Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others. The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.

　　“If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,” says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. “But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”

　　A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.

　　In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims. 1. Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward ____. A) the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards

　　B) the appropriate amount of external rewards C) the study of relationship between actions and

　　D) the effects of external rewards on students' performance

　　2. What is the view held by many educators concerning external rewards for students? A) They approve of external rewards. B) They don't think external rewards. C) They have doubts about external rewards.

　　D) They believe external rewards can motivate small children, but not college students. 3. According to the result of the study mentioned in the passage, what should educators do to stimulate motivation and creativity? A) Give rewards for performances which deserve them. B) Always promise rewards.

　　C) Assign tasks which are not very challenging.

　　D) Be more lenient to students when mistakes are made.

　　4. It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe ____.

　　A) rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students’ B) punishment is more effective than rewarding

　　C) failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standards D) discouraging the students anticipation for easy rewards is matter of urgency 5.Which of the following facts about “token economics” is not correct? A) Students are assigned challenging tasks. B) Rewards are given for good performances.

　　C) Students are evaluated according to the effort they put into the task. D) With token economics, students’ creativity can be enhanced.

　　答案與解析： 1. D

　　心理學家認為外界的獎勵對學生會有不同的影響。事實辨析題。根據(jù)文章第一句話“Psychologists take opposing views of how external re wards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity”可知，心理學家的分歧在于來自外界的獎勵對學生的積極性和創(chuàng)造性究竟有什么影響，故選項D正確.

　　2. C

　　許多教育家對外界的獎勵持懷疑態(tài)度。

　　文章第二段第一句話提到，后一種觀點得到了許多教育工作者的支持，從第一段中可知，后一種觀點是：獎勵會促使學生對別人的贊許和饋贈產生依賴心理，因此獎勵會破壞創(chuàng)造精神。由此可知，他們對獎勵的正面作用持懷疑態(tài)度。故選項C正確。

　　 3. A

　　根據(jù)文中的研究結果表明，教育家通過給予學生應得的獎勵來提高他們的積極性和創(chuàng)造性。文章第三段指出，給予學生恰當?shù)莫剟�，可使他們發(fā)揮更大的創(chuàng)造性，但如果對糟糕的表現(xiàn)也給予獎勵，或讓學生對獎勵有太多的期許，反而會扼殺創(chuàng)造性。故選項A正確。

　　 4. B

　　從文中可以得知，一些重點大學試圖加強等級標準，因為他們相信懲罰比獎勵更有效。事實辨析題。從文中第四段可知，許多大學之所以嚴格考試的評分標準，是因為“A teacher ... who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students”。選項B 與此意相同。

 　　5. C

　　根據(jù)學生的表現(xiàn)對他們作出評價。事實辨析題。根據(jù)最后一段的意思，在這種獎勵制度下，要根據(jù)學生的表現(xiàn)對他們做出評價，而不僅僅是他們花費了多少精力來完成任務，故選項C正確。