Use of English (2026)
Most of us strive for self-respect—to see ourselves in a positive light, to be [1] of who we are. Any comments or experiences that undermine those feelings of self-worth can be uncomfortable and it’s only [2] to want to avoid them. But the thing is, [3] your self-worth really is being undermined is, to a large degree, subjective. Much of it comes down to your [4] of what someone said or did.
When you take things personally, you’re interpreting these situations as saying something significant and negative about you as a person. Say your boss picks holes in your sales report, and you come away feeling like this means she thinks you’re a [5] member of staff. Or, two of your friends cancel your [6] get-together at the pub and you interpret this as meaning they’re bored of you. Psychologists have a [7] for this way of thinking: personalisation.
But the [8] is that your boss might view you very highly. It’s just you made some [9] in the report and she wanted to point these out so that you do better next time. [10], in the case of your friends cancelling, perhaps they both felt unwell that weekend or they just [11] their minds.
In both [12]—and others that we all experience—there’s another [13] at work that psychologists call mind reading. This is when you assume to know what other people are thinking about you, when you can’t really know without [14] them directly.
One simple way to avoid [15] in personalisation and mind-reading is to challenge your negative assumptions of what’s [16]. When you find yourself taking a situation personally, try to think of other interpretations that are less focused on you—especially in the sense of saying anything deep or [17] about you.
When you do this, it might help to try to put yourself in other people’s shoes. The fact your boss took the time to give you [18] at all means they care enough to want to help you [19]. When it comes to your friends—maybe it’s because your friendship is so [20] that they felt able to cancel at late notice.
全文翻译
我们大多数人都追求自尊——以积极的眼光看待自己，对自己感到满意。任何削弱这些自我价值感的评论或经历都可能令人不适，想要避免它们是自然的。但问题是，你的自我价值是否真的在被削弱，在很大程度上是主观的。很大程度上取决于你对某人所说或所做的事情的解读。
当你个人化对待事情时，你将这些情况解读为在说你作为一个人的重要且负面的东西。比如说，你的老板挑剔你的销售报告，你离开时觉得这意味着她认为你是一个无能的员工。或者，你的两个朋友取消了你们约定的在酒吧的聚会，你将其解读为他们对你不感兴趣。心理学家对这种思维方式有一个术语：个人化。
但实际情况是，你的老板可能对你评价很高。只是你在报告中犯了一些错误，她想指出来，以便你下次做得更好。同样，在你的朋友取消的情况下，也许那个周末他们都感觉不舒服，或者他们只是改变了主意。
在这两种情况——以及我们都经历过的其他情况——中，还有另一个认知在起作用，心理学家称之为读心术。这是当你假设知道别人对你怎么想，而实际上你无法知道，除非直接询问他们。
避免陷入个人化和读心术的一个简单方法是挑战你对正在发生的事情的负面假设。当你发现自己将某种情况个人化时，试着想出其他不那么聚焦于你的解释——尤其是在说到任何关于你的深刻或不可改变的方面时。
当你这样做时，试着设身处地为他人着想可能会有所帮助。你的老板花时间给你反馈，本身就意味着她足够关心你，想帮助你提高。至于你的朋友——也许正是因为你们的友谊如此稳固，他们才觉得可以在临近时取消。
深度解析 (Answers & Logic)
- 1. [C] proud. 语义搭配题。破折号后解释“strive for self-respect（争取自尊）”的具体含义：以积极眼光看待自己，为自己是怎样的人而“自豪（proud）”。be proud of 为固定搭配。
- 2. [B] natural. 逻辑推断题。任何破坏我们自我价值感的话语都会让人不舒服，想要避开它们是完全“正常的/自然的（natural）”。
- 3. [A] whether. 语法结构题。这里引导主语从句，“是否（whether）”你的自我价值真的正在受到破坏，在很大程度上是主观的。
