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Generally speaking, perfectionism is a good thing, if it makes you do better work and try harder to complete tasks well. However, perfectionism can become a bad thing when it stops you feeling satisfied with yourself or what you’ve accomplished. Every artist knows how important it is to stop adding touches to their paintings and how constantly adding elements can end up ruining the work. If you constantly demand only the very best from yourself, this can damage your self-respect as you find nothing you do will live up to your expectations. And if you extend this harsh (无情的) judgment to your friends and family and only focus on the negatives around them, you will find that they begin to dislike and avoid you.
So how do you get rid of these kinds of negative perfectionism? The following suggestions might help you a lot.
First of all, you’d better think twice about your standards. Look at what other people do. How long does it take them to carry out a project? Are their lower standards getting them fired? Do they still accomplish good work? Are your exacting (苛求的) standards worth the cost in terms of time and energy? I am sure that you can learn a lot from your answers.
Secondly, don’t always compare yourself with others. Perfectionists tend to have high standards. For example, an artist who thinks his work is never done might be comparing his paintings to those of Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci or other great artists. Remember that only a few people can become great masters and that most of us are just common people.
Last but not least, try to look at the situation objectively. If you are constantly adjusting things and never feel satisfied, then the chances are that you are too close to the situation and that you can’t judge it rightly any more. You’d better ask those around you what they think and whether they think your work is good enough. Besides, give your project some breathing space by leaving it alone for some time, so you can come back to it with “fresh eyes”.
Nobody, nor any idea, is perfect. If you have a perfectionist streak in you, try and let it go, and embrace the process of getting your idea out into the world, rather than focusing on the end result.
Perfectionism is holding you back | ||
1. perfectionism can cause | It can make one 2. with himself or his achievements. It can get one’s self-respect damaged. It can make one lose3. among his friends and family members. | |
Ways of 4. perfectionism | 5. your standards | You need to find out what other people’s standards are. |
Avoid making unwise 6. | It is not sensible for you to 7. yourself to become a great master. | |
Get a(n) 8. view | Ask others for their 9. about your work. Step back for a while and then return to your work with “fresh eyes” | |
Conclusion | Perfection doesn’t actually 10.. Striving to do your best is good enough and will eventually lead you down a brilliant path. |
In 1974, after filling out fifty applications, going through four interviews, and winning one offer, I took what I could get—a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area: western New Jersey. My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen—teaching English.
School started, but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country. Was this rural area really New Jersey? My students took a week off when hunting season began. I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms. I was a young woman from New York City, who thought that “Make hay while the sun shines” just meant to have a good time.
But, still, I was teaching English. I worked hard, taking time off only to eat and sleep. And then there was my sixth-grade class—seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me. I had a problem long before I knew it. I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher. I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word. The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room.
In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior. So I did, confident that, as the textbook had said, the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention. It sounds reasonable, but the text obviously ignored the fact that humans, particularly teenagers, rarely seems reasonable. By the time my boss, who was also my taskmaster, known to be the strictest, most demanding, most quick to fire inexperienced teachers, came into the classroom to observe me, the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise.
My boss sat in the back of the room. The boys in the class were making animal noises, hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines. I just pretended it all wasn’t happening, and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions. My boss, sitting in the back of the room, seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After twenty minutes he left, silently. Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes.
I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying, but at my next free period I had to face him. I wondered if he would let me finish out the day. I walked to his office, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
He was sitting in his chair, and he looked at me long and hard. I said nothing. All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher; I had been lying to myself, pretending that everything was fine.
When he spoke, he said simply, without accusation, “You had nothing to say to them.”
“You had nothing to say to them.” he repeated, “No wonder they are bored. Why not get to the meat of literature and stop talking about symbolism. Talk with them, not at them. And more important, why do you ignore their bad behavior?” We talked. He named my problems and offered solutions. We role-played. He was the bad student, and I was the forceful, yet, warm, teacher.
As the year progressed, we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations. He helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths. In short, he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson’s words: “The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil!”
Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school. Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year, the school is my home now.
1.It can be inferred from the story that in 1974 ________.
A.the writer became an optimistic person
B.it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA
C.the writer was very happy about her new job
D.it was easy to get a teaching job in New Jersey
2.According to the passage, which of the following is most probably the writer’s problem as a new teacher?
A.She didn’t ask experienced teachers for advice.
B.She took too much time off to eat and sleep.
C.She had blind trust in what she learnt at college.
D.She didn’t like teaching English literature.
3.What is the writer’s biggest worry after her taskmaster’s observation of her class?
A.She might lose her teaching job
B.She might lose her students’ respect.
C.She couldn’t teach the same class any more.
D.She couldn’t ignore her students’ bad behavior any more.
4.Which of the following gives the writer a sense of mild victory?
A.Her talk about symbolism sounded convincing.
B.She managed to finish the class without crying.
C.Her students behaved a little better than usual.
