5．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 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 （預防措施），"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．
67．According to the study，who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction？B
A．Optimistic adults．
B．Middle-aged adults．
C．Adults in poor health．
D．Adults of lower income．
68．Pessimism may be positive in some way because it causes peopleC
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
69．How do people of higher income see their future？A
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．
70．What is the clear conclusion of the study？D
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．
分析 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)，年輕人對自己未來生活的滿意度的期望過高，中年人預測相對準確，而老年人往往低估自己未來生活的滿意度．所以隨著年齡的增長，對生活的期望也在下降．
解答 67．B 細節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)第四段的"while middle-aged adults （age 40 to 64）more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future．"可知，40～64歲的中年人組對自己未來生活的滿意度估計更準確一些，故選B．
68．C 推理判斷題．根據(jù)第六、七段的內容可知，郎和他的同事認為，對自己未來悲觀的人比樂天派對自己的日常行為更小心，這樣的人可能會采取預防措施，所以悲觀在某種程度上可能是積極的，因為能讓人們采取措施應對潛在的危險，故選C．
69．A 推理判斷題．根據(jù)第八段的"…respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline…"可知，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料自己這兩方面（好身體或高收入）將來會下降得更厲害，所以高收入者認為自己將來的收入會少，故選A．
70．D 推理判斷題．根據(jù)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：年輕人太樂觀，中年人較實際，老年人更悲觀，可知，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，故選D．
點評 本文主要考查對細節(jié)的理解把握和推理判斷能力，做題時一定要找到文章中的原句，和題干進行比較，再做出正確選擇．在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
