Honesty is the best policy. If your account doesn’t _________ what the security cameras recorded, you’ll get punished.
A.subscribe to B.attend to C.correspond to D.relate to
The judge said that the fine would ________ a warning to other drivers.
A.look into B.serve as C.watch over D.set up
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
