Question

    Imagine there is a glass on a table in front of you. It has water in it but it is not full. How do you describe the glass? "Half full or half empty?"

If you say half full, you might be an optimist. If you say half empty, you might be the opposite - a pessimist.

Optimism and pessimism represent your general attitude toward certain situations or to life in general. And your attitude about life may be more important to living than you think.

A new study suggests that your level of optimism may affect your health. People who are optimistic may live longer than those who are pessimistic.

Researchers at Harvard University's School of Public Health in Boston did the study. They compared women with "a general expectation that good things will happen" to women who were less optimistic. They found that the optimists had a much lower risk of getting several deadly diseases, including cancer, heart disease and certain types of infection.

Eric Kim is one of the study leaders. He says there is increasing evidence that strengthening psychological (心理的) resilience may help prevent disease. Kim says that these new findings suggest that people should make efforts to increase their resilience and optimism. He says optimism is connected with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of dealing with difficulty. Optimists tend to take better care of themselves by exercising, eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep.

However, the researchers say that healthy behaviors of optimistic people only partly explain the connection with reduced risk of disease.

For the study, researchers looked at information gathered on 70,000 women in the Nurse's Health Study. This massive study began in 1975. It collects health information on those involved in the study every two years. The Harvard researchers looked at the level of optimism of the women, as well as other factors such as race, diet, physical activity level and overall health. They found the most optimistic women had nearly a 30 percent lower risk of dying from disease.

Kaitlin Hagan, another study leader, says earlier studies show that a person can use simple, low-cost methods to increase optimism. For example, thinking about and writing down the best possible outcomes for areas of their lives, like their careers or relationships.

Leslie Ralph, a clinical psychologist and counselor, has several ideas about how to increase optimism. She says each night you might plan to do two or three simple, enjoyable activities the next day, such as watching the sun rise, visiting a friend, dancing to a favorite song or reading a story with your child. And the counselor adds offering praise or support to someone can also improve your own outlook. A smile and "thank you" from another person may help you feel more optimistic.

1.What do we know from the passage?

A.Relations lie among optimism, pessimism and a glass of water.

B.Good expectations increase risk of dying from disease.

C.An optimist is more likely to live healthily.

D.Supporting someone may receive praise of a pessimist.

2.What does the underlined word "resilience" mean in Paragraph 6?

A.The ability to recover from difficulty or change. B.A way of thinking and reacting to things.

C.Factors that influence one's health. D.The ability to experience the sense of touching body.

3.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.To Be Optimistic or Pessimistic B.To Look on the Bright Side or the Opposite

C.Increasing Optimism Keeps You More Active D.Looking on the Bright Side Might Help You Live Longer

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

【解析】

文章通过一杯水的实验告诉我们保持乐观的心态，这对我们的健康有着重要的意义。

1.细节理解题。根据第六段“optimism is connected with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of dealing with difficulty. Optimists tend to take better care of themselves by exercising, eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep.”可知，乐观与更健康的行为和更健康的解决困难的方式有关。 乐观主义者倾向于通过锻炼，饮食健康的食物和充足的睡眠来更好地照顾自己。故选C。

2.词义猜测题。根据第六段“Kim says that these new findings suggest that people should make efforts to increase their resilience and optimism.”可知，研究发现人们应该努力提高他们的应变能力和乐观情绪。这样有助于预防疾病。故resilience指的是恢复、适应的能力。故选A。

3.最佳标题。根据文章尤其是最后两段可知，作者主要告诉我们保持乐观的心态对我们的健康有着重要的意义。故选D。