D.She was invited for a talk by her boss after class.
5.The students behaved badly in the writer’s classes because ________.
A.she didn’t really understand them
B.they were keen to embarrass her
C.they didn’t regard her as a good teacher
D.she didn’t have the fluency of English
6.Which of the following is probably the best title for this passage?
A.My successful and smooth teaching career
B.The fierce competition in the job market
C.Useful suggestions on how to be an excellent English teacher
D.The challenging but unforgettable start of my teaching career
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) continues to be in the red. It reported a net loss of $5.6 billion for 2016 alone, the 10th straight year its expenses have exceeded revenue. Meanwhile, it has the debts of more than $120 billion, mostly for employee health and retirement costs. There are many bankruptcies. Fundamentally, the USPS is in a historic squeeze between technological change that has permanently decreased demand for its bread-and-butter product, and a regulatory structure that denies management the flexibility to adjust its operations to the new reality.
Interest groups ranging from postal unions to postcard makers exert self-interested pressure on the USPS’s final supervisor—Congress (参议院), insisting that whatever else happens to the Postal Service, aspects of the present legal situation they depend on get protected. This is why repeated attempts at reform legislation (立法) have failed in recent years, leaving the Postal Service unable to pay its bills except by postponing vital modernization.
Now comes word that everyone involved—Democrats, Republicans, the Postal Service, the unions and the systems heaviest users—has finally agreed on a plan to fix the system. Legislation is moving through the White House that would save USPS an estimated $28.6 billion over five years, which could help pay for new vehicles, among other survival measures. Most of the money would come from a penny-per-letter permanent rate increase and from shifting postal retirees into Medicare. The latter step would largely reduce the financial burden of annually pre-funding retiree health care, thus addressing a long-standing complaint by the USPS and its union.
If it clears the White House, this measure will still have to get through the Senate—where someone is bound to point out that it amounts to the bare, bare minimum necessary to make the Postal Service stay afloat, not comprehensive reform. There’s no change to collective bargaining at the USPS, a major mistake considering that personnel accounts for 80 percent of the agency’s costs. Also missing is any discussion of getting rid of Saturday letter delivery. That common-sense change enjoys wide public support and would save the USPS $2 billion per year. But postal special-interest groups seem to have killed it, at least in the White House. The emerging consensus around the bill is a sign that legislators are getting frightened about a politically embarrassing short-term collapse at the USPS. It is not, however, a sign that they’re getting serious about transforming the postal system for the 2lst century.
1.The financial problem with the USPS is caused partly by ________.
A.its rigid management. B.its unbalanced budget.
C.the cost for technical innovation D.the suspension of bank support.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.protecting every interest group benefits the USPS
B.the USPS will invest more money in retiree health care
C.the White House has already approved the reform
D.the author seems to be discontent with legislators
3.What does the underlined words “stay afloat” mean in Paragraph 4?
A.Boom. B.Survive.
C.Decline. D.Expand.
4.Which of the following is probably the best title for the text?
A.The USPS Starts to Miss Its Good Old Days
B.The USPS Starts to cooperate with Legislators
C.The USPS Needs Comprehensive Aid and Reform
D.The USPS Is Bound to Get out of the Dilemma
The latest discovery in cat research reveals that the lovely animal seems to have a basic grasp on both the laws of physics and the ins and outs of cause and effect.
According to a newly published study, cats seem to be able to predict the location of hiding prey (猎物) using both their ears and an inborn understanding of how the physical world works.
In a recent experiment, Japanese researchers taped 30 domestic cats reacting to a container that a team member shook. Some containers rattled; others did not. When the container was tipped over, sometimes an object fell out and sometimes it didn’t.
It turns out that the cats were remarkably smart about what would happen when a container was tipped over. When an object did not drop out of the bottom of a rattling container, they looked at it for a longer time than they did when the container behaved as expected.
“Cats use a causal-logical understanding of noise or sounds to predict the appearance of invisible objects,” lead researcher Saho Takagi says in a press release. The researchers conclude that cats’ hunting style may have developed based on their common-sense abilities to infer where prey is, using their hearing.
Scientists have explored this idea with other endearing creatures: babies. Like cats, babies appear to engage in what’s called “preferential looking”—looking longer at things that are interesting or unusual than things they perceive (认知) as normal.
When babies’ expectations are violated in experiments like the ones performed with the cats, they react much like their animal friends. Psychologists have shown that babies apparently expect their world to obey the laws of physics and cause and effect as early as two months of age.
Does the study mean that cats will soon grasp the ins and outs of cause and effect? Maybe, Okay, so cats may not be the next physics faculty members at America’s most important research universities. But by demonstrating their common sense, they’ve shown that the divide between cats and humans may not be that great after all.
1.What do we learn from a newly published study about cats?
A.They can be trained to understand the physical world.
B.They have a natural ability to locate animals they hunt.
C.They know what kind of prey might be easier to hunt.
D.They are capable of telling which way their prey flees.
