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Reader's Bank_Level 8_Unit 05                                    Reading Text

Americans often choose soft words to avoid saying something that sounds too strong or rude. For example, instead of saying “toilet,” they say “restroom.” Instead of calling something “ugly,” they might say it is “plain.” This way of speaking uses polite or indirect expressions to replace unpleasant words. These kinds of expressions are called euphemisms. They appear in many areas of life. In schools, teachers refer to less intelligent students as “students needing extra support” or “students with special learning needs.” In offices, companies may say a worker was “let go” instead of “fired.” At funerals, people often say someone “passed away” instead of “died” to comfort the family. Some people think these expressions are too careful or even silly. But they help us speak kindly and show respect. Without them, people might speak more directly, but their words could sound too harsh or hurtful.

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Social psychologist Carol Dweck says there are two types of evaluations. One type looks at a person’s abilities. For example, a teacher might say to a student, “You are very smart.” The other type focuses on how much effort someone makes. For example, a parent might say, “You tried really hard.”

These two kinds of evaluations may seem similar, but they affect children in different ways. When children are evaluated for effort, they usually think failure happens because they didn’t try hard enough. This makes them want to try again. They practice more, improve their skills, and try to do better next time. On the other hand, when children are evaluated for being smart, they may think they failed because they are not naturally good. They believe they can’t change the results. This often makes them give up more quickly.

This shows that evaluations work better when they focus on effort—something children can control—rather than ability, which they cannot.

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Once upon a time, there lived a king who had a very unusual advisor. No matter what happened, the advisor always said, “This is a good thing.” One day, the king went hunting. He misfired and accidentally shot his left thumb. The advisor looked at the injury and said, “Your Majesty, this is a good thing!” The king was shocked that his advisor said such nonsense about his tragedy. The king immediately had him imprisoned.

Years later, the king went on another hunting trip and got lost in the forest. He was soon captured by cannibals, who planned to cook him. However, one of them noticed that the king was missing a finger. “We can’t eat a man with a flaw,” he said. “He is not whole.” Thus, they released the king unharmed.

When he returned to the palace, the king visited his old advisor. “I owe you an apology,” the king said. After hearing the entire account from the king, the advisor smiled and said, “It’s lucky that you imprisoned me after all. Had I not been in jail, I would have accompanied you on your trip. And my body is complete.”