The dictionary isn’t forever. What happens to a word when its popularity starts to decline? Here’s how the process of deleting a word from the dictionary works.
The dictionary is actually a steadily enlarging volume. 1. New words arise from emerging and expanding disciplines. Definitions also change and shift, so common words gain new meanings. On the other hand, there are also words that become outdated. 2.
Who decides which words to delete? 3. While adding a word to the dictionary is a precise process, it’s even more difficult for a word to get deleted. Editors maintain and study vast language databases to keep up-to-date on the words in circulation across various media.
The Oxford English Dictionary covers the English language over the last 1,000 years, and it’s considered definitive and authoritative. 4. And each has its own process for additions and removals.
5. A 2019 petition(请愿)with 30,000 signatures calls for the Oxford English Dictionary to remove sexist language and definitions, especially those terms under the word “woman.” And Merriam-Webster recently changed definitions of identity-related words to reflect new cultural meanings around fairness.
A.Some new words might be out of date one day.
B.As a result, words get removed from the dictionary.
C.Dictionary additions and deletions reflect social changes.
D.It’s up to the dictionary editors to make the final decision.
E.That’s because the English language constantly develops and changes.
F.These are often the types of words that will make it into dictionaries.
G.However, there are many other dictionaries that are reliable and trustworthy.
Looking at his pile of unpaid bills always makes Giuseppe Del Giudice feel uneasy. Sometimes he incurs (招致) late fees, but in many ways the emotional toll (代价) is worse. “The longer the bills go unpaid,” says Del Giudice, 58, “the more my anxiety increases.”
At the end of the day or month, most people get their tasks done on time, but around 20 percent are chronic procrastinators (慢性拖延者) at home and at work. One big factor for them is fear of failure, of not living up to expectations. Kelli Saginak, a 57-year-old functional health coach from Wisconsin, procrastinated about looking for a new job for years. That inability to take action only confirmed her belief that she would never do any better. “If I don’t take the risk, decide, or commit, I don’t have to face the judgment,” says Saginak.
Some people accept procrastination, believing that they make progress under pressure. But researchers have disproved that view. “I did an experiment several years ago, putting procrastinators under restrictions of time,” says Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul University. “They did worse than nonprocrastinators, but they thought they did better. They made more errors. They took longer.”
Whatever the motivation, delaying a diet or exercise program may increase your risk of heart disease. Not having seen the doctor when your illness was easier to treat may shorten your life. Just thinking about what you haven’t done may cause discomfort. “Procrastinators experience higher levels of stress, both from leaving things to the last minute and from their own negative and self-critical feelings about their procrastination,” says Fuschia Sirois, a psychology lecturer at the University of Sheffield.
One of the most commonly procrastinated activities is going to bed. “You can put your lights on a timed dimmer switch to encourage a consistent bedtime,” said Joel Anderson, a philosophy researcher-lecturer at Utrecht University, who performed an experiment on this and found it worked on most of his subjects. “They formed an intention,” Anderson says. “One of them said, ‘When the lights start to dim, I’ll start going to bed.’ Then, reward yourself for each step you take toward your goal. But don’t try to convince yourself it will work the other way around! ”
1.What prevented Kelli Saginak stepping into the job market again?
A.Her old age. B.Her lack of skills.
C.Her fear of judgment. D.Her past failure.
2.What does the underlined part “that view” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Procrastinators tend to misjudge their abilities.
B.It’s hard for people to succeed under pressure.
C.Procrastination is part of the human condition.
D.Pressure usually leads to better performance.
3.What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.Different forms of procrastinating. B.Negative effects of procrastinating.
C.Common excuses for procrastinating. D.Specific suggestions for procrastinating.
4.How should people stick to a fixed bedtime according to Joel Anderson?
A.They can use lighting as little as possible.
B.They can first ask themselves about their intentions.
C.They can read some boring research papers.
D.They can try sending themselves signals to inspire action.
Google “information overload” and you are immediately overloaded with information: more than 7m hits in 0.05 seconds. Some of this information is interesting: for example, the phrase “information overload” was popularised by Alvin Toffler in 1970. Some of it is mere noise: obscure companies promoting their services and even more obscure bloggers sounding off. The overall impression is at once overwhelming and confusing.
“Information overload” is one of the biggest irritations in modern life. There are e-mails to answer, YouTube videos to watch and, back in the physical world, meetings to attend and papers to shuffle(翻动). A survey by Reuters once found that two-thirds of managers believe that the data deluge(泛滥) had made their jobs less satisfying or hurt their personal relationships. One-third thought that it had damaged their health. Another survey suggests that most managers think most of the information they receive is useless.
Some researchers raise three big worries. First, information overload can make people feel anxious and powerless: scientists have discovered that multitaskers produce more stress hormones. Second, overload can discourage creativity. Teresa Amabile of Harvard Business School has spent more than a decade studying the work habits of 238 people. She finds that focus and creativity are connected. People are more likely to be creative if they are allowed to focus on something for some time without interruptions. If constantly interrupted or forced to attend meetings, they are less likely to be creative. Third, overload can also make workers less productive. David Meyer of the University of Michigan has shown that people who complete certain tasks in parallel take much longer and make many more errors than people who complete the same tasks in sequence.
