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 (受訪者) 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 middle­aged 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 Erlangen­Nuremberg.
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 (預(yù)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.
小題1:According to the study，who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction?
A．Optimistic adults.
B．Middle­aged adults.
C．Adults in poor health.
D．Adults of lower income.
小題2: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
小題3: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.
小題4: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.

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:D
德國的一項研究表明，與悲觀者相比，對自己的未來過于樂觀的人在未來10年更容易出現(xiàn)殘疾或死亡。該研究還發(fā)現(xiàn)，年輕人組對自己未來生活的滿意度的期望過高，中年人預(yù)測相對準(zhǔn)確，而老年人往往低估自己未來生活的滿意度。
小題1:解析：選B。細(xì)節(jié)理解題。第四段說，18～39歲的年輕人組高估自己對未來生活的滿意度，65歲及以上年齡組往往低估，而40～64歲的中年人組對自己未來生活的滿意度估計更準(zhǔn)確一些。
小題2:解析：選C。推理判斷題。第六段說，Lang和他的同事認(rèn)為，對自己未來悲觀的人比樂天派對自己的日常行為更小心，第七段說，這樣的人可能會采取預(yù)防措施(應(yīng)對潛在的危險)，因此選C項。
小題3:解析：選A。推理判斷題。第八段說，與身體不好、收入不高的人相比，身體好或者收入高的受訪者往往預(yù)料自己這兩方面(好身體或高收入)將來會下降得更厲害，研究者說高收入往往與身體出現(xiàn) 殘疾的風(fēng)險相聯(lián)系，因此選A項。B項說他們將來會很悲觀，而文章講的是他們現(xiàn)在對將來的估計；C項說他們將來會出現(xiàn)精神疾病，而本段說的是這樣的人群對將來的預(yù)計，覺得自己將來的身體和收入狀況都會下降，因此B、C不對。
小題4:解析：選D。推理判斷題。文章前幾段提到不同年齡組對自己未來生活滿意度的估計。從敘述看，年輕人太樂觀，中年人較實際，老年人更悲觀，看來對未來生活滿意度的期望是隨著年齡而遞減的，最后一段也有明確的提示，因此選D項。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine. The first thing you notice is how much quieter it is than a traditional car. At this point, the car's gasoline engine is dormant (休眠). The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24 km/h. If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gasoline being used, and no waste gas gives off.
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小題1:The author writes this passage mainly to________.
A．teach people how to drive a hybrid car
B．introduce a new kind of “green” car
C．show how to save their gasoline when driving a car
D．a(chǎn)nnounce plans to develop hybrid vehicles for China
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B．The car's gasoline engine doesn't work until it reaches about 24 km/h.
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D．A specially designed battery motor provides extra power when needed.
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B．They are much quieter than traditional cars.
C．They only use 99 percent of their power to run up hills.
D．They have smaller engines than traditional gasoline ones.
小題4:What can we conclude from the story?
A．The batteries can be recharged at any time you want.
B．Using the brake suggests that the gasoline engine should work.
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Not long ago, people thought babies were not able to learn things until they were five or six months old. Yet doctors in the United States say babies begin learning on their first day of life.
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The children of depressed women did not do as well in tests as the children of women who did not suffer from depression. The children of depressed women did poorly in tests of language skills and understanding what they hear.
These children also were less cooperative and had more problems dealing with other people. The researchers noted that the sensitivity of the mothers was important to the intelligence development of their children. Children did better when their mothers were caring, even when they suffered from depression.
小題1:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the factor that influences intelligence development in babies?
A．The environment.B．Mother’s sensitivity.
C．Their peers (同齡人)D．Education before birth.
小題2:What is the purpose of the experiment in which newborn babies heard the stories?
A．To prove that babies can learn before they are born.
B．To prove that babies can learn on the first day they are born.
C．To show mothers can strongly influence intelligence development in their babies.
D．To indicate early education has a deep effect on the babies’ language skills.
小題3:Which group of children did the worst in tests of language skills?
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B．The children of women who did not suffer from depression.
C．The children of depressed but caring mothers.
D．Children with high communication abilities.
小題4:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Scientific findings about how babies develop before birth.
B．Scientific findings about how the environment has an effect on babies’ intelligence.
C．A study shows babies are not able to learn things until they are rice or six months old.
D．Scientific findings about how intelligence develops in babies.

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