备考2021年高考英语一轮复习34：任务型阅读

Humor

    If you see humor as an optional form of entertainment, you're missing some of its biggest benefits: Humor makes average-looking people look cute and uninteresting people seem entertaining. Studies show that a good sense of humor even makes you seem smarter.

    Best of all, humor raises your energy, and that can have an effect on everything you do at school, at work, or in your personal life. The increase of energy will even make you more willing to exercise, and that will raise your overall energy even more.

    Humor also transports your mind away from your daily troubles. Humor lets you better understand life and sometimes helps you laugh at even the worst of your problems.

    In my experience, most people think they have a sense of humor, and to some degree that's true. But not all senses of humor are created equal. So I thought it would be useful to include some humor tips for everyday life.

    You don't have to be the joke teller in the group in order to show your sense of humor. You can be the one who directs the conversation to fun topics that are ripe for others to add humor. Every party needs a straight person. You'll appear fun and funny by association.

    When it comes to in-person humor, effort counts a lot. When people see you trying to be funny, it frees them to try it themselves. So even if your own efforts at humor fall short, you might be freeing the long kept humor in others. People need permission to be funny in social settings because there's always a risk that comes with humor. For in-person humor, quality isn't as important as you might think. Your attitude and effort count a lot.

    Some people--and I was one of them--believe that humorous complaints about the little problems of life make humor, and sometimes that is the case. The problem comes when you start doing too much complaint-based humor. One funny observation about problem in your life can be funny, but five is just complaining, no matter how smart you think you are. Funny complaints can wear people out.

    Self-deprecating(自嘲式) humor is usually the safest type, but here again you don't want to overshoot the target. One self-deprecating comment is a generous and even confident form of humor. You have to be at least a bit self-assured to laugh at yourself in front of others. But if you do it too often, you can transform in the eyes of others from a confident joker to a Chihuahua dog.

On Knowing the Difference

    It is as though we can know nothing of a thing until we know its name. Can we be said to know what a pigeon is unless we know that it is a pigeon? We may have seen it again and again, and noted it as a bird with a full bosom and swift wings. But if we are not able to name it except vaguely as a “bird”, we seem to be separated from it by a vast distance of ignorance. Learn that it is a pigeon however, and immediately it rushes towards us across the distance, like something seen through a telescope. No doubt to the pigeon fancier (爱好者) this would seem but the most basic knowledge, and he would not think much of our acquaintance with pigeons if we could not tell a carrier from a pouter. That is the charm (魅力) of knowledge—it is merely a door into another sort of ignorance.

    There are always new differences to be discovered, new names to be learned, new individualities to be known, new classifications to be made. No man with a grain of either poetry or the scientific spirit in him has any right to be bored with the world, though he lived for a thousand years.

    There is scarcely a subject that does not contain sufficient differences to keep an explorer happy for a lifetime. It is said that thirteen thousand species of butterflies have already been discovered, and it is suggested that there may be nearly twice as many that have so far escaped the naturalists Many men give all the pleasant hours of their lives to learning how to know the difference between one kind of moth (蛾) and another. One used to see these moth-hunters on windless nights chasing their quarry fantastically with nets in the light of lamps. In chasing moths, they chase knowledge. This, they feel, is life at its most exciting, its most intense.

    The townsman passing a field of sheep finds it difficult to believe that the shepherd can distinguish between one and another of them with as much certainty as if they were his children. And do not most of us think of foreigners as beings who are all turned out as if on a pattern, like sheep?

    Thus our first generalizations spring from ignorance rather than from knowledge. They are true, as long as we know that they are not entirely true. As soon as we begin to accept them as absolute truths, they become lies. I do not wish to deny the importance of generalizations. It is not possible to think or even to act without them. The generalization that is founded on a knowledge of and a delight in the variety of things is the end of all science and poetry.

Many of us invest valuable time，energy and money planning our vacations. We do this because we know for sure that going on vacations must be good for us. Research proves this feeling without a doubt. Vacations help us perform better at work, improve our sleep quality and cushion us against depression.

Yet, despite these benefits, many of us return home with a feeling that our last vacation was OK - but not great. In order to change this, some mistakes should be avoided. A classic one for vacation planners is attempting to maximize value for money by planning trips that have too many components (组成部分)• Perhaps you're planning a trip to Europe, seven cities in 10 days，and you realize it will cost only a little more to add two more destinations to the list Sounds fine in theory, but hopping from one place to the next hardly gives an opportunity to experience what psychologists call mindfulness - time to take in our new surroundings, time to be present and absorb our travel experiences. Another mistake is that we worry too much about strategic issues such as how to find a good flight deal，how to get from A to B，or which destinations to add or subtract from our journey. These issues may seem important, but our psychological state of mind is far more important.

