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Unit 2
Personality
In-Class Reading
The Misery of Shyness
I. Word List
Directions: Memorize the following words and phrases before class. You will benefit from your effort when you get the passage from your teacher and read it in class.
New Words
acquaintance *
n. person whom one knows but who is not a close friend 认识的人
e.g. He has a lot of business acquaintances but very few real friends.
adversely *
adv. in a harmful way 有害地
e.g. His health was adversely affected by the climate.
assurance *
n. 把握，信心
assured
adj. confident about one's own abilities 确信的，深信的
self-assurance
n. 自信
circulate *
v.
1) move around within a system 循环
e.g. Blood circulates in the body.
2) move around a group, especially at a party, talking to many different people 周旋
e.g. Don't stay talking to one person all evening-circulate among your guests.
concept *
n. general notion, idea 观念，概念
contrast *
n. 对比，相比
e.g. The book shows the very interesting contrast between life now and life a hundred years ago.
converse
v. talk informally or have a conversation 聊天，闲谈
determined *
adj. with one's mind firmly made up 坚决的，意志坚定的
e.g. She is a very determined woman who always gets what she wants.
detrimental
adj. causing harm or damage 有害的
disappointment *
n. someone or something that is not as good as was hoped or expected 令人失望的人或事物
e.g. The party turned out to be a huge disappointment.
dwell *
v. think or talk for too long about something, especially something unpleasant 谈或想得太多
e.g. Don't dwell on the past--try to be more positive.
eliminate *
v. completely get rid of something that is unnecessary or unwanted 消除，排除
e.g. Healthy diet could help eliminate heart disease.
enthusiastically *
adv. showing a lot of interest and excitement about something 满腔热情地
e.g. The President was welcomed enthusiastically by the crowd.
esteem *
n. a feeling of respect and admiration 尊重，看重
self-esteem
n. 自尊
excessively *
adv. much more than is reasonable or necessary 过多地
e.g. Mom has started taking pills and drinking excessively.
expectation *
n. (usually plural) a belief that something good will happen in the future 期望
e.g. The school has high expectations for his future career.
fulfilling
adj. giving happiness or satisfaction 令人高兴的，令人满意的
e.g. Nursing is hard work, but it can be very fulfilling.
hobby *
n. 业余爱好
inadequacy
n. 无法胜任，信心不足
inferior *
adj. not as good as, or worse than someone or something else 低劣的
e.g. This machine is technically inferior to the new models.
inferiority
n. 自卑情绪，低劣
jealousy *
n. 妒忌
e.g. He showed great jealousy of their success.
overcome *
v. (overcame, overcome) succeed in a struggle against, defeat 战胜，克服
e.g. He struggled to overcome his shyness.
overdo
v. (overdid, overdone) do something more than is suitable or natural 做得过火
overweight
adj. too heavy or fat 超重的，过胖的
passive *
adj. not acting or participating much, inactive 被动的，消极的
e.g. You are passive when you allow things to happen, but do nothing.
profound *
adj. very great 深刻的
e.g. The mother's behavior has a profound effect on the developing child.
realistic *
adj. judging and dealing with situations in a practical way according to what is actually possible 现实的，实际的
e.g. It isn't realistic to expect people to work for so little money.
reasonable *
adj. 合情理的，适度的
e.g. I am perfectly willing to pay a reasonable price.
re-evaluate *
v. calculate or judge again the value or degree of 重新估计
e.g. I'm re-evaluating the case because you asked me to.
rejection *
n. 拒绝，抛弃
e.g. He was never able to ask her to marry him out of fear of rejection.
self-rejection
n. 自我诋毁
slim *
adj. attractively thin, slender 苗条的
spontaneously *
adv. quickly and naturally 自发地
statement *
n. 讲述的话
e.g. She understood that I didn't believe her statement.
swirl
v. move in a circle 打转
thoughtfully *
adv. 考虑周到地
e.g. I had with me one or two sandwiches, thoughtfully provided by my colleague.
timid *
adj. shy and easily frightened or alarmed 胆怯的，羞怯的
unattractive *
adj. not pleasant to look at 不诱人的
e.g. He was an unattractive man with a big nose.
uncomfortable *
adj. 不自在的
e.g. She felt a little uncomfortable, meeting him for the first time.
worrisome
adj. causing worry, troublesome 令人忧虑的，令人烦恼的
The Misery of Shyness
1 Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. All kinds of people describe themselves as shy: short, tall, dull, intelligent, young, old, slim, overweight. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are excessively concerned with their own appearance and actions. Worrisome thoughts are constantly swirling in their minds: What kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? I'm ugly. I'm wearing unattractive clothes.
