Lack of sleep will cause an increase in stress levels, which will lead to you not liking your job. This_____ will also have a negative impact on your productivity.
A.in turn B.in return C.in place D.in brief
People complain that decisions to approve or deny a permit are often ______ rather than based on fixed criteria.
A.appropriate B.conscious
C.arbitrary D.controversial
Have you ever wondered how the trainers at Sea World get the 19,000-pound whale to jump 22 feet out of water and perform tricks? They get that whale to go over a rope farther out of the water than most of us can imagine. 1..
So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? The first thing they do is reinforce(强化) the behavior that they want repeated --- in this case, to get the whale to go over the rope.2., in a position where the whale can’t help but do what’s expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it’s given positive reinforcement and gets fed with fish. But what happened when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing — no criticism, no warning and no feedback. 3..
Positive reinforcement is the key of that simple principle that produces such splendid results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn’t starve.
4.. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know they need help when they mess up. 5., people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it.
So we need to set up the circumstances so that people can’t fail. Over-celebrate, under-criticize…and know how far to raise the rope.
A. This is a great challenge
B. And the whale stays right where it is
C. If we figure out a way to motivate the whale
D. They start with the rope below the surface of the water
E. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than expected
F. Whales are taught that their negative behavior won’t be acknowledged
G. The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate
Being seen in a fancy sports car or enjoying a beach holiday in a five-star hotel were once signs of having “made it”. But a new study suggested that having people think of you as constantly occupied and overworked is now a far better way to demonstrate social position.
According to Harvard University in the US, people are increasingly leaning toward the phenomenon of “humblebragging”. This is when people make a seemingly modest statement that actually draws attention to something they want to show off.
Phrases such as “I have no life” and “I desperately need a holiday” are now used to imply social standing, while ordering food and shopping online is the perfect way to prove to neighbors that you are simply too busy and important to go to the supermarket.
“Movies, magazines, and popular TV shows often highlight the abundance of money and leisure time among the wealthy,” said Neeru Paharia, an assistant professor at Harvard University. “In recent years, featuring wealthy people relaxing by the pool, playing tennis or skiing and hunting are being substituted with advertisements featuring busy individuals who work long hours and have very limited leisure time,” he said. “Displaying a lack of leisure time operates as a visible signal of status in the eyes of others.”
The researchers pointed out that the Wall Street Journal’s 2016 advertising campaign featured celebrities complaining about their busy lives, with the slogan (标语), “People who don’t have time, make time to read the Wall Street Journal.”
The report, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research, also found that brands that marketed themselves as time saving were becoming increasingly high-status, because of their users.
According to the authors, this trend of humblebragging is due to people’s shift of focus – they now value “the preciousness and scarcity of individuals” more than “the preciousness and scarcity of goods”. “Busy individuals possess desirable characteristics, leading them to be viewed as in demand,” the authors concluded.
1.Which of the following statements can count as “humblebragging”?
A.“Just ate 15 pieces of chocolate. Gotta control myself flying first class or they'll cancel my modeling contract!”
B.“Everybody check this baby out---we just bought a castle! I mean literally!”
C.“Guys, I'm screwed. I I've missed the final deadline for my essay again and my tutor is going to fail me !”
D.“Wow, I can't believe a rubbishy article like yours got published in a national newspaper!”
2.To indicate their social position, people today prefer to ______.
A.share their passion for tennis or skiing
B.show how fast-paced their work life is
C.tell people about the wonderful holidays they take
D.show off their abundance of money and leisure time
3.The Wall Street Journal’s 2016 adverting slogan is mentioned in para. 5 to prove ______.
A.showing a lack of time suggests high social status
B.the Wall Street Journal is worth people’s time
C.busy individuals need to better manage their time
D.people of high social position are lacking in time
4.The underlined word in the last paragraph “scarcity” probably means_____
A.quantity B.identity
C.shortage D.qualification
When Jeff Sparkman draws his cartoon superheroes, he often has to ask other people to tell him what color his characters turned out to be because he's color-blind. Now, a new smart phone application can help him figure out what colors he's using and how the picture looks to others.
