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. |
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher— Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn't play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother's perfume (香水）.
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy's mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed “Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (医学博士）”.
The story doesn't end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference. "
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you. " In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
| A．She taught fewer school subjects. |
| B．She became stricter with her students. |
| C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
| D．She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
| A．She had kept in touch with him. |
| B．She had given him encouragement. |
| C．She had sent him Christmas presents. |
| D．She had taught him how to judge people. |
Your relationship with your partner may end due to several reasons. It's a stressful and unpleasant situation. As your loving and caring partner isn't with you, you may feel lonely and helpless. How-ever, keep in mind that it isn't the end of happiness in your life. There are so many interesting things that you can enjoy. You can overcome a breakup (破裂）and take pleasure in life by trying different ways.
Immediately after the breakup, give yourself some time to drain(排除）out your emotions. During this period, you may cry, howl in anger or grieve (悲伤）for the unfair treatment that you received from your partner. Let all painful emotions drain out of you.
Don't frequently recollect the pleasant or sad moments from the past. Avoid looking at the mementos of your former relationship. Don't only blame your partner for what has happened. Try to find out your mistakes. Think about improving yourself, which will be helpful for your future relationships. Engage yourself in your work or in social activities. Get involved in your favorite hobby.
Your family members and friends are the backbone that will support you in your toughest times. You can share your feelings and problems with them in order to get their support. Enjoy picnics and outings with them. Don't often talk about your past.
You need to change your attitude in order to overcome a relationship breakup. You should have a positive approach towards your life. Don't take it as a total failure. Try to change your lifestyle and take another chance. Try to find the person who can bring about positive changes in your life.
Don't get frustrated and disappointed due to a breakup. A cheerful and hopeful future is still waiting for you. This can give you a new chance to enjoy your life. Which of the following is mainly discussed in the passage?
| A．The disadvantages of a breakup. |
| B．The causes of a breakup. |
| C．Tips for overcoming a breakup. |
| D．The ways to build a good relationship. |
According to the passage, a breakup _________
| A．is caused by a stressful and unpleasant situation |
| B．is a new start for you to take pleasure in life |
| C．is not a failure at all |
| D．means a possible end of happiness in life |
In order to overcome your grief caused by a relationship break-up, you should _________.
| A．ask a doctor for help |
| B．keep yourself busy |
| C．only recall past pleasant moments |
| D．share your future plans with your parents |
Which of the following is the wrong way to overcome a relation-ship breakup?
| A．Drain out your painful emotions as soon as possible. |
| B．Seldom discuss your past with your family members. |
| C．Treat your life in a positive and optimistic way. |
| D．Never blame your partner for the breakup. |
The passage is most probably taken from _________.
| A．an advertisement |
| B．a scientific report |
| C．a book about health |
| D．a magazine about lifestyle |
When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved(毫无掩饰的).
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated (复杂的）.
My definition of happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment “. The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoy-able leisure time and satisfying work. I don't think that my grand-mother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self-conscious about our “right “to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier.
Happiness isn't about what happens to us—it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess. As people grow older, they _________.
| A．feel it harder to experience happiness |
| B．associate their happiness less with others |
| C．will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness |
| D．tend to believe responsibility means happiness |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
| A．She cares little about her own health. |
| B．She enjoys the freedom of traveling. |
| C．She is easily pleased by things in daily life. |
| D．She prefers getting pleasure from housework. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?
| A．Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness. |
| B．Psychologists' opinion is well proved by Grandma's case. |
| C．Grandma often found time for social gatherings. |
| D．Grandma's happiness came from modest expectations of life. |
People who equal happiness with wealth and success _________.
| A．consider pressure something blocking their way |
| B．stress their right to happiness too much |
| C．are at a loss to make correct choices |
| D．are more likely to be happy |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．Happiness lies between the positive and the negative. |
| B．Each man is the master of his own fate. |
| C．Success leads to happiness. |
| D．Happy is he who is content. |
Now 23，Ye Dong got his diploma in June 2010. But he has barely left the campus. He still eats in the canteens and studies in the classrooms. Living close is convenient and familiar, he said.
Around almost every college and university in China are cheap apartments and bungalows for rent, where lots of graduates like Ye live. They live and look like enrolled students, but they aren't. Such kind of graduates is called “school-drifters “. It became a popular search keyword and triggered wide media coverage and further academic research.
