To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.

Common sense is not all that common.

Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this:” To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”This saying mirrors an deal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.

Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Commonsense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company,”the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?

1. According to tile passage, which of following seems the most human?

A. To search for truth．                    B. To achieve one’s ideal

C. To make fun of others’mistakes．          D. To criticize others for one’s own error.

2．According to the author, what is a sign of a man’s maturity?

A．Doing things his own way.

B．Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.

C．Making as few mistakes as possible．

D．Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.

3．Which of the following is N0T based on common sense?

A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.

B．A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.

C．A company’s next move follows a good plan．

D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments．

4. What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?

A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.

B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.

C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.

D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.

5. What would be the best title for his passage?

A. A Mirror of Human Nature            B. To Blame or to Forgive

C. A Mark of Maturity                  D. Truth or Excuse

 

Parents feel they don’t have the ability to influence children’s decisions ______ children feel their parents’ goals are hard to achieve.

A．although

B．while

C．until

D．unless

 

Goals can help you do，be and experience everything you want in life．Instead of just letting life happen to you，goals allow you to make your life happen．

Successful and happy people have an idea of how their life should be and they set lots of goals to help them succeed．By setting goals you are taking control of your life．It’ s like having a map to show you where you want to go．Think of it this way．There are two drivers．One has a destination in mind which is laid out for her on a map．She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns．The other driver has no goal or destination or map．She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver，but she drives without an aim around，never getting anywhere，just using up gas and oil．Which driver do you want to be？

Winners in life set goals and follow through on them．Winners decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals．Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident．Goals aren’t difficult to set―and they aren’t difficult to reach．It’s up to you to find out what your goals and ideals（理想）really are．

Research tells us that when we write a goal down，we are more likely to achieve．Written goals can be reviewed regularly，and have more power．Like a contract with yourself，they are harder to neglect（忽视）or forget．Also when you write your goals in a particular way，you are able to make yourself continuously alert（警觉）to situations that will further your goals．

1.The writer gave the example of two drivers to show__________．

A．how stupid the first driver was     

B．the importance of having a map and right direction

C．how stupid the second driver was

D．the importance of setting goals

2.According to the passage，successful people are different from unsuccessful ones because

_________．

A．the successful people set goals for everything and can get help from others

B．the unsuccessful people always set unrealistic plans for themselves

C．the successful people set goals in their lives and make plans to carry it out

D．the unsuccessful people make plans for everything but can not work hard

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A．Goals can make you gain everything you want in life.

B．Only successful people can be happy.

C．If you want to succeed，you need to set long-term goals instead of short-term Goals.

D．When we put our goal down on papers，we are more likely to succeed.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A．Goals help you succeed              B．How to succeed

C．Why we always fail                  D．A research on setting goals

 

Psychology（心理学）tells us that many people hate to take risks. But it is good for us to take risks, especially (尤其)when the risk is to achieve a desired result. In that way, we become stronger and braver.

Our human nature should be to take risks, but some people just sit and wish they didn’t have the fear（恐惧）to move on. This is because of one or two failures in their lives. Please step out and don’t let the past hold you back from living life to the fullest. Move forward and move on!

In studying the psychology of taking risks, we find that human nature provides(提供) us with the desire (渴望)to experiment and take chances.

Risk taking is a great benefit（好处）that allowed our ancestors(祖先) to become stronger and stronger day by day. By taking risks they fought off enemies and discovered new territories（领土）. This attitude has become a part of our modern culture. Riding a roller coaster is a common risk taking activity that even the average person seems to enjoy although they have the understanding that it is dangerous. This psychological and biological (生物学上的) connection （联系）creates an interesting connection between what is unsafe and what humans enjoy.

Getting in a car each day is a risk. Getting out of bed is a risk. There is such thing as perfect safety. We need to take risks so that we can complete (finish) many things. Astronauts take risks when they get inside a rocket; however, the things they achieve are great. Businessmen take a risk when they buy parts of a company. However, without doing that, they could not make more money.

We need to take risks so that we can gain something. It is impossible to move forward in life, earn money, enjoy a relationship, play a sport, or do anything else without taking a risk. It is all part of the game. It’s one of the most important parts of life.

1.Some people don’t want to take risks, mainly （主要）because ___________.

A．they are too lazy to move on

B．they feel pleased with the present life.

C．they have experienced some failures before

D．they show little interest in the strange world outside

2.What does the underlined part “This attitude” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Taking risks

B．Fighting off enemies

C．Discovering new territories

D．Becoming stronger and stronger

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Daily life is full of risks

B．The safest place has the greatest risk

C．People should take risks when they are young

D．We can always achieve our goals by taking risks

4. What would be the title for the passage?

A．Taking risks is easier said than done

B．On risks taken by ancestors

C．Live our life to the fullest(充分地)

D．No risk, no gain.

 

Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.

   Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind (her goal) which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?

   Winners in life set foals and follow through on them. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set---and they aren’t difficult to reach. It’s up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.

Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goals.

1..

 The article is written to throw light on ______.

   A. the importance of setting goals               B. the way of setting goals

   C. the winners of competitions                   D. the goals in life

 

2..

 The example of two drivers is adopted in order to ______.

   A. compare the difference of goals                       B. explain the traffic rules

   C. help readers understand the importance of goals           D. tell the function of a map

3..

 The main idea of the fourth paragraph is that ______.

   A. it’s better to write a goal down          B. written goals can’t be forgotten easily

   C. try to make yourself aware of your goals    D. written goals can be reviewed regularly