As the new semester begins, millions of college students across the country are trying hard to remember how best to write a paper or, more likely, how best to delay that paper.
Procrastination is the thief of time and a lot of students suffer form it. They can spend whole days in the library doing nothing but staring into space, eating snacks, surfing the Internet, watching videos and looking at other students sitting around them, who, most likely are doing nothing either.
Paralyzed (使失去活力) by their habit to procrastinate, they write micro blogs about their fears, asking their online friends if they sometimes have the same issue. But this does nothing to break the spell (魔咒).
According to a recent report, 95 percent of us procrastinate at some point and 20 percent of the world’s population are always procrastinating. The figures are disappointing. Procrastinators are less wealthy, less healthy and less happy than those who don’t delay. Procrastinators like to find excuses to justify their behavior, but BBC columnist Rowan Pelling says they are all wrong.
Many procrastinators tell themselves they are perfectionists who work best under pressure. Pelling says this is non sense, as work done at the last minute is more likely to have mistakes than work done on time. The behavior of procrastinators often makes them feel ashamed, inconveniences others and annoys loved ones.
Pelling also points out that procrastination feels particularly delinquent(过失的) in a society that thinks of speedy action as admirable, and, at times, even as a moral good.
Fortunately, social scientists have thrown their weight behind efforts to understand this behavioral mistake and offer strategies to control it. Piers Steel, a Canadian social scientist and author of The Procrastination Equation, believes human is “designed” to procrastinate. Nevertheless, he suggests a couple of good ways to get through the task at hand.
1.Which behavior belongs to procrastination?
A. Never dream away the time.
B. Always complete the tasks ahead of time.
C. Never put off till tomorrow what should be done today.
D. Always wait to work until the “good mood” or “good time”.
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. Procrastination makes people waste their time.
B. Speedy action is considered as a moral standard in the society.
C. procrastinators usually complete their tasks perfectly.
D. Procrastination is common among people.
3.What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A. Ways to handle the study pressures.
B. Introduction to the book The Procrastination Equation.
C. More examples to illustrate procrastination
D. Measures to deal with procrastination.
AT
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完形填空
阅读下列短文,从短文后所给各题的四个选项A, B, C,和D中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.
The other day I was feeling quite _________ , having just been laid off from my job. With so many _________ to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.
I got off the bus when I heard piano music and singing rising above the noise of the _________ . I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the _________ I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.
She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice _________ me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take _________ to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn’t know.
She might have felt my _________ for she occasionally looked in my direction.
By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked _________ and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.
I asked her _________ , “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”
She explained to me that she sees so many _________ people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by _________ motivational (激励的) music.
Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a _________ time lately, but you’ve made me_________ again.”
“I’m happy that I could be _________ to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”
I told her my story and said, “I’m not so _________ about what to do….”
“You see, here’s the _________ ,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don’t look defeated, because _________ comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should_________ more … lift your head up.”
I was really _________ by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.
So _________ in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.
1.A. lonely B. relaxed C. frustrated D. breathless
2.A. fare B. bills C. fines D. prices
3.A. listeners B. background C. instrument D. traffic
4.A. trees B. crowd C. buildings D. street
5.A. shocked B. amused C. excited D. comforted
6.A. energy B. courage C. patience D. technique
7.A. presence B. mood C. thought D. appreciation
8.A. aside B. down C. over D. off
9.A. quietly B. eagerly C. seriously D. curiously
10.A. negative B. unhealthy C. positive D. elderly
11.A. sharing B. creating C. enjoying D. teaching
12.A. tense B. wonderful C. crazy D. rough
13.A. enthusiastic B. emotional C. hopeful D. energetic
14.A. helpful B. worthwhile C. useful D. available
15.A. ashamed B. sure C. particular D. anxious
16.A. problem B. situation C. conflict D. condition
17.A. success B. aid C. opportunity D. happiness
18.A. focus B. look C. fight D. smile
19.A. impressed B. moved C. inspired D. satisfied
20.A. however B. whenever C. whoever D. wherever
--- When I needed his help, my roommate just stood by and did nothing.
---_______He appears to be a warm-hearted person.
A. You don’t say! B. You set me up.
C. I’ll say. D. Don’t fall for it.
_______ the best in a recent science competition, the three students were awarded scholarships ________21,000 dollars.
A. Judging; would total B. To be judged; totaled
C. Having judged; to total D. Judged; totaling
A warm thought suddenly _______to me _______I might take the place of the hero to buy some flowers for his mother’s 60th birthday.
A. came, if B. crossed, when
C. occurred, that D. struck, that