quiet, they, strong, interest, two, like, unless, choice, but, if, how
The secrets of self-control
A new book, the bestseller, Willpower, says that having strong willpower (意志力) is necessary to a successful life.
The book starts by describing a famous experiment: The Marshmallow (软糖) Test. In 1972, a psychology (心理学) professor Mischel tested the willpower of 600 kids. In the experiment, each child was left alone in a room for fifteen minutes with a marshmallow on a table in front of 26．. They were given two 27．: they could either eat the marshmallow or, if they waited fifteen minutes, they’d be given a 28．marshmallow (and then they could eat both).
So, what did the kids do? 70% ate the first marshmallow within the fifteen minutes,29．the other 30% showed willpower — they didn’t eat the first one and waited for the second marshmallow 30．.
Twenty years later, Mischel discovered something 31．. He got in touch with the children and found that those with strong willpower were getting better marks at university, were better behaved and were more popular. So,32． important it is to have strong willpower!
But don’t worry 33． you aren’t good at controlling yourself. The authors say that willpower is like a muscle (肌肉). The more you exercise it, the 34． it gets. However, just 35． any muscle, your “willpower muscle” can get tired. So, if you have to do lots of things that need willpower, take a break. That way, you’ll build up your willpower again.
Lastly, the authors mention that people who learn foreign languages usually have a lot of willpower. So, congratulations!
答案
26．them
27．choices
28．second
29．but
30．quietly
31．interesting
32．how
33．if
34．stronger
35．like
【解析】
本文介绍了一本书——《意志力》，书中通过一则实验说明了坚强的意志力是成功人生的必要条件。
26．句意：在实验中，每个孩子被单独留在一个房间里15分钟，在他们面前的桌子上放着一颗软糖。
根据下文中they可知，此处是“在他们面前的桌子上放着一颗软糖”；they代替参加实验的孩子们，they是人称代词主格，放在介词之后应使用宾格形式them，them他们。故填them。
27．句意：他们有两个选择：要么吃这颗软糖，要么等15分钟将会给他们第二个软糖(然后他们可以吃掉两颗软糖)。
根据句中“either…or…”可知，他们可以吃这颗糖，也可以等待下一颗糖，所以此处使用名词choice的复数形式choices，choice选择，表示“他们有两个选择”。故填choices。
28．句意：他们有两个选择：要么吃这颗软糖，要么等15分钟将会给他们第二颗软糖 (然后他们可以吃掉两颗软糖)。
根据下文中“they didn’t eat the first one and waited for the second marshmallow”可知，此处使用two的序数词形式second，意为“第二”，表示“要么等15分钟将会给他们第二颗软糖”。故填second。
29．句意：70% 的孩子们在15分钟内吃完了第一颗软糖，但是另外30% 的孩子们表现出了意志力——他们没有吃第一颗软糖，而是静静地等待着第二颗软糖。
根据句中“70% ate the first marshmallow”和“the other 30% showed willpower”可知，前后两个分句意思转折，即：70% 的孩子们在15分钟内吃完了第一颗软糖，但是另外30% 的孩子们表现出了意志力；but是表示转折的连词，意为“但是”。故填but。
30．句意：70% 的孩子们在15分钟内吃完了第一颗软糖，但是另外30% 的孩子们表现出了意志力——他们没有吃第一颗软糖，而是静静地等待着第二颗软糖。
根据上文第二段中“each child was left alone in a room”和句中“waited for the second marshmallow”可知，每个人都单独在一个房间里，所以他们是在静静地等待第二颗软糖；quiet是形容词，其副词形式为quietly，意为“静静地”，waited for the second marshmallow quietly静静地等待着第二颗软糖。故填quietly。
31．句意：二十年后，米契尔发现了有趣的事情。
something是不定代词，其后可接形容词对其进行修饰；根据下文中“He got in touch with the children and found that those with strong willpower were getting better marks at university, were better behaved and were more popular.”可知，他发现那些意志力强的孩子在大学成绩更好，表现更好，更受欢迎，所以此处使用interest的形容词形式interesting，意为“有趣的”，something interesting有趣的事情，用来表示“他发现的这件事情很有趣”。故填interesting。
32．句意：所以，有强大的意志力是多么重要啊！
根据句末标点符号是感叹号，以及句中形容词important可知，此处使用how引导感叹句，how+形容词+主语+谓语。故填how。
33．句意：但如果你不擅长控制自己，也不用担心。
根据句中“you aren’t good at controlling yourself”和“But don’t worry”都是两个独立完整的句子，此处使用连词if，表示“但如果你不擅长控制自己，也不用担心”，if意为“如果”。故填if。
34．句意：你练习得越多，它就越强大。
根据句中“the more”和the可知，此处是the+比较级结构；get是系动词，所以此处使用形容词strong的比较级stronger，意为“更强大的”。故填stronger。
35．句意：然而，就像任何肌肉一样，你的“意志力肌肉”也会疲劳。
根据上文中“The authors say that willpower is like a muscle.”可知，作者说意志力就像肌肉，所以此处使用like，意为“像”，表示“就像任何肌肉一样，你的‘意志力肌肉’也会疲劳”。故填like。
B
D
