Are You a Prisoner of Perfection?
Do you struggle for a goal that is beyond your reach? 1. Are you setting yourself up for failure and shame when you can’t achieve the unachievable? Understanding what drives perfectionism is the first step toward releasing this self-created anchor that keeps us stuck.
Shame and fear are often the hidden drivers of perfectionism. We believe that if we can fashion a perfectly polished personality, flash our intelligence, and perfect our humour, then no one can hurt us with criticism and we’ll win respect and approval.
2. Politicians who display a desperate need to be right and refuse to acknowledge mistakes or uncertainty are often driven by a secret shame. They fear that showing vulnerability(弱点) will expose them to the accusation that they’re weak. They stick to a desire to be right, perfect, and polished, even when it’s obvious that the emperor has no clothes.
Perfectionism keeps us leaning toward the future. We’re constantly evaluating ourselves in order to do better. 3. However, if we can’t relax and enjoy lighter moments, then we become prisoners of our perfectionism. We get painfully self-conscious and take ourselves too seriously. Sadly, we deprive(剥夺) ourselves of the simple pleasure of enjoying the moment and being ourselves.
4. We realize that failing at any enterprise doesn’t mean that we are a failure. Without failures, we’ll never learn from our mistakes; we’ll never move forward in our lives. Those who succeed have made countless mistakes. The important thing is to learn from our error, forgive ourselves and move on.
Being human, perfection is impossible. 5. Releasing ourselves from the desire to protect our image, we’re freed to sail gracefully through our successes and failures—and enjoy our precious life.
A. Do you hold an idealized vision that is impossible to realize?
B. A cure to perfectionism is to make room for our human shortcomings.
C. Do you fear that others will be horrified by what you judge about yourself?
D. The addiction to staying perfect protects us from any sign of being imperfect.
E. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do our best and self-correcting along the way.
F. People who are addicted to perfection are often isolated, even if they seem outgoing and popular.
G. By accepting ourselves as we are and doing our best, we begin to rid the shame that drives perfectionism.
Last fall, I happened to overhear a student telling the others he had decided not to sign up for an introductory philosophy course. The demands of his major, he said seriously, meant he needed to take “practical” courses, and “enlightenment” would simply have to wait. For now, employability was the most important.
The students’ conversation fits into a larger alarming narrative about the role of the humanities in higher education. In a time of dizzying technological achievement and of rapid scientific innovation, sceptics of the humanities may question the usefulness of studying Aristotle, the Italian Renaissance or Chinese fiction.
Actually, I regret not interrupting that student to argue for taking that introductory philosophy course. I would have started by reminding him that, for much of America’s history, college graduates were not considered truly educated unless they had mastered philosophy, literature, political theory and history. The key role of higher education was to invite students into the conversations about matters like what it means to be alive and the definition of justice. Fostering engagement with these subjects is still an essential part of the university’s function in society.
I would have also mentioned to the student that he was misinformed about the job market. It is true that many employers are looking for graduates with specialized technical skills, but they also look for other capabilities. As the world is transformed by artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation, the unique human qualities of creativity, imagination and moral reasoning will be the ultimate coin of the realm. All these skills are developed in humanities courses.
Further, I would have argued that while a degree anchored in the sciences is an important precondition for many jobs, it is not the only route. Look no further than the founders of companies such as LinkedIn, Slack and Flickr, who are among the many tech businesspersons with degrees in the humanities, and who credit that training for their success.
Contrary to the widely held belief that humanities majors have a hard time getting jobs, recent studies show that those with humanities degrees are successful in the workplace, experiencing low rates of unemployment and reporting high levels of job satisfaction. The ratio between average median(中位数) incomes for humanities degree holders and those with business, engineering, and health and medical sciences degrees has been shown to narrow over the course of a career.
The case for the humanities can also be understood in less transactional terms and more as a foundational preparation for a life well lived. A humanities education plays a vital role in encouraging citizens to lead an examined life. It fosters critical thinking, self-reflection, empathy and tolerance, the usefulness of which only becomes more apparent as one navigates life’s challenges.
By all means, students should take courses they think practical and follow their interests, but if they also make a point of studying the literature of the Renaissance, or researching into modern poetry, or even taking introductory philosophy, we will all benefit.
1.What do the students’ conversation show?
