雅思閱讀：Second nature答案及解析

雅思閱讀：Second nature答案及解析

Your personality isn't necessarily set in stone. With a little experimentation, people can reshape their temperaments and inject passion, optimism, joy and courage into their lives

A Psychologists have long held that a person's character cannot undergo a transformation in any meaningful way and that the key traits of personality are determined at a very young age. However, researchers have begun looking more closely at ways we can change. Positive psychologists have identified 24 qualities we admire, such as loyalty and kindness, and are studying them to find out why they come so naturally to some people. What they're discovering is that many of these qualities amount to habitual behaviour that determines the way we respond to the world. The good news is that all this can be learned. Some qualities are less challenging to develop than others, optimism being one of them. However, developing qualities requires mastering a range of skills which are diverse and sometimes surprising. For example, to bring more joy and passion into your life, you must be open to experiencing negative emotions. Cultivating such qualities will help you realise your full potential.

B 'The evidence is good that most personality traits can be altered,' says Christopher Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, who cites himself as an example. Inherently introverted, he realised early on that as an academic, his reticence would prove disastrous in the lecture hall. So he learned to be more outgoing and to entertain his classes. 'Now my extroverted behaviour is spontaneous,' he says.

C David Fajgenbaum had to make a similar transition. He was preparing for university, when he had an accident that put an end to his sports career. On campus, he quickly found that beyond ordinary counselling, the university had no services for students who were undergoing physical rehabilitation and suffering from depression like him. He therefore launched a support group to help others in similar situations. He took action despite his own pain — a typical response of an optimist.

D Suzanne Segerstrom, professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, believes that the key to increasing optimism is through cultivating optimistic behaviour, rather than positive thinking. She recommends you train yourself to pay attention to good fortune by writing down three positive things that come about each day. This will help you convince yourself that favourable outcomes actually happen all the time, making it easier to begin taking action.

E You can recognise a person who is passionate about a pursuit by the way they are so strongly involved in it. Tanya Streeter's passion is freediving — the sport of plunging deep into the water without tanks or other breathing equipment. Beginning in 1998, she set nine world records and can hold her breath for six minutes. The physical stamina required for this sport is intense but the psychological demands are even more overwhelming. Streeter learned to untangle her fears from her judgment of what her body and mind could do. 'In my career as a competitive freediver, there was a limit to what I could do — but it wasn't anywhere near what I thought it was,' she says.

F Finding a pursuit that excites you can improve anyone's life. The secret about consuming passions, though, according to psychologist Paul Silvia of the University of North Carolina, is that 'they require discipline, hard work and ability, which is why they are so rewarding.' Psychologist Todd Kashdan has this advice for those people taking up a new passion: 'As a newcomer, you also have to tolerate and laugh at your own ignorance. You must be willing to accept the negative feelings that come your way,' he says.

G In 2004, physician-scientist Mauro Zappaterra began his PhD research at Harvard Medical School. Unfortunately, he was miserable as his research wasn't compatible with his curiosity about healing. He finally took a break and during eight months in Santa Fe, Zappaterra learned about alternative healing techniques not taught at Harvard. When he got back, he switched labs to study how cerebrospinal fluid nourishes the developing nervous system. He also vowed to look for the joy in everything, including failure, as this could help him learn about his research and himself.

One thing that can hold joy back is a person's concentration on avoiding failure rather than their looking forward to doing something well. 'Focusing on being safe might get in the way of your reaching your goals,' explains Kashdan. For example, are you hoping to get through a business lunch without embarrassing yourself, or are you thinking about how fascinating the conversation might be?

H Usually, we think of courage in physical terms but ordinary life demands something else. For marketing executive Kenneth Pedeleose, it meant speaking out against something he thought was ethically wrong. The new manager was intimidating staff so Pedeleose carefully recorded each instance of bullying and eventually took the evidence to a senior director, knowing his own job security would be threatened. Eventually the manager was the one to go. According to Cynthia Pury, a psychologist at Clemson University, Pedeleose's story proves the point that courage is not motivated by fearlessness, but by moral obligation. Pury also believes that people can acquire courage. Many of her students said that faced with a risky situation, they first tried to calm themselves down, then looked for a way to mitigate the danger, just as Pedeleose did by documenting his allegations.

Over the long term, picking up a new character trait may help you move toward being the person you want to be. And in the short term, the effort itself could be surprisingly rewarding, a kind of internal adventure.

Questions 14-18

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet

Psychologists have traditionally believed that a personality 14 was impossible and that by a 15 , a person's character tends to be fixed. This is not true according to positive psychologists, who say that our personal qualities can be seen as habitual behaviour. One of the easiest qualities to acquire is 16 . However, regardless of the quality, it is necessary to learn a wide variety of different 17 in order for a new quality to develop; for example, a person must understand and feel some 18 in order to increase their happiness.

