Be an Optimist
Read the article quickly and answer the following questions.
What’s author’s opinion about optimism and pessimism？
Do you see the glass as half-full rather than half empty？ Do you keep your eye upon the doughnut， not upon the hole？ Suddenly these clichs are scientific questions， as researchers scrutinize the power of positive thinking. Research is proving that optimism can help you to be happier， healthier and more successful. Pessimism leads， by contrast， to hopelessness， sickness and failure， and is linked to depression， loneliness and painful shyness. If we could teach people to think more positively， it would be like inoculating them against these mental ills.
Your habits count but the belief that you can succeed affects whether or not you will. In part， that’s because optimists and pessimists deal with the same challenges and disappointments in very different ways. When things go wrong the pessimist tends to blame himself. “I’m not good at this.” “I always fail.” He would say. But the optimist looks for loopholes. Negative or positive， it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. If people feel hopeless they don’t bother to acquire the skills they need to succeed.
A sense of control is the litmus test for success. The optimist feels in control of his own life. If things are going badly， he acts quickly， looking for solutions， forming a new plan of action， and reaching out for advice. The pessimist feels like fate’s plaything and moves slowly. He doesn’t seek advice， since he assumes nothing can be done. Many studies suggest that the pessimist’s feeling of helplessness undermines the body’s natural defenses， the immune system. Research has found that the pessimist doesn’t take good care of himself. Feeling passive and unable to dodge life’s blows， he expects ill health and other misfortunes， no matter what he does. He munches on junk food， avoids exercise， ignores the doctor， has another drink.
Most people are a mix of optimism and pessimism， but are inclined in one direction or the other. It is a pattern of thinking learned at our mothers’knees. It grows out of thousands of cautions or encouragements， negative statements or positive ones. Too many “don’t” and warnings of danger can make a child feel incompetent， fearful—and pessimistic. Pessimism is a hard habit to break—but it can be done.
你所看到的是半杯水，還是杯中空的一半呢？你看見的是炸麵包圈，還是其間的空洞呢？當研究人員仔細研究積極思維的效應時，這些陳詞濫調陡然間就都成了科學性的問題。研究表明，樂觀能使人更快樂、健康和成功。悲觀則相反，它使人絕望、病態和失敗，並與消沉、孤寂和痛苦的膽怯緊密相連。如果我們能教導人們更加積極地思考，就如同給那些心理疾病患者注射了預防疫苗。
習慣固然重要，但真正影響你成功的，卻是你是否有成功的信念。從某種程度上說，這是因為樂觀者和悲觀者在麵對同樣的挑戰和失望時，會用截然不同的態度來處理。當事情進展不順時，悲觀者會責備自己，他可能會說：“我並不擅長這個，我永遠都是失敗的。”而樂觀者則會去找尋疏漏之處。不論是消極心態，還是積極心態，都是一種能夠自我實現的預料。如果人們覺得希望渺茫，就不會努力獲得成功所必須的技能。
自我控製能力是成功的試金石。樂觀者覺得能掌控自己的命運。如果事情變得糟糕，他會迅速做出反應，尋找解決方案，製定新的行動計劃，還會四處請教。悲觀者則聽任命運的擺布，行動遲緩。他認為事已至此，無能為力，固而不會尋求賜教。許多研究表明，悲觀者的無助感會破壞其身體的自然防禦體係，即免疫體係；他們無法照顧好自己；消極被動，禁不住生活的風雨；不論做什麽，他都會擔心身體不好或者會有其他不幸；他還會吞吃垃圾食品，拒絕鍛煉，不聽信於醫生，一再放縱酗酒。
人們大多都集悲觀和樂觀於一身，但會偏向於其中一方。這是從小受母親的影響而形成的一種思維模式。父母無數次地警告或鼓勵，消極或積極的話語是這種思維模式形成的根源。太多的“不能”和危險的警告讓孩子感到無所適從，備感恐懼——這樣就形成了悲觀主義。雖然悲觀主義很難克服，但也不是全然不能克服。
Ace in the Hole
Keywords and expressions
1. inoculate
作動詞：嫁接；灌輸
短語：inoculate with灌輸
例：Heavy regulation would not inoculate the world against future crises.
嚴格立法並不能讓這個世界從此對危機免疫。
2. scrutinize
作動詞：仔細檢查，詳審
例：Suddenly these cliches are scientific questions， as researchers
scrutinize the power of positive thinking.
當研究者仔細觀察積極思維的作用時，這些陳詞濫調突然間都成了科學問題。
Chunks in Practice
Translate the following sentences into English or Chinese.
1. Many studies suggest that the pessimist’s feeling of helplessness undermines the body’s natural defenses， the immune system.
______
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2. 人們大多都集悲觀和樂觀於一身，但會偏向於其中一方。
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Now a Try
試著運用inoculate，munch，incompetent撰寫一篇200字的短文。