Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.
1.What do most people think causes bad behavior?
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A．Being forced by others. |
B．Not having enough will power. |
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C．Enjoying their first experiences. |
D．Following the examples of their friends. |
2.The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.
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A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes |
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B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers |
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C．self-control should be developed when one is young |
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D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations |
3.In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.
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A．without self-control, no one can succeed |
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B．bad habits don’t always lead to bad results |
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C．applying self-control correctly is important |
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D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior |
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
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A．My First Sip of Beer |
B．Do You Have Will Power ? |
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C．Does Will Power Benefit Us? |
D．Dark Side of Self-control |
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This is the pen that has a built-in video camera, capturing (拍摄，录制) videos or still images with a click of its button．Ideal for use while secured in a pocket, it can capture up to five hours of video. Its battery provides up to two hours of power before requiring a recharge．
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1.What’s the purpose of this passage?
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A．To advertise some goods． |
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B．To compare some goods． |
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C．To teach how to operate the items． |
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D．To show how fashionable the items are． |
2.What do Item 78431 and Item 78098 have in common according to this passage?
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A．They both sell well． |
B．They both can take photos． |
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C．They both have unusual appearances． |
D．They are both cheap． |
3.If you’re a movie fan, you probably show strong interest in ________．
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A．Item78098 |
B．Item78431 |
C．Item77281 |
D．Item77918 |
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．In fact, Item 78098 cannot tell time．
B．Item 77918 works as a DVD player．
C．In a way, Item 77281 is user-friendly．
D All the items include rechargeable batteries．
It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing (挤过去) past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize (批评) others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.
1.What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?
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A．He thinks it is unnecessary. |
B．He thinks little of it. |
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C．He appreciates it very much. |
D．He thinks it goes too far. |
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
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A．German men never treat a woman to dinner. |
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B．The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver. |
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C．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job. |
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D．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough. |
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.
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A．like to fight with each other |
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B．treat women in a polite way |
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C．are as generous as English men |
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D．are unwilling to spend money for women |
4.The author develops the text through the method of ______.
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A．making comparisons |
B．telling stories |
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C．giving reasons |
D．giving examples |
I wonder how it ____ that Chinese climbers successfully finished the torch relay on the Mount Qomolangma, where the air is so thin.
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A．came out |
B．came across |
C．came over |
D．came about |
—You look unhappy， my son?
—I’m wondering how long it’ll be we come to China again.
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A．since |
B．when |
C．before |
D．after |
—Isn’t it time you _______ down to _______ your own things?
—I’m sorry for the delay, Dad.
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A．get, pack |
B．got, packing |
C．got, pack |
D．get, packing |
