1、Unit 2Optimism and Positive ThinkingQuestions How much money do you spend in a month? Are you satisfied with your present life? How do you react to difficulties in life? Are you an optimistic person?Famous Quotes of Optimism When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a tho

2、usand reasons to smile. No matter how long the rain lasts, there will be a rainbow in the end. No matter how sad you may be, believe that happiness is waiting.Glass half-full? Glass half-empty? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Directions: Figure out the expressions related to “optimistic attitude

3、”.optimistic attitudeample happinessunlimited confidencegreat persistenceproblem-solving abilitypositive, constructive thinkingpositive affirmationpositive attitudesufficient joyThe 3 Ps of Pessimismp Personalp Permanentp PervasivePersonalp“Its my fault. I am to blame.”Permanentp“I have always done

4、this. I never seem to learn.”Pervasivep“I seem to make the same mistakes in all areas. Nothing ever goes right for me.”There is a better way! The 3 Ps of Optimismp Personalp Permanentp PervasivePersonalp“That was an especially hard job. But I learned things that will help me do better.”Permanentp“Th

5、at is a mistake I have made before but each time I learn something new.”Pervasivep“I still have trouble in one area but overall I am doing much better.” Directions: Figure out the expressions related to “optimistic attitude”.optimistic attitudeample happinessunlimited confidencegreat persistenceprob

6、lem-solving abilitypositive, constructive thinkingpositive affirmationpositive attitudesufficient joyAn English SongWilliam Arthur WardAn English PoemWord WebRichard DeVos and Amway CorporationBackground InformationRadioheadListen to the SongQuestions about the SongLearn the Following Poem by HeartD

7、iscussionIf an employee was having _, Michael was there telling the employee how to look o the _ side of the situation. Each morning when Michael woke up he would remind himself to be in a _ and choose the positive side of life; if something bad happened, he would choose to _ it and not to be a _ of

8、 it. In Michaels opinion, life is all about _. Every situation in life is a choice. You choose how you _ situations; you choose how people will _ your mood; you choose how you _. The bottom line is: Its your choice how you live your life. The author decided to follow Michaels example and believed th

9、at if he chose to be an optimist he might _, _ and have more _. a bad daypositivegood moodlearn fromvictimchoicesreact toaffectfeelfeel betterenjoy life morechances of successDiscuss the following questions: What is Michaels personality like? What makes the author curious about Michael? How does Mic

10、hael look at life? Whats Michaels influence on the author? What is Michaels personality like? Michael is a natural optimist. He is always in a good mood, always up and always has something positive to say. What makes the author curious about Michael? Michaels optimism makes the author curious, he wo

11、nders how one can be so positive all the time. How does Michael look at life? He always look on the positive side of the situation. He thinks that life is all about choices. It is we who choose how to live our life. So he always chooses the positive side of life. Thats why he is always in a good moo

12、d. Whats Michaels influence on the author? The author has decided to follow Michaels example and choose to be an optimist so as to enjoy the life fully. Michael was a natural optimist. He was always in a good mood, always up and always had something positive to say. If an employee was having a bad d

13、ay, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing his optimism really made me curios, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I dont get it. You cant be positive all the time. How do you do.Attitude is Everything Michael replied, “Each morni

14、ng I wake up and say to myself: Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time s

15、omeone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept the complaining or I can point out the positive side of life, I always choose the positive side of life.” “Yeah, right, but it isnt that easy.” I said. “Yes, it is easy,” Michael said. “Life is all about choices. Every situation in life is a cho

16、ice. You choose how you react to situations; you choose how people will affect your mood; you choose how you feel. The bottom line is: Its your choice how you live your life. From Michael I have learnt that every day we have a choice to live fully, so I will choose to be an optimist. If I am an opti

17、mist I may feel better, enjoy life more, and maybe have more chances of success.Directions: Figure out the expressions related to “optimistic attitude”.optimistic attitudeample happinessunlimited confidencegreat persistenceproblem-solving abilitypositive, constructive thinkingpositive affirmationpos

