“In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves… self-discipline（自律）with all of them came first.” — Harry S. Truman
That is the quotation (引语) that had me thinking yesterday. Discipline（纪律）, in particular self-discipline, is what will get us through most things in life, from writing this simple post to Achieving Greatness for You and I. You may ask, “Why is discipline important in writing this post?” For people who have tried writing, you would know how hard it might get sometimes to actually sit down and finish the whole article in one period without getting up every few minutes to get a drink, a snack or toilet break etc.
Just with most things in life, often we lack the self-discipline to see us through what we are hoping to do or achieve. One area where self-discipline is clearly important is in losing weight. Some people are constantly looking for quick fix to their weight problem; they will jump at anything that is claimed to help them lose weight in the shortest time. They may lose weight fast, but they will find the result short-term especially if they do not change the way they live and the food they eat.
A friend of mine shared his experience going through the journey from 115 kilograms to 56 kilograms in around one year. His journey of losing weight started from a trip with his daughter to the doctor for her check-up. He playfully weighed himself on the weighing machine while his daughter was having the check-up. The doctor saw his weight and made a remark, “If you maintain that balloon weight, you cannot see your grandchildren.”
That made him decide, “Enough is enough!” Not only that, he felt tired easily and his excessive (过多的) weight made him feel like a walking balloon. In that moment of awakening, he made decisions to change his lifestyle and eating habits.What does the author mainly talk about in the passage?
| A．His writing hobby. |
| B．The best way to lose weight. |
| C．The importance of self-discipline. |
| D．How to live a healthy life. |
We know from the second paragraph that the author ____ ______ .
| A．can write easily after finishing his routines |
| B．doesn’t think writing is an easy job |
| C．writes just for fun |
| D．must have achieved much in his writing |
The author’s friend was determined to lose weight when he ____ ______ .
| A．had a trip with his daughter and her family |
| B．knew the doctor was just making fun of him |
| C．was much touched by the doctor’s remark |
| D．realized that he would become a grandparent soon |
The author holds the belief（信念）that ____ ______ .
| A．we can’t achieve anything in life without self-discipline |
| B．only great men need self-discipline |
| C．self-discipline is most needed in losing weight |
| D．self-discipline has something to do with one’s lifestyle |
Between their crazy schedules and upside-down circadian（昼夜节律的） rhythms, teens have always been somewhat sleep-deprived（剥夺）．Now technology is making it worse．
Teens are not just texting, instant-messaging and surfing Facebook all day; they’re sleeping with their cell phones or laptops, too．Or rather, not sleeping．And doctors and parents, many of whom raised in an era when phones were attached to walls, are concerned．
“So many teens are having sleep issues, and parents aren’t necessarily regulating the use of the electronic devices enough,” says Margie Ryerson, a therapist．“It’s impossible to wind down and relax the body, the mind, the senses and be ready to fall asleep．”
“We all know teens don’t get enough sleep in general,” says San Francisco．“As long as parents allow teens to have these devices in their bedrooms at night, teens will be tempted（诱惑） to use them．”… Teens would socialize 24/7 if they could．
Ryerson calls it the CNN syndrome of teenhood— round-the-clock reports on breaking news about everything, from homework to wardrobe choices to ice-cream cravings．
Sleep deprivation is linked to memory and concentration problems, anxiety and depression, and moodiness．“Many people assume these problems arise directly from adolescence, which is not really true,” he says．“The real issue is sleep deprivation．Late-night texting can certainly make the situation worse．”
“The psychology behind this constant contact is certainly understandable,” Ryerson says．“It comes from wanting to avoid being left out．They won’t be considered important and significant in their peer group, if they don’t know what’s going on．If they’re on top of everything, they belong,” she says．
“What helps, at least for younger kids,” says Ryerson, “is parental involvement．If all of their friends are all able to text into the early hours of the night, it is hard for a middle or high schooler to set the limit themselves．Often they appreciate parents stepping in．”
“As parents, we want our kids to be happy, healthy and responsible,” she says, “and the most necessary requirement for achieving balance is to first take care of ourselves physically — eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep．”According to Ryerson, it seems that ____．
| A．it is unnecessary to control teens’ using the electric devices |
| B．parents possibly don’t control teens in using the electric devices |
| C．there is no need for parents to make use of the electric devices |
| D．parents don’t learn enough how to use the electric devices |
By saying the underlined part “the CNN syndrome of teenhood”（in Para5）, Ryerson means _．
| A．teens are affected by CNN news reports very much |
| B．teens watch news report on CNN around the clock |
| C．teens text to tell each other everything possible |
| D．teens like the news report on CNN |
When teens felt depressed, people used to think it was because ____．
| A．teens stayed up late to do homework |
| B．teens were easily anxious in character |
| C．teens didn’t have enough sleep at night |
| D．teens were going through a period of growth |
Why do teens keep texting all the time?
