成人英语三级考试阅读理解模拟题（18）

　　Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards,form warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.

　　The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children,suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

　　"If kids know they are working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity," says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. “But it is easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”

　　A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades.

　　In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.

　　1.Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ________.

　　A. the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards

　　B. the amount of monetary rewards for students’ creativity

　　C. the study of relationship between actions and their consequence

　　D. the effects of external rewards on students’ performance

　　Best Answer:D

　　详解：答案D。本题考查学生对第一段的理解。问题是“心理学家在…的态度上有分歧?”第一段第一句讲到外界的奖励，无论是热情的赞扬还是金钱，对学生的学习积极性和创造性究竟有什么影响，心理学家在此问题上持截然相反的观点。由此可见他们在外界的奖励对学生的学习和表现有什么影响的问题上是有分歧的。因此D项正确。

　　2.What is the response of many educators to external rewards for their students?

　　A. They have no doubt about them.

　　B. They have doubts about them.

　　C. They approve of them.

　　D. They avoid talking about them.

　　Best Answer:B

　　详解：答案B。第一段最后一句讲到认知派的研究家认为：由于奖励促使学生对别人的赞扬和赠品有依赖心理，奖励常常会破坏创造精神。这种观点是对他人的奖励持怀疑态度的。第二段第一句说到：许多教育家支持此观点，由此可见B项是正确答案。

　　3.Which of the following can best raise students' creativity according to Robert Eisenberger?

　　A. Assigning them tasks they have not dealt with before.

　　B. Assigning them tasks which require inventiveness.

　　C. Giving them rewards they really deserve.

　　D. Giving them rewards they anticipate.

　　Best Answer:C

　　详解：答案C。第三段谈到了Rogert Eisenberger的观点：如果孩子们知道他们为得到奖励而学习，并且致力于解决相对而言具有挑战性的问题，他们会表现出最大的创造性。如果对表现欠佳的孩子给予奖励或使他们产生对奖励的过分期待的心理，那么就很容易扼杀孩子们的创造力。这就说明只有该得奖励的孩子受到奖励才能发挥创造性，因此选C项。

　　4.It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe _________.

　　A. rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students

　　B. punishment is more effective than rewarding

　　C. failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standards

　　D. discouraging the student’s anticipation for easy rewards is matter of urgency

　　Best Answer:A

　　详解：答案A。在本文第三段中谈到了主张奖励办法，但奖励应得体，奖其所值。第四段还谈到有的老师对那些总是关注奖励而表现一般的学生也给高分，这样的老师培养不出有创造力的学生。由此可推断，大多数大学严格评分标准是为了避免扼杀学生的创造性。因此A项正确。