Kevin Adkins admits that when he lacks confid...

Kevin Adkins admits that when he lacks confidence, he uses big words to appear smarter, of which most people don’t know the meaning. “Only when I need to impress the person. I prefer using big words,” says the 45-year-old.

Adkins is not alone. Many people use longer words in place of shorter ones because they know, consciously or unconsciously, that when others form impressions of them after a glance or a short conversation, they often work harder to give the “right” impression. “People think, if I can show that I have a good vocabulary, I’ll sound smarter says Daniel Oppenheimer, PhD, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. However, if the listeners do not understand those long words, he adds, it will leave a bad impression instead.

The truth is that it can easily go wrong. “It’s almost a game that two people are playing,” says Eric Igou, PhD, a social psychologist at Ireland’s University of Limerick. “If the observer, person B, doesn’t have the same theory, it can backfire.” Person A may be regarded as showing off instead of being intelligent.

Using big words may also confuse listeners, which is definitely moving in the wrong direction, “People associate intelligence with clearness of expressions,” says Oppenheimer. That’s especially true when it comes to the written word. A small study in Applied Cognitive Psychology (应用认知心理学) found that the more writers tried to sound smart, the less intelligent they were considered to be.

So what can you do to sound smarter? Speak clearly and directly. Leave the dictionary at your desk.

1.Why does Kevin Adkins prefer saying big words sometimes?

A.He wants to make himself more easily understood.

B.He believes that it is cool.

C.He enjoys the feelings of being mysterious.

D.He hopes that what he says sounds smart.

2.What is Professor Oppenheimer’s attitude towards the behavior of using big words?

A.Disapproving. B.Favorable.

C.Indifferent. D.Cautious.

3.What does Eric Igou mean by saying “it can backfire” in paragraph 3?

A.It can catch fire. B.Person B can fire person A.

C.It can deliver an opposite effect. D.The observer can also fight back.

4.What can we learn from the small study in Applied Cognitive Psychology?

A.The writer who never uses big words is more intelligent.

B.The writer who uses big words the most is the most intelligent.

C.People like the writers who only use short and clear expressions.

D.The writers should avoid using big words often in their writings.

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Both individual determination and teamwork are _______to success when climbing. You need to rely on the _______of your team and share in the achievement. But personal focus and determination to keep _______despite any difficulty is an important _______to team success.

My greatest achievement in climbing is being the first ever to _______the 5,000-foot Troll Wall in Norway, whose rock face is the _______and most vertical(垂直) in Europe. A stone which drops from the summit will touch nothing until it _______on the valley floor one mile below.

53___our climb, the experts in Europe had said it was ______to climb the Troll Wall. But with three companions, I decided to _______. It took ten days to make the climb and we slept on ledges(岩石架) no more than a foot wide. But I _______.

Afterwards, I said to myself, “________I can do that, I can do anything.” Some years later, I succeeded in climbing Mount Everest-the highest mountain in the world.

_____to me is not hanging on a rope on the side of a mountain, but is just one field where adventurous people can constantly ______themselves. If we look at every day as an adventure, we can challenge ourselves and continue to grow throughout our ______. That is the final adventure.

1.A. intelligent B. successful C. curious D. generous

2.A. surfing B. wrestling C. fishing D. climbing

3.A. denied B. envied C. recognized D. tricked

4.A. mountains B. trees C. walls D. buildings

5.A. method B. secret C. courage D. skill

6.A. suitable B. convenient C. equal D. important

7.A. guide B. support C. protection D. sympathy

8.A. going B. refusing C. waiting D. burning

9.A. examination B. transportation C. investigation D. contribution

10.A. plant B. remove C. conquer D. surround

11.A. smallest B. safest C. lowest D. highest

12.A. lands B. stops C. dies D. rests

13.A. After B. Before C. During D. With

14.A. easy B. impossible C. foolish D. brave

15.A. try B. struggle C. seek D. compete

16.A. failed B. gave up C. succeeded D. took off

17.A. Unless B. If C. Though D. Whether

18.A. Failure B. Fear C. Adventure D. Confidence

19.A. hold B. forgive C. understand D. challenge

20.A. life B. study C. childhood D. country

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Stage fright is a common example of___educators call　 a“lack of confidence”among students.

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