Material4_20综合英语专四阅读训练

Material 20

Text A

In developing a model of cognition, we must recognize that perception of the external world does not always remain independent of motivation. While progress toward maturity is positively correlated with differentiation between motivation and cognition, tension will, even in the mature adult, lead towards a narrowing of the range of perception. Cognition can be seen as the first step in the sequence events leading from the external stimulus to the behavior of the individual. The child develops from belief that all things are an extension of its own body to the recognition that objects exist independent of his perception. He begins to demonstrate awareness of people and things which are removed from his sensory apparatus and initiates goal-directed behaviors. He may, however, refuse to recognize the existence of barriers to the attainment of his goal, despite the fact that his cognition of these objects has been previously demonstrated.

In the primitive beings, goal-directed behavior can be very simple motivated. The presence of an attractive object will cause an infant to reach for it; its removal will result in the cease of that action. In adult life, mere cognition can be similarly motivational, although the visible presence of the opportunity is not required as the stimulants of response. The mature adult modifies his reaction by obtaining information, interpreting it, and examining consequences. He formulates a hypothesis and attempts to test it. He searches out implicit relationships, examines all factors, and differentiates among them. Just as the trained artist can separate the value of color, composition, and technique, while taking in and evaluating the whole work, so, too, the mature person brings his cognitive learning strengths to bear in evaluating a situation.

Understanding that cognition is separate from action, his reaction is only minimally guided from conditioning, and he takes into consideration anticipatable events. The impact of the socialization process particularly that of parental and social group ideology, may reduce cognitively directed behavior. The tension thus produced, as for instance the stress of fear, anger, or extreme emotion, will often be the primary influence.

The evolutionary process of development from body schema through cognitive learning is ! similarly manifested in the process of language acquisition. Every normal infant has the physiological equipment necessary to produce sound, but the child must first master their use for sucking, biting, and chewing before he can control his equipment for use in producing the sounds of language. From the earlier times, it is clear that language and human thought have been intimately connected. Sending or receiving messages, from primitive warnings of danger to explaining creative or reflective thinking, this aspect of cognitive development is also firmly linked to the needs and aspirations of society.

1. If a child meets some difficulties in the process of reaching his goal, he may_________.

A. face them bravely and try to overcome them

B. neglect them and come up with a new goal

C. be unwilling to admit there are some difficulties

D. worry about them and feel discouraged or frustrated

2. Adults' motivational cognition is stimulated by_________.

A. predictable presence of opportunities

B. visible signs of opportunities

C. approachable information

D. stimulants

3. The influence of socialization process may_________.

A. produce tension B. reduce one's cognitively guided behaviors

C. reduce the degree of fear or anger D. produce extreme emotion

4. What links cognitive development to the needs of society?

A. Language. B. Natural human cognitive development.

C. Practical purpose. D. Sending or receiving messages.

Text B

I was in a student coffee bar during my first week at university soaking in the atmosphere when a lad from Oldham announced calmly that he intended to get a first in classics. He would work 25 hours a week, study five hours a day on weekdays and leave the weekends free. That would be sufficient.

I was vaguely committed to endless hours of work. I imagined that at some point I would spend weeks of intensive study. The vice-chancellor had told us in his address to freshers to look at the person on either side and note that in all probability one of us would not be around the following year. The message struck home; I would turn myself into a paragon of academic virtue. I could see that the classicist in the coffee bar had got it all wrong, or was bluffing. Three years later he sailed to his first whilst other friends struggled to very modest achievements. As I discovered when sharing his lodgings, he worked more or less to the plan he had outlined. He slept late in the mornings, only stirring himself if there was a lecture to attend. He played cards with the rest of us after lunch. Then he moved to his desk and stayed there till around seven. The evenings he spent more wildly than most—hence the late mornings. Nevertheless, when I came to look back I realized he had studied more than anyone else I knew.

Through sticking assiduously to a modest but well-defined, realistic plan, he had achieved a great deal. He had enjoyed work much more, too. He argued that it was not possible to work productively at intensive intellectual tasks for more than a few hours at a time. I aimed to do much more. But I was easily distracted. By the time it was apparent that stretches of a day had slipped away, I felt so guilty that I blotted studies out of my mind, comforting myself with the thought of all the days which lay ahead.

I was too inexperienced at looking after my own affairs to realize I was already failing one of the major tests of studenthood, the organization of time. I thought that success in studying was to do with how brilliantly clever and original you were; I had yet to discover that one of the central challenges of adult life is time management.

At school the work timetable was defined for us and teachers made sure we fitted all that was required into the school year. At university I was at sea. Time came in great undifferentiated swathes. What to do with it all? Individuals vary and different subjects make different demands. Nevertheless with a target you can plan your studies, not just stumble ahead in hope. The sketchiest of weekly timetables, setting aside 40 hours to cover all study, is an invaluable aid in defining time. Then you can divide it into segments and use it strategically, rather than let it dribble away.

Defining what to do is harder. Take the booklists. How many books are students expected to read? How long should a book take? It took me so long to read just a few pages that I felt defeated

when I looked ahead. I would sit in the library for a whole day, dipping into one book after another, often with glazed-over eyes. By comparison I went to lectures gratefully—at least I knew when they started and finished. Although my lecture notes weren't up to much, I could tell myself I had accomplished something, which would bring down my anxiety level.

Much later I discovered I could learn a great deal from a close reading of selected sections; that taking notes could sometimes be very satisfying and at other times was not necessary. The trick was to take control; to decide what I wanted to find out. Dividing big jobs into smaller subtasks helps to bring work under control, and allows you to set targets and check your progress. There is so much pressure to be ambitious—to go for the long dissertation, to read the huge tomes. Yet achievement arises out of quite modest activities undertaken on a small scale. The trouble with the big tasks is that you keep putting them off. Their scope and shape is unclear and we all flee from uncertainty. The more you can define your work as small, discrete, concrete tasks, the more control you have over it.

Organizing tasks into the time available can itself be divided into strategy and application. It is useful to think of yourself as "investing" time. Some tasks require intense concentration and need to be done at a prime time of day, when you are at your best and have time to spare. Others can be fitted in when you are tired, or as "warm-up" activities at the start of a session. Some, such as essay writing, may best be spread over several days. Some need to be done straight away.

There are few reliable guidelines. Essentially you have to keep circling round a self-monitoring loop: plan an approach to a task, try it out, reflect afterwards on your success in achieving what you intended and then revise your strategy. Once you start to think strategically, you begin to take control of your studies rather than letting them swamp you.

5. The vice-chancellor's speech _________ the writer.

A. amused B. failed to convince

C. frightened D. inspired

6. The lad from Oldham's time at university was_________ than the writer.

A. less successful B. more intellectual

C. more fun D. more strenuous

7. Different from school, university requires students of the ability to_________.

A. do independent research

B. manage their study time

C. deal with several courses simultaneously

D. overcome difficulties in study

8. Towards the end of his time at university the writer_________.

A. gave up hope B. organized himself better

C. worked harder D. wrote a long dissertation

9. The writer recommends_________.

A. studying for a short time every day

B. finishing one task before starting another

C. studying only when you are alert

D. deciding when each kind of task is best done

10. "Circling round a self-monitoring loop" in the last but one paragraph means_________.

A. approaching your studies in a roundabout way

B. continuing to study for a long time

C. planning your study methods

D. evaluating the success of your study methods

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