Actually, vacation happiness is based on the following top rules. First, choose your travel companions wisely, because nothing contributes more significantly to a trip than the right companions. Second，don't spend your vacation time in a place where everything is too expensive so as to maintain a positive mood. Third, shop wisely, for meaningful experiences provide more long-term happiness than physical possessions.

    Generally speaking, people often return to a set level of happiness despite life's ups and downs, For instance, people who win the lottery tend to return to roughly their original levels of happiness after the novelty of the win has worn off. The same-is true for those who are in major accidents and lose the use of their legs. The change in ability can be damaging at first, but people generally return to their pre-accident levels of happiness after the habituation period. This phenomenon is called hedonic adaptation, a concept studied by positive psychology researchers.

    There are activities that are more or less affected by hedonic adaptation. Some of these activities are known as pleasures. They can lift your mood and leave you feeling wonderful, but their effects can be relatively a short time. What's more, we get used to them relatively quickly. If you have the same meal every day for a week, for example, you may find it to be less pleasurable by the end of the week. Gratifications(满足）are also such activities affected by hedonic adaptation. They can get us into a feeling of "flow” where we don't notice the passage of time, and where we're thoroughly engaged in what we're doing. Gratifications are activities that require more effort and thought, but the payoff is higher as well The more we engage, the more we enjoy!

    Knowing that pleasures don't last long in their effects may make them seem less worth the effort than gratifications. There are reasons why they can be perfect for certain situations, however. First, they bring a quick lift in mood without a great deal of effort. This is actually quite valuable because there is significant research that shows that a lift in mood can lead to chain reaction of positive feelings. Second, gratifications do take more effort, so when you only have few minutes or a very limited amount of energy, pleasures are often the simpler and more accessible option.

    Thankfully, we can do something to move away from the limiting effects of hedonic adaptation and engage in activities that can create a greater level of happiness in lie. For example, be sure to make time for hobbies! It doesn't really matter what the hobby is; as long as it's one you enjoy, you'll benefit from it, and these benefits will extend into the rest of your life. It's also a good idea to help other people. This can create greater meaning in your life, and thus create greater happiness. Enjoying your positive experiences is also a great way to maximize the positive in your life. So at the end of the day, a few days, a week, write about three things you enjoyed that day. Then, you'll be reliving these positive experience as you write about them, and can relive them again when you read.        

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Why Do Smart People Do Foolish Things?

    We all probably know someone who is intelligent but does surprisingly stupid things. What does it mean to be smart or intelligent? Our everyday use of the term is meant to describe someone who is knowledgeable and makes wise decisions, but this definition is at odds with how intelligence is traditionally measured. The most widely known measure of intelligence is the intelligence quotient, more commonly known as the IQ test, which includes visuospatial puzzles, math problems, pattern recognition, vocabulary questions and visual searches.

    The advantages of being intelligent are undeniable. Intelligent people are more likely to get better grades and go farther in school. They are more likely to be successful at work. And they are less likely to get into trouble (for example, commit crimes) as adolescents.

    Given all the advantages of intelligence, though, you may be surprised to learn that it does not predict other life outcomes, such as well-being. You might imagine that doing well in school or at work might lead to greater life satisfaction, but several large-scale studies have failed to find evidence that IQ impacts life satisfaction or longevity (长寿). Most intelligence tests fail to assess the extent of rational thinking, such as real-world decision-making and our ability to interact well with others. This is, in other words, perhaps why “smart” people do “dumb” things.

    The ability to think critically, on the other hand, has been associated with wellness and longevity. Though often confused with intelligence, critical thinking is not intelligence. Critical thinking is a collection of cognitive (认知的) skills that allow us to think rationally (理性地) in a goal-orientated fashion and a disposition to use those skills when appropriate. Critical thinkers have self-confidence in their own abilities to reason. They possess great flexibility in requiring evidence to support their beliefs. Critical thinking means overcoming all kinds of cognitive biases (偏见).

    Critical thinking predicts a wide range of life events. Researchers have found that critical thinkers experience fewer negative life events such as academic (“I forgot about an exam”), health (“I received HIV through unprotected sex”), legal (“I was arrested for driving under the influence”), interpersonal (“I cheated on my partner for more than a year”), financial (“I have over $5,000 of credit-card debt”), and so on.