“The number is increasing over the years. A simple reason is that each year the number of graduates rises, while the employment rate remains basically the same. A large portion of the unemployed become school-drifters. Some previously employed also come back after a short, unsatisfying work experience.”according to Hu Jiewang, a sociology professor at Jiaying University in Guangdong province.
Ye landed a job as a production assistant in a local jewelry company in March last year but quit two months later. " The 2，400-yuan($360) a month salary was high among my classmates, but the job was too tiring. I had only one day off every week and the working hours were too irregular, “he said.” Entering society made me feel hollow. "
Hu said most of the school-drifters aim to enter grad school. Some hope to find a better job ； some want to stay in big cities ； and some are simply fearful of the intensely competitive job market.
" Living on school resources " ，Hu said, " is a way of cutting living costs. But they do have some resource conflict with currently enrolled students”.
Why don't drifters return home? " From ancient times the Chinese have had the notion that ‘ going out’ and ‘ going to colleges' were good. Anybody coming back home without achievements is a loser, “Hu said.
After graduation and entering society, many graduates felt lost. As a result, the number who stayed in school——for further education, for better opportunities, or for the comfort——increased. " School-drifters” are a group of university students who _________.
| A．have dropped out but wouldn't leave the campus |
| B．have finished school but wouldn't leave the campus |
| C．have finished school but haven't got their diplomas |
| D．haven't passed their Graduation Exams |
Why did Ye abandon his job in a local jewelry company?
| A．He was too lazy. |
| B．He wasn't pleased with the job. |
| C．The salary was low. |
| D．The jewelry company was very good. |
As " school-drifters " ，they can _________.
| A．reduce their expenses | B．make more friends |
| C．decrease pressures | D．make more money |
The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．a new social phenomenon |
| B．an event taking place in the campus |
| C．how to deal with “school-drifters” |
| D．“school-drifters “are hated by people |
In American high schools, there is a tradition for each year's graduating class( called the seniors) to play a joke on the school—the Senior Prank(毕业恶作剧）.
This usually happens at the end of the school year just before the seniors graduate from the school. It is an unofficial tradition. Al-though the schools don't encourage it, each year the seniors try to make their pranks the most original so that their class will be remembered in the years to come. The joke is supposed to be light-hearted(无伤大雅的）and must not do major damage to the school property .
The best prank at my high school was done several years ago. A flower called the golden poppy(金罂粟花）is the state flower of California ； the state law states that no one can cut them down once they are planted.
The seniors at my school took advantage of the law. They planted golden poppies all over the football field one night, spelling out their graduation year with the flowers ！ Since the school couldn't break the law to cut down the poppies, they had to wait until the flowers died.
The greatest prank that I've ever heard was done by one of my history teachers when he was in high school. He and some of his close friends went fishing in hopes of catching big fish for their prank. They were lucky and caught a three-foot shark.
My teacher and his friends took the shark to the school at night and dumped it into the swimming pool. The next morning when students went swimming, they found a dead shark in their pool. The chlorine(氯）in the water had killed the shark ！ My history teacher always regretted that his school had put so much chlorine in the pool, or it would have been more fun if the shark was still alive the next day.
The schools won't take it seriously if the pranks don't cause too much damage. But, sometimes the school will punish the seniors for going too far with their prank. My teacher's “Shark Prank “is an example of a prank gone too far. The school had to drain (排水）the pool and have it cleaned before filling it up again, which had cost the school several thousand dollars. The underlined word “property “means _________.
| A．资产 | B．性质 | C．道具 | D．所有权 |
The author implies (暗示）_________.
| A．the schools encourage the seniors to play the prank |
| B．his history teacher was punished by the school |
| C．the law of California doesn't allow planting the golden poppy in the campus |
| D．after finding a shark in the swimming pool, the school killed it with the chlorine |
We can infer(推断）from the passage that _________.
| A．the “Golden Poppy Prank “is successful and well-meaning |
| B．the Senior Prank is an unofficial tradition |
| C．the school had to cut down the golden poppies at last |
| D．the golden poppy is the state flower of California |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Only the graduating class can play the Senior Prank. |
| B．The schools don't encourage the Senior Prank. |
| C．The “Golden Poppy Prank " cost the school a lot of money. |
| D．The “Shark Prank “is beyond the general pranks. |