Next time you're unhappy or complaining about your life, don't turn to a cheerful comedy. You might find a tear-jerking tragedy(催人淚下的悲劇) is just the thing you need to brighten your day.
A team of researchers at Ohio State University, US, has found sad movies can make people happier, Science Daily reported last month.
Many people find tragedies make them realize how good their own lives are, the study showed.
"People seem to use tragedies as a way to reflect on the important relationships in their own lives," said Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, leader of the study. "Tragic stories often focus on themes of eternal(永恒的) love, and this leads viewers to think about their loved ones and count their good and helpful things."
In the study, researchers gathered 361 college students and showed them the 2007 movie, Alonement. The movie is about two lovers who are separated(分離) and finally die during Worid War II. Before and after the movie, the students were asked questions measuring(衡量) how happy they were with their lives. Researchers also asked them before, afier and three times during the movie to measure various emotions, including sadness.
Researchers found that the sadder students felt while watching the movie, the more likely they were to think about real people they had close relationships with in life. This increased their happiness afier watching the movie. Knobloch-Westerwick explained that negative(消極的) moods make people more thoughtful.
"Positive(積極的) emotions show that everything is fine, you don't have to worry, you don't have to think about problems in your life," she said. "But negative emotions, like sadness, make you think more critically about your situation. So seeing a tragic movie may make you sad, but that will make you to think more about your own close relationships and appreciate them more."
The link between watching a tragic story and feeling better has long been recognized. The ancient Greeks even had a word for the feeling of happiness afier seeing something sad that led to the modern English word "catharsis(宣泄)".
The study also showed that relationships are a very important source of happiness in our lives, so it is no surprise that thinking about your loved ones makes you happier, researchers said.
小題1:Which of the following about the study of Ohio State University is NOT true?
| A．Students' emotions are measured by asking questions. |
| B．Only sadness is measured in the study. |
| C．The study shows relationships are a source of happiness. |
| D．Those who felt sadder when watching the movie were more likely to be happier after that. |
小題2:Why are ancient Greeks mentioned in the passage?
| A．To introduce the meaning of the word "Catharsis". |
| B．To explain the importance of knowing how to become happier. |
| C．To prove that they were of high intelligence and guessed its meaning. |
| D．To tell readers the relationship between tragedies and happiness was found long ago. |
小題3:From Knobloch-Westerwick's explaination, we can learn that.
| A．seeing tragedies makes you more thoughtful |
| B．positive emotions make you think more about your relationships |
| C．negative emotions show you have no need to think about your situation |
| D．after seeing comedies, you will appreciate your close relationships more |
小題4:Which is the title of the passage?
| A．There is eternal love in the world |
| B．Watching sad films may start smiles |
| C．It's useless to complain about life |
| D．Comedies should make way for tragedies |
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