| A．To have a sense of being accepted by others． |
| B．To keep informed of what is going on in the world． |
| C．To spread important news among their group． |
| D．To reduce the pressure from parents and schools． |
Can we turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed”? Is there power in positive thinking?
Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply emphasize how unhappy they are．
The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by referring to older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better．If you tell your friend that he may be an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults．In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write passages opposing funding for the disabled．When they were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written．
In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem（自尊）．The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes．Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell．When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable．”
Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the experiment．In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts．
The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy（心理治疗） that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them．In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse．Meditation（静思） techniques, on the contrary, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a large, more realistic perspective（视野）．Call it the power of negative thinking．The Canadian researchers find that _____．
| A．encouraging positive thinking may do more harm than good |
| B．there can be no simple cure for psychological problems |
| C．unhappy people cannot think positively |
| D．the power of positive thinking is limited |
What does the author mean by “… you’re just underlining his faults”（Line4, Para3）?
| A．You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough． |
| B．You are pointing out the mistakes he has made． |
| C．You are emphasizing the fact that he is not clever． |
| D．You are trying to make him feel better about his faults． |
What do we learn from the experiment of Wood, Lee and Perunovic?
| A．It is important for people to continually improve their self-esteem． |
| B．Thinking positively can bring a positive change to one’s mood． |
| C．People with low self-esteem seldom write down their true feelings． |
| D．Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem． |
What do we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person． |
| B．Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy． |
| C．Different people tend to have different ways of thinking． |
| D．People can avoid making mistakes through meditation． |
Scores of farms across he country are opening up to overnight guests．The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn（小旅馆） — plus here a moo, there a moo．
Sure, you and your kids have a plan for the theme parks．In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay（干草）? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation．
LIBERTY HALL FARM
Rochester, Vt．; 802/767-3926; www．libertyhillfarm．com．Adults $75, teens $50, kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths．
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook．You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough（生面团） for a pie．Bob’s busy with other work．Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs．Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 am to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season．
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N．Y．; 518/239-6950; www．hull-o．com; Adults $110, kids 10-14 $60, 5-9 $50, 2-4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths．
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices．But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it．As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch（入口处） of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar．Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride．
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo．; 573/732-4765; http://www．wine-mo．com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person．Trail and riding fees extra．
Climb on the back of the Ford pick up and catch up with the herd．One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back．At the barn（牲口棚） Carol will introduce you to the horses — 15 Missouri Fox Trotters — and lead you on a ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims．Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river．When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants, within 20 miles of the farm．The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that _____．
| A．you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant |
| B．some farms provide country experiences as well as good accommodations |
| C．farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals |
| D．if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm |
We can learn from the three ads that ____．
| A．Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors |
| B．Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook |
| C．kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm |
| D．you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm |
The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter．If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
| A．$175． | B．$220． | C．$235． | D．$250． |
Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
| A．Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks． |
| B．People who expect to be employed on the farm． |