The DanKam app, available for iPhone and Android for $2.99, is an application that makes the vague colors that one percent of the population with color-blindness sees more like the "true" colors as everyone else sees them. In America, around 32 million color-blind Americans---95% are males---can soon have their life improved.
"DanKam takes the stream of data coming in through the phone's camera and changes the colors slightly so they fall within the range that people who are color-blind see," developer Dan Kaminsky told CNET. He came up with the idea after watching the film Star Trek with a color-blind friend.
It was then that he got to know more about colorblindness like its varying types and degrees. A vast majority, for instance, have trouble seeing red or green due to a genetic defect(缺陷). Blue-yellow colorblindness, however, is rarer and develops later in life because of aging, illness or head injuries, etc.
What the DanKam app attempts to do is to clean up the color space of the image signal so that colors can be seen to those suffering from viewing problems. “You can customize the app to fit your needs. There is a range and not everyone who is color-blind sees things the same.” Says Kaminsky.
Sparkman, a copy editor at CNET, tried out the app and was pleased with the results. "It would be useful for dressing for a job interview," he said. But using it for his art is “the most practical application." It worked well on LED and other lights on electronic devices, which means Sparkman can now identify the power light on his computer display as green.
1.According to passage, DanKam ___________.
A.was developed by Jeff Sparkman. B.appeared in the movie Star Trek.
C.is designed to help the blind. D.can be purchased with a fee
2.It can be known from the passage that colorblindness __________.
A.causes trouble in telling all colors B.occurs more commonly in females
C.is not necessarily an inborn disease D.leaves people unable to see clearly
3.How does the DanKam app work?
A.It makes vague colors become vivid ones. B.It operates in a fixed color model.
C.It shows images with an adjusted color space. D.It puts LED lights on electronic devices.
4.Which of the following serves as the best title for the passage?
A.Dankam: A New Treatment For Colorblindness.
B.DanKam: Augmented(增强) Reality For Colorblindness.
C.Dan Kaminsky: A Campaign Against Colorblindness.
D..Jeff Sparkman: Satisfaction Guaranteed By DanKam.
Vegetable gardens may not be as visually pleasing as the variety of flowers, but Floridians looking to save some green by growing their own salad fixings can soon do so without fear. Gov. Ron DeSantis this week signed a law that bans local governments from carrying orders against homeowners from raising veggies in their yards.
The law, which takes effect July 1, puts an end to that particular power of towns and cities across the state to prohibit vegetable gardens for “aesthetic（审美的）purposes”.
The issue became a cause after a couple living in Miami Shores Village opposed the decision of a $ 50 a day fine for growing vegetables in their front yard, as they’d done for years.
Hermine Ricketts and her husband Tom Carroll fought City Hall in a case that wound its way up the state’s court system, with judges consistently ruling against their money-saving and health-conscious project.
After the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of Miami Shores’ right to control design and landscaping standards, the couple replaced their vegetables with pink flamingos (红鹳花) .
Their cause was not lost, however. State lawmakers proposed and passed a law that effectively voids the court rulings, with Rob Bradley, who sponsored the bill, reportedly calling the village’s action a “vast overreach”.
The lawmaker noted the difficulty that many families experience getting fresh and affordable food, calling bans against vegetable and fruit gardens ridiculous.
About a third of all households in the U. S. grow some of their own food, according to the National Gardening Association. The group says a 600-square-foot garden that costs around $ 70 a year to keep can grow 300 pounds of fresh produce worth about $ 600 annually.
1.Why will some Floridians plant salad fixings?
A.To protect the environment. B.To beautify their home.
C.To build their own gardens. D.To cut daily expenses.
2.What can be known about the couple from the passage?
A.They started a public health-conscious campaign.
B.They never gave in to the Miami Shores’ demand .
C.They were fined $50 a day by Miami Shores Village.
D.They were not backed by the Florida Supreme Court.
3.What does the underlined word “voids” in paragraph 6 mean?
A.Hides. B.Cancels.
C.Prevents. D.Values.
4.What does Rob Bradley think of the couple’s action probably?
A.It’s sensible. B.It’s ridiculous.
C.It’s ambitious. D.It’s costly.
