Section B
Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each
statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the
information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a
letter. Answer the questions by making the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.
                     

                                             The lifesaving power of gratitude
A) Gratitude may be more beneficial than we commonly suppose. One recent study asked participants to
write a note of thanks to someone and then estimate how surprised and happy the recipient would
feel—an impact that they consistently underestimated. Another study assessed the health benefits of
writing thank-you notes. The researchers found that writing as few as three weekly thank-you notes over
the course of three weeks improved life satisfaction, increased happy feelings and reduced symptoms of
depression.

B) While this research into gratitude is relatively new, the principles involved are anything but. Students of
mine in a political philosophy course at Indiana University are reading Daniel Defoe's 300-year-old
Robinson Crusoe, often regarded as the first novel published in English. Left alone on an unknown island
with no apparent prospect of rescue or escape, Crusoe has much to lament (悲). But instead of giving in
to despair, he makes a list of things for which he is grateful, including the fact that he is the sole survivor
from the shipwreck (海难) and has been able to salvage many useful items from the wreckage.

C) Defoe's masterpiece, which is often ranked as one of the world's greatest novels, provides a portrait of
gratitude in action that is as timely and relevant today as it has ever been. It is also one with which
contemporary psychology and medicine are just beginning to catch up. Simply put, for most of us, it is
far more helpful to focus on the things in life for which we can express gratitude than those that incline
us toward resentment and lamentation.

D) When we focus on the things we regret, such as failed relationships, family disputes, and setbacks in
career and finance, we tend to become more regretful. Conversely, when we focus on the things we are
grateful for, a greater sense of happiness tends to spread through our lives. And while no one would
argue for cultivating a false sense of blessedness, there is mounting evidence that counting our blessings
is one of the best habits we can develop to promote mental and physical health.

E) Gratitude has long enjoyed a privileged position in many of the world's cultural traditions. For example,
some ancient Western philosophers counsel gratitude that is both enduring and complete, and some
Eastern thinkers portray it as not merely an attitude but a virtue to be put into practice.

F) Recent scientific studies support these ancient teachings. Individuals who regularly engage in gratitude
exercises, such as counting their blessings or expressing gratitude to others, exhibit increased satisfaction
with relationships and fewer symptoms of physical illness. And the benefits are not only psychological
and physical. They may also be moral—those who practice gratitude also view their lives less
materialistically and suffer from less envy.

H) Gratitude also tends to strengthen a sense of connection with others. When people want to do good things
that inspire gratitude, the level of dedication in relationships tends to grow and relationships seem to last
longer. And when people feel more connected, they are more likely to choose to spend their time with
one another and demonstrate their feelings of affection in daily acts.
I) Of course, acts of kindness can also foster discomfort. For example, if people feel they are not worthy of
kindness or suspect that some ulterior (别有用心的) motive lies behind it, the benefits of gratitude will
not be realized. Likewise, receiving a kindness can give rise to a sense of indebtedness, leaving
beneficiaries feeling that they must now pay back whatever good they have received. Gratitude can
flourish only if people are secure enough in themselves and sufficiently trusting to allow it to do so.
Another obstacle to gratitude is often called a sense of entitlement. Instead of experiencing a benefaction
(善行) as a good turn, people sometimes regard it as a mere payment of what they are owed, for which
no one deserves any moral credit.
J) There are a number of practical steps anyone can take to promote a sense of gratitude. One is simply
spending time on a regular basis thinking about someone who has made a difference, or perhaps writing a
thank-you note or expressing such gratitude in person. Others are found in ancient religious disciplines,
such as reflecting on benefactions received from another person or actually praying for the health and
happiness of a benefactor. In addition to benefactions received, it is also possible to focus on
opportunities to do good oneself, whether those acted on in the past or hoped for in the future. Some
people are most grateful not for what others have done for them but for chances they enjoyed to help
others. In regularly reflecting on the things in his life he is grateful for, Defoe's Crusoe believes that he
becomes a far better person than he would have been had he remained in the society from which he
originally set out on his voyage.
K) Reflecting on generosity and gratitude, the great basketball coach John Wooden once offered two
counsels to his players and students. First, he said, "It is impossible to have a perfect day unless you have
done something for someone who will never be able to repay you." In saying this, Wooden sought to
promote purely generous acts, as opposed to those performed with an expectation of reward. Second, he
said, "Give thanks for your blessings every day.”
L) Some faith traditions incorporate such practices into the rhythm of daily life. For example, adherents of
some religions offer prayers of thanksgiving every morning before rising and every night before lying
down to sleep. Others offer thanks throughout the day, such as before meals. Other less frequent special
events, such as births, deaths and marriages, may also be heralded by such prayers.
M) When Defoe depicted Robinson Crusoe making thanksgiving a daily part of his island life, he was
anticipating findings in social science and medicine that would not appear for hundreds of years. Yet he
was also reflecting the wisdom of religious and philosophical traditions that extend back thousands of
years. Gratitude is one of the healthiest and most nourishing of all states of mind, and those who adopt it
as a habit are enriching not only their own lives but also the lives of those around them.