    Intelligence and improving intelligence are hot topics that receive a lot of attention. It is time for critical thinking to receive a little more of that attention. Reasoning and rationality more closely resemble what we mean when we say a person is smart rather than spatial skills and math ability. Furthermore, improving intelligence is difficult. Intelligence is largely determined by genetics. Critical thinking, though, can improve with training, and the benefits have been shown to continue over time. Anyone can improve their critical thinking skills. Doing so, we can say with certainty, is a smart thing to do.

    Make the most of networking opportunities

    Get to those networking events and talk, talk, talk. “There is value in every conversation you have, you never know where your next piece of work may come from. Changing the mindset to professionalism and saying, 'I am a graphic designer' rather than 'I am a graduate' is very important,” says Lydia Wakefield, education and training manager at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self­Employed.

    Know your worth

    It's hard to persuade people to pay for your work if you're willing to give it away. “Value your worth from the beginning. A lot of people feel the pressure to work nothing or charge a really low rate if they've been studying. Clients are willing to pay for the quality of the work that you do,” says Wakefield.

    Set up with the tools to get paid

    Register for self­assessment and file those tax returns. “Make sure you have contracts and invoice templates(发票模板) in place, ” says Wakefield. It doesn't hurt to get some advice from a professional, says Jeff Skinner, of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School. “Find an accountant or someone doing something similar and ask them for commercial advice, ” he says.

    Manage expectations

    Know the limits to your capabilities. “You can feel the need to say yes to every project. Have a self­awareness of how much work you can take on at any time and manage expectations,” says Wakefield.

    Build resilience (韧性)

    Wakefield highlights the importance of having a thick skin. “If you get a no, don't take it to heart. Keep going, you will find your next client,” she says, “ask for feedback, you can always use it for testimonial.” And, remember that you're not alone. “It really is emotional highs and lows for any entrepreneur in early stages. But you're in a network with other people on the same journey as you,” says Skinner.

    Tips for New Graduates Who Want to Be Their Own

    Asymptomatic infections（无症状感染）of the COVID-19 can be hard to track and chances of such virus carriers spreading the virus are simply equal.  Therefore, to protect yourself from those potential infections, you need some basic protective measures to take care of your health and the others' as well.

    Wash your hands frequently.

    Cleaning your hands regularly and thoroughly with an alcohol-based hand rub or washing them will soap and water can help kill viruses that may be on your hands.

    Maintain social distancing.

    Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.  Being too close, you expose yourself to the risk of breathing in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus.

    Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated（弄脏）, hands cam transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth.

    Seek medical care early if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

    If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority who may have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility.

A. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

B. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

C. Thus, the goal of preventing the possible spread of COVID-19 can be easily achieved.

D. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

E. Cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze.

F. Many people who are infected experience mild illness or no symptoms at all, but it can be more severe for others.

G. When people cough or sneeze they spray small liquid droplets from their noses or mouths which may contain virus.

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    To keep the creative juices flowing, employees should be receptive to criticism

    Researchers have been curious about whether negative feedback really makes people perform better, particularly when it comes to completing creative tasks. The literature has been mixed about this. In a recent investigation, Kim, who in May will join the Cambridge Judge Business School as an assistant professor, observed –– through a field experiment and a lab experiment –– and reported on how receiving negative feedback might impact the creativity of the recipients(接受者).

    In both studies, Kim found that negative feedback can inspire or prevent creative thinking. What is most important is where the criticism comes from. When creative professionals or participants received criticism from a boss or a peer, they tended to be less creative in their subsequent work. Interestingly, if an individual received negative feedback from an employee of lower rank, they benefited from it and became more creative.

    Some aspects of these findings seem intuitive(凭直觉的). “It makes sense that employees might feel threatened by criticism from their managers,” says Kim. “Supervisors have a lot of influence in deciding promotions or pay raises. So negative feedback from a boss might cause career anxieties.” It also stands to reason that feedback from a co-worker might also be received as threatening because we often compete with our peers for the same promotions and opportunities.

    When we feel that pressure from above or from our peers, we tend to fixate on the stressful aspects of it and end up being less creative in our future work, says Kim.

    What Kim found most surprising was how negative feedback from their followers (employees that they manage) made supervisors more creative.

