Can you be too beautiful? It is hardly a problem that most of us have to bother — as much as we might like to dream that it were the case.

Yet the blessings and curses of beauty have been a long-standing interest in psychology. Do those blessed with shiny faces and an attractive body live in a cloud of appreciation — or does it sometimes pay to be ordinary?

Combing through decades of findings, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte have reviewed all the evidence to date and their conclusions are not what you might expect.

At the most basic level, beauty might be thought to carry a kind of halo(光环) around it; we see that someone has one good quality, and by association, our deep mind may assume that they have other good ones too.

Even in the courts, a pleasing appearance can work its magic. Attractive criminals are likely to get less strict sentences, or to escape punishment entirely; attractive plaintiffs(原告), meanwhile, are more likely to win their case and get bigger financial settlements. “It’s an effect seen everywhere,” says Walker.

But if beauty pays in most circumstances, there are still situations where it can have opposite results. While attractive men may be considered better leaders, for instance, hidden sexist prejudices can work against attractive women, making them less likely to be hired for high-level jobs that require power. And as you might expect, good-looking people of both sexes run into envy — one study found that if you are interviewed by someone of the same sex, they may be less likely to employ you if they judge that you are more attractive than they are.

More worryingly, being beautiful or handsome could harm your medical care. We tend to link good looks to health, meaning that illnesses are often taken less seriously when they affect the good-looking. When treating people for pain, for instance, doctors tend to take less care over the more attractive people.

And the bubble of beauty can be a somewhat lonely place. One study in 1975, for instance, found that people tend to move further away from a beautiful woman on the pathway — perhaps as a mark of respect, but still making interaction more distant. “Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space — but that in turn can make others feel they can’t approach that person,” says Frevert. Interestingly, the online dating website OKCupid recently reported that people with the most beautiful pictures are less likely to find dates than those with less perfect pictures.

Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be harmful if it creates stress and anxiety — even for those already blessed with good looks. “If you are crazy about attractiveness, it may affect your experience and interactions,” she says. It’s an outdated saying, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.”

1.From paragraph one, we can learn that _______.

A. we might always dream about being bothered by others[

B. most people are not afraid of being too beautiful

C. some may be bothered by their unattractive appearance

D. being too beautiful can be a problem bothering everyone

2.Which is the benefit for beautiful people?

A. An attractive plaintiff has more chances to get away with punishment.

B. Beautiful criminals are more likely to persuade the judge and win the case.

C. Good-looking people are often regarded as having many good qualities.

D. Women with pleasing appearance will always be considered as better leaders.

3.What can be inferred from OKCupid’s finding?

A. Don’t use perfect pictures when trying to find dates online.

B. Less attractive women are lonely because of their appearances.

C. We may feel more excited to approach those with attractive appearances.

D. People with perfect pictures will find dates sooner or later.

4.What might be the best title for the passage?

A. Sexist Prejudice B. Negative Sides of Beauty

C. Blessed with Beauty D. Beauty vs Ugliness

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.

I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.

I wrote him and his wife a thank?you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.

Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars—was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.

“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.

“Thank you” — two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.

1. What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A.He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B.The couple sent him a business card.

C.The couple offered to help him.

D.He called his friend for help.

2.The battery of the author’s car was dead because ________.

A.something went wrong with the lights

B.the meeting lasted a whole day

C.he forgot to turn off the lights

D.he drove too long a distance

3.By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show ________.

A.how to write a thank?you letter

B.how to deal with car problems

C.the kind?heartedness of older people

D.the importance of expressing thanks

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

The Open Hand — a Universal Sign

When meeting people at the airport, 1. We know that a smile is usually a sign that people feel friendly and happy, but what if we don’t know who the new person is? 2. What if we are meeting a stranger in an unfamiliar place? Sometimes people are dangerous and humans have to find ways to protect themselves. We have to make sure we can trust people we do not know, 3. Showing our hands means that we are not armed(武装). In many cultures today, the Western custom of shaking hands is used. We use our right hand, which is usually stronger than the left one. If we are using our hand this way, it cannot be holding a knife or a gun. It shows that we trust the other person, 4.

Not all cultures use the handshake, 5. Japanese people might cover one hand with the other and, depending on whom they are greeting, bow slightly or quite low. In India, Hindu people join their hands in front of their faces and bow their heads. A Muslim will touch his heart, mouth and forehead(前额)to show respect. Even young people in the West now give each other the “high five”, when they slap(拍)each other’s hands high in the air. They are all keeping their hands busy. In almost all cultures, to smile and show an open right hand means, “Welcome, you are safe with me.”

A. What if I want to show that I am bored?

B. most people smile and shake hands with people they meet.

C. and that the other person can trust us.

D. What if we are not introduced by a friend?

E. and people in many Asian cultures do not always touch another person.

F. and we have to show that we are not dangerous.

G. nor are they comfortable in the same way with touching or distance between people.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项

Many people think of guys as being carefree when it comes to their appearance. But in fact, a lot of guys spend plenty of time in front of the mirror. They care just as much as girls do about their body image.

Body image is a person’s opinions and feelings about his or her own body and physical appearance. 1. You appreciate your body for its capabilities and accept its imperfections.

2. Here are some ideas.

Recognize your strengths.

Different body types are good for different things. What does your body do well? Maybe your speed, strength, or coordination makes you better than others at a certain sport. That may be basketball, table tennis, mountain biking, dancing, or even running. Or perhaps you have non-sports skills, like drawing, painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, writing, or acting. 3.

Exercise regularly.

Exercise can help you look well and feel good about yourself. Good physiques (体形) don’t just happen. 4. A healthy habit can be as simple as exercising 20 minutes to 1 hour three days a week. Working out can also lift your spirits.

Respect your body.

Practicing good habits-regular showering; taking care of your teeth, hair, and skin; wearing clean clothes, and so on—can help you build a positive body image.

5.

Your body is just one part of who you are. Your talent for comedy a quick wit (智慧), and all the other things make you unique. So try not to let small imperfections take over.

A. Be yourself.

B. Just explore talents that you feel good about.

C. So, what can you do to develop a positive body image?

D. Use this as an opportunity to discover what you’re good at.

E. The good news is that self-image and body image can be changed.

F. They take hard work, regular workouts, and a healthy diet.

G. Having a positive body image means feeling satisfied with the way you look.

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