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??自恋者对本身重要性的幻觉和短少 “羞耻感” 的特征可以会让你动火，但心思学家在经过研讨后说自恋者可以比大大都人更高兴。本期 ?嫔碛⒂铩?环绕标明这种性格特征优点的研讨打开谈论。
Vocabulary: personalities 词汇:性格
It takes all sorts to make a world – so some say. Nobody is the same, and our different personalities and character traits make us what we are. Wouldn’t it be boring if we were all the same? But if someone doesn’t behave or think like you, it can be frustrating. And there’s one personality type that can be very difficult to deal with - narcissism.
Narcissists consider themselves the most important person. They’re only interested in their own life, without a care in the world about the people around them. Their lack of empathy makes them come across as arrogant and self-important. If you know someone like this, their narcissistic attitudes might irritate you. But you might find it even more irritating to know that, according to new research, they are likely to be happier than other people.
An ongoing study of narcissism by researchers at Queen's University Belfast has found such people might infuriate others but are less likely to be stressed or depressed. Writing about the research, the BBC’s Sean Coughlan says “They might have trampled over others and left a trail of emotional damage around them - but narcissists also seem to be insulated against feeling bad about themselves.” And their heightened sense of self-importance appears to give them "protective" qualities.
Researchers have been trying to understand why narcissism appears to be more prevalent in areas such as politics, social media and celebrity culture and why narcissists' shameless, over-confident attitude seems to be rewarded rather than penalised. It does seem that they have the best of all worlds, which is not great news for shrinking violets. And there’s more bad news for those who are shy and retiring: previous research by Queen’s University has also found that a ‘mental toughness’ helps narcissists succeed at work and in their social lives because they can overcome rejection and disappointment. And other tests have found that narcissistic students do better in exams, not because they are more clever, but because of their confidence and assertiveness.
But psychologist Dr Kostas Papageorgiou from the research team argues that these personality traits should not be seen as "either good or bad" but as "products of evolution" and "expressions of human nature". So, at the end of the day, we are what we are, and that’s just something we can’t change.
词汇表
it takes all sorts to make a world 世界之大，无奇不有
character trait 性格特征
narcissism 自恋，自我沉醉
narcissist 自我沉醉者，自恋者
without a care in the world 高枕无忧
empathy 同理心
arrogant 狂妄的，趾高气扬的
self-important 狂妄自傲的
infuriate 使大怒
stressed 焦虑的，严峻的
depressed 抑郁的，低沉的
emotional damage 情感损伤
heightened 加强的
shameless 无耻的
over-confident 过火自傲的
shrinking violet 腼腆的人，害臊的人
retiring 不爱与人交游的，孤僻的
evolution 进化
查验与操练
1. 阅览课文并答复疑问。
1. From the viewpoint of a narcissist, who is the most important person?
2. According to research, how stressed or depressed is a narcissist compared with other people?
3. True or false? Narcissists get rejected and disappointed at work because of their self-importance.
4. Why might narcissistic students do better in exams?
5. Which word in the text means ‘happening often/very common’?
2.请在不参阅课文的情况下结束下列操练。选择一个意思适合的单词填入语句的空格处。
1. My brother is so _______. He never listens to my opinion and does what he wants.
narcissism arrogant empathy depressed
2. Some of my friends like to swim in ice cold water for fun! Well, it takes _______.
all worlds to make a sort all sort to make a world
all sorts to make a world all sorts to make a worlds
3. Jane is _______ - she took all the glory for winning the race even though she cheated!
shameless self-important depressed retiring
4. My friend is no _______ - whenever we go to a karaoke 
bar, she’s the first to get up and sing!
shrink violet shrinking violets shrinked violet shrinking violet
5. The train company’s lack of information about the delays started to _______ the passengers.
arrogant infuriate depress heightened sense
答案
1. 阅览课文并答复疑问。
1. From the viewpoint of a narcissist, who is the most important person?
Narcissists consider themselves the most important person.
2. According to research, how stressed or depressed is a narcissist compared with other people?
An ongoing study of narcissism by researchers at Queen's University Belfast has found narcissists are less likely to be stressed or depressed.
3. True or false? Narcissists get rejected and disappointed at work because of their self-importance.
False. 
Research by Queen’s University has also found that a ‘mental toughness’ helps narcissists succeed at work and in their social lives because they can overcome rejection and disappointment.
4. Why might narcissistic students do better in exams?
Tests have found that narcissistic students do better in exams, not because they are more clever, but because of their confidence and assertiveness.
5. Which word in the text means ‘happening often/very common’?
Prevalent. (“Researchers have been trying to understand why narcissism appears to be more prevalent in areas such as politics, social media and celebrity culture.”)
2.请在不参阅课文的情况下结束下列操练。选择一个意思适合的单词填入语句的空格处。
1. My brother is so arrogant. He never listens to my opinion and does what he wants.
2. Some of my friends like to swim in ice cold water for fun! Well, It takes all 
sorts to make a world.
3. Jane is shameless - she took all the glory for winning the race even though she cheated!
4. My friend is no shrinking violet - whenever we go to a karaoke bar, she’s the first to get up and sing!
5. The train company’s lack of information about the delays started to infuriate the passengers.
