Question

Everyone has good days and bad days.

Sometimes, you feel as if you’re on top of the world and all the questions on your maths test might seem easy. But occasionally you feel horrible, and you lose things and cannot focus on our schoolwork.

For more than 20 years, scientists have suggested that high self-esteem(自尊) is the key to success.Now, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful. In some cases, having high self-esteem can make people less likeable or more upset when they fail in something.

“Forget about self-esteem,” says Jennifer Crocker, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, US. “It’s not the important thing.”

Feeling good

Crocker’s advice may sound a bit strange. After all, feeling good can be good for you.Studies show that people with high self-esteem are less likely to be depressed, anxious, shy, or lonely than those with low self-esteem.

However, after reviewing about 18,000 studies on self-esteem, Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has found that building up your self-esteem will not necessarily make you a better person.

He believes that violent people often have the highest self-esteem of all. He also said:“ There’s no evidence that kids with high self-esteem do better in school.”

Problems

All types of people have problems. People with high self-esteem can have big egos(自我) that can make them less likeable, said Kathleen Vohs, a psychology professor at Columbia University.People with high self-esteem tend to think more of themselves, VOhs says. People with low self-esteem are more likely to rely on their friends when they need help.

What to do

Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail in something, try to learn from the experience. “The best therapy(药方) is to recognize your faults,” Vohs says. “It’s OK to say, ‘I’ m not so good at that,’ and then move on.”

1.What does the underlined part “on top of the world” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Quite helpful.      B．Extremely happy.    C．Very unlucky.       D．Rather upset.

2.The conclusion drawn from the new research shows that high self-esteem_____.

A．is not important at all                    B．makes people more likeable

C．may not be the key to success              D．helps you do better at school

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to Vohs?

A．Feeling good doesn’t mean you lead a happy life.

B．People with high self-esteem always seek others’ help.

C．People with high self-esteem tend to be selfish.

D．People with low self-esteem are often more popular.

4.We can infer from the text that the best therapy mentioned in the last paragraph is mainly for people_____.

A．with high self-esteem                    B．with low self-esteem

C．who contribute significantly to society        D．who are in need of support

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述的是有高度自尊心的人往往在现在不能取得成功，文章分析了具体的问题，并提出了自己的解决方法。

1.B 推理题。根据本段Sometimes, you feel as if you’re on top of the world and all the questions on your maths test might seem easy. But occasionally you feel horrible, and you lose things and cannot focus on our schoolwork.说明这里的on top of the world是与下文的feel horrible是相反的意思，故说明B项非常开心是正确的。故B正确。

2.C 细节题。根据or more than 20 years, scientists have suggested that high self-esteem(自尊) is the key to success.Now, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful.说明在以前人们认为高度的自尊是成功的关键，但是最近的研究却发现高度自尊未必就有帮助，故C项正确。

3.C 推理题。根据倒数第二段People with high self-esteem can have big egos(自我) that can make them less likeable说明有高度自尊的人可能十分地自我，自私，不会被别人所喜欢，故C正确。

4.A 推断题。根据文章最后一段Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail in something, try to learn from the experience. “The best therapy(药方) is to recognize your faults,” Vohs says. “It’s OK to say, ‘I’ m not so good at that,’ and then move on.”这里的解决方法正是为了那些自尊心太强，放不下面子的人而设立的，故A正确

考点：考查教育类短文阅读