What can be done about information overload? One answer is technological: rely on the people who created the fog to invent filters(过滤器) that will clean it up. Xerox promises to restore “information purity” by developing better filtering and managing devices. A second answer involves willpower. Turn off your mobile phone and WiFi from time to time.
Most companies are better at giving employees access to the information superhighway than at teaching them how to drive. This is starting to change. Management consultants have spotted an opportunity. Derek Dean and Caroline Webb of McKinsey urge businesses to apply three principles to deal with data overload: find time to focus, filter out noise and forget about work when you can. Business leaders are chipping in. David Novak of Yum! Brands urges people to ask themselves whether what they are doing is constructive or a mere “activity”. Cristobal Conde of SunGard, an IT firm, preserves “thinking time” in his schedule when he cannot be disturbed. This might sound like common sense. But common sense is rare amid the cacophony(不和谐的声音) of corporate life.
1.According to the survey conducted by Reuters, most managers believe ______.
A.the data deluge does harm to their health.
B.most information they receive is of great use.
C.information overload destroys their personal relationship.
D.their jobs are satisfying thanks to the rich information on the Internet.
2.Which of the following is NOT a damaging effect of information overload?
A.Making people unproductive. B.Causing people to lack creativity.
C.Arousing people’s negative feelings. D.Leaving people bad at multitasking.
3.The technological way to deal with information overload is to ______.
A.improve the technique for filtering data B.limit the uploading of information
C.provide limited access to the Internet D.develop better search engines
4.Which of the following action may Derek Dean and Caroline Webb approve of?
A.Listening to music while working. B.Finishing several tasks at the same time.
C.Taking your mind off work occasionally. D.Avoiding using your common sense in your work.
Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. Key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.
BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time，the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.
"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers，"Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can be taught-are key to a child's life success.”
Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian:rigid，demanding or controlling. Rather，an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics:children feel warmth and love from their father；responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权).
In the study，about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time，children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence，which leads to better outcomes in school.
This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence，which is an avenue of future research.
1.What is special about the BYU professors' study?
A.It centered on fathers' role in parenting.
B.It was based on a number of large families.
C.It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles.
D.It aimed to improve kids' achievement in school.
2.What would an authoritative father do when raising his children?
A.Ignore their demands. B.Make decisions for them.
C.Control their behaviors. D.Explain the rules to them.
3.Which group can be a focus of future studies according to the researchers?
A.Single parents.
B.Children aged from 11 to 14.
C.Authoritarian fathers.
D.Mothers in two-parent homes.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers.
B.Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future.
C.Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father.
D.Family Relationship Influences School Performance.
Istanbul&Faces
Titled"Timeless City:Istanbul&Faces", the Turkey photography exhibition celebrates the 30th anniversary of Istanbul and Shanghai's sistership. The 42-year-old photographer focuses on the distinctive(独特的）historical quarters and the atmosphere that spreads in Istanbul. His work also pays respects to its people as well, with well-defined portraits.
Date:Till Jan. 18, 10 a. m. -4 p. m. Venue:Shanghai Art Collection Museum.
Knitted Works
The knitted(编织的）show is aimed at raising awareness of post natal depression. The works were created by more than 20 mothers from different cities. All the knitted dolls and other works will be sold with the profits(利益）going to charity when the exhibition ends. If you are interested in the knitted works, you can order a special piece.
Date:Till Jan. 1, 7 a. m. -9p. m. Venue:Bl Jinxiu Fun.
Old Shanghai Teahouse
The newly-opened zone at Shanghai Dungeon features nostalgic sets and experiences for visitors to have"scary fun". Visitors can wear traditional Chinese costumes and take photos with the performers.
Date:Daily, 11 a. m. -8 p. m. Venue:Mosaic Shanghai Mail.
Musical Titanic
The Tony Awards winning musical"Titanic"is in Shanghai with more than 100 characters cast. The impressive stage effects promise to take the audience to the bottom of the ocean.
Date:Till Jan 22, 2 p. m. -7:30 p. m. Venue:SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.
1.Where should you go if you want to learn more about Turkey's history?
A.Shanghai Art Collection Museum.
B.Mosaic Shanghai Mail.
C.B1 Jinxiu Fun.
D.SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.
2.What can we know about knitted works?
A.People can have a talk with the creators.
B.All the works can be sold when the show begins.
C.The show offers people chances to learn how to make one.
D.They were made by people from different places.
3.What makes the Musical Titanic special?
A.Its opening time is the longest.
B.It raises money for a special purpose.
C.It offers a lifelike experience under water.
D.It allows interacting with performers.
假定你是李华，你校最近正在网上选拔学生参加 2020 年中美青年大使线上交流项目，帮助美国青年使者更好地了解中国的历史文化。请写一封电子邮件申请参加该项目。内容包括：
1. 介绍自己的优势；
2. 参加意图；
3. 希望获准。
注意：词数 100 左右，可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
中美青年大使线上交流项目 Sino-American Youth Ambassadors online Program
Dear Sir or Madam,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
