The British Sense of Humour
The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to make sense of their jokes. The main thing to remember is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, 'She isn’t exactly friendly.' Understatement is often used in unpleasant situations or to make another person look silly.
The British like to make fun of many other things. They often laugh about the silly and terrible things that happen to us every day, like when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society.
| A．British humor brings people laughter and content. |
| B．Understatement plays an important part in British humor. |
| C．Then, he sat in the chair and used a broom to drive the car! |
| D．They also like to make jokes about situations that are quite serious. |
| E．Throughout the film, the audience were amused by his convincing acting. |
| F．Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. |
| G．Such jokes are normally about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. |
Handwritten thank-you letters are such a simple way of making other people feel good, it is strange that so few people write them anymore. At work, a thank-you letter to employees is unbelievably effective. It costs little and has no side effects. The effort involved in writing letters very low. The pleasure on receiving them is very high.
Doug Conant, manager of Campbell’s Soup Company since 2001, knows the power of thank you letters. He said that every day he works with an assistant, searching the company for people deserving thanks.
In these days of such busy schedules and people running all over the place and trying to get ahead, sometimes we forget the simplest things in life are the most powerful and rewarding. You need to think to yourself about a time someone sent you a thank-you and how much it meant to you.
| A．He then writes them a thank-you letter. |
| B．Why are thank-you letters so important? |
| C．You may ask what side effects exactly mean. |
| D．This makes them an excellent way to reward and motivate staff. |
| E．But if these letters are so inspiring, why don’t more managers write them? |
| F．Always remember to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you!” |
| G．Since no one ever writes them thank-you letters they don’t write any themselves. |
Criticism is harmful to healthy relationships.
Changing Your Behavior
●Think before you speak.
●Separate the individual from their actions. If you work on separating the person from the action, you may naturally want to criticize less. As you realize you cannot judge a person’s character based on a single choice or decision, you will be unable to call someone out for being rude or disrespectful.
●Focus on positives. Oftentimes, being critical results from how you’re choosing to see a situation. Everyone has shortcomings. However, the vast majority of people have good qualities that outweigh bad ones.
Communicating More Effectively
●
●Ask for what you want directly. Inefficient communication often results in heavy criticism.
●Consider the other party’s perspective. If you criticize others too often, you may be shutting out the other person’s point of view. Try to step in another person’s shoes before criticizing and you may get some new and special ideas.
| A．Give feedback rather than criticism. |
| B．However, there are ways to avoid criticism. |
| C．Try to focus on a person’s positive qualities over their negative ones. |
| D．If you find yourself making assumptions about a person’s character, stop yourself. |
| E．If you’re not telling someone what you want, that person cannot be expected to know. |
| F．Criticism should, ideally, be working towards an effective solution to a negative situation. |
| G．When you want to dish out criticism, pause and consider whether you really need to say anything. |
"Oh, my God! Did I really just send that text?" Most people have said something that they wish they could take back. And if they had paused to think about it first, they probably would have acted differently. Pausing doesn't pay off just when you speak. Scientific studies have shown that making a habit of pausing before you do something can actually have a big impact on how your life turns out.
In making decisions we rely on two areas of the brain. One area creates and processes emotions; the other governs logical thought. The type of decision, how we feel about it, and how prepared we are to handle it help determine which brain area has the most influence.
But our age also plays an important role. Thinking through the consequences of one's actions is actually harder for teens because the area controlling logical (逻辑的)thought is not fully developed until around age 25. This is why teens often feel an intense emotional drive to act impulsively(冲动地)---it's how their brains are structured! Though this tendency to act without considering the outcomes can lead to problematic situations, impulsivity during the developmental years evolves because it makes teens more open to new experiences and ideas. This openness helps teens to become independent adults.
The key to making impulsivity work for you instead of against you is to train your brain by practicing pausing. This doesn't mean you stop taking risks or being open to new experiences. But you won't know if the risk is worth it until you think it through. Deciding to take a risk based on logic shows self-control, not impulsivity.
What are different ways to pause? You might take a deep breath, count to 10, or ask "Is this worth it?" different strategies work for different people. Whatever works for you, keep doing it! By practicing pausing, you can actually change your brain. This means that over time, pausing, instead of immediately reacting, becomes your "natural" response.
And with this change, people are on their way to enjoying the life rewards that come with high levels of self-control---even if they weren't natural-born pausers!
【小题1】What challenges teenagers?| A．Giving natural response. | B．Making logical decision. |
| C．Acting before thorough thinking. | D．Choosing brain-training strategies. |
| A．consider or accept new ideas | B．change ideas frequently |
| C．think through a risk in advance | D．show high level of self-control |
| A．stop taking risks |
| B．fully develop one's brain |
| C．become more open to new experience |
| D．reduce the influence of emotional drive |
| A．Push the Pause Button | B．Impulsivity Works |
| C．Discover the Brain Function | D．Crying Over the Spilt Milk |
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