Lesson 50 New Year resolutions
Comprehension questions
1. What is a time for resolutions?
2. How could most of us compile a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’? 3. Do the same old favourites recur year in year out? 4. What kinds of things do we resolve to do?
5. Why do most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement? 6. What fundamental error do many of us make?
7. How do we look when we slip back into our old ways? 8. What did the writer resolve to do this year? 9. How long did his daily exercises last? 10. When did he propose to do them?
11. How long did he manage to do his exercises before anyone found him out? 12. What condition was he in when he sat down to breakfast? 13. Who trooped in the next morning to watch the performance? 14. When did he finally give up exercising?
15. Why did he sit in his room for a few evenings? 16. Why did he go downstairs one evening? 17. What did he pretend to do?
18. He soon got back into an old bad habit. What was that? 19. Has he given up his resolution to do more reading? 20. Which book has he just bought?
Write out the words or phrases according to the explanations
1_________: to produce a list, book, report, etc. by bringing together different items 2_________: challenging, frightening
3_________: to happen again or a number of times
4_________: to make a firm decision to do sth (noun: resolutions)
5_________: an impressive thing that is done or achieved after a lot of work; achievement 6_________: success in achieving sth (beyond attainment: 做不到的；达不到的) 7_________: firmly established in a bad habit
8_________: a plan or system for doing or organizing sth
9_________: important or basic, from which everything else develops 10_________youself to sth: to make yourself concentrate on sth
11_________: working very hard (adv. assiduously) 12_________: to intend to do sth
13_________: great in amount, size, importance, etc.
14_________: to move slowly, quietly and carefully, because you do not want to be seen or heard 15_________: to bend or turn sth into a particular shape
16_________: to make them aware of information, a feeling, etc. usually without meaning to 17_________: making sb feel upset, nervous or worried 18_________off: to avoid sb/sth
19_________and________: unkind or insulting remarks about sb 20_________: in a cheerful mood
21_________: to become gradually weaker or less important
22_________: to become or to make sth become smaller, weaker, etc. 23_________: to put sb into a sleep-like state 24_________ to sth: staying very close to sth
25_________ off: to go to sleep, especially during the day 26_________: the reason why sb is unsuccessful in life
Finish the following sentences with the words given
self-discipline diminish formidable enthusiasm mentally slip entitled frustration inveterate fundamental propose compile resist creep 1. __________, at least, most of us could __________ __________ lists of ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’. 2. If we remain __________smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the
____________ that results from failure.
3. We also make the __________error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that… 4. …we look even more foolish when we _________ back into our bad old ways.
5. The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I ____________to do them early in the
morning before anyone had got up.
6. The ___________ required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable.
7. Nevertheless, I managed to ___________ down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out.
8. However, my _____________ waned.
9. The time I spent at exercise gradually _____________.
10. ___________ the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my
eyes glued to a book.
11. In fact, I have just bought a book __________ How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute.
Finish the following sentences with the phrases given
a thousand and one apply oneself to year in year out doze off carry out beyond attainment keep…to oneself taunts and jibes little by little fend off 1. The same old favourites recur _____________with monotonous regularity.
2. We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do _______________jobs about the house,…
3. Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are______________.
4. Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to __________ them __________.
5. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to ___________my resolutions_________. 6. …but on the second, I ____________assiduously __________the task.
7. That was really unsettling, but I ________________the ___________________of the family good-humouredly…
8. ____________the eleven minutes fell to zero.
9. I soon got back to my old bad habit of _______________ in front of the screen.
Key to Multiple choice questions
1 c 2 a 3 d 4 d 5 b 6 c 7 b 8 a 9 c 10 c 11 b 12 b
Lesson 50 New Year resolutions
The New Year is a time for resolutions. Mentally, at least, most of us could compile formidable lists of ‘dos’ and ‘don'ts’. The same old favourites recur year in year out with monotonous regularity. We resolve to get up earlier each morning, eat less, find more time to play with the children, do a thousand and one jobs about the house, be nice to people we don't like, drive carefully, and take the dog for a walk every day. Past experience has taught us that certain accomplishments are beyond attainment. If we remain inveterate smokers, it is only because we have so often experienced the frustration that results from failure. Most of us fail in our efforts at self-improvement because our schemes are too ambitious and we never have time to carry them out. We also make the fundamental error of announcing our resolutions to everybody so that we look even more foolish when we slip back into our bad old ways. Aware of these pitfalls, this year I attempted to keep my resolutions to myself. I limited myself to two modest ambitions: to do physical exercises every morning and to read more of an evening. An all-night party on New Year's Eve provided me with a good excuse for not carrying on either of these new resolutions on the first day of the year, but on the second, I applied myself assiduously to the task.
The daily exercises lasted only eleven minutes and I proposed to do them early in the morning before anyone had got up. The self-discipline required to drag myself out of bed eleven minutes earlier than usual was considerable. Nevertheless, I managed to creep down into the living room for two days before anyone found me out. After jumping about on the carpet and twisting the human frame into uncomfortable positions, I sat down at the breakfast table in an exhausted condition. It was this that betrayed me. The next morning the whole family trooped in to watch the performance. That was really unsettling, but I fended off the taunts and jibes of the family good-humouredly and soon everybody got used to the idea. However, my enthusiasm waned. The time I spent at exercise gradually diminished. Little by little the eleven minutes fell to zero. By January 10th, I was back to where I had started from. I argued that if I spent less time exhausting myself at exercises in the morning, I would keep my mind fresh for reading when I got home from work. Resisting the hypnotizing effect of television, I sat in my room for a few evenings with my eyes glued to a book. One night, however, feeling cold and lonely, I went downstairs and sat in front of the television pretending to read. That proved to be my undoing, for I soon got back to my old bad habit of dozing off in front of the screen. I still haven't given up my resolution to do more reading. In fact, I have just bought a book entitled How to Read a Thousand Words a Minute. Perhaps it will solve my problem, but I just haven't had time to read it!