SECTION B

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did he understand that specific  36  can affect our mental pictures, but he understood that words are a  37  programming factor in lifelong success.

One particularly unforgettable event occurred when I was eight. As a child, I was always climbing trees, poles and  38  around upside down from the rafters(屋椽) of our lake house.  39 , it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree, swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old  40  didn’t realize that the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was enjoyable to be up so high. My older cousin, Tammy, was also hanging in the same tree. Her mother also  41  us at exactly the same time as my dad did. About that time, a huge gust(一阵) of wind blew through the tree. I could hear the leaves rustle(嘎嘎地响) and feel the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad’s  42  over the wind, “Bart, Hold on tightly!”So I did.

The next thing I heard was Tammy’s mother yelling, “Tammy, don’t fall!” Tammy did  43  . My dad later explained to me that the mind has a very  44 time processing a negative image. It takes seventeen positive statements to offset(抵消) one negative statement. That means it might  45  seventeen compliments(贺词/道贺) to offset the emotional  46  of one criticism.

These are concepts that are especially useful in developing yourself. How many compliments do you give yourself daily and how often do you criticize yourself? Try to  47  yourself a lifetime of positive programming by complimenting yourself, or at least think about the kind of programming you are doing to yourself on a daily basis. Remember: try to make positive self-talk a daily practice and you will succeed some day.

36. A. reactions             B. behaviors                 C. words                  D. expressions

37. A. doubtful                B. sensible                    C. strange                     D. powerful

38. A. sitting                 B. hanging                    C. standing                   D. lying

39. A. However             B. Furthermore             C. Moreover                 D. Therefore

40. A. brain                  B. memory                   C. experience                D. knowledge

41. A. believed                 B. noticed                     C. protected                  D. persuaded

42. A. voice                  B. figure                      C. image                      D. anger

43. A. hold                   B. think                       C. fall                          D. regret

44. A. surprising           B. relaxing                   C. difficult                   D. short

45. A. offer                  B. take                         C. give                         D. Keep

46. A. damage               B. danger                            C. award                      D. relief

47. A. stop                    B. consult                     C. imagine                    D. give