| C．Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms． |
| D．Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms． |
Russia and the United States have completed the largest spy exchange since the Cold War．On Friday, at an airport in Vienna, Austria, an American plane and a Russian plane landed, parked side by side and exchanged occupants．
The United States freed ten admitted Russian agents．The men and women were arrested in late June and pleaded（承认） guilty on Thursday．
In exchange, Russia freed four Russians serving prison sentences on charges of spying for the West．The men include Igor Sutyagin, an armed researcher who always denied the charges．Some considered him a political prisoner．
The United States deported（驱逐） nine Russian and an American citizen born in Peru．Some raised children while living quiet lives as married couples．
Russia’s Foreign Ministry praised the exchange, saying, “The action improved Russian-U．S．relations．”
The group was accused of trying to gain information on American nuclear weapons, foreign policy and politics for the SVR — Russia’s foreign intelligence service．
The ten were only charged with plotting（阴谋） to act as undeclared foreign agents．They were not charged with the more serious crime of spying, so the extent（程度） of their success as spies is not clear．
One of the Russians, Anna Chapman, drew attention with her looks and stories of her New York party life．Hr lawyer, Robert Baum, said she had not passed secret information to Russia or received any payment．He also said, “She was accused of communicating with a Russian official through a laptop to laptop communication, without the government specifying the nature of the communication．”The underlined word “occupants” in the first paragraph probably refers to _____．
| A．the pilots of the planes |
| B．the passengers on board the planes |
| C．the spies of Russia and the United States |
| D．the officials of Russia and the United States |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．Altogether fourteen spies were exchanged．
B．Anna Chapman wrote stories about her New York party life．
C．One of the Russian spies was an American born in Peru．The way both countries are handling the issue suggests that _____．
| A．neither side is interested in starting a fight |
| B．neither side is in need of spies now |
| C．the two countries are finding faults with each other |
| D．the two countries are in a cold war now |
The passage is most probably _____．
| A．an advertisement | B．a newspaper ad |
| C．a book review | D．a news report |
They may make us scared, but somehow we just can’t get enough of our favorite monsters．From literature to movies, TV shows to Halloween（万圣节） costumes（服装）, we want more of these blood-drinking, walking-dead, scary creatures!
Here’s a look at a few of them．
Mummy（木乃伊）: All you’ll need is a generous supply of toilet paper of make this instantly recognizable costume．The concept of mummies dates back thousands of years and across many cultures．Mummies are constantly seen in books, movies, and of course, on every Halloween night．
Werewolf（狼人）: The werewolf is known for its superhuman strength and shape-shifting powers．Examples of the werewolf date back to ancient Greek and Roman stories, which were about humans changing into animals and animals changing into humans．With television shows and movies, werewolves are once again having a strong influence on popular culture．
Frankenstein: Mary Shelley created the monster in her 1818 novel．Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who is curious about life and death, uses different body parts to create his works．Shocked by his new scientific creation, however, Victor ran away, leaving the creature to leave the laboratory and go out into the human world．Whether in books, movies, or onstage, this monster is still a costume favorite for people of all ages．
Zombie（僵尸）: Halloween activities would incomplete without zombies to really give people a fright．The zombie earned its title as one of Halloween’s most terrifying creatures after popular films．Zombies still frighten audiences as undead monsters that return to feast on the living．
Dracula（德拉库拉）: This classic vampire（吸血鬼） has terrified audiences for decades, but first appeared as a character in Irish writer Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel．In horror films, Dracula remains the most popular character．He is known for his pale skin, sharp teeth, red lips and son on．According to the article, monsters ______．
| A．are scary but at the same time fascinating |
| B．provide excitement for people who lead dull lives |
| C．are mysterious and have supernatural powers |
| D．can change into humans |
Which of the following statements about monster costume is TRUE according to the article?
| A．A zombie costume is the choice costume of people celebrating Halloween． |
| B．A mummy costume is easy to make and can be immediately recognized． |
| C．Frankenstein’s monster is losing appeal（吸引力） among some people． |
| D．Because of its uniqueness, the Dracula costume is the most popular for Halloween． |
We can conclude that ______．
| A．Dracula is the only monster who first appeared in a book |
| B．mummies may come back to life in the future |
| C．Victor Frankenstein was finally able to get his monster under control |
| D．Frankenstein’s monster was created using different body parts |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Monster Halloween Costumes |
| B．Monsters and Halloween |
| C．Monsters Loved by people |
| D．How Monsters Scare People |
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