题型：阅读选择 题类：真题 难易度：困难
浙江省台州市2020年中考英语试卷（音频暂未更新）
Imagine this. There's an apple and a piece of cake on a table. Which one would you like? The delicious cake or the healthy apple? A bestseller, Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength, suggests that willpower(意志力)is the ability to make decisions that are better for us in the long term, rather than in the short term.
Here is a famous experiment in the book: The Marshmallow Test. In 1972, Professor Walter Mischel tested the willpower of 600 four-year-olds to six-year-olds. In the experiment, each child was left alone in a room for fifteen minutes with a marshmallow(棉花软糖）on a table in front of them. They were given two choices: they could either eat it or, if they waited fifteen minutes, they'd be given a second one(and then they could eat both).
So, what did the kids do? Well, as you can imagine, 70% ate the first marshmallow within the fifteen minutes. But the other 30% showed willpower—they controlled themselves and waited for the second marshmallow. But then Mischel discovered something really interesting. Twenty years later, he got in touch with the children, who, by then, were in their early twenties. And he found that those who'd shown strong willpower were getting better marks at university and were more popular.
Willpower is like a muscle (肌肉), and the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets.
So, if you do daily "self-control exercises", such as making your bed or brushing your teeth, you'll improve your overall willpower. And daily willpower exercises will help you with those bigger goals, such as studying for an exam or training for a marathon.
Be careful though. Just like any muscle, your "willpower muscle" can get tired. If you've had to do lots of things that require willpower, take a break or give yourself a treat.
That way, you'll build up your willpower again.
And one last thing, the writer mentions people who learn foreign languages usually have a lot of willpower. So, congratulations!
How much do you know about the following bridges in China? All of them are worth a visit. Follow me and learn more about them.
Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge | It is a famous bridge across the Yangtze River. The workers began to build it in September, 1955. It was completed in October, 1957. It's a double-deck (双层的) bridge. |
Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge | It's also a double-deck bridge. The upper (上层的) road is as long as 4, 589 meters. The lower railway is 6, 772 meters long. Two trains can cross the bridge in two different directions at the same time. |
Siduhe Bridge | It lies in Hubei Province, connecting Yichang City with Enshi City. It is the second-highest bridge in the world. The workers began to build it in 2004. The whole bridge is 1, 100 meters long. |
The First Beipan River Bridge | As the highest bridge in the world, it connects Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province. The building project lasted about 3 years. People began to use it at the end of December, 2016. It is as long as 1, 341. 4 meters. It's regarded (认为) as a bridge above the clouds. |
Hello, I'm Steven, a student in No.5 Middle School. There are 30 students in my class. Last Friday afternoon, I did a survey in my class.
Percent: 50%How often: Take a trip twice a year When: During the summer vacation How: Favorite city: Chengdu, Hangzhou | Percent: 30%How often: Take a trip once a year When: During the summer vacation and the National Day holiday How: Favorite city:Shanghai, Beijing |
Percent: 10%How often: Take a trip more than three times a year When: During the winter vacation and on weekends How: Favorite city:Chengdu, Kunming | Percent: 10%They never take a trip. They say it's kind of boring. During holidays they often stay at home or go to the library. |
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