The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

　　Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

　　The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is very positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your stupid friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

　　In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable.”

　　Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts.

　　The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

1.What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A．It has produced positive results.

B．It is a highly profitable industry.

C．It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

D．It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

2.What does the word “underline” mean (Line 4, Para. 3)?

A．point out

B．lay emphasis on

C．pay no attention to

D．take for granted

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the Canadian researchers’ study?

A．Encouraging positive thinking many do more good than harm.

B．Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood.

C．There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

D．Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.

4.What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy.

B．People can avoid making mistakes through meditation.

C．Different people tend to have different ways of thinking.

D．The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person.

 

It is difficult for parents of nearly every family to teach their children to be responsible for housework, but with one of the following suggestions, you really can get your children to help at home.
　　If you give your children the impression that they can never do anything quite right, then they will regard themselves as unfit or unable persons. Unless children believe they can succeed, they will never become totally independent.
　　My daughter Carla’s fifth - grade teacher made every child in her class feel special. When students received less than a prefect test score, she would point out what they had mastered and declared firmly they could learn what they had missed.
　　You can use the same technique when you evaluate （评价）your child’s work at home. Don’t always scold and give lots of praise instead.  Talk about what he has done right, not about what he hasn’t done. If your child completes a difficult task（任务）, promise him a Sunday trip or a ball game with Dad.
　　Learning is a process（过程）of trying and failing and trying and succeeding. If you teach your children not to fear a mistake of failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last.
【小题1】The whole passage deals with ________.
　　   

A．social education

B．school education

C．family education

D．pre - school education

【小题2】The article gives us a good suggestion about how to evaluate（评价）your child’s work at home. That is to _____.
　　   

A．praise his success

B．promise him a trip

C．give him a punishment

D．promise him a ball game

【小题3】The author advises readers to________.
　　   

A．learn from himself, for he has a good way of teaching

B．take pride in Carla’s fifth - grade teacher

C．do as what Carla’s teacher did in educating children

D．follow Carla’s example because she never fails in the test

【小题4】Having read the last paragraph, we can conclude that ________.
　　   

A．pride goes before a fall

B．practice makes perfect

C．no pains, no gains

D．failure is the mother of success

There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy, the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.

People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things. The pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine, the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend(or hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.

Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

1.The phrase“sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means__________.

A.make others unhappy               B. have a good taste with social life　

C. tend to scold others openly       　　   D. enjoy the pleasure of life

2.We can conclude from the passage that__________.

A. such unhappy people are dangerous to social life  B. people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness 

C. we should pity all such unhappy people  

D. unhappy people can not understand happy persons

3.If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ______.

A. show no respect and politeness to them    

B. prevent any communication with them

C. persuade them to recognize the bad effects

D. quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

4.In this passage, the writer mainly________.

A. describes two types of people　　        B. laughs at the unhappy people

C.tells people how to be happy in life      D. suggests ways to help them unhappy

 

完形填空

　　Every summer, a great many students travel to other countries looking for work and adventure. Most of the 1 are in seasonal work, mainly connected with tourism and 2 . The pay is usually poor, but most people work abroad for the 3 of travel. You can pick grapes in France, entertain kids on American summer camps, and, of course, there are 4 jobs in hotels and restaurants.

　　But it is not easy now to find work.“ 5 you speak the language of the country well, there will be very few openings,”says Anthea Ellis, an adviser on 6 for students. If you work with a family in Italy, you'll have to speak Italian. When you wash dishes in a restaurant in Paris, the owner will expect you to speak 7 . British students only have a language advantage 8 jobs in the USA and Australia. 9 Enjoys the experience. Sarah James was employed to help forty American children in Europe. The two teachers with the children had never been 10 . One child lost his passport another became seriously ill and was 11 home; the whole group was thrown out of one hotel because of the 12 they made, and Sarah herself was robbed on her only 13 evening of the entire trip.“I did visit a lot of new places,”she says,“but it wasn't worth it. The pay was 14 and it really was a 24-hour a day job. The kids never slept!”

　　“The trouble is, students except to have 15 time of it,”Anthea Ellis points out.“ 16 , they see it as a holiday. In practice 17 you have to work hard. At the same time, all vacation work is casual work. You'll have a job when the hotel, the restaurant, or the campsite is busy. 18 , you'll work if it's convenient for the company that employs you. But you have 19 employment rights. As soon as the holiday season 20 they'll get rid of you.”

1．

[　　]

A．work　　　　　　B．luck

C．chances　　　　　D．services

2．

[　　]

A．agriculture　　　B．industry

C．hotels　　　　　D．restaurant

3．

[　　]

A．pains　　　　　B．comfort

C．difficulty　　　D．excitement

4．

[　　]

A．always　　　　　B．hardly

C．never　　　　　 D．seldom

5．

[　　]

A．If　　　　　　　B．Unless

C．Because　　　　 D．Although

6．

[　　]

A．health care　　　 B．vacation work

C．language studies　D．tourist safety

7．

[　　]

A．Italian　　　　　B．English

C．French　　　　　D．Spanish

8．

[　　]

A．of　　　　　　　B．on

C．from　　　　　　D．for

9．

[　　]

A．No one　　　　　B．None

C．Not everyone　　D．Everybody

10．

[　　]

A．abroad　　　　　B．employed

C．alone　　　　　 D．respected

11．

[　　]

A．driven　　　　　B．ridden

C．left　　　　　　D．flown

12．

[　　]

A．friends　　　　B．decision

C．noise　　　　　D．damage

13．

[　　]

A．busy　　　　　　B．free

C．tiring　　　　　 D．pleasant

14．

[　　]

A．nice　　　　　　B．reasonable

C．fair　　　　　　D．poor

15．

[　　]

A．a hard　　　　　B．an easy

C．a demanding　　 D．an adventurous

16．

[　　]

A．After all　　　 B．Worse still

C．However　　　D．Therefore

17．

[　　]

A．besides　　　　B．altogether

C．though　　　　D．until

18．

[　　]

A．In a word　　　　B．In other words

C．And what's more　D．More or less

19．

[　　]

A．few　　　　　　 B．little

C．many　　　　　　D．much

20．

[　　]

A．starts　　　　　 B．lasts

C．goes　　　　　　D．finishes