Tom always feels bad about not finishing his homework. He often leaves his homework behind and goes on the internet or watches TV first. He does his homework at the last minute. “But the longer I procrastinate(拖延), the more I worry,” says Tom.
Some people procrastinate just because they want to enjoy what they are doing now. Others procrastinate because they are afraid that they can't finish the work.
Some people think that procrastination will make them work better. But that's not true. “I did a study a few years ago, asking procrastinators to finish something in a day,” says Professor Peter Stone. “They did worse than non-procrastinators: they made more mistakes and they took longer.” So, procrastination is usually not good for you. For example, bedtime procrastination can cause some health problems.
If you don't want to procrastinate, the best way is to take action first. If you want to run outside, put on your sports shoes right away.
Next, find something to remind you about your plans before the time you need to do them. If you want to go to bed at 10:30 p. m., you can set a timed dimmer switch(调光器) at 10 p. m. When the light gets dimmer, you'll start going to bed. It works for most people.
Finally, reward yourself every time you make it. For example, after you've run 3 km, enjoy your favourite food.
任务一 选择正确答案
1. Why does Tom always feel bad?
A. He has no time to study.
B. He doesn't finish his homework.
C. He watches TV too much.
D. He worries about his health.
2. What does the underlined word “reward” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Give something for good work.
B. Ask for help.
C. Finish homework on time.
D. Make a plan.
3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A. Procrastination is good for work.
B. Professor Stone did a study.
C. The best way is to take action first.
D. We should enjoy favourite food.
4. What's the writer's purpose in writing the passage?
A. To tell us to stop procrastinating.
B. To ask us to watch TV first.
C. To show how to study well.
D. To introduce a good professor.
任务二 回答问题(每个题目的答案不超过5个单词)
1. What problem does Tom have with his study?

2. Who did a study about procrastination?

3. What result can bedtime procrastination cause?

4. How many ways does the writer give to stop procrastinating?

5. What will you do to overcome procrastination in your daily life?

任务一
1. B
2. A 词义猜测题。根据“For example, after you've run 3 km, enjoy your favourite food.”可知，完成任务后给自己喜欢的东西，即“奖励”。
3. C 段落大意题。根据“If you don't want to procrastinate, the best way is to take action first.”可知，本段主要讲停止拖延的最好方法是立刻行动。
4. A 推理判断题。文章介绍拖延的坏处，并给出克服拖延的方法，目的是告诉我们不要拖延。
任务二
1. He often procrastinates.
2. Professor Peter Stone.
3. Health problems.
4. Three.
5. Set reminders to finish tasks.（答案不唯一）

【分析】
首先处理任务一选择题：1题定位Tom感觉不好的原因，对应原文首段信息；2题通过划线词后的举例推测词义；3题找第四段主题句概括段落大意；4题梳理全文核心目的。任务二简答题需从原文提取关键信息，开放题结合文中方法作答，且答案需符合字数要求。
【解析】
任务一：
1. 细节理解题：根据原文第一段第一句“Tom always feels bad about not finishing his homework.”，可知Tom因未完成作业感觉不好，选B。
2. 词义猜测题：根据第六段划线词后的举例“after you've run 3 km, enjoy your favourite food”，可知完成任务后给自己喜欢的东西是“奖励”，选A。
3. 段落大意题：第四段主题句为“If you don't want to procrastinate, the best way is to take action first.”，本段围绕该句展开，选C。
4. 主旨大意题：文章先介绍拖延的原因、坏处，再给出克服拖延的方法，目的是呼吁停止拖延，选A。
任务二：
1. 细节理解：从原文Tom的表现可知他经常拖延作业，答案为He often procrastinates.
2. 细节理解：根据原文第三段“says Professor Peter Stone”，可知是Peter Stone教授做的研究，答案为Professor Peter Stone.
3. 细节理解：根据原文第三段“bedtime procrastination can cause some health problems”，可知会导致健康问题，答案为Health problems.
4. 细节理解：文中给出“take action first、find reminders、reward yourself”三种方法，答案为Three.
5. 开放题，结合文中方法，答案为Set reminders to finish tasks.
【答案】
任务一：1.B 2.A 3.C 4.A
任务二：1. He often procrastinates. 2. Professor Peter Stone. 3. Health problems. 4. Three. 5. Set reminders to finish tasks.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】
本文围绕拖延话题展开，考察学生对原文细节、词义、段落及整体主旨的理解，题型设置合理，需学生具备快速定位原文的能力，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6