There is a lot of misunderstanding about studying. Most students have not been t

There is a lot of misunderstanding aboutstudying. Most students have not been taught the principles behind reallyeffective working. Imagine a graph showing the amount a person learns againstthe number of hours he works in a day. If he doesn’t do any work, he learnsnothing (point 0). If he does an hour’s work he learns a certain amount (point1). If he does two hours’ work he learns about twice as much (point 2). If hedoes more work he’ll learn still more (point 3). However, if he tries to dotwenty-three and a half hours’ work in a day, he will be so tired that he’llhardly remember anything: what he learns will be very little (point 4). If hedid less work he’d learn more (point 5).

Now whatever the exact shape of the graph’scurve(曲线), made byjoining these points, it must have a high point. Point “X” is the very maximumanyone can learn in the day. And this represents the optimum(最适度), the best, amount of workto do. It is the best possible compromise between adequate time at the booksand fatigue(劳累).Fatigue is an absolutely real thing; one can’t escape it or ignore it. If youtry to ignore it and press yourself to work past the optimum, you will only geton this downward slope and achieve less than the best – and then become verytired and lose your power of concentration.

The skill in being a student consists ofgetting one’s daily study as near the optimum point as possible. I cannot tellyou what the optimum is. It differs with the type of work, it differs fromperson to person, and even in the same person it varies from week to week. Youmust try to find your own. Every day you study, bear this principle of theoptimum in mind. When you feel yourself getting fatigued, if you find yourselfreading the same paragraph over and over again and not taking it in, that’s apretty good sign you’ve reached your highest point for the day and should stop.Most ordinary students find their optimum at five hours a day. Yours may be alittle more or a little less – but if you get in five hours’ good work a day,you will be doing well.

Now, what are you doing with yourself whenyou aren’t working? Before examinations some students do nothing at all exceptsit in a chair and worry. Here is another misunderstanding. People often thinkthat the mind works like the body; it does not. If one wanted to save one’sphysical energy in order to cut the maximum amount of firewood, one would lieflat on a bed and rest when one wasn’t chopping. But the mind cannot rest. Evenin sleep you dream, even if you forget your dreams. The mind is always turning.It gets its relaxation only by variety. That is what makes the mind rest.

When you’ve finished your optimum number ofhours you must stop. You must not then sit around in the chair thinking aboutthe work – that only tires without any learning. You must get out and dosomething. It doesn’t matter what – anything so long as you are actively doingsomething else but work.

1.According to the passage, _______.

2.Fatigue can result in ________.

3.The passage tells us that a person’soptimum number of working hours _______.

4.The only way the mind can relax is by________.

5.After you have reached the optimum pointof study in a day, you should ________.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

2.D

3.C

4.A

5.B

【解析】

试题