A German study suggests that people who were too optimistic about their future actually faced greater risk of disability or death within 10 years than those pessimists who expected their future to be worse.
The paper, published this March in Psychology and Aging, examined health and welfare surveys from roughly 40,000 Germans between ages 18 and 96. The surveys were conducted every year from 1993 to 2003.
Survey respondents (受访者) were asked to estimate their present and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, among other questions.
The researchers found that young adults (age 18 to 39) routinely overestimated their future life satisfaction, while middle-aged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future. Adults of 65 and older, however, were far more likely to underestimate their future life satisfaction. Not only did they feel more satisfied than they thought they would, the older pessimists seemed to suffer a lower ratio (比率) of disability and death for the study period.
“We observed that being too optimistic in predicting a better future than actually observed was associated with a greater risk of disability and a greater risk of death within the following decade,” wrote Frieder R. Lang, a professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Lang and his colleagues believed that people who were pessimistic about their future may be more careful about their actions than people who expected a rosy future.
“Seeing a dark future may encourage positive evaluations of the actual self and may contribute to taking improved precautions (预防措施),” the authors wrote.
Surprisingly, compared with those in poor health or who had low incomes, respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline. Also, the researchers said that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability.
The authors of the study noted that there were limitations to their conclusions. Illness, medical treatment and personal loss could also have driven health outcomes.
However, the researchers said a pattern was clear. “We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic,” the authors concluded.According to the study, who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction?
| A．Optimistic adults. |
| B．Middle-aged adults. |
| C．Adults in poor health. |
| D．Adults of lower income. |
Pessimism may be positive in some way because it causes people ______.
| A．to fully enjoy their present life |
| B．to estimate their contribution accurately |
| C．to take measures against potential risks |
| D．to value health more highly than wealth |
How do people of higher income see their future?
| A．They will earn less money. |
| B．They will become pessimistic. |
| C．They will suffer mental illness. |
| D．They will have less time to enjoy life. |
What is the clear conclusion of the study?
| A．Pessimism guarantees chances of survival. |
| B．Good financial condition leads to good health. |
| C．Medical treatment determines health outcomes. |
| D．Expectations of future life satisfaction decline with age. |
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually lasts only a few minutes or a few hours．This kind of loneliness is not serious．In fact, it is quite normal．For some people, though, loneliness can last for years．Now researchers say there are three different kinds of loneliness．
The first kind of loneliness is temporary．This is the most common type．It usually disappears quickly and does not need any special attention．
The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a certain situation, for example, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place．Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year．
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe．Unlike the second type, chronic （长期的） loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause．People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and being close to others．Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition．
Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, such as friends, family members, co-workers, etc．We depend on various people for different reasons．For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share interests and activities．However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more．They question then" own popularity．
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease．While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal and healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad and sometimes dangerous condition．Wh
ich of the following can be the cause of situational loneliness?
| A．Sleeplessness． | B．Changing work． |
| C．Heart disease． | D．Social contacts． |
The underlined word "it" in the last sentence of the third paragraph refers to _____ ．
| A．headaches | B．situational loneliness |
| C．sleeplessness | D．temporary loneliness |
How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?
| A．Just ignore it． | B．Talk to friends． |
| C．Go to see a doctor． | D．Ask your teachers for guidance． |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People feel lonely in a certain situation． |
| B．There are only three types of loneliness in our life． |
| C．Loneliness doesn't affect people much． |
| D．Scientists have found ways to help habitually lonely people． |
I was born and raised in Hong Kong．For the past six years, I've been living in the United States．I work as a salesgirl in a large department store．Right now I'm going through a difficult period of my life which is hard for me to talk about．
A few months ago, I went to Hong Kong for a visit．It was the first time I'd gone back there since coming to the United States．I was eager to see my parents, my brothers,
my sisters and my friends．
I really got a shock when I arrived．Hong Kong was not the same city as I left six years ago．Things had changed so much that I didn't recognize parts of it．My primary school was gone．The houses on the street where I used to live had been torn down and replaced by office buildings．
The shock from the physical changes in the city, however, was nothing compares to the confusion and hurt I soon began to feel in my parents' home．My family greeted warmly when I arrived．While my mother was busy preparing a special dinner in my honor, the rest of the family eagerly asked me questions about my life in the United States．I felt happy that day and for a couple of days after, but then I began to feel that something was wrong．I noticed that my family, especially my mother, would sometimes glance at me in a strange way when I was speaking．They gradually became less warm and friendly towards me, I became uncomfortable and confused as to why they were behaving that day．
I decided to talk to my mother．She asked me, "Have you forgotten your Chinese way?" I asked her what she meant．She asked, "You've forgotten the place of women in a Chinese home．You talk when you should remain silent．You speak on matters that of concern only to men．You speak openly of your inner feelings and desires．That's not the way of a Chinese woman．We keep our thoughts and feelings to ourselves．I was born and raised in Hong Kong．Here raise means______．
| A．bring up | B．stay | C．become higher | D．live |
What shocked the author most during her visit in Hong Kong?
| A．The physical changes in Hong Kong． |
| B．Her primary school didn't exist any longer． |
| C．She couldn't recognize parts of Hong Kong． |
| D．The confusion and hurt she experienced in her parents' home． |
Why did the author's family become less warm and friendly towards her?