    “It's a bit counterintuitive(反直觉的) because we tend to believe we shouldn't criticize the boss,” says Kim. “In reality, most supervisors are willing to receive negative feedback and learn from it. It's not that they enjoy criticism –– rather, they are in a natural power position and can cope with the discomfort of negative feedback better.”

    The key takeaways: bosses and coworkers need to be more careful when they offer negative feedback to someone they manage or to their peers. And feedback recipients need to worry less when it comes to receiving criticism, says Kim.

    “The tough part of being a manager is pointing out a follower's poor performance or weak points. But it's a necessary part of the job,” says Kim. “If you're a supervisor, just be aware that your negative feedback can hurt your followers' creativity. Followers tend to receive negative feedback personally. Therefore, keep your feedback specific to tasks. Explain how the point you're discussing relates to only their task behavior, not to aspects of the person.”

    In short, anyone who wants to offer negative feedback on the job should do so attentively and sensitively and to promote creativity at work, we should all be receptive to criticism from supervisors, peers and followers.

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    Driverless cars used to be the sort of thing you'd see in sci-fi films, but in 2020 they're becoming a reality. Autonomous car technology is already being developed by the likes of Lexus, BMW and Mercedes, and we've even tested Tesla's driverless Autopilot system on UK roads. Across the Atlantic, Google is developing its automated technology in the wild, and Apple is rumoured to be working with BMW on its own-probably automated-car.

    Fully-driverless tech is still at an advanced testing stage, but partially automated technology has been around for the last few years. Executive saloons like the BMW 7 Series feature automated parking, and can even be controlled remotely.

    With so much investment and interest in driverless technology, it's easy to assume that self-operating cars are likely to happen soon, but they're much further away than we might think. Before driverless vehicles go to market widely, manufacturers must deal with a range of technical and ethical challenges, and prevent the biggest threat to autonomous technology: humans.

    The human problem

    Humans present problems for autonomous cars as both drivers and pedestrians, and dealing with our unpredictable behaviour represents a significant challenge for the technology.

    The Google Car is one of the most experienced autonomous vehicles. Even so, its interaction with human drivers has given rise to the exposure of one of driverless cars' main weaknesses. The first injury involving the Google Car wasn't due to a fault in its system, but human-error. While correctly waiting at traffic lights, Google's self-driving car was hit by an inattentive driver and, in spite of its sophisticated array (复杂精密的数组) of sensors, there was little it could do to avoid the incident. Luckily, the accident only resulted in minor injury for a few of the passengers, but it's a reminder that autonomous cars are at risk when surrounded by human road users.

    Despite their sophisticated systems, self-driving cars currently have no plan B for human road users. Human drivers are able to interact with each other and make allowances, but also make countless, small mistakes when driving-mistakes to which current self-driving cars simply can't adapt.

    Dealing with pedestrians

    The way human drivers interact with pedestrians raises difficult moral and ethical questions for car manufacturers-with implications.

    Autonomous cars need to understand the way pedestrians behave, while also imitating the behaviour they'd expect from a human driver. “Everyone has a knowledge of how a human being is going to react, because we are all human beings,” says computer ethics commentator Ben Byford. “So if you walk out in front of a car, and presumably the car driver knows you're there, they're going to react in a certain way.”

    “If I walked out in front of a Google car travelling at 60mph, I have no real knowledge of how the vehicle will behave, so I'm effectively putting myself in danger.”

    Slower Walkers Have Slower Minds, Scientists Reveal

    Of all human activities, few are so readily credited with enhancing the power of the mind as going for a good walk. However, those who assume that strolling along at a gentle pace is the symbol of superior intellect should think again, scientists have said.

    Doctors have long used walking speed to gain a quick and reliable understanding of older people's mental capability, as it is increasingly recognized that pace is associated with not only muscular strength but also the central nervous system. The relationship was so obvious, however, that the US scientists now say walking tests could be used to provide an early indication of dementia(痴呆).

    Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study revealed an average difference of 16 IQ points between the slowest and the fastest walkers at the age of 45. This reflected both the participants' natural walking speed and the pace they achieved when asked to walk as fast as they could. Actually, slower walkers were shown to have "speeded aging" on a 19-measure scale devised by researchers, and their lungs, teeth and immune systems tended to be in worse shape than the people who walked faster.

    The 904 New Zealand men and women who were tested at 45 were tracked from the age of three, each undergoing multiple tests over the years. The long-term data collection enabled researchers to establish that kids with lower IQ scores, lower linguistic ability and weaker emotional control tended to have slower walking speeds by middle age. .