2.What may account for the cats’ response to the noise from the containers?
A.Their command of cause and effect. B.Their unusual sense of direction.
C.Their special ability to perceive. D.Their inborn sensitivity to noise.
3.What can we conclude about cats from the passage?
A.They have higher intelligence than the majority of animals.
B.They display outstanding abilities in hunting and hearing.
C.They can aid physics professors in their research work.
D.They interact with the physical world much like humans.
Driven by high salaries and strong job prospects, a lot of students enter college thinking they will major in engineering. If you think engineering might be a good choice for you, a summer engineering program is a great way to learn more about the field and expand your experiences. Below are some excellent summer engineering programs.
Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation
This introductory engineering course for rising juniors and seniors is offered by Johns Hopkins University at several locations across the country. If the student achieves an A or B in the program, they will also receive three transferable credits from Johns Hopkins University. The program runs for four or five days a week over four to five weeks, depending on the location.
Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers this enrichment program for high school juniors interested in engineering, science and entrepreneurship. Students select five of 14 strict academic courses to study over the six weeks of the program, during which time they have several opportunities to network with a diverse group of individuals within the fields of science and engineering. Students also share and celebrate their own cultures.
Summer Engineering Exploration Camp
Hosted by the University of Michigan, this program is a one-week residential camp for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in engineering. Participants have the opportunity to explore several different areas of engineering during engineering workplace tours, group projects, and presentations by students, faculty and professional engineers. Campers also enjoy recreational events and experience a university residential atmosphere in the University of Michigan dorms.
Exploring Your Options at the University of Illinois
This residential summer engineering camp for rising high school juniors and seniors is offered by the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering program, headquartered at the University of Illinois. Campers have the chance to interact with engineering students and faculty, visit engineering facilities and research labs at the university, and work together on hands-on engineering projects. Students also participate in traditional camp recreational and social activities. The camp runs for two one-week sessions during June and July.
1.Which of the following programs lasts longest?
A.Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation
B.Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science
C.Summer Engineering Exploration Camp
D.Exploring Your Options at the University of Illinois
2.This passage may be intended for ________.
A.engineering majors B.professional engineers
C.high school students D.scientifically gifted children
I learned about life from an ant farm. When I was seven years old, my family ____ an ant farm at home. First, we put clean sand in a thin glass box, and then we brought some ants from the backyard and placed them into the ____ home.
Shortly after the new ____ were dropped into the glass structure, they got to work making tunnels. I was amazed that each one knew ____what to do. After hours of staring, I realized that the ants had assigned jobs. With my mom ' s help, I kept a diary of what happened each day and ____ the ants. My favorite was the biggest , Cinderella. I drew a picture of her in my diary, which I still have .
One day a tragedy ____ the ant farm.While I was observing the ants , I had put my face so close to the structure that I accidentally ____ it over. Unfortunately, my carelessness caused all the tunnels to ____. Although the ants ____ their earthquake, one by one they began to die. I was ____ as I watched them give up their tunnel-building to carry the bodies to a corner of the farm. My mother reported that the ants were actually dying of "frustration"--- the feeling annoyed and disappointed as they couldn’t control the situation . They simply could not ____ the reality that their tunnels had been destroyed. Cinderella was the last to die ---she did so while carrying a dead ant on her back .
Although much time has passed, I still think of that ant farm. Mom had hoped it would teach me about the natural world, ____ it taught me much more.____ the years, I came to realize the ants were a study in the benefits of ____. Working together, they were able to create a(an) ____ world for themselves. I also learned that they should be____ for their hard work. Day in and day out, each labored at their task. The ant farm showed that teamwork and perseverance are indeed two key ____ for success. But there was an even larger lesson that I did not ____until recently: Disaster is a natural part of life, and must be ____. Unlike the ants, humans cannot give up when they face ____. Unlike the ants, we have to realize that if a tunnel caves in , we just have to build another.
1.A.created B.bought C.ran D.laid
2.A.empty B.new C.strange D.distant
3.A.guests B.settlers C.friends D.members
4.A.probably B.roughly C.exactly D.normally
5.A.named B.trained C.compared D.measured
6.A.affected B.struck C.kicked D.beat
7.A.split B.took C.tipped D.handed
8.A.rush out B.break in C.drop out D.cave in
9.A.experienced B.predicted C.faced D.survived
10.A.annoyed B.astonished C.moved D.thrilled
11.A.reflect B.ignore C.confirm D.stand
12.A.and B.but C.so D.or
13.A.In B.For C.From D.Over
14.A.teamwork B.devotion C.responsibility D.organization
15.A.relaxing B.amusing C.moving D.amazing
16.A.supported B.inspired C.admired D.admitted
17.A.conclusions B.solutions C.recipes D.circumstances
18.A.give B.realize C.take D.adopt
19.A.accepted B.suffered C.escaped D.managed
20.A.challenges B.barriers C.pressure D.disappointment
