7．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 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 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 im proved 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，medi cal 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．
12．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．
13．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
14．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．
15．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 本文是一篇議論文．對未來持樂觀態(tài)度的人比持悲觀態(tài)度的人更容易殘疾或死亡．作者通過詳細的調(diào)查，從各個方面分析原因，解釋樂觀態(tài)度對人們身體的危害．
解答 12．B，細節(jié)理解題，由第四段"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．"可知，中年人對他們未來的期望的預(yù)言最準確，故答案為B．
13．C，推理判斷題，由第六段"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．"中"對自己行動更小心"就是"采取措施避免潛在危險"．
14．A，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子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．享有良好的健康和收入的人對他們的生活的預(yù)期大大的下降，故答案為A．
15．D，主旨大意題，根據(jù)文章的意思以及最后一段We found that from early to late adulthood，individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic，to accurate，to pessimistic，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，從早期到成年后期，個人適應(yīng)其預(yù)期的未來生活滿意度從樂觀，準確的說，到悲觀．可知，隨著年齡的增長，對生活的期望也就下降．
點評 解答任務(wù)型閱讀理解題，首先對原文材料迅速瀏覽，掌握全文的主旨大意．因為閱讀理解題一般沒有標題，所以，速讀全文，抓住中心主旨很有必要，在速讀的過程中，應(yīng)盡可能多地捕獲信息材料．其次，細讀題材，各個擊破．掌握全文的大意之后，細細閱讀每篇材料后的問題，弄清每題要求后，帶著問題，再回到原文中去尋找、捕獲有關(guān)信息．最后，要善于抓住每段的主題句，閱讀時，要有較強的針對性．對于捕獲到的信息，要做認真分析，仔細推敲，理解透徹，只有這樣，針對題目要求，才能做到穩(wěn)、準．
