Optimists Really Do Live Longer, Say Scientists

OptimistsReallyDoLiveLonger,SayScientists

1.ForthephilosopherArthurSchopenhaueroptimismwasfundamentallywrong,banalandcorrupting,whilethefatherofpsychoanalysisSigmundFrendsimplydeclaredittobeneurotic.

2.Experienceshowsthatlookingonthebrightsideoflifedoeshaveadvantagesandrecentscientificevidencepointstothepositivemindsetasbeingbeneficialtohealth.Inotherwordsoptimistslivelonger.

3.ThatwastheconclusionreachedbyexpertsattheMayoClinicintheU.S.StateofMinnesotawhoevaluatedanswersgivenbypeopletoasetofquestionsinthe1960s.Ofthe729candidates,200haddiedandaccordingtoscientists,therewereadisproportionatenumberofpessimistsamongthem.

4.Tenpointsmoreonthepessimismscale—thatwasthedifferencebetween“slightlypessimistic”and“averagelypessimistic”—wereenoughtoboostaperson’schancesofdyingby19percent,accordingtothestudybyprominentpsychologistMartinSeligmanoftheUniversityofPennsylvania.

5.ThestudydoesnotsaywhypessimistsdiebutanoldersurveytakenamongchildreninSanFranciscoandLosAngelesmakesitclearthatpersonalattitudetowardstheworldisakeyfactorinthelongevityequation.

6.ThelatestevidencetosupportthetheorythatoptimiststendtocopebetterwithillnessofallkindshasbeenprovidedbyProfessorRalfSchwarzerofBerlin''sFreeUniversitywhoquestioned600heartandlungpatients.Hisconclusion:Optimistsrecovermoreswiftlyfromoperationsthantheirpessimisticcounterparts;tendtobehappieraftertreatmentandreturntoworkmoreswiftly.

7.Therehavebeensuggestionsthatoptimistsdonotstayhealthierbutratherturnintooptimistslaterbecausetheyenjoygoodhealth.Numeroussurveyshavetakenintoaccountaperson''sstateofhealthattheoutsetandtheeffectremainsthesame.

8.Studieshaveshownthatoptimistsdonotblindthemselvestorealityeither.Theythusinterpretitinapositiveway.“Sublimatinganddenyingthingstendtoalterrealitybutillusionsareawayofseeingrealityinthebestlight.”saidCalifornianpsychologyprofessorShelleyTaylor.

9.Germansciencejournal“BildderWissenschaft”,whichcarriesamajorarticleonthetopicinitscurrentMarchissue,commentedon“therightattitude”tohavingatumor.

10.Itseemspsychotherapycangosomewaytowardsextendingthelifespanandlifequalityofasickpersonalthoughacompleterecoveryusingpsychologicaltechniquealoneisunlikely.

11.Doctorslike,however,topointtotheexampleofU.S.cyclingprofessionalLanceArmstrong,whowasseriouslyillwithcancer,butwhoseunshakableoptimismhelpedhimtotakethetoptrophytwiceatcycling''spremierTourdeFrance.

12.ThemagazinealsoquotedastudybySheldonCohensoftheCarnegie-Mellon-UniversityinPittsburgh:420volunteersweredeliberatelyinfectedwithstrainsofvariouscommoncoldviruses.Adaylatercheckswerecarriedouttoseewhohadcaughtacold.13.Theresultsshowedthatinthecaseofpeoplewhohadsatisfactory,long-termrelationswithfriendsneighborsorcolleagues,theviruswaslesslikelytotriggeracold.Ofpeoplewiththreeorfewerfirmrelationships62percentbecameillcomparedwithonly35percentofthosewhohadsixormoreclosehumanlinks.

练习：

1.Paragraph2______________B.Alongerlife

2.Paragraph6______________A.Quickerrecoveryfromillness

3.Paragraph7______________C.Fromgoodhealthtooptimism

4.Paragraph8______________D.Apositivewayofunderstandingreality

5.Somescholarsdidnotbelieve______________.B.inlookingonthebrightsideoflife

6.Howlongonecanlivepartlydependson______________.D.howonelooksonlife

7.Anoptimistdoesnotnecessarilytry______________.A.toavoidunpleasantthingsinlife

8.Anexperimentshowedthatoptimistswere______________.C.lesslikelytocatchcold