Around 120 years ago, Ebbinghaus began his study of memory. He (1) on studying how quickly the human mind can remember (2) . One result of his research is known as the total time hypothesis (假设), which simply means the amount you learn (3) on the time you spend trying to learn it. This can be taken as our first rule of learning.Although it is usually true that studying for four hours is better than studying for one, there is still the question of how we should use the four hours. For example, is it better to study for four hours (4) or to study for one hour a day for four days in a (5) The answer, as you may have (6) , is that it is better to spread out the study times. This (7) through which we can learn more (8) by dividing our practice time, is known as the distribution of practice effect. Thus, (9) .But we’re not finished yet. We haven’t considered how we should study over very short periods of time. (10) . Should you look at the same word in rapid succession, or look at the word and then have some delay before you look at it again(11) . 11()
How Do You See DiversityAs a manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing applicants for some of the positions with her company. During one interview, she noticed that the candidate never made direct eye contact. She was puzzled and somewhat disappointed because she liked the individual otherwise.He had a perfect résumé and gave good responses to her questions, but the fact that he never looked her in the eye said "untrustworthy," so she decided to offer the job to her second choice."It wasn’t until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized the person we passed over was the perfect person," Tiffany confesses. What she hadn’t known at the time of the interview was that the candidate’s "different" behavior was simply a, cultural misunderstanding. He was an Asian-American raised in a household where respect for those in authority was shown by averting (避开) your eyes."I was just thrown off by the lack of eye contact; not realizing it was cultural," Tiffany says. "I missed out, but will not miss that opportunity again."Many of us have had similar encounters with behaviors we perceive as different. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse, it is becoming essential to expand our understanding of others and to reexamine some of our false assumptions.Hire AdvantageAt a time when hiring qualified people is becoming more difficult, employers who can eliminate invalid biases (偏见) from the process have a distinct advantage. My company, Mindsets LLC, helps organizations and individuals see their own blind spots. A real estate recruiter we worked with illustrates the positive difference such training can make."During my Mindsets coaching session, I was taught how to recruit a diversified workforce. I recruited people from different cultures and skill sets. The agents were able to utilize their full potential and experiences to build up the company. When the real estate market began to change, it was because we had a diverse agent pool that we were able to stay in the real estate market much longer than others in the same profession. "Blinded by GenderDale is an account executive who attended one of my workshops on supervising a diverse workforce. "Through one of the sessions, I discovered my personal bias," he recalls. "I learned I had not been looking at a person as a whole person, and being open to differences." In his case, the blindness was not about culture but rather gender."I had a management position open in my department; and the two finalists were a man and a woman. Had I not attended this workshop, I would have automatically assumed the man was the best candidate because the position required quite a bit of extensive travel. My reasoning would have been that even though both candidates were great and could have been successful in the position, I assumed the woman would have wanted to be home with her children and not travel, " Dale’s assumptions are another example of the well-intentioned but incorrect thinking that limits an organization’s ability to tap into the full potential of a diverse workforce."I learned from the class that instead of imposing my gender biases into the situation, I needed to present the full range of duties, responsibilities and expectations to all candidates and allow them to make an informed decision." Dale credits the workshop, "because it helped me make decisions based on fairness."Year of the Know-It-AllDoug is another supervisor who attended one of my workshops. He recalls a major lesson learned from his own employee."’ One of my most embarrassing moments was when I had a Chinese-American employee put in a request to take time off to celebrate Chinese New Year. In my ignorance, I assumed he had his dates wrong, as the first of January had just passed. When I advised him of this, I gave him a long talking to about turning in requests early with the proper dates."He patiently waited, then when I was done, he said he would like Chinese New Year off, not the Western New Year. He explained politely that in his culture the new year did not begin January first, and that Chinese New Year, which is tied to the lunar cycle, is one of the most celebrated holidays on the Chinese calendar. Needless to say, I felt very embarrassed in assuming he had his dates mixed up. But I learned a great deal about assumptions, and that the timing of holidays varies considerably from culture to culture."Attending the diversity workshop helped me realize how much I could learn by simply asking questions and creating dialogues with my employees, rather than malting assumptions and trying to be a know-it-all," Doug admits. "The biggest thing I took away from the workshop is learning how to be more ’inclusive’ to-differences."A Better Bottom LineAn open mind about diversity not only improves organizations internally, it is profitable as well. These comments from a customer service representative show how an inclusive attitude can improve sales. "Most of my customers speak English as a second language. One of the best things my company has done is to contract with a language service that offers translations over the phone. It wasn’t until my boss received Mindsets’ training that she was able to understand how important inclusiveness was to customer service. As a result, our customer base has increased. "Once we start to see people as individuals, and discard the stereotypes, we can move positively toward inclusiveness for everyone. Diversity is about coming together and taking advantage of our differences and similarities. It is about building better communities and organizations that enhance us as individuals and reinforce our shared humanity.When we begin to question our assumptions and challenge what we think we have learned from our past, from the media, peers, family, friends, etc. , we begin to realize that some of our conclusions are flawed (有缺陷的) or contrary to our fundamental values. We need to train ourselves to think differently, shift our mindsets and realize that diversity opens doors for all of us, creating opportunities in organizations and communities that benefit everyone. After attending Mindsets’ workshops, the participants came to know the importance of()to their business.
E Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities.Ofcourse.there have always been people who have looked for adventures——those who have climbed the highest mountains,traveled into unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans.Now,however,there are people who look for an immediate excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds. 1 would consider bungee jumping to be a good example.of such an activity.You jump from a high place(perhaps a bridge or a hot—air balloon)200 metre8 above the ground with an elastic(有弹性的)rope tied to your ankles.You fall at up t0 150 kilometres an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground.It is said that about 2 million people around the world have now tried bun-gee jumpin9.Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping include jumping from tall building and diving into the sea from the top of high cliff(悬崖). Why do people take part in such activities as theseSome psychologists suggest that it is because life in modem societies has become safe and borin9.Not very long ago,diseases could not easily be cured,and life was a continuous battle for survival(生存). Nowadays,according to many people,life offers little excitement.They live and work in comparatively safe conditions;they buy food in shops;and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill.The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping. The writer of the text has a () attitude towards dangerous sports.
A. positive(肯定的)
B. negative(否定的)
C. neutral(中立的)
D. nervous(紧张的)
The January fashion show, called FutureFashion, exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find. "Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable fabrics that can just replace what you’re doing and what your customers are used to," he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equivalents.Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support. Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs (企业家) who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable. It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Malt is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic. It will buy transitional (过渡型的) cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. "Mainstream is about to occur," says Hahn.Some analysts(分析师) are less sure. Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that ecofashion xists, up from 16% four years ago. Natalie Hormilia, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer. When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied: "Not that I’m aware of. " Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she’s on the hunt for "cute stuff that isn’t too expensive". By her own admission, green just isn’t yet on her mind. But--thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers--one day it will be. We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion()
A. can attend various trade shows free
B. are readily recognized by the fashion world
C. can buy organic cotton at favorable prices
D. are gaining more and more support’