题目内容
From a very early age，some children exhibit better
self-control than others.Now，a new study that began with about 1，000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health，money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.
Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now.They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed.Parents，teachers，even the kids themselves，scored the youngsters on measures like“acting before thinking”and “Persistence in reaching goals.”
The study led by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1，000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin,New Zealand.
“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten，later on had the most health problems in their 30s，” Moffitt said， “and they had the worst financial situation.They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.”Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed，and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.
Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others，though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior,with relatively little genetic influence.But good self-control can be set to run in familles because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents.But the good news，Moffitt said，is that self-control can be taught by parents，and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.
From the first two paragraphs we learn that .
A.the research has been carried out for five years
B.self-control in kids tends to determine their future
C.self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence
D.children’s self-control is almost the same at early age
Children with low self-control are more likely to .
A.become wealthy in later life B.get good school performance
C.have better financial planning D.adopt negative behaviors
According to Moffitt， .
A.only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future
B.scientists know well why some children have better self-control
C.self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity
D.willpower as a child really influences people’s chances of adulthood
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Self-control cannot be taught in schools.
B.The study is restricted within few participants.
C.It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems.
D.Good parenting can improve self-control and life success.
.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？
A.Child’s self control predicts future health，success
B.Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age
C.Children’s development cannot be changed by teachers
D.How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools
Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.
There’s worrying news for any parent who’s struggled with a headstrong young child. Some scientists recently claim that children who have low levels of self-control, which is the earliest demands that society places on children, at the age of three are more likely to have health and money problems and a criminal record by the age of 32, regardless of background and IQ. That is to say, willpower as a child really does influence your chances of a healthy and wealthy adulthood.
They found that children with low self-control were more likely to have health problems in later life including high blood pressure, being overweight, breathing problems and sexually transmitted infections. They were also more addicted to substances such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs, more likely to be single parents, have difficulty managing money and have criminal records.
Researchers from Britain, the US and New Zealand analyzed data from two large studies in which children completed a range of physical tests and interviews to assess genetic and environmental factors that can shape their lives.
The participants’ self-control was assessed by teachers, parents, observers and the children themselves and included things like having low frustration tolerance, lacking persistence in reaching goals, being over-active and acting before thinking.
Researchers then found that when the participants reached their early 30s, this impulsivity and relative inability to think about the long-term gave them more problems with finances, including savings, owning a home and credit card debt.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TWELVE WORDS.)
1. What are the findings of a recent research according to the passage?
____________________________________________________
2. The phrase “more addicted to” (Line 3, Para. 2) probably means “_____________________”.
3. Besides poor anti-frustration ability, over-activeness and fore-acting, children with low self-control may also suffer __________________________.
4. What may primarily cause the financial problems of the children with low self-control in their later years?
Glynis Davis:
I first piled on the pounds when I was in the family way and I couldn’t lose them afterwards. Then I joined a slimming club. My target was 140 pounds and I lost 30 pounds in six months. I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked. But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits. I told myself I’d lose the weight at slimming classes in the new year…but it didn’t happen. Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on. I’d lost willpower and tried to believe that the old bag of fish and chips didn’t make any difference but the scales don’t lie.[来源:Z。xx。k.Com]
Roz Jumab:
To be honest, I never weigh myself any more. I’ve learnt to be happy with myself. It seemed to me that I would feel sorry about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips. My idea is simple. You shouldn’t be too much thinking about food and dieting. Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming of a super thin body. This is obviously the size I’m meant to be and, most of all, I’m happy with it.
Lesley Codwin:
I was very happy at winning Young Slimmer of the year. I’d look into the mirror unable to believe this slim lady was me! That might have been my problem—perhaps from then on I didn’t pay any attention to myself. Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though, because you feel the eyes of the world are fixed upon you. I feel a complete failure because I’ve put on weight again.
Ros Landfod:
Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I’d always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant housework went straight to my waist and I put on 15 pounds in a year. Every so often I try to go on a diet…I’m really good on a few days, then end up having the children’s leftovers or eating happily chocolate—my weakness. I’d like to be slim, but right now my duty is the children and home. I might take more exercise when my kids are older.?
1．What do you think the four women were all talking about?
A．Their own slimming matter. B．Their life after marriage.
C．Their work as a housewife. D．Different diets they prefer.
2．Where are these short passage most likely to be taken from?
A．Talks on the air. B．Advertisements on the wall.
C．Book in a library. D．Magazines for housewives.
3．What does the underlined word “scales” possibly mean?
A．The coach in the slimming club.?B．Some tool to measure weight.
C．Glynis Davis’ dear husband. D．The salesperson in a food shop.?
4．What can we infer from Roz Jumab’s words?
A．Losing weight is a painful process which is unbearable.
B．Being thin can also be harmful.
C．It is necessary to force ourselves to lose weight.
D．We should learn to live comfortably with the way we look.
5．Which of the following best describes each of the four women’s attitudes towards slimming?
1．Glynis Davis 2．Roz Jumab 3．Lesley Codwinc 4．Ros Langfodd
a．I put on weight soon after I got married. b．Fame doesn’t necessarily mean success.
c．Facts speak much louder than words. d．I like myself as I am, and to be what you are.