18、itive attitudeSufficient joy1、If you had missed a very important date, the reason would be: A、poor memory B、forget to check the schedule2、if you hadnt passed a very important test, the reason would be A、other participants is smarter than me B、Im not prepared3、if you had prepared a delicious course w

19、ith all your heart for a friend, but he (she) would never touch it, the reason would be: A、I am not good at cooking B、I didnt make best of myself this time.4、although I had practiced for long time, I still failed in a game. The reason would be: A、Im not good at sports B、Im not good at the game5、If y

20、ou asked one to have a date with you, but he (she) refused you, the reason must be: A、bad luck B、the ask is not presented well.6、If your mate suggested that you two should stay alone for while to think about the future, the reason would A、Im too self-centered B、I got rare time to keep company with t

21、he mate7、If the stock you bought were always in bear market, the reason would be: A、Im not very familiar with stock market. B、I didnt choose right shares8、When you were to pay your bill, you found you hadnt enough money in credit card. The reason would be: A、I thought I still had a lot of money in t

22、he card. B、I forgot to repay the borrowings from the bank.1. What is the relationship between optimism and success, according to the author?2. why, according to Rich DeVos, is it a matter of ones own decision to choose between optimism and pessimism?3. Why does Rich DeVos believe in the upward look?

23、4. Why does Rich DeVos say that an optimistic attitude is a necessity?5. What is the author s opinion about the relationship between a culture and individuals in terms of attitude?1. What is the relationship between optimism and success, according to the author?2. why, according to Rich DeVos, is it

24、 a matter of ones own decision to choose between optimism and pessimism?There is enough good and bad in everyones life to find a rational basis for either optimism or pessimism. Either way, it is a matter of choice.3. Why does Rich DeVos believe in the upward look?He is an optimist by choice as much

25、 ad by nature. And after decades of living, he finds that the good in life is far greater and more important than the bad.There seems to be a natural cause-and effect relationship between them.4. Why does Rich DeVos say that an optimistic attitude is a necessity?Because our attitude toward life will

26、 determine how we feel, how we perform. If we hold a pessimistic attitude, we will feel that life is miserable and hopeless.5. What is the author s opinion about the relationship between a culture and individuals in terms of attitude?When a whole cuture adopts an upward look, individuals would also

27、see the world as a hopeful, positive place.Richard DeVos, born on March 4, 1926 in Michigan of the United States, is a billionaire co-founder of Amway, restructured as Alticor in 2000. Rich DeVos is the owner of basketballs Orlando Magic as well as a very famous speaker and w r i t e r. H e i s a h

28、e a r t transplant recipient.Amway is a multi-level marketing company founded in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos. The companys name is the abbreviation of “American Way.” Its product lines include personal care products, j e w e l r y , d i e t a r y supplements, water treatment and cosmetics a

29、s well as other products from top brands. Amway (China) was founded in 1992 one year after Rich DeVos visit to China.Parts ParagraphsMain Ideas1231347810It is necessary to choose optimism to shape our outlook and expectations.The author illustrates the effects of negativism through his own experienc

30、es.The author suggests that we direct our attention to positive and constructive thinking rather than to negativism.Some psychologists believe that ones state of mind has great influence over ones social and intellectual performance, and the quality of life depends much on ones attitude towards life

31、. If this is the case, then can we consciously make our emotions work for us in a constructive way? The following passage provides a positive answer: by simply choosing optimism, we can lead a better life.If you expect something to turn out bad, it probably will. Pessimism is seldom disappointed. Bu

32、t the same principle also works in reverse. If you expect good things to happen, they usually do! There seems to be a natural cause-and-effect relationship between optimism and success.Optimism and pessimism are with powerful forces, and each of us must choose which we want, so as to shape our outlo

33、ok and our expectations. There is enough good and bad in everyones life ample sorrow and happiness, sufficient joy and pain to find a rational basis for either optimism or pessimism. We can choose to laugh or cry, bless or curse. Its our decision: From which perspective do we want to view life? Will

34、 we look up in hope or down in despair? I believe in the upward look. I choose to highlight the positive and slip right over the negative. I am an optimist by choice as much as by nature. Sure, I know that sorrow exists. I am in my 70s now, and Ive lived through more than one crisis. But when all is