| A．She had forgotten her role as a woman． |
| B．She didn't follow the Chinese custom about how a woman should behave at home． |
| C．She spoke of her inner feelings and desires directly． |
| D．She talked about matters that were not concerned with women． |
The best title for this passage is _______．
| A．My Trip in Hong Kong | B．The Changes in Hong Kong |
| C．Caught Between Two Cultures | D．The Chinese Way |
Drunken driving sometimes called American's socially accepted form of murder has become a national epidemic（流行病）．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years．A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0．10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beers, glasses of wines or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts, but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially concerning young children, that public opinion is no longer tolerant．
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend （逆转潮流） in the 1960s to reduce it to 18．After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21．
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop "responsible attitudes" about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink．
Some states are punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks．A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was "obviously drunk" and later drove off the land, killing a nine-year-old boy．
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition （禁令） of alcohol that began in 1919, which President Hoover called the "noble experiment"．They forget that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption （腐败） and organized crime．As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution．It can be inferred from the passage that drunken driving has become a major problem in the United States because___．
| A．most Americans like drinking |
| B．heavy dinking is hard to avoid |
| C．Americans are not shocked by traffic accidents |
| D．many Americans are killed by traffic accidents |
Wha
t can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．Drivers should not be allowed to drink． |
| B．Young drivers were usually bad． |
| C．The legal drinking age should be raised． |
| D．Some drivers didn't reach the legal drinking age． |
The underlined word "lenient" in the first paragraph means___．
| A．cruel | B．serious | C．determined | D．merciful |
Which of the following best shows the writer's opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It may cause organized crime． |
| B．The new laws can stop heavy drinking． |
| C．There should be no bars to serve drinks． |
| D．It is difficult to solve the problem． |
nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname also can be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity.
A few years ago, some marketing and advertising experts were asked to name the best nickname for an American city. The winner was the nation's largest city, New York. The top nickname was The Big Apple.
You might wonder how New York got this nickname. In the early nineteen seventies, the city had many problems. The number of visitors was falling. So a campaign was launched to give the city a new image. The head of the New York Conventions and Visitors Bureau decided to call the city, The Big Apple.
There are several explanations for where this name came from. Language expert Barry Popik studied the question and wrote about it on his Web site. He says John Fitz Gerald, a writer for a New York newspaper, used the name The Big Apple to mean New York in the nineteen twenties. Mister Fitz Gerald wrote about horse races. He heard the name used by men who worked at a racetrack in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Mister Fitz Gerald wrote: "The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There's only one Big Apple. That's New York."
In horse racing, the expression meant "the big time," the place where large amounts of money could be won. The Big Apple became the name of a night club in the Harlem area of New York City in nineteen thirty-four. It also was the name of a popular dance and a hit song in the nineteen thirties.
But it is not the only nickname for America's largest city. Barry Popik's web site lists almost one hundred nicknames that describe New York. The best known are The Capital of the World. Empire City. Gotham. The City So Nice They Named it Twice. And, The City That Never Sleeps. You can hear about the city in the song, "New York, New York," by Frank Sinatra. Why do many American cities have nicknames?（回答词数不超过15个）
What did John Fitz Gerald write about for the New York newspaper?（回答词数不超过5个）
Besides “The Big Apple”, how many best known nicknames that describe New York are listed according to Barry Popik's web site?（回答词数不超过2个）
I don’t like my parents. They always tell me I should do this, and should not do that. It sometimes makes me angry,” said Liu Dan, a middle school student in Beijing. Do you have the same problem? Perhaps your parents had the same problem when they were your age long ago. Why does it seem that some parents are not so friendly in their children’s eyes?
One of the biggest things is when someone becomes a parent, he or she likes worrying things. They worry about everything about you from the time you were born. They do a lot for you, though something would make you angry, because they care about you and worry about you. They worry about your choice of friends, the food you eat, your work at school, how much sleep you get, etc. All these things are part of your life. They want you to grow up healthily and happily.
So how can you make things easier on yourself? It’s easier than you think. Just make sure your parents know what you’re doing. Get them to know your friends. Call them if you stay somewhere else later than usual. Say sorry to them when you make mistakes. Take responsibility for what you have done. Talk about your ideas with them. They may talk about theirs with you.
Most of all, try to think about why your parents do this or do that. They are still practicing being parents and need help you can give them. Someday, when you become a parent, they may be able to help you how to get on with your children.The writer of the passage doesn’t agree that _______.
| A．parents want you to grow up healthily |
| B．parents don’t want you to make some bad friends |
| C．parents worry about everything about you |
| D．parents want to control you |
Some of the children are angry with their parents in the passage because ________.
| A．the parents think they eat too much |
| B．the parents don’t like the friends that their children have made |
| C．the children don’t live with their parents |
| D．the children are limited by their parents |
“They are still practicing being parents.” means _______.
| A．parents are not always right | B．parents should practice more |
| C．parents have many mistakes | D．parents are always right |
The main idea in this passage is that _______.
| A．some of the parents in China don’t love their children |
| B．children and parents should understand more about each other |
| C．parents should worry too much about their children |
| D．children should bear everything their parents arranged |