专题练习
Passage 1 ✅
精析 P386
Imagine a child standing on a diving board four feet high and asking himself the question: “Should I jump?” This is what motivation or the lack of it can do. Motivation and goal setting are the two sides of same coin. __1__ Like the child on the diving board, you will stay undecided.
__2__ More than that, how should you stay motivated to achieve the goal?
First, you need to evaluate yourself, your values, your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements, your desires, etc. Only then should you set your goals.
You also need to judge the quality and depth of your motivation. This is quite important, because it is directly related to your commitment. There are times when your heart is not in your work. __3__ So, slow down and think what you really want to do at that moment. Clarity (清晰) of thoughts can help you move forward.
Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives, keeping in mind your beliefs, values and strengths. Remember that goals are flexible. __4__ They also need to be measurable. You must keep these points in mind while setting your goals.
Your personal circumstances are equally important. For example, you may want to be a pilot but can’t become one because your eyesight is not good enough. __5__ You should reassess your goals, and motivate yourself to set a fresh goal.
You will surely need to overcome some difficulties, some planned, but most unplanned. You cannot overcome them without ample motivation. Make sure that you plan for these difficulties at the time of setting your goals.
A. This can affect your work.
B. So how should you motivate yourself?
C. However, this should not discourage you.
D. They can change according to circumstances.
E. Without motivation, you can neither set a goal nor reach it.
1 ✅
E
2 ✅
B
3 ✅
A
4 ✅
D
5 ✅
C
Passage 2 ✅
精析 P387
If something that you're doing doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn’t change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all. __1__ So challenge the following limits:
① Figure out what you’re scared of and do it continuously.
If you’re a salesman, and you’re scared of talking to people personally or over the phone, now, instead of being scared and thinking you’ll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call. __2__ But don’t stop on the first try! Eventually, you can look at fear in the eyes and say, “Go on, I’m not scared!”
② __3__
Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and relieve your stress while performing this. So some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and so on. Apart from helping you challenge yourself, taking a class for your hobby may also give you extra income.
③ Set aside at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.
__4__ A simple 9-minute run around your neighborhood can do wonders for yourself. Exercise can not only help you maintain your regular weight, but also make you feel better about yourself.
④ Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.
Don’t just limit yourself to your fellow travelers — try to connect with the service staff. You never know what kind of people they’re going to be. Get out of your house or go online right now to book your class. __5__
A. You don’t need to go to the gym.
B. Someone may hang up on you.
C. Take a class for a hobby you’ve been wanting to develop.
D. Start to travel now and learn to challenge yourself.
E. You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone.
1 ✅
E
2 ✅
B
3 ✅
C
4 ✅
A
5 ✅
D
Passage 3 ✅
精析 P387
France aims to bring more foreign students to its universities by offering more classes taught in English. France is home to famous universities like the Sorbonne in Paris and several leading business schools. __1__ But it ranks (排名) behind the US, Britain and Australia in the total number of foreign students who study there.
__2__ The country has seen increased competition from Germany, Russia, Canada and China.
Under the new plan, France will ease student visa requirements. __3__ Starting next March, foreigners who have earned a French master’s degree will be able to receive a residence visa (居留签证). The change is meant to help recent graduates look for work or set up a business in France.
__4__ Currently, students in France — including foreign students — pay (about) 170 euros a year for a bachelor’s degree and 243 euros a year for a master’s degree. Officials said the low cost of education in France leads students from other countries to believe that the quality of a French education is lower than what other countries offer. Beginning in September 2019, non-European students will pay 2,770 euros a year for a bachelor’s degree and 3,770 euros for graduate degrees. __5__ France will use the extra money to build better education facilities and increase the number of scholarships for foreign students.
A. Student visa applications also will be available online.
B. The country is a popular choice among non-English-speaking students.
C. That is still much less costly than some other European countries, however.
D. France also plans to increase the costs for students who come from outside the European Economic Area.
E. Between 2011 and 2016, the number of foreign students studying at French universities fell by 8.5 percent.
1 ✅
B
2 ✅
E
3 ✅
A
4 ✅
D
5 ✅
C
Passage 4 ✅
精析 P388
At times, when it comes to courage, we tend to believe it only applies to rare and uncommon situations. Yet our ordinary lives can also be full of courage, even if we are not facing the end of a gun, a wild animal or a dangerous criminal. Courage doesn’t just mean doing heroic acts. __1__ In fact, where there is fear on a daily basis, there are opportunities for you to show your courage. Here are some suggestions to develop courage by overcoming daily fears.
Recognize your fears.
By realizing that you’re fearful, you are more likely to get to the bottom of what your fear is. __2__ you might come to understand that you’re afraid of failing or taking chances. You may be fearful simply because you don’t have confidence in yourself. The key is not to dwell on your fear, but rather to understand what it is that you’re worried about.
Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen.
If you hesitate to take action, ask yourself this: what’s the worst that can happen? Then prepare to accept it. Then go on to improve on the worst. Is failure the worst thing that can happen? No, absolutely not. __3__ Doing nothing is actually the worst thing that can happen. When you take no action, you are assured of getting nowhere.
Take action.
__4__ You cannot think courage comes just in one day. You need to act to overcome your fear. Your action may put you into discomfort, but you have to just do it. And your action can prevent you from being stuck.
__5__ To build up your confidence, you need to do the same thing over and over again. Soon you will discover that less courage is needed because you have already gained mastery. You are able to move decisively forward.
A. Practice, practice and practice.
B. Courage comes from taking action.
C. Each undesired result is just one more step towards your goal.
D. Finding out what is truly holding you back.
E. You needn’t wait for an emergency to occur to develop courage. ✅
1 ✅
E
2 ✅
D
3 ✅
C
4 ✅
B
5 ✅
A
Passage 5 ❌2
精析 P388
On a hot summer day, nothing tastes better than a nice slice of watermelon. Understanding the best growing conditions for watermelons will help you grow this wonderful fruit.
__1__ The plants do all the work. They grow great in the south during warmer seasons, so if you live in the north, you can follow the given tips to succeed.
Firstly, you should start early varieties in the house and plant transplants instead of planting seeds directly into the soil. Watermelons prefer sandy soil over others. __2__
Another tip is that the transplanted watermelon seedlings should be planted 2 to 3 feet apart. You should definitely include 7 to 10 rows between. __3__ But don’t start them too early because large growing watermelon seedlings don’t do well when transplanted.
When thinking about how to grow watermelons, you want to be sure that you keep the area free from weeds. A good, shallow hoeing is best. __4__ And you certainly don’t want to cut any shoots off the main plant. Another thing to think about when considering how to grow watermelons is that they need plenty of water. You should especially give them water when it gets dry, as it often does in the dead of summer.
__5__ If the bottom where it sits in the soil is yellow, the watermelon is probably ripe for you to enjoy.
A. You do not want to disturb the roots.
B. Growing watermelons is not that difficult.
C. The plants should be started indoors and then put outside.
D. Growing watermelons takes about 120 days from start to finish.
E. Growing watermelons also requires space as the plants spread on the ground.
1 ✅
B
2 ❌
C ❌
E ✅
3 ❌
E ❌
C ✅
4 ✅
A
5 ✅
D