Questions 19-22

Look at the following statements (Questions 19-22) and the list of people below.

Match each statement with the correct person, A-G.

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 19-22 on your answer sheet

19 People must accept that they do not know much when first trying something new.

20 It is important for people to actively notice when good things happen.

21 Courage can be learned once its origins in a sense of responsibility are understood.

22 It is possible to overcome shyness when faced with the need to speak in public.

List of People

A Christopher Peterson

B David Fajgenbaum

C Suzanne Segerstrom

D Tanya Streeter

E Todd Kashdan

F Kenneth Pedeleose

G Cynthia Pury

Questions 23-26

Reading Passage 2 has eight sections, A-H.

Which section contains the following information?

Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet

23 a mention of how rational thinking enabled someone to achieve physical goals

24 an account of how someone overcame a sad experience

25 a description of how someone decided to rethink their academic career path

26 an example of how someone risked his career out of a sense of duty

下頁是該篇閱讀題目的答案解析，一起來具體的了解一下：

Questions 14-15

參考譯文：傳統(tǒng)意義上，心理學家認為人的性格是不可能____并且在一個人_____時候，性格就已經(jīng)定型了。

難度及答案：難度低；答案為 transformation/change； young age

關鍵詞：第1空的關鍵聞為traditionally believe、impossible；第二空的關鍵詞為person's character tend to be fixed.

定位原文：A 部分第 1 段第 1 句 “Psychologists have long…a very young age.” 心理學家 長期以來持有一種觀點，即人們的性格在任何有意義的方式下都不會經(jīng)受改變， 并且人們的主要性格特點在小時候就已經(jīng)確定了。

解題思路：根據(jù)對應原文發(fā)現(xiàn)原文有兩個分句剛好對應題目的兩個空格，從and前的分句中 cannot undergo 對應 impossible， 因此第 1 個空格為 transformation 從第2空格句中發(fā)現(xiàn)空格前有定冠詞“a”，且traits of personality對應person's characteristics，determined 對應 fixed，因此第 2 空為 young age。

Questions 16

參考譯文： 其中一個最容易獲得的品質是___。

難度及答案： 難度高；答案為optimism

關鍵詞： the easiest qualities

定位原文： A部分第2段第1句“Some qualities... of them.”有一些品質沒有另一些品質如此難以開發(fā)，樂觀這個品質就是其中一個。

解題思路： 從對應原文中找到比較級，原文中出現(xiàn)比較級的部分一般為考點。文中指出有一些品質沒有另外一些品質那么難養(yǎng)成，樂觀(optimism)就是其中一個，與 one of the easiest 對應，此空格填 optimism。

Questions 17

參考譯文： 但是，不管是哪種品行，人們都有必要學習各種各樣的______以發(fā)展新的品行。

難度及答案： 難度中等；答案為skills/techniques 。

關鍵詞：learn、 a wide variety of

定位原文： A部分第2段第2句“However， developing qualities...and sometimes surprising.”但是，人們想要開發(fā)這些品質要求掌握一系列的技巧，這些技巧五花八門，有時候還可能讓人很吃驚。

解題思路： 原文中的learn、a range of與題目中master、a wide variety of 分別為同義替換，因此此空可填 techniques/skills。

Questions 18

參考譯文： 例如，一個人必須要明白和感受一些_____.目的是提高他們的快樂程度。

難度及答案： 難度中等；答案為 negative emotions/feelings

關鍵詞： understand and feel 、 increase their happiness

定位原文： A部分第2段第3句“For example， to bring more…emotions.” 例如，你如果想為你的生活增加更多的快樂和激情，你必須敞開胸懷對待消極的情緒。

解題思路： 原文中 bring more joy and passion in my life、experience 與題干中 increase their happiness、understand and fed分別屬于同義替換。因此，本題答案為 negative， emotion。

Questions 19

參考譯文： 他們必須接受這個事實，即人們在第一次嘗試一些新事物的時候知道的不多。

難度及答案：難度高；答案為E

關鍵詞： accept、 first trying something new

定位原文： F 部分第 3，4 句 “Psychologist Todd Kashdan has this…h(huán)e says.” 心理學家 Todd Kashdan提供了這類的建議給人們?nèi)カ@取這些新的激情。他說：“作為一個新人，你通常需要去忍受并嘲笑自己的無知。你必須接受那些消極的情緒?！?/p>

解題思路： 在對應原文中找到Kashdan的態(tài)度，原文中own ignorance、accept與題干中 they do not know、tolerate and laugh at your own 分別屬于同義替換，因此此題配對E項。

Question 20

參考譯文： 去主動留意美好的事情對一個人是很重要的。

難度答案： 難度高；答案為C

關鍵詞： actively notice、 good things happen

定位原文： D段第2句“She recommends you train...come about each day.”她建議人們應該訓練自己去關注那些美好的事情并且記錄下每天發(fā)生的三件美好的事情。這樣做有助于自己說服自己讓人開心的事情每時每刻都在發(fā)生，也更加容易使你采取實際的行動(去做積極的事情)。