2 It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people adversely. A person's self-concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves, and the way a person behaves affects other people's reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a profound effect on all areas of their lives. For instance, people who have a positive sense of self-worth or high self-esteem usually act with confidence. Because they have self-assurance, they do not need constant praise and encouragement from others to feel good about themselves. Self-confident people participate in life enthusiastically and spontaneously. They are not affected by what others think they "should" do. People with high self-esteem are not hurt by criticism; they do not regard criticism as a personal attack. Instead, they view a criticism as a suggestion for improvement.
3 In contrast, shy people, having low self-esteem, are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance that they are doing "the right thing". Shy people are very sensitive to criticism; they feel it confirms their inferiority. They also find it difficult to be pleased by compliments because they believe they are unworthy of praise. A shy person may respond to a compliment with a statement like this one: "You're just saying that to make me feel good. I know it's not true. " It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is detrimental, or harmful.
4 Can shyness be completely eliminated, or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determined and patient effort in building self-confidence. Since shyness goes hand in hand with lack of self-esteem, it is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths. For example, most people would like to be "A" students in every subject. It is not fair for them to label themselves as inferior because they have difficulty in some areas. People's expectations of themselves must be realistic. Dwelling on the impossible leads to a sense of inadequacy, and even feelings of envy, or jealousy. We are self-destructive when we envy a student who gets better grades.
5 If you are shy, here are some specific helpful steps toward building self-confidence and overcoming shyness:
6 1. Recognize your personal strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has both. As self-acceptance grows, shyness naturally diminishes.
7 2. Set reasonable goals. For example, you may be timid about being with a group of strangers at a party. Don't feel that you must converse with everyone. Concentrate on talking to only one or two people. You will feel more comfortable.
8 3. Guilt and shame are destructive feelings. Don't waste time and energy on them. Suppose you have hurt someone's feelings. Feeling ashamed accomplishes nothing. Instead, accept the fact that you have made a mistake, and make up your mind to be more sensitive in the future.
9 4. There are numerous approaches to all issues. Few opinions are completely right or wrong. Don't be afraid to speak up and give your point of view.
10 5. Do not make negative comments about yourself. This is a form of self-rejection. Avoid describing yourself as stupid, ugly, a failure. Accent the positive.
11 6. Accept criticism thoughtfully. Do not interpret it as a personal attack. If, for example, a friend complains about your cooking, accept it as a comment on your cooking, not yourself. Be assured that you are still good friends, but perhaps your cooking could improve.
12 7. Remember that everyone experiences some failures and disappointments. Profit from them as learning experiences. Very often a disappointment becomes a turning point for a wonderful experience to come along. For instance, you may be rejected by the college of your choice. However, at the college you actually attend, you may find a quality of education beyond what you had expected.
13 8. Do not associate with people who make you feel inadequate. Try to change their attitude or yours, or remove yourself from that relationship. People who hurt you do not have your best interests at heart.
14 9. Set aside time to relax, enjoy hobbies, and re-evaluate your goals regularly. Time spent this way helps you learn more about yourself.
15 10. Practice being in social situations. Don't isolate yourself from people. Try making one acquaintance at a time; eventually you will circulate in large groups with skill and self-assurance.
16 Each one of us is a unique, valuable individual. We are interesting in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to live up to our full potential. Let's not allow shyness to block our chances for a rich and fulfilling life. (820 words)
Time taken: ________ minutes
Phrases and Expressions
a great/good many
a fairly large number of 很多
e.g. Stop complaining! A great many people would be happy to have such a job.
come along
appear or arrive at a time you do not expect or cannot know about 突然出现
e.g. Take any job opportunity that comes along.
dwell on
think or talk for too long about something, especially something unpleasant 谈或想得太多
e.g. Let's not dwell on your past mistakes.
hand in hand
closely related 密切关联地
e.g. Dirt and disease go hand in hand.
have something at heart 关心某事物
e.g. Private employment agencies may not have your best interests at heart.
in contrast 与......形成对比，与.......相反
e.g. She had almost failed the exam, but her sister, in contrast, had done very well.
in general
usually or in most situations 通常，总的说来
e.g. In general her works have been good, but this essay is dreadful.
live up to
do as well as is expected or promised 符合，不辜负(期望)
e.g. The concert was brilliant-it lived up to all our expectations.
set aside
keep something, especially money or time, for a special purpose and only use it for that purpose (为某目的)节省或保留(钱或时间)
e.g. Try to set aside at least an hour each day for learning new vocabulary.
speak up
express one's opinion publicly or openly 明确而坦率地说出想法
e.g. Don't be afraid to speak up if you want to voice your critical comment.
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