A. Students feel employment difficult.
B. Students think philosophy less important.
C. Students find scientific innovation amazing.
D. Students consider university courses unsatisfying.
2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Highly valued. B. Equally applied.
C. Strictly assessed. D. Greatly improved.
3.The author may agree that humanities _____.
A. discover students’ artistic ability
B. prepare students for graduation
C. raise awareness of social status
D. provide great insights into life
4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
I: Introduction P: Point Sp: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion
A. 
B. 
C. 
D. 
Most groups of plants and animals are richer in species and more plentiful near the equator. In the ocean, that holds true for cold-blooded predators(掠食者). But warm-blooded predators are more diverse toward the poles and noticeably missing from several warm hot spots. Why?
John Grady, an ecologist, and his team considered the possibility—warm-blooded animals need a lot to fuel their metabolism(新陈代谢). Perhaps colder waters are just richer in small fish? But they found that at higher, colder places, there isn’t actually much more food around. It’s more that warm-blooded animals are eating a much bigger share of it than their cold-blooded competitors.
The real explanation is simple. An animal’s speed, swiftness, and intelligence depend on its metabolism, which in turn depends on its temperature. Since birds and mammals can keep heating their bodies in icy conditions, they remain fast and attentive. By contrast, the fish they hunt become slower and duller. At some tipping point of temperature, seals, dolphins, and penguins start outswimming their prey(猎物). They become more likely to come upon targets and outpace the cold-blooded predators of their own.
In Grady’s words, “Warm-bodied predators are favoured where preys are slow, stupid and cold.” That’s why sharks and other predatory fish dominate near the equator, but colder waters are the kingdom of whales and seals. By keeping food to themselves in the poles, these creatures can then specialize on specific types of prey, which makes them more likely to split into separate species. The killer whales of the North Pacific, for example, include mammal-eating transients and fish-eating, year-round residents.
But the world is changing. It’s likely that the surface of the oceans will warm by 2 to 3℃ within this century. Grady’s team estimates that every time the ocean’s surface warms by 1℃, populations of sea mammals will fall by 12%, and populations of seals and sea lions will fall by 24%.
But “predictions are hard,” Donna Hauser from the University of Alaska Fairbanks notes. “Polar bears are losers of a warming world, but some populations are still doing well. Some groups of whales have changed the timing of their migrations; others are hunting in deeper, colder waters. These changes might make sea mammals more adaptable to changing climates. Maybe they just need to find the places where fish remain slow, stupid and cold.”
1.Why are there more types of warm-blooded predators near the poles?
A. Because there is more food.
B. Because there are fewer enemies.
C. Because they are faster and wiser.
D. Because they consume less energy.
2.The author mentions the killer whales to show ______.
A. the benefit of biological evolution
B. food preference of different sea mammals
C. the distinction of specific types of predators
D. the advantage of constant body temperature
3.What is Donna Hauser’s attitude towards the future of the sea mammals?
A. Positive. B. Negative.
C. Neutral. D. Sceptical.
4.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Are the Poles Heaven for Sea Predators?
B. How Do Sea Mammals Track Their Prey?
C. Why Do the Warm-Blooded Like Food Cold?
D. Is the World Too Hot for the Warm-Blooded?
In the short time Steve and Zach had been inside their tent packing their tools, wind-blown flame had skipped from the top of one tree to another. The long dry summer had turned the forest into a tinderbox.
“Let’s go! We can make it back to the river we crossed today!” Steve kept Brady on the lead and their heads down against the fire-wind. But Brady barked a sharp warning. Ahead of them lay a thick curtain of smoke across the track. They would never make it through that. The dog was pulling at his lead trying to draw them away from the smoke, and yet Steve was uneasy. It seemed to him that they were moving away from the river.
Suddenly, Zach cried. “Zach!” Steve shouted. “Are you OK? Where are you?” Then Brady pulled Steve down a sharp slope(坡). At its base, Zach was rubbing his ankle.
As Steve helped his friend to his feet, Brady lifted his head and snuffed(嗅) the smoke-laden wind. Next moment, the dog bounded away and disappeared. The boys shouted for him, but he didn’t come back. Steve couldn’t blame Brady for panicking. He himself wanted to run even though he didn’t have a clue which way.