解題思路： 參照對應原文，找到了Segerstrom的態(tài)度，原文中train yourselves to pay attention to、positive things that come about each day 與題干中的actively notice、good things happen分別屬于同義替換，因此此題答案為C。

Question 21

參考譯文：勇氣是可以學習的，只要人們意識到勇氣源于責任感。

難度及答案：難度高；答案為G

關鍵詞： courage、 sense of responsibilities

定位原文： H 部分第 I 段第 5 句 “According to Cynthia Pury... obligation.” 根據(jù)一位來自克萊姆森大學的心理學會Cynthia Pury的觀點，Pedeleose的故事證明了一個觀點，這個觀點就是勇氣不是被無畏所激發(fā)，而是通過道德責任所激發(fā)。

解題思路： 參照對應原文，原文中moral obligation與題干中sense of responsibilities屬于同義替換，且由原文中可知courage是obligation產(chǎn)生的，因此此題答案為G。

Question 22

參考譯文： 當面對需要在公眾面前演講的需求時，害羞是可以被克服的。

難度及答案：難度中等；答案為A

關鍵詞： overcome shyness、speak in public

定位原文： B部分第3句“So he learned to be…h(huán)is classes.”因此，他開始學怎樣變得親和， 怎樣活躍他的課堂。

解題思路： 根據(jù)對應原文，原文中 be more outgoing、entertain his classes 與題干中 overcome shyness、speak in the public分別屬于同義替換，因此本題答案為A。

Question 23

參考譯文：提到了關于提到如何理性的思考，從而達到生理上的目標。

難度及答案：難度中等；答案為E

關鍵詞：rational thinking、physical goals

定位原文： E 部分第 5 句 “Streeter learned to untangle... and mind could do.” Streeter 通過判斷自己身體和心理可以承受的程度，學習了如何去解除她的恐懼。

解題思路： 題干中rational thinking對應原文learn to untangle her fears，原文全句表達了 Streeter戰(zhàn)勝了她心理上和生理上的恐懼，達到了自己的目標，即為題干中的 physical goals，因此此題匹配E段。

Question 24

參考譯文：解釋一個人是如何克服悲傷的心情的經(jīng)歷。

難度及答案： 難度中等；答案為C

關鍵詞：overcome a sad experience

定位原文： C部分全文，再發(fā)生了一場終止他運動生涯的意外時，David Fajgenbaum也做過相似的性格轉換，那時他正準備上大學。在大學校園里，他很快發(fā)現(xiàn)：除了普通的詢問，學校里并沒有為像他那樣正在經(jīng)受生理恢復和心理沮喪的學生提供服務。 他因此發(fā)起了一個提供服務小組去幫助其他的那些和他有著相似境況的人。他對于這樣的情況采取了行動，盡管他自己也在經(jīng)受運傷痛，這是一種積極者的反應。

解題思路： C段全文在描寫David Fajgenbaum在事故之運如何以一種樂觀的心態(tài)面對已經(jīng)積極的幫助他人的。因此匹配C段。

Question 25

參考譯文： 描述一個人如何決定去重新思考自己的學術研究之路。

難度及答案： 難度高；答案為G

關鍵詞： rethink their academic career path

定位原文： G部分第1段，在2004年，醫(yī)學科學家Mauro Zappaterra開始在哈佛大學醫(yī)學院開展他的博士學位的研究。不幸的是，他相當痛苦，因為他的研究與他所好奇的關于治療相關疾病的方案不相符合。最終他在Santa Fe休息了一段時間，在這八個月的時間里，Zappaterra學到一種沒有在哈佛學過的可替代的治療技術。當回來的時候，他改變了他的實驗項目，轉而研究腦脊髓液是如何滋養(yǎng)神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)的發(fā)展。他也發(fā)誓要在一切事物中，包括失敗中，尋找快樂。因為失敗可以幫助他了解自己的研究和他自身。

解題思路： G段描述了 Zappaterra這個人從事的研究方向。從G段第四句描述了 Zappaterra 轉變了自己的研究方向，因此該題匹配G段。

Question 26

參考譯文：舉例說明一個人出于責任感不惜以自己的事業(yè)作為代價.

難度及答案； 難度中等；答案為H

關鍵詞： risked his career、sense of duty

定位原文： H部分第 1 段第 3 句“ The new manger was intimidating ...would be threatened.” 一個新上任的經(jīng)理恐嚇員工，Pedeleose明知自己的事業(yè)會遭到威脅，仍仔細地錄下他每次作惡的片段，并且最終將證據(jù)交給高級主管。

解題思路： 原文以Pedeleose為例，講述他出于道義舉報領導的不良行為的事跡。文中的 his own job security would be threatened 與題目中的 risked his career屬于同義替換。

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