    The research team said genetic factors may explain the link between walking speed, brain capacity and physical health or that better brain health might promote physical activity, leading to better walking speed. Some of the differences in health and intellect may be the result of lifestyle choices individuals have made.

Framing risk, reducing panic

    For four decades, psychologists have studied how people see risk and what causes them to overreact to terrorist attacks and other extreme events. Those misplaced reactions can lead to the shame of people and prevention of daily activities, causing a new set of problems on top of a current crisis.

Timely, honest communication from a source an audience considers credible is essential to containing fear, but governments have the tough job of explaining risk and telling people how to act without also seeding alarm.

Messages may be more helpful when delivered in creative formats. Visuals are very powerful. We can't just tell people things, we have to show them. When people are using the more primary part of their brain, visuals are more powerful than our higher order tools, including language.

    People can understand just about anything if you do your job right as a communicator. That includes keeping it simple and communicating what people need to know, versus what is nice to know, expressing risk in numbers--"there's a 30 percent chance of rain"--and reminding people of the opportunity cost of waiting for more evidence.

    Psychologists working in the field of risk communication assume we have too much control through our messaging.

Is Loneliness a Health Epidemic (流行病)?

    Over the last twenty years, more and more studies reveal increasing numbers of people experience loneliness regularly. In the face of such a situation, earlier this year, Britain appointed its first "minister for loneliness"， who is charged with dealing with what the Prime Minister called the "sad reality of modern life".

    Public­health leaders immediately praised the idea—and for good reason.In recent decades, researchers have discovered that loneliness left untreated is not just psychically painful; it also can have serious medical consequences.And numerous studies have linked loneliness to heart disease, cancer, depression, diabetes and suicide. Vivek Murthy, the former United States surgeon general, has written that loneliness is "associated with a reduction in life span similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity"．

    Anxiety about loneliness is a common feature of modern societies. Today, two major causes of loneliness seem possible. One is that societies throughout the world have embraced a culture of individualism. More people are living alone, and aging alone, than ever. Liberal social policies have turned workers into unstable free agents, and when jobs disappear，things fall apart fast.Labor unions, civic associations, neighborhood organizations, religious groups and other traditional sources of social unity are in steady decline. Increasingly, we all feel that we're on our own.

    The other possible cause is the rise of communication technology, including smartphones, social media and the Internet.A decade ago, companies like Facebook，Apple and Google promised that their products would help create meaningful relationships and communities. On the contrary, we've used the media system to deepen existing divisions, at both the individual and group levels. We may have thousands of "friends" and "followers" on Facebook and Instagram, but when it comes to human relationships, it turns out there's no choice but to build them the old­fashioned way, in person.

    But is loneliness, as many political officials and experts are warning，a growing "health epidemic"? I don't believe so, nor do I believe it helps anyone to describe it that way. Social disconnection is a serious matter, yet if we arouse a panic over its popularity and impact, we're less likely to treat it properly.

    In places like the United States and Britain, it's the poor, unemployed，displaced and migrant populations that suffer most from loneliness. Their lives are unstable, and so are their relationships. When they get lonely, they are the least able to get adequate social or medical support.

    I don't believe we have a loneliness epidemic.But millions of people are suffering from social disconnection. Whether or not they have a minister for loneliness，they deserve more attention and help than we're offering today.

    Social anxiety is a type of anxiety problem. People with social anxiety can usually interact easily with family and a few close friends. Instead of enjoying social activities, they might fear them and avoid some of them altogether. Like other anxieties, it is a fear reaction to something that isn't actually dangerous, although the body and mind react as if the danger is real. Because the physical sensations that go with the response are real and sometimes quite strong the danger seems real. With social anxiety, a person's fears and concerns are focused on the social performance whether it's a major class presentation or small talk at the lockers. People tend to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable about being noticed or judged by others.

    Social anxiety might prevent someone from chatting with friends in the lunchroom, joining an after­school club, going to a party, or asking someone on a date. It might keep a person from volunteering an answer in class, reading aloud, or giving a presentation. It might prevent someone from acting the school play, being in the talent show, trying out for a team, or joining in a service project. It also prevents them from making the normal, everyday mistakes that help people improve their skills still further.