35、 said and done, I find that the good in life is far greater and more important than the bad. An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; its a necessity. The way you look at life will determine how you feel, how you perform, and how well you will get along with other people. Conversely, negative thought

36、s, attitudes, and expectations feed on themselves; they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pessimism creates a sad and hopeless place where no one wants to live in.Years ago, I drove into a service station to get some gas. It was a beautiful day, and I was feeling great. As I walked into the station

37、 to pay for the gas, the attendant said to me, “How do you feel?” That seemed like an odd question, but I felt fine and told him so. “You dont look well,” he replied. This took me completely by surprise. A little less confidently, I told him that I had never felt better. Without hesitation, he conti

38、nued to tell me how bad I looked and that my skin appeared yellow.By the time I left the service station, I was feeling a little uneasy. About a block away, I pulled over to the side of the road to look at my face in the mirror. How did I feel? Did I look that bad? Was everything all right? By the t

39、ime I got home, I was beginning to feel a little sick. Did I have a bad liver? Had I picked up some rare disease?The next time I went into that gas station, feeling fine again, I figured out what had happened. The place had recently been painted a bright but disgusting yellow, and the light reflecti

40、ng off the walls made everyone inside look as though they had hepatitis! I wondered how many other folks had reacted the way I did. I had let one short conversation with a total stranger change my attitude for an entire day. He told me I looked sick, and before long, I was actually feeling sick. Tha

41、t single negative observation had a profound effect on the way I felt and acted.The only thing more powerful than negativism is a positive affirmation, a word of optimism and hope. One of the things I am most thankful for is the fact that I have grown up in a nation with a grand tradition of optimis

42、m. When a whole culture adopts an upward look, incredible things can be accomplished. When the world is seen as a hopeful, positive place, people are given the power to attempt and to achieve.Optimism doesnt need to be naive. You can be an optimist and still recognize that problems exist and that so

43、me of them are not dealt with easily. But what a difference optimism makes in the attitude of the problem solver! For example, through the years Ive heard some people say that the money spent on our space program has been wasted. “Instead of spending $455 million to put a man on the moon,” they say,

44、 “why not spend that money here on earth on the poverty problem?” But when you ask them exactly how they would spend that money to solve the poverty problem, most of them dont have an answer. “Give me a solution,” I tell them, “and Ill raise you the money.” Think in positive terms about how to addre

45、ss the issue rather than criticizing money spent on another program, such as Americas space program, which has resulted in many positive discoveries that have benefited mankind.Optimism draws our attention away from negativism and channels it into positive, constructive thinking. When youre an optim

46、ist, youre more concerned with problem-solving than with useless fault-finding. In fact, without optimism, issues as big and ongoing as poverty have no hope of solution. It takes a dreamer someone with hopelessly optimistic ideas, great persistence, and unlimited confidence to tackle a problem that

47、big. Its your choice.In Para.1, a figure of speech is used. It is called personification-the application of human qualities to something that is not human. Can you point it out? Can you find any synonyms and antonyms in Para.2? What figure of speech is used in the sentence “I choose to highlight the

48、 positive and slip right over the negative”?Part One : Para 1-3turn oute.g. The film turned out to be a great success.e.g. It turned out that this method doesnt work welle.g. The factory can turn out a hundred cars a day.e.g. I really expected him to turn out on time.e.g. Please turn out the lights

49、when you leave the room.e.g. The news turned out to be false.結(jié)果是結(jié)果是生產(chǎn)生產(chǎn)證明是證明是證明證明出現(xiàn)出現(xiàn)關(guān)閉關(guān)閉in reverse相反，向相反方向，反之相反，向相反方向，反之 in the opposite order or way:e.g. US video recorders cannot play European tapes, and the same applies in reverse.Pessimism is seldom disappointing in reverse . If youexpect good

50、things to happen , they usually do ! Translate如果你預料某事會有不妙的結(jié)果，結(jié)局也許就真的不如果你預料某事會有不妙的結(jié)果，結(jié)局也許就真的不妙。悲觀的想法很少會落空。反之亦然。假如你期望妙。悲觀的想法很少會落空。反之亦然。假如你期望有好的事發(fā)生，它們常常就會發(fā)生！有好的事發(fā)生，它們常常就會發(fā)生！Figure of SpeechPersonification 擬人擬人There seems to be a natural cause-and-effect relationship between optimism and success.Can you

51、 analyze the cause-and-effect relationship between optimism and success?If you expect good things to happen, they usually do.（因果關(guān)系）（因果關(guān)系）shape 1. influence sth. such as a belief, opinion, etc. and make it develop in a particular way2. make sth. have a particular shape, especially by pressing ite.g.

