2026 年 06 月大学英语六级考试真题（第 2 套）

Most financial crises have plenty in common: they tend to start in the banking sector and involve excessive borrowing, together with an asset bubble. The __26__ crisis of 2008 was no different, with the asset bubble focused on US real estate. But my research suggests this crisis had another __27__ cause—that some people in the banking sector were playing or "gaming" the system for their own financial gain.

The game being played had several important features. The first was the deliberate complexity of the financial products at its core. Then there are the __28__ biases that permeate decision-making at all levels of the banking industry. Banking often attracts people with certain personality __29__, including those who are overconfident and take excessive risks.

Such people tend to like complexity for its own sake, but they often do not fully understand the __30__ of that complexity for the stability of the financial system as a whole. Often they do not care—they are primarily interested in gaming the system to __31__ their bonuses.

The next element is risk. There are parts of the banking sector that will always be __32__ to risk, but many bankers have come to feel immune to its potential impact, because they __33__ that, however recklessly banks behave, governments will always be there to bail them out.

Gaming in the banking sector seems virtually impossible to __34__. The only effective measure to end it would be to make bankers __35__ liable for losses, but no government has ever passed such a law, and no single government could do so on its own, since this would immediately cause their entire national banking sector to move wholesale to another jurisdiction.

What does self-discipline look like at work? Sometimes, it's the ability to resist temptation, such as distractions to avoid a particular task. Other times it's the ability to persist with a task when your energy and motivation seem low.

What do you believe about the nature of your own self-discipline? Is it something that runs on internal energy that is spent with use? Or is it something that is bolstered as you apply it and persist?

Your answer matters, as it determines how much self-discipline you experience. For years, research in psychology pointed to self-control as a resource that is depleted with use and needs to be restored through breaks, rest, or sleep. More recently, however, research points to the importance of mindset. If you view self-discipline as an expendable resource, your willpower tends to fade with use. If you believe that exercising your self-control strengthens and fuels it, that is more likely to be your experience as you resist temptation or push yourself to get something done that is not appealing.

If you don't already view self-discipline as a force that feeds itself, what might you do? Reflect on times that you had initial difficulty resisting temptation, getting started on something, or sticking with it, but pushed ahead and accomplished the task or met the goal. That's the kind of experience we're talking about with this particular belief about self-discipline, and you've already had such an experience, so you've shown that it's possible. When you feel your willpower and motivation fading, remind yourself of those previous experiences and imagine the same happening now.

What if your experiences have always seemed to indicate that your self-control diminishes with use, and you need breaks to recharge? There's nothing wrong with that as long as you can afford to take those breaks. If not, remind yourself that not everyone experiences self-discipline as a depletable resource and that your experience might be different if you focus on gathering more energy at this point rather than focusing on how difficult it is to continue or the need for a break.

Also, if you know someone who is a role model of self-discipline, picture that person in your situation, persisting in the task. Regardless of how you do it, as you push forward to continue to accomplish progress, be sure to mentally reinforce yourself by taking pride in your ability to exert more willpower as you persist.

The benefits of exerting willpower are cumulative. Your self-discipline is akin to a muscle, and each time you resist temptation or persist in a task despite a lack of motivation, you strengthen that muscle, leading to less effort and resistance in similar instances in the future.

Smartphones have always posed challenges for parents of teens. From social media apps to excessive screen time, the digital world is as threatening as the physical.

A new study shows that about half of parents of teens are worried about their teens being exposed to explicit content online. This is a valid concern, of course. But there are ways to alleviate the spread of explicit content, from changing the settings in their kids' phone to monitoring such content with apps like Bark.

Just as alarming, if not more so, is that the amount of time teens spend on social media can lead to anxiety and depression.

Excessive screen time has detrimental effects, for a lot of obvious reasons. Constant media consumption inhibits healthy activities associated with childhood, like spending time outside, exercising, talking to friends and family. If it interferes with sleep, that's even worse.

Ample research shows too much smartphone use produces significant anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation in teens. Teens log on to social media or spend time online trying to make connections, but end up feeling more alone and sad than ever. Faceless communication not only produces feelings of isolation and loneliness but increases instances of online bullying and susceptibility to criminal conducts.

Though I've banned most social media, I've still battled smartphone time with my own kids. A lot of the time I wish I could throw my kids' smartphones into the nearest lake. The convenience of communication—when they need a ride home from school after practice, for instance—often feels like it isn't worth the battle to keep their screen time low and productive, and continue to encourage "real-life" activities outside and with friends and family. I understand the addiction and often tell them I'm not sure how I would have handled having a smartphone as a teen. As an adult, I too, struggle with overuse.

In a recent TV interview to promote a new film about a mother and daughter navigating social media use, actress Kate Winslet expressed her view on teens and social media—and her concern mirrors the trends. "I do definitely feel that the world of social media is frightening to parents because we don't really know what's there," she said. "We don't know how our children are using it. We don't know the effects that it's really having on them."

I don't think the U.S. government should regulate social media and teen smartphone use, but it is a vital topic for parents to understand and take seriously. Unfortunately, now, parents don't just have to worry about real-world dangers, but all the ones sneaking online and the effects they have on teenagers and their mental health.