Steve and Zach hadn’t gone far when there was a familiar bark, and Brady came bounding, stopped directly in front of Steve and hit him with his head, pushing him back toward the slope they’d just climbed. But Steve didn’t get it. Then Brady grabbed the boy’s jeans and started pulling. The message was clear, but Steve hesitated. Of course he remembered Brady saving his uncle’s life when the dog was much younger. Was he still sharp enough to get them through this?
Nearby, a pine went up in a whoosh of smoke. Brady pulled again, urgently. “OK, big guy,” Steve gritted(咬紧牙关). Brady led them back down the slope and into the trees. Not far from them fire was touching underbrush. Several times the big dog stopped. Often he changed directions. Steve was so tired that he just wanted to rest, but Brady wouldn’t have it. The dog bullied both boys to go on. How long they’d walked Steve had no idea. He was almost numb when he heard it—the wonderful sound of rushing water!
1.What happened to Steve and Zach at first?
A. They got injured. B. They lost their dog.
C. They were trapped. D. They became separated.
2.Brady ran away to ______.
A. seek help B. find a way out
C. rescue Zach D. escape for life
3.How did Steve feel after Brady pulled his jeans?
A. Uneasy. B. Impatient.
C. Numb. D. Uncertain.
4.The passage basically describes ________.
A. an adventure B. an exploration
C. an escape game D. a training program
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1.According to the advertisement, Perfect Sleep Chair . （事实信息）
A. helps detect illnesses
B. supports various body positions
C. comes with an additional mattress
D. adjusts its temperature accordingly
2.What is the key feature of Perfect Sleep Chair introduced in Paragraph 3? (推理判断)
A. It is safe. B. It is lasting.
C. It is portable. D. It is comfortable.
3.What service can customers receive?
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During my second year in high school, I got sick and missed a few days. When I ____, I was greeted with two essays due, three days of math and history homework, plus several tests. ______ I went home from school that day exhausted, I had to stay up really late to finish them all.
The next day at school, I got a rude awakening: I’d totally forgotten to prepare for the ______ on Romeo and Juliet, which I’d take ______ my lunch hour! Worse still, I had ______ the in-class discussion and all the notes. When lunch came, I went to the English room to face my certain doom(厄运). All I could do was try to ______ on the questions I didn’t know.
As it turned out, I didn’t know the majority of the questions. I was just about to give ____ when my pencil accidentally fell and broke. Standing by the blackboard sharpening my pencil, I ______ down and there in full view lay the answer sheet for the test! What good fortune! I can kiss good-bye to all my ______ of failing the test! My heart started beating, and my brain _______, Yes! Read over the answers—quickly! This was quickly followed by another voice, No! You’ll get caught! My mind turning back and forth, Yes! No! Yes! No! …This went on for ten of the ______ seconds in my entire life.
Finally, I decided to finish the test on my own, without ______! I was satisfied with my decision but pretty ______ I had failed the test.
The next day when I walked into the English room, my great joy of having been an ____ soul changed into a wave of doom as I saw my test paper lying face down on my desk. I knew what awaited me. I stared at it a few seconds before I got up the _______ to turn it over.
You can only imagine my ______ when I learned that I had passed the test! I have never in my whole life been so happy to see my ______, a C-.
My mom says the victories that ______ the most courage are won within. Now I know ______ what she means. Now not only can my conscience(良心) rest easy, but I don’t have to worry about getting caught and meeting a sad ______ like Romeo and Juliet.
1.A. arrived B. returned C. appeared D. finished
2.A. If B. Because C. Until D. Although
3.A. lecture B. essay C. play D. test
4.A. by B. upon C. over D. toward
5.A. missed B. carried C. lost D. dropped
6.A. depend B. agree C. guess D. improve
7.A. in B. off C. out D. away
8.A. wrote B. settled C. calmed D. looked
9.A. boredom B. worries C. loneliness D. tiredness
10.A. whispered B. warned C. persuaded D. chanted
11.A. coldest B. saddest C. longest D. fastest
12.A. suffering B. checking C. cheating D. thinking
13.A. certain B. regretful C. annoyed D. relieved
14.A. open B. honest C. optimistic D. energetic
15.A. wisdom B. encouragement C. intention D. nerve
16.A. anxiety B. shock C. fear D. appreciation
17.A. paper B. credit C. rate D. grade
18.A. take B. put C. find D. gain
19.A. gradually B. exactly C. willingly D. seemingly
20.A. film B. fact C. ending D. love