- 4. [C] perception. 语义衔接题。既然是“主观的（subjective）”，那么它很大程度上就归结为你对别人言行的“认知/看法（perception）”。
- 5. [A] poor. 语义推断题。上文说把事情针对个人意味着你把它看作是负面的（negative）。老板在报告中挑毛病，你会觉得这意味着她认为你是一个“差劲的（poor）”员工。
- 6. [D] planned. 语义修饰题。朋友取消了你们在酒吧“计划好的（planned）”聚会。
- 7. [B] term. 习惯搭配题。心理学家对这种思维方式有一个专门的“术语（term）”：个性化（personalisation）。
- 8. [D] reality. 逻辑转折题。上文描述了你的负面猜测，But 引导转折：但“现实（reality）”是，你的老板可能非常看重你。
- 9. [C] mistakes. 语境搭配题。老板给你挑毛病，只是因为你在报告中犯了一些“错误（mistakes）”，她想指出来让你下次做得更好。
- 10. [A] Similarly. 逻辑关系题。上一段解释了老板的行为，这一段解释朋友的行为，两者结构对等，因此填“同样地（Similarly）”。
- 11. [B] changed. 固定搭配题。朋友取消聚会可能只是觉得不舒服，或者仅仅是“改变了主意（changed their minds）”。
- 12. [D] examples. 语境指代题。在前文老板和朋友这两个“例子（examples）”中，还有另一种心理在起作用。
- 13. [A] process. 语义衔接题。心理学家将这种在起作用的现象称为“读心术”，这是一种心理“过程（process）”。
- 14. [D] asking. 逻辑推断题。你假装知道别人在想什么，但如果不直接“询问（asking）”他们，你其实无法真正知道。
- 15. [C] engaging in. 动词短语题。避免“参与/陷入（engaging in）”个性化和读心术的一个简单方法是质疑你的负面假设。
- 16. [A] happened. 语义衔接题。质疑你对“已发生的事情（what's happened）”的负面假设。
- 17. [D] fundamental. 语义并列题。不要觉得别人的行为说明了关于你的任何深刻或“根本性的（fundamental）”问题（即不要上纲上线）。
- 18. [B] feedback. 语境对应题。回顾老板的例子，老板花时间给你提意见，实际上是给你“反馈（feedback）”。
- 19. [C] improve. 语义推断题。老板给你反馈说明他们足够关心你，想要帮你“进步/提高（improve）”。
- 20. [B] strong. 逻辑推断题。对于朋友的例子：也许正是因为你们的友谊如此“坚固（strong）”，他们才觉得可以放心地临时取消聚会。
核心长难句精解 (High-Light)
1. whether 引导的主语从句与插入语：
"But the thing is, whether your self-worth really is being undermined is, to a large degree, subjective."
【解析】`whether` 引导主语从句 `whether your self-worth really is being undermined`。整句话的谓语是第二个 `is`，表语是 `subjective`。`to a large degree` 是插入语，作程度状语。这句话点明了文章的心理学核心：伤害你的往往不是事实，而是你的主观感受。
"But the thing is, whether your self-worth really is being undermined is, to a large degree, subjective."
【解析】`whether` 引导主语从句 `whether your self-worth really is being undermined`。整句话的谓语是第二个 `is`，表语是 `subjective`。`to a large degree` 是插入语，作程度状语。这句话点明了文章的心理学核心：伤害你的往往不是事实，而是你的主观感受。
2. as 引导方式状语及宾语从句的嵌套：
"When you take things personally, you’re interpreting these situations as saying something significant and negative about you as a person."
【解析】`as` 在此作介词，`interpret A as B` 意为“把 A 理解为 B”。在 `saying` 的宾语中，包含了并列的形容词 `significant and negative` 后置修饰 `something`。句子深刻揭示了“个性化（personalisation）”思维的破坏性。
"When you take things personally, you’re interpreting these situations as saying something significant and negative about you as a person."
【解析】`as` 在此作介词，`interpret A as B` 意为“把 A 理解为 B”。在 `saying` 的宾语中，包含了并列的形容词 `significant and negative` 后置修饰 `something`。句子深刻揭示了“个性化（personalisation）”思维的破坏性。
3. The fact 引导的同位语从句：
"The fact [that] your boss took the time to give you feedback at all means they care enough to want to help you improve."
【解析】主语是 `The fact`，其后省略了 `that` 的引导词，跟了一个完整的同位语从句 `your boss took the time... at all`（你的老板竟然愿意花时间给你反馈），解释 fact 的内容。谓语是 `means`，后面又跟了一个省略 `that` 的宾语从句。
"The fact [that] your boss took the time to give you feedback at all means they care enough to want to help you improve."
【解析】主语是 `The fact`，其后省略了 `that` 的引导词，跟了一个完整的同位语从句 `your boss took the time... at all`（你的老板竟然愿意花时间给你反馈），解释 fact 的内容。谓语是 `means`，后面又跟了一个省略 `that` 的宾语从句。