5 a day on someone else could significantly bring you happiness, the team at the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School found.
Their experiments on more than 630 Americans showed they were measurably（适度地） happier when they spent money on others---even if they thought spending the money on themselves would make them happier.
"We wanted to test our theory that how people spend their money is at least as important as how much money they earn," said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia.
They asked their 600 volunteers first to rate their general happiness, report their annual income and detail their monthly spending including bills, gifts for themselves, gifts for others and donations to charity（慈善机构）．
"Regardless of how much income each person made, those who spent money on others reported greater happiness, while those who spent more on themselves did not," Dunn said in a statement.
Dunn's team also surveyed（调查）16 employees at a company in Boston before and after they received an annual profit-sharing bonus（奖金） of between $3,000 and $8,000.
"Employees who devoted more of their bonus to pro-social（有益社会的） spending experienced greater happiness after receiving the bonus, and the manner in which they spent that bonus was a more important predictor(预示) of their happiness than the size of the bonus itself," they wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.
They gave their volunteers $5 or $20 and half got clear instructions on how to spend it．Those who spent the money on someone or something else reported feeling happier about it.
"These findings suggest that very minor alterations（改动） in spending allocations（分配） --- as little as $5 --- may be enough to produce real gains in happiness on a given day," Dunn said. According to the passage,_____________.
| A．the more money you spend on others, the happier you are |
| B．spending money on others can bring you happiness |
| C．Elizabeth Dunn is a psychologist from Harvest Business School |
| D．six hundred volunteers took part in the experiment |
The 16 employees mentioned in the passage _________.
| A．were given clear instructions on how to spend the bonus |
| B．had more happiness than the size of the bonus itself |
| C．experienced greater happiness after receiving their bonus |
| D．felt happier after they contributed much of the bonus to charities |
Dunn’s statement suggested that ______________.
| A．those who spent money on others felt happier no matter how much they earned |
| B．those who spent more money on themselves felt happier |
| C．people thought spending money could make themselves happier |
| D．the money spent was as important as the money earned |
The best title of this passage is ___________.
| A．Experiment on Money Spending |
| B．Devoting Your Money to Charities |
| C．Spending Money on Others Makes One Happier |
| D．Bonus and Pro-social Spending |
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