52、Peoples political beliefs are shaped by what they see in the papers.e.g. It is true that a peoples character is, to a great extent, shaped by the environment they live in.e.g. Children shaped the sand into a mound on the beach.使使成型成型Optimism and pessimism are with powerful forces, and each of us mus

53、t choose which we want, so as to shape our outlook and our expectationsWhy should each of us choose between optimism and pessimism to shape our outlook and our expectations?Because there is enough good and bad in everyones life, which serves as a rational basis for us to choose either optimism or pe

54、ssimism.Translate: 樂觀和悲觀都是很強大的力量，我們每個人都必須選擇樂觀和悲觀都是很強大的力量，我們每個人都必須選擇用什么來塑造我們的世界觀和規(guī)劃我們的前程。用什么來塑造我們的世界觀和規(guī)劃我們的前程。outlookn. The likely future situation:展望；觀點展望；觀點e.g. As prices have dropped lower and lower, the outlook looks black for many companies in the city.expectation預料，期望預料，期望n. belief about (or me

55、ntal picture of) the futuree.g. It is really out of my expectation.她對大學所能給她提供的一切期望很高她對大學所能給她提供的一切期望很高. .e.g. She had high expectations of what university had to offer.Great ExpectationsWritten by Charles DickensThere is enough good and bad in everyones life ample sorrow and happiness, sufficient joy

56、 and pain to find a rational basis for either optimism or pessimism. ampleTranslate: 每個人的生命中都有足夠的幸運與不幸每個人的生命中都有足夠的幸運與不幸豐富的哀傷和豐富的哀傷和喜悅、充足的歡欣與痛苦喜悅、充足的歡欣與痛苦令我們找到或樂觀或悲觀的令我們找到或樂觀或悲觀的理由。理由。1. adj. more than enough2. (literary) large in a way that is attractive or pleasant e.g. There is an ample supply of

57、consumer goods.貧困山區(qū)的孩子都渴望有一間又寬敞又明亮的教室。貧困山區(qū)的孩子都渴望有一間又寬敞又明亮的教室。豐富的，寬敞的，充足的豐富的，寬敞的，充足的e.g. The children in poverty mountain area are eager for an ample and bright classroom .blesscursev. to ask God to help or protect 祝福；保佑；贊美祝福；保佑；贊美e.g. The priest blessed their marriage.v. 1) say or think bad things a

58、bout sb. or sth. because they have made you angry2) sweare.g. She cursed him for ruining her life. e.g. Gilbert was cursing under his breath.n. 1) a swear word or words that you say because you are very angry2) sth. that causes trouble, harm, etc. 詛咒；咒罵詛咒；咒罵e.g. Mice are a curse in the country.e.g.

59、Gambling is often a curse.perspective despair遠景，看法，透視遠景，看法，透視n. a way of regarding situations or topics etc.e.g. So from the global perspective, it is very important .e.g. Being unemployed has made me see things from a different perspective.絕望，失望絕望，失望n. a feeling of having no hope:in despaire.g. She

60、 shook her head in despair.despair of 對對 . . 失去希望失去希望abyss of despair fall into despair陷入絕望陷入絕望絕望的深淵絕望的深淵despair: 普通用詞，指因外因而喪失希望和信心，陷入沮普通用詞，指因外因而喪失希望和信心，陷入沮喪，絕望的境地。喪，絕望的境地。desperation: 語氣強烈，指因絕望而使人采取無所顧忌的語氣強烈，指因絕望而使人采取無所顧忌的瘋狂行動。瘋狂行動。I choose to highlight the positive and slip right over the negative