Warm People Likely to Keep Cold at Bay

　　Staying positive2 through the cold season could be your best defense against getting ill，new study findings suggest. In an experiment that.exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus3, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition4 were less likely to fall ill.

　　The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a "positive emotional style”5 can help ward off the common cold and other illnesses. Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective as in happiness boosting immune function and subjective as in happy people being less troubled by a scratchy throat6 or runny nose.

　　"People with a positive emotional style may have different immune responses to the virus，，’ explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. “ And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe. ”

　　Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less Susceptible to7 catching a cold, but some questions remained as to8 whether the emotional trait itself had the effect.

　　For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults complete standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional "style". Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy，tense and hostile had a negative style.

　　The researchers gave them nasal drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus. Over the next six days，the volunteers reported on any aches， pains，sneezing or congestion they had, while the researchers collected objective data, like daily mucus production. Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal woes, happy people were less likely to develop a cold.

　　练习：

　　1. According to a study author, when people with a positive emotional style do get a cold, they may think

　　A that their illness is very serious.

　　B that their illness is not so serious.

　　C that they do not get any illness at all.

　　D that the illness they get is not a mild one.

　　2.People with a positive emotional style may have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

　　A happy.

　　B selfish.

　　C easy-going.

　　D energetic.

　　3.Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics that people with a negative emotional style may have?

　　A Hostile.

　　B Unhappy.

　　C Warm-blooded.

　　D Tense.

　　4. How did the researchers test their volunteers?

　　A By giving everyone nasal drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus.

　　B By giving everyone a medicine that help lessen the probability of catching cold.

　　C By giving everyone an injection boosting immune function.

　　D By investigating everyone's characteristics, interests and hobbies.

　　5.Which of the following items is NOT included in the data that the researchers collected?

　　A Mucus production.

　　B Aches and pains.

　　C Sneezing or congestion.

　　D Blood test.

　　答案与题解：

　　1.B 本题答案来自第三段，其中第二句说:“当他们的确患感冒时，他们认为病情并不太严重”

　　2.B 选项 A、C、D 在第五段第二句均提到，只有 B 项没提到，而且从逻辑推理，情绪乐观的人 绝不会是“自私自利”的人。

　　3.C 选项 A、B、D 也均在第五段第二句提到，而 C 项“热情洋溢”也不应属于情绪低落、消极 的人所应有的性格特征。

　　4.A 第六段第一句说的就是“研究者给这些志愿者一些含有感冒病毒或某种流感病毒的滴鼻剂”，这正是本题答案。

　　5.D 选项 A、B、C 在第六段第二句均提到，而 D 项则不在其中之列。

（编辑：何莹莹）