A．1- a; 2 – d; 3 – b; 4 – c B．1 – c; 2 – b; 3 – d; 4 – a
C．1 – c; 2 – d; 3 – b; 4 – a D．1 – a; 2 – b; 3 – c; 4 –d
B
Canadian scientists have found that the more emotional or mental challenges a person faces in a day, the less determined they become to work out physically.
However, the findings should not stop us from keeping fit. Experts believe that willpower (意志力)is like a muscle ， and needs to be exercised to help one avoid the temptation (诱惑)spending a night on the couch instead.
Kathleen Martin 一 Ginis, a professor of kinesiology 一 the science of movement 一 who led the study, says everyone has a limited amount of willpower, and that it will be reduced by stress. Miss Martin 一 Ginis, of Canada' s McMaster University, explains, "Cognitive (认知的)tasks, as well as tasks such as regulating (调整)one' s emotions, can reduce one' s capacity to force oneself to exercise."
Her team of scientists performed a so — called " Stroop" test on volunteers to reach their conclusions. The experiment involved showing participants words associated with colors but printed in different colors - for example ， the word " blue " written in red ink . ' Participants were divided into two groups. One group was asked to name the color of the ink ， instead to say the printed word ， while the other wasn't Martin ― Ginis says ， " After we used this cognitive task to use up their self 一 regulatory capacity, the participants didn't exercise as hard as those who had not performed the task. ，， The more people concentrated on the cognitive task ， the more likely they were to skip exercise sessions (活动时间)over the next eight week. You only have so much willpower .
However, there are ways to strengthen willpower. The study found the listening to music before going to the gym can help, as well as making a commitment to work out with friends. It also concluded that willpower can be stretched by constantly cake ， or forcing oneself to study an extra hour each night.
Martin - Ginis adds, "There are strategies people can use to help revitalize (使恢复活动) themselves after they’ve used up their self 一 regulation. Willpower is like a muscle ： it needs to be used to stay strong.
61.According to the experts, human willpower .
A.can be exercised through muscle movement
B.can regulate itself to resist temptations
C.is weakened by stressful cognitive or emotional tasks
D.is reduced by lack of physical exercise.
62.We learn from Paragraph 4 that the experiment .
A.made use of the Stroop test
B.asked one group of participants to name the words
C.required researchers to write the word "blue" in red ink to make it easily recognizable.
D.showed that those who hadn't performed the task were smarter than those who had
63.All the following are ways to strengthen one's willpower EXCEPT________
A.listening to music before doing exercise
B.promising to work out with friends
C.training oneself repeatedly to resist temptations
D.forcing oneself to do the same thing each day
64.Which of the following is in agreement with Miss Martin ― Ginis' idea?
A.Human's willpower is limited to a certain level
B.The cognitive tasks could make people ignore exercise
C.Challenging tasks could make people ignore exercise
D.Exercise is an important way to strengthen one's willpower.
65.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Willpower can be challenged to become powerful.
B.McMaster University is famous for its kinesiology.
C.Effective ways to resist temptations have been found.
D.the study has an impact on the science of movement.
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with word or phrases that best fits the context.
When other nine-year-old kids were playing games, she was working at a petrol station. When other teens were studying or going out, she struggled to find a place to sleep on the street. But she overcame these terrible setbacks to win a highly competitive scholarship and gained 36___ to Harvard University. And her 37___story has inspired a movie, Homeless to Harvard: The Tony Morrison Story 38___ in late April.
Tony Morrison, a 22-year-old American girl, has been writing a real-life story of willpower and determination. Tony grew up in the 39___of two drug-addicted parents. There was never enough food or warm clothes in the house. Tony was the only member of the family who had a job. Her mother had AIDS and died when Tony was just 15 years old. The effect of that loss 40___ a turning point in her life. Connecting the environment in which she had grown up with how her mother had died, she decided to do something about it. Tony went back to school. She 41___ herself into her studies, never telling her teachers that she was homeless. At night, she slept on the streets.
“What drove me to survive had 42___to do with understanding, by understanding that there was a whole other way of being. I had only experienced a small part of the society,” she wrote in her book Breaking Night. She admitted that she used envy to drive herself on. She used the benefits that came easily to others, such as a safe living environment, 43___ herself that “next to nothing could hold me 44___”. She finished high school in just two years and won a full scholarship to study at Harvard University.
But Tony decided to leave her top university for a couple of months earlier this year in order to take care of her 45___, who has also developed AIDS. “I love my parents so much. They are drug addicts. But I never forget that they love me 46___.” Tony wants moviegoers to go away with the idea that changing your 47___ is “as simple as making a decision”.
36. A. permission B. entry C. honor D. confidence
37. A. puzzled B. puzzling C. amazing D. amazed
38. A. published B. appeared C. sold D. shown
39. A. charge B. face C. middle D. shadow
40. A. lay in B. led to C. referred to D. stuck to
41. A. threw B. put C. devoted D. concentrated
42. A. nothing B. everything C. something D. anything
43. A. to encourage B. to control C. to persuade D. to believe
44. A. up B. down C. off D. back
45. A. mother B. sister C. father D. brother
46. A. once in a while B. time and time again
C. at the same time D. all the time
47. A. life B. university C. way D. family
self-control than others.Now，a new study that began with about 1，000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health，money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.