Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Text 3
At the start of every new year, many of us think about how to make our lives better. Perhaps we want to lose weight, stop drinking, or limit screen time. If only we had more willpower, the thinking goes, we could meet our goals and become happier people. But a new study suggests that we could have that backwards. Instead of self-control leading us toward greater well-being, greater well-being increases our ability to have self-control.
“A struggle with self-control may not necessarily indicate a fundamental deficiency in willpower or grit,” says Shuna Khoo of the National University of Singapore. “Instead, that struggle could be a sign of a depleted state of well-being.”
In the study, researchers analyzed two groups of participants—one of Asian adults and one of Americans—measuring their levels of self-control and happiness over time. They examined whether self-control at one point led to greater well-being later on, and vice versa. People in both groups reported on how well they employed strategies like inhibition (resisting temptations) and initiation (not wasting time). For well-being, they reported on aspects like self-worth, optimism, and general happiness.
The results revealed a significant correlation: people with more self-control tended to be happier. However, when looking within individuals over time, the researchers found that a person with greater self-control at one point did not report having greater well-being later. Conversely, people who had greater well-being at one point did experience greater self-control later on. This finding was consistent across age, gender, and culture.
Lile Jia, a coauthor of the study, notes that this challenges the prevailing narrative in popular culture that self-control is the primary engine of a good life. “Our findings point to the reverse,” Jia says. “They tell us that psychological well-being may, in fact, be an essential precursor to better self-control.”
To explain this, Jia points to the “broaden-and-build” theory of positive emotions. This theory suggests that positive feelings increase our psychological resources. When we feel good, we become more cognitively flexible and open, which helps us manage the “work” of avoiding temptation. In essence, feeling good builds the psychological capital that supports discipline.
This has important implications. Those wishing to change behavior should perhaps focus less on “knuckling their way through” and more on prioritizing activities that foster positive feelings and social connection.
The findings also apply to parenting. Suppose a child tries to sneak a cookie before dinner. Rather than punishing the child’s “lack of self-control,” parents might view this as a signal of a depleted state—perhaps the child is stressed or disconnected. “A tired or unhappy child will naturally have fewer psychological resources to control their impulses,” says Khoo. Therefore, creating a supportive environment is not just good for happiness; it is one of the best ways to develop self-regulation skills.
Ultimately, the study suggests we may be approaching our resolutions with the wrong focus. “When you find yourself struggling to adhere to your goals, resist the impulse to label yourself as undisciplined,” says Jia. “Feeling good is not just the destination. It is a critical part of the journey.”
31. The study mentioned in the text primarily aims to investigate _______.
[A] the cultural differences between Asian and American adults regarding willpower
[B] the specific strategies people use to resist daily temptations
[C] the causal relationship between self-control and psychological well-being
[D] the impact of demographic factors like age and gender on happiness
32. According to Lile Jia, the study's findings contradict the "prevailing narrative" by showing that _______.
[A] self-control is the only reliable predictor of a successful life
[B] well-being acts as a foundation for exercising self-discipline
[C] willpower and grit are essentially genetic traits that cannot be changed
[D] cultural background dictates one's ability to maintain self-control
33. The "broaden-and-build" theory is cited in Paragraph 6