phantuan6522 3/23/2024 8:33:38 PM

The old adage 'practice makes perfect' has taken on special significance in recent times. Its message is simple: if you do something over and over again, then your performance will improve. Although often applied to music and sports - both of which are areas in which the necessity to practice is self-evident - the value of practice in other areas of life should not be underestimated. In fact, studies seem to indicate that practice (or experience) plays a greater role in success than natural talent, if such a thing exists. 

Studies have demonstrated that high achievers are in fact no more gifted or intelligent than their contemporaries; rather, the difference lies in the amount of practice they put in. In the 1980s, Benjamin Bloom, a professor of education at the University of Chicago, conducted an investigation into the factors that had led to people excelling in different fields. He concluded that there was nothing in the early childhoods of these high achievers that could have predicted their later success. The subjects of his research did, however, have certain features in common, namely, that they all had dedicated teachers and supportive families, and they had all put in intensive practice. 

K. Anders Ericsson, a professor of Psychology at Florida State University, who has carried out research spanning more than two decades into giftedness, expertise, and the benefits of practice, concludes that experts are invariably made, and not born. However, Ericsson's research has also indicated that what counts is not just the amount of practice a person puts in, but rather, the way in which they practise. If a person believes that it takes real talent to excel in a certain area, then they are likely to doubt their own ability to improve sufficiently to compete with others, and as a result, may give up trying. Conversely, the person who can learn from their mistakes, and believes that they have the capacity to improve, is more likely to succeed. 

In other words, experience really does count. Or as another old adage puts it, 'nothing succeeds like success'. The key to success is motivation and an understanding that practice really does make perfect. 

(Adapted from Global)

Câu 22. Which best serves as the title for the passage?

     A. Determination Creates Success                          B. Working Hard: Comes at a Cost

     C. Aiming for Perfection?                                       D. Repetition Builds Perfection!

Câu 23. The word "self-evident" in paragraph 1 can be best replaced by______.

     A. selfish                          B. clear                             C. unimportant                D. confident

Câu 24. According to paragraph 1, research seems to show that______.

A. success is directly linked to natural ability

B. music and sports are two fields which require talent

C. practice is of vital importance

D. an old piece of advice may be exaggerated

Câu 25. The word "they" in paragraph 2 refers to________.

     A. high achievers            B. studies                         C. factors                         D. contemporaries

Câu 26. The word "invariably" in paragraph 3 mostly means_______

     A. irregularly                   B. variously                     C. doubtfully                   D. certainly

Câu 27. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?

A. Bloom's research wanted to get an insight into why natural ability was important.

B. You can really achieve expertise in a certain area if you do your work regularly.

C. Participants in Bloom's research were all born in rich families and taught by good teachers.

D. Those who fail many times before achieving success are certain to excel in their fields.

Câu 28. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A. Having the right mindset can really help you to accomplish your goal.

B. The success of Ericsson's research could be attributed to its length of time.

C. Success can be solely achieved by the amount of effort you put in a task.

D. Humans are typically skeptical about their chances of realising their dream.

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