Bounce

1. 外教领读

2. 英文原文

If you believe success is determined by your innate talents, you will fail to strive for glory.

Imagine a top-notch marathon runner, who always finishes her races in the top ten. If you had to explain her success, would you say it was due to her being a natural runner? Or is it because she has practiced unwaveringly for years?

If you’d opt for the first explanation, psychologists would say you probably have a fixed mindset, meaning you believe success depends on something you can’t change, like genetics. This kind of mindset is very harmful.

If someone with such a fixed mindset is ever labeled as “ungifted,” they will no longer bother to practice or try to improve. They will feel that since they obviously lack the talent to succeed, there’s no point in wasting time on arduous practice.

On the other hand, if someone with a fixed mindset believes that they are “gifted,” they still won’t bother to take the necessary steps to truly excel, because they feel they will succeed anyway thanks to their innate abilities.

Consider Darius Knight, a promising table tennis player who was praised so much for his extraordinary talent that he reduced his training intensity. The consequence? His results plummeted until a new coach got him to focus on working harder.

A fixed mindset can also make people give up too easily when learning something new, because they take even small setbacks as evidence that they’re not suited to the task.

This was demonstrated by a study where children had to solve puzzles of increasing difficulty. When the children who had a fixed mindset encountered the first difficulties, they began to doubt their intelligence and eventually gave up entirely. At the same time, the other children rose to the challenge – they tried harder and became better solvers when the puzzles became more demanding.

It seems clear then that children should be praised for their commitment, stamina and enthusiasm rather than their talents, for the latter can lead to a fixed mindset.

3. 单词解析

1. determine [dɪˈtɜːrmɪn]   决定

Upbringing plays an important part in determining a person's character.

后天培养对于一个人性格的形成起着重要作用。

2. innate  [ɪˈneɪt] 天生的，与生俱来的（某种素质）

Children have an innate ability to learn language.

儿童学习语言的能力是与生俱来的。

3. fail to   没能、未能

I fail to see why you won't even give it a try.

我不懂为什么你连试一试都不愿意。

4. strive   [straɪv] 努力、奋斗

I was still striving to be successful. 我仍在努力争取成功。

strive for perfection 致力于完美

5. glory [ˈglɔːri] 荣誉、光荣

I do all the work and he gets all the glory.

活儿都是我干，荣誉都是他得。

6. notch   [nɑːtʃ]  档次、等级

Her new book is several notches above anything else she has written.

她的新书比她的其他作品高出了好几个等级。

7. top-notch  [ˌtɑːp ˈnɑːtʃ] 一级的、顶呱呱的

I was lucky and got myself a job with a top-notch company. 我很幸运，在一家一流的公司找到了一份工作。

8. marathon [ˈmærəθɑːn]  马拉松

9. waver   [ˈweɪvər]  动摇

She never wavered in her determination to succeed.

她要取得成功的决心从未动摇过。

10. unwavering [ʌnˈweɪvərɪŋ]   毫不动摇的

unwavering support

坚定不移的支持

11. opt  [ɑːpt]  选择

Many workers opted to leave their jobs rather than take a pay cut.

许多工人宁肯下岗也不接受减薪。

12. mindset  [ˈmaɪndset]  思维模式

13. genetics  [dʒəˈnetɪks]  遗传学

14. label  [ˈleɪbl]

①n. 标签

The washing instructions are on the label.

洗涤说明在标签上。

price labels

价格标签

②n.（不恰当的）称谓，绰号，叫法

I hated the label ‘housewife’. 我不喜欢“家庭主妇”这个称谓。

③v. 把…不公正地称为，给…扣帽子 label sb / sth (as) sth

The newspapers had unjustly labelled him a troublemaker. 报界不公正地给他扣上了闹事者的帽子。

The unemployed are often unfairly labelled as lazy or unreliable. 失业者常被不公正地扣上懒惰或不可信赖的帽子。

15. gifted   [ˈɡɪftɪd] 有才的、有天赋的

a gifted musician/player, etc. 天才的音乐家、运动员等

16. bother   [ˈbɑːðər]   

①打扰

Sorry to bother you. 很抱歉打扰你一下。

②费事去做，花精力去做。

Don't bother. 别费事了。

③(not) bother to do sth /about / with 懒得去做

He didn’t bother to answer the question.

他懒得回答这个问题。

He didn’t bother with a reply.

他懒得回复。

17. there's no point in doing...

做.....没有意义

18. arduous  [ˈɑːrdʒuəs]  艰难的

an arduous climb/task/journey

举步维艰的攀登／艰巨的任务／艰难的旅程

19. excel   [ɪkˈsel]  擅长、突出

Rick has always excelled at foreign languages.

里克一向擅长外语。

20. promising   [ˈprɑːmɪsɪŋ]  有希望的；有前途的；

a promising young actor

大有前途的年轻演员

21. table tennis  乒乓球运动

22. ordinary  [ˈɔːrdneri]   普通的

ordinary people like you and me

像你我这等普通人

23. extraordinary  [ɪkˈstrɔːrdəneri]  不一般的；非凡的；

She was a truly extraordinary woman.

她是位非常杰出的女性。

24. intensity  [ɪnˈtensəti]  强度

来自：intense   [ɪnˈtens]    激烈的，高强度的

intense competition 激烈的竞争

25. consequence  [ˈkɑːnsɪkwens]  结果、后果

He drove too fast with tragic consequences.

他开车太快，结果酿成惨剧。

26. plummet   [ˈplʌmɪt]  （价值、数量）暴跌；（高度）骤降

House prices have plummeted down. 房价已经暴跌。

27. coach   [koʊtʃ]   

①四轮大马车

②（体育运动的教练）

a basketball/football/tennis, etc. coach 篮球、足球、网球等教练

28. setback  [ˈsetbæk]  挫折

There has been a slight/temporary setback in our plans.

我们的计划遭到了一点儿／暂时的挫折。

29. demonstrate  [ˈdemənstreɪt]  证明

The study demonstrates the link between poverty and malnutrition. 这项研究证明了贫困与营养不良之间的联系。

30. encounter  [ɪnˈkaʊntər]  遭遇、遇到

encounter problems / difficulties

遇到问题、困难

31. rise to the challenge/occasion

成功应对挑战/局面

32. demanding  [di'mɑ:ndiŋ]   要求高的

Climbing is physically demanding. 爬山对身体素质要求很高。

33. commitment  [kəˈmɪtmənt]   

①投入、努力

Her commitment to work is beyond question.

她的敬业精神是不容置疑的。

②已经承诺或者同意要做的事

Women very often have to juggle work with their family commitments.

女性经常得两头兼顾，既要工作又要照管家庭。

34. stamina   [ˈstæmɪnə]  耐力、毅力

physical or mental strength that lets you continue doing something for a long time without getting tired

You need stamina to be a long-distance runner.

当长跑运动员需要耐力。

She has the stamina and the determination to succeed.

她具有成功所需的毅力和决心。

35. latter  [ˈlætər]

①后者的、后面提到的

the latter half of the year

下半年

②the latter

后面那个