Too many people think that intelligence is a gift of nature and that there is little anyone can do to improve theirs. IQ tests have managed to confuse many of us, leading us to believe that intelligence is largely fixed.

It is not. Just like swimming, cooking, dancing, and many other things, being smart is a skill that requires training. I discovered some of the most important tools to be smart when I watched my professors for years to learn how to do useful research. Now I will share them with you.

Practice self-critical thinking

Critical thinking is the act of questioning the arguments that are put before us. It is a valuable skill — without it, we are too willing to believe what other people say and easily get influenced. The problem is that we usually only apply (应用) critical thinking to other people's ideas. When we apply critical thinking to our own ideas, its power reaches a whole new level. I call this self-critical thinking. If you practice self-critical thinking, you will find imperfection in your arguments before anyone else. And you can come up with a better idea. By practicing self-critical thinking, your mind will surprise you.

Be persistent

Smart and successful people don't give up. They believe that they can do it, so they spent months, even years trying until finally something works out. You might know that Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he succeeded. Actually, almost all scientists experience failure regularly. So if you want to be smart, be persistent.

Learn to present your ideas

You may have your good ideas, but if you don't sell your ideas, no one will recognize their worth and consider you smart. So you need to learn how to present your ideas. Pronounce clearly, express your thoughts properly. And most importantly, let your enthusiasm (热情) about your ideas shine through. Enthusiasm spreads quickly. When you have something to say, say it well. Selling your ideas is not only good for your reputation (声誉), others can also benefit from your message.

Finally, you must also believe in yourself. Those who appear smarter than you simply have used the right tools to exercise their minds. You are smarter than you think.

1.When we practice self-critical thinking, we _________.

A. are very likely to doubt other people's ideas

B. are willing to believe and accept other people's ideas

C. can easily come up with better ideas than other people

D. can find weak points in our own ideas before other people

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Too many people think they can improve their intelligence.

B. Scientists can succeed much more easily than normal people.

C. Pronouncing clearly is the most important skill to express ideas.

D. Others can recognize the value of your ideas, if you sell them properly.

3.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. How to be smart. B. How to argue forcefully

C. How to be successful D. How to do useful research

On school nights, lots of kids have to do their reading before they are allowed to watch TV. Pretty soon, you might get to do both at the same time, in true Harry Potter style.

Several companies are racing to produce electronic paper and ink, complete with colors and moving imagines (图像). One idea would be to create a newspaper like The Daily Project in the Harry Potter books. Its pages would hold video clips of baseball games instead of just black-and-white photos.

Electronic paper is not a new idea. A company in Massachusetts called E ink, for example, has been working for years on such a technology. Little electricity determines (决定) whether each microsphere (微球体) looks black or white at any given time. Together, microspheres make up words and imagines. The techniques seems promising for creating still imagines that can be changed when needed, but the process (进程) is too slow for high-quality videos.

Scientists in Holland now report a new type of e-paper technology—by using layers (层) of oil. They can make images which change fast enough to meet standard video requirements. They can also make brilliant colors. So far, however, each image is smaller than the fingernail.

For now, reading and watching TV will have to return two separate activities. Keep your eyes open, though—in the future, TV watching and reading might be part of the same work.

1.According to the passage, kids soon can ________.

A. be allowed to watch TV B. watch TV while doing their homework

C. watch Harry Potter on TV D. be allowed to read a newspaper

2.What determines the black and white color of each microsphere?

A. Images. B. Electricity. C. Oil and ink. D. Fingernail

3.Scientists in ________ have reported a new e-paper technology that uses oil.

A. the USA B. the UK C. England D. Holland

4.Which of the following in NOT true?

A. Electronic paper is not a new idea.

B. Microspheres make up words and images.

C. Watching TV and reading are now part of the same work.

D. Scientists use layers of oil in a new e-paper research.

5.From the last paragraph, we know that ________.

A. scientists are still working on the new e-paper technology

B. kids love to read while watching TV

C. parents may be against this new idea

D. teachers may not teach students in the future

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