Question

“Oh, my God! Did I really just send that text?” Most people have said something that they wish they could take back. And if they had paused to think about it first, they probably would have acted differently. Pausing doesn’t pay off just when you speak. Scientific studies have shown that making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out.

In making decisions we rely on two areas of the brain. One area creates and processes emotions; the other governs logical thought. The type of decision, how we feel about it, and how prepared we are to handle it help determine which brain area has the most influence.

But our age also plays an important role. Thinking through the consequences of one’s actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical thought is not fully developed until around age 25. This is why teens often feel an intense emotional drive to act impulsively--it’s how their brains are structured! Though this tendency to act without considering the outcomes can lead to problematic situations, impulsivity during the developmental years evolves because it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens become independent adults.

The key to making impulsivity work for you--instead of against you--is to train your brain by practicing pausing. This doesn’t mean you stop taking risks or being open to new experiences. But you won’t know if the risk is worth it until you think it through. Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity.

What are different ways to pause? You might take a deep breath, count to 10, or ask, “Is this worth it?” Different strategies work for different people. Whatever works for you, keep doing it! By practicing pausing, you can actually change your brain. This means that over time, pausing, instead of immediately reacting, becomes your “natural” response. And with this change, people are on their way to enjoying the life rewards that come with high levels of self-control--even if they weren’t natural--born pausers!

1.What challenges teenagers________?

A. Giving natural response.

B. Making logical decision.

C. Acting before thorough thinking.

D. Choosing brain-training strategies.

2.An impulsive person tends to __________.

A. think through a risk in advance

B. show high level of self-control

C. consider or accept new ideas

D. change ideas frequently

3.According to the passage, by training one’s brain, one can __________.

A. stop taking risks

B. fully develop one’s brain

C. become more open to new experience

D. reduce the influence of emotional drive

4.What is the best title for the passage________?

A. Discover the Brain Function

B. Crying Over the Spilt Milk

C. Push the Pause Button

D. Impulsivity Works

Answer 1

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】

試題分析：文章主要講的是影響人們做決定的因素。科學研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，在做事情之前，停下來思考一下是很有必要的。人們依靠大腦的兩個區(qū)域來作出決定，一個區(qū)域產(chǎn)生情緒，另一個區(qū)域控制著邏輯思維。

1.Thinking through the consequences of one’s actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical thought is not fully developed until around age 25.”可知，對于青少年來說，考慮行為的后果是比較困難的，因為他們的大腦中，控制邏輯思維的區(qū)域尚未發(fā)育完全，故選B。

2.it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens become independent adults”可知，青少年時期的沖動使青少年更容易接受新事物和新想法，故選C。

3.This doesn’t mean you stop taking risks”排除A；根據(jù)第四段“Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity.”可知，基于邏輯思考的冒險決定顯示了一個人的自控能力，而不是沖動，說明通過訓(xùn)練，在做決定時，人們更加能夠使用邏輯思維，減少情緒的影響，故選D。

4.making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out”和第四段“The key to making impulsivity work for you...is to train your brain by practicing pausing.”與第五段“What are different ways to pause?”可知，文章主要講的是養(yǎng)成暫停的習慣，在做事情之前，應(yīng)該停下來仔細考慮一下，故選C。

考點：心理類短文閱讀