Saying no starts small
“All right then — just one more piece...” Words every girl has said when they are faced with the delicious cheesecake. Of course, many of us know we may eat the whole thing in the end.
It isn’t just girls. Most of us find it hard to say “no” to something attractive. However, scientists now say that willpower is very important to success and a happy life.
Scientists in different countries have been studying the effects of willpower on people’s lives for a long time. The results are similar, according to an article on February 7 in the Guardian, a famous British newspaper.
In one experiment, scientists told young children that they could either have a marshmallow (圓形軟糖) now, or two marshmallows in 15 minutes. Waiting obviously needed more willpower. Scientists then continued studying the children as they grew up. They wanted to see if some children always had stronger willpower. They also wanted to see how having stronger willpower affected their lives.
Years later, scientists found that the children who had waited for two marshmallows were all healthier, happier and richer adults. Oppositely, the children who had shown weaker willpower at that young age were more likely to be in low-paid jobs, to be overweight, to have social problems.
But there is hope, Roy F Baumeister, an American social psychology(心理學(xué)) professor (教授) told the Guardian. Baumeister says we can train our willpower just like we train our muscles（肌肉）. Even a little practice can strengthen（加強(qiáng)） our overall self-control if we do it regularly.
You could start by making yourself stand up straight, speaking in complete sentences, or using a computer mouse with the other hand. Scientists have found that people who manage to change little habits often perform much better in laboratory willpower tests.
Like muscles, willpower can “get tired”. Don’t try to do too many things at the same time, or when you don’t have enough energy, for example when you are ill. If you already feel tired, you can try to recharge(恢復(fù)) your willpower with a good night’s sleep and by eating well.
【小題1】The example of a girl eating cheesecake is used to

It was the last day of the final exam in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence（自信的）. 
They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (a teacher at a college) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test.
Right after they came into the classroom. The professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it.
Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression（表情）. The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, “How many of you have finished all five questions?” No hand was raised. “How many of you have answered four?” Still no hands. “Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly in their seats. “One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one.” But the class kept silent. The professor said, “That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering. There are still many things about the subject you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice.” Then, smiling, he added, “You will all pass this course, your education has just begun.”
The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.
【小題1】 Why did the students think the exam was easy at first?

It was the last day of the final exam in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence（自信的）. 

They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (a teacher at a college) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test.

Right after they came into the classroom. The professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it.

Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression（表情）. The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, “How many of you have finished all five questions?” No hand was raised. “How many of you have answered four?” Still no hands. “Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly in their seats. “One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one.” But the class kept silent. The professor said, “That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering. There are still many things about the subject you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice.” Then, smiling, he added, “You will all pass this course, your education has just begun.”

The years have obscured the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught.

1. Why did the students think the exam was easy at first?

2.What does the underlined word “obscured” mean in the last paragraph?

3.. What’s the best title for the article?

Think about two people you know．How would you describe their personalities? Are they the s  1  ? Of course not! 'Everyone is different．Even identical twins have different personalities．

Some people are very outgoing （ 外向的 ） and friendly．They like to be w  2  other people all the time．Maybe they like to be the centre of attention．And some people are quiet--maybe even s  3  ．They can be friendly，too．But they like to be alone or with just a f  4  friends．

Some people worry a lot．They may worry about many things，such as their jobs，their families and anything that may happen in the future．H  5   ，some people don't worry about anything! They n  6  mind what is going on next．These people are very relaxed．

Some people are hard-working．They always do their b  7  ．But some people are lazy．They don't care about d  8  things right or getting things done on time．Hard-working people always get more chances than those lazy o  9  in life．

And don't f  10  this：Everyone is different．That means you are special!