Envy seems to be bad-but it doesn't have to be. Researchers are finding that, if approached the right way, there can actually be an advantage. Psychologists classify envy in two ways: negative and positive. With positive envy, you are motivated by another person's success and struggle to follow it. With negative envy, you want to cut the advantaged person down so you look better by comparison. Let's say you feel sufferings of envy after your rival at another firm gets promoted. Negative envy might drive you to destroy his success, but positive envy would inspire you to work harder and get promoted, too. Studies show positive envy can be a great motivator . In a 2011 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, researchers in the Netherlands conducted a series of experiments with more than 200 university students. Researchers found that when they caused feelings of positive envy----as opposed to admiration or negative envy----in the students, it drove them to want to study more and perform better on a test measuring creativity and intelligence. While admiration may feel better, the researchers found, it doesn't motivate performance like the pain and frustration of envy. "Those painful sufferings of envy are there for an evolutionary reason," says Texas Christian University researcher Sarah E. Hill, "warning us that someone has something of importance to us." Building on this theory, Dr. Hill and others conducted a series of experiments, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, to test whether envy improves attention and memory----the tools needed to copy a rival's steps to success. In one experiment, half of the participants were asked to recall past feelings of envy; the other half weren't. The two groups were then shown mock interviews of imaginary peers. The group filled with envy paid closer attention and better recalled details about the interview subjects. In other words, envy made them more astute . Not only can envy motivate us to reach for higher goals,... What is the main idea of the passage? A) Envy seems to be bad. B) Keep your envy in secret. C) Make full use of positive envy. D) Forget about your envy now.
C
(Question)
Paperback: 264 pages Publisher:. Sams (March 29,2005) ISBN: 0672327627 Product Dimensions: 8.4x5.5x0.6 inches OVERVIEW This book offers straightforward practical answers when you need fast results. By working through each 10-minute lesson, you'll learn what you need to begin to use the PHP scripting language to make your websites interactive and dynamic. REVIEW When I first laid eyes on this book and its title, Teach Yourself PHP in 10 minutes, my first thought was that I was going to see this! So I opened it up and figured I'd look through it for ten minutes and see what would hit me. Well, 10 minutes turned into 20, 20 into 30 and 30 into a valuable resource that sits on my desk. Not only are the lessons within brief, but they are very easy to understand, well presented and very easy to understand for the beginner. Each lesson comes with tips to point out shortcuts, cautions to help you avoid common mistakes and notes to additional infomation. This book can be used in two ways, as a reference or as a complete tutorial on PHP basics. That alone is something that is very rare in teaching type books these days. Some of the more valuable and informative lessons will take you into the areas of: --Strings and variables --Processing HTML forms --Controlling and filtering data --User authentication --Cookies and sessions --Security practices --Configuring PHP and more!!! The book is pretty basic for experienced PHP coders, but for new or intermediate users this book is worth more than the small $19.99 CAN suggested price. Although the cover suggests it covers PHP 5.0, the coding found within also applies to PHP 4.X CONCLUSION This book completely surprised me with its value and does indeed teach you in ten minutes what other books claim to do in 24 hours. Full marks to author Chris Newman for this handy guide. What is the price of the book? A) $19.99 CAN. B) US$19.99 C) The author doesn't tell us. D) $ 20.
(Answer)
A
Ques: As people in Beijing and northern China struggle with severe air pollution this winter,the toxic air is also making life hard for plants and even food crops of China. "in the last 50 years there has been a 1 6-fold increase in ozone pollution"in the Beijing area,said Hanqin Tian of Auburn University in Alabama,who studies the effects of China's pollution and climate change on plants. Ozone is particularly harmful to plants because it damages the pores on leaves,called stomata,which plants use to regulate how much water evaporates from the leaves.That,in turn,affectS how much water a plant must take up through its roots.Changes in water uptake by plants have been documented in other parts of the world,including the United States,as having major impacts on regional groundwater and surface water supplies. In studies of the long-term productivity of plants,Hanqin Tian and some of his colleagues show that ozone pollution,along with climate change,has been lowering plant productivity in China,which reduces the amount of carbon and other pollutants that the plants Can absorb to fight all the emissions from the burning offossil fuels. The worst effects on plants are likely to be in areas where the growing pollution problem is just fairly new, said Arthur Chappelka, also a plant researcher at Auburn University.Some plants are more resistant to pollutants than others,he said,and the plants that are living today in long-polluted urban areas are likely to be only those that are very pollution tolerant. Away from the cities, however, where crops are necded to feed China's yast population, the effeets of the growing pollution on crops is a significant concern. "In some ways it affects the crop production and food securiy of China,"said Hanqin Tian."Air quality is really important for human health, plants and ecosystem and sustainability." The problem is bound to get worse as China continues to develop economically, he said, and so he and other researchers continue to urge the Chinese government to take action to reduce... What'S the best title of the passage? A) Polluted air damages plants and crops B) Air pollution is becoming more serious C) China's air pollution and climate changes D) Food security in China
Ans: A
Ques: Dana Cummings was in his thirties before he first went surfing. But, even more interesting is that Dana Cummings chose to learn the sport after losing a leg in a car accident. Now, nine years later, he helps other disabled people learn how to ride the waves in AmpSurf. On the coast of Maine, he is working with 27-year-old Matthew Fish, who is partly blind. Cummings takes hold of Fish and leads him into the ocean. The surfboard floats next to them. Fish lies on the surfboard. He tries to stand up on it. After a few attempts he is up and riding all the way back to land. "That was exciting," Fish says. A car accident in 2002 took Dana Cummings' leg. He says the crash changed him more than just physically. "Losing my leg made me realize how precious life is and get off the couch and start living. I do more things now than I ever did before. Next week I am going to compete in a contest in Hawaii," Dana says. One year later Dana Cummings formed AmpSurf. AmpSurf is a group that volunteers to hold surfing classes and events for people with all kinds of disabilities. Recently, AmpSurf took its training programs to the East Coast. Eleven students attended the class in Maine. They came from all over the northeastern United States. Dana Cummings thinks AmpSurf can change the way a disabled person thinks. "Most people with disabilities consider himself or herself unlucky and useless, but we want them to see what they can do. Who cares you lose your leg or you are blind, whatever? Have fun. Just enjoy life. Take the most advantage of _ you can," Dana says. What is the best title for the text? A) Dana Cummings -- a great surfer B) AmpSurf -- a training group C) How to learn to live with disabilities D) Disabled surfers ride the waves
Ans:
D