    Social anxiety develops because the genetic features from parents and other relatives can influence how the brain senses and controls anxiety, shyness, nervousness, and stress reactions. Meanwhile, some people are born with a shy character and tend to be cautious and sensitive in new situations and prefer what's familiar. Naturally a person's shy character can be influenced by what he or she learns from role models. If parents or others react by overprotecting a child who is shy, the child won't have a chance to get used to new situations and new people. If people born with a cautious nature have stressful experiences, social anxiety can make them even more cautious and shy. Feeling pressured to interact in ways they don't feel ready for, being criticized or insulted, or having other fears and worries can make it more likely for a shy or fearful person to develop social anxiety.

    Sometimes, but not always, medicines that reduce anxiety are used as part of the treatment. Family or friends are especially important and the right support from a few key people can help those with social anxiety gather the courage to go outside their comfort zone and try something new. Dealing with social anxiety takes patience, courage to face fears and try new things, and the willingness to practice.

    Have you ever wondered why you sometimes take an almost immediately liking to a person you have just met? We often get the first impression of a person based on the color of a person's skin or the manner in which he or she is dressed. Meaning is conveyed not only by words or verbal(用语言的)languages but also by nonverbal communication systems, such as body behaviors.

    Nonverbal communication is important because we use the action of others to learn about their affective emotional states. Our emotions are reflected in our posture, face, and eyes—fear, joy, anger or sadness—so we can express them without even saying a word. For this reason, most of us rely heavily on what we learn through our eyes.

    Nonverbal communication is significant in human interaction because it is usually responsible for the first impressions. More importantly, those first messages usually influence the perception(观点,看法)of everything else that follows. Even how we select friends and lovers is grounded in first impressions with nonverbal communication.

    Nonverbal communication is important because it is culture-related. It is based on different beliefs, religions, values and customs in different cultures. When, where, how, and to whom people display his or her specific nonverbal behaviors is greatly affected by culture and context. Culture determines what the appropriate nonverbal behavior is. For example, feelings of friendship exist everywhere but their expression varies. It may be appropriate in some countries for man to hug each other and for women to hold hands; in other countries these displays of affection may be shocking. Each culture has its own specific interpretation on nonverbal communication. What is acceptable in one culture may be completely unacceptable in another. One culture may determine that snapping fingers to call a waiter is acceptable; another may consider this gesture rude.

    Rather than just fix what's disturbing you, positive psychology looks to actively improve individual and organizational well-being. Here's how Havas Worldwide is working to build a happier, more energetic- and ultimately more creative workforce.

    "There is a strong relationship between employee happiness and a workforce that is productive, creative, and flourishing." he says, pointing 10 lab studies designed to test creativity after participants have been made more and less happy, which shows creative levels improve when people are happier.

    It is an approach based on a relatively new branch of psychology called "positive psychology" which, in recent years, has been adopted as a management tool by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

    “Positive psychology' is about playing to strengths- enhancing positive emotions, rather than the old approach of using psychology to fix problems." Frude explains. “How we are using it is to demonstrate skills that help boost an individual's sense of well-being- for example, ways of building resilience (复原力)，or becoming more positive, or better managing your emotions in a positive direction by understanding what boosts or rewards you can give yourself to cause a positive emotional uplift.

    Build happiness and well-being among staff and in an organization will benefit from a more emotionally intelligent workforce: people who not only understand their own and other people's emotions but can manage their own and other people's emotions in a more effective way, too, which is what inspired Russ Lidstone, CEO of creative agency Havas Worldwide London whose clients include Credit Suisse, Santander, and Durex—to ask Frude and his company, the Happiness Consultancy, to help boost levels of happiness, well-being, and resilience in his agency's 240-strong workforce.

    "The notion that 40% of your brain can be trained to adapt is an interesting one. Another selling point for me is that a freed mind in a more confident and secure individual is more likely to feel free to express itself in different, innovative, and ultimately more creative ways."

    What all this means in practice is that, between now and the end of the year, every member of the 240-member staff based at Havas Worldwide's offices in London and Manchester will undertake a four-week course in positive psychology run by Frude.

    Each two-hour session is designed to share techniques, approaches, and interventions participants can then put into practice in the workplace. Then participants report back the following week.

    "This isn't about "fixing' a specific problem but making the organization work even better."

    Professor Frude insists "It's about helping individuals to get more out of their lives and enabling mangers 10 recognize the potential positive (and negative) impact that can come from putting people with a particular outlook into a team."

    Though these are early days, Lidstone says the experience has already affected his approach as CEO. Frude adds:" Lerning to manage your emotional wellbeing is like teaching a man to fish skill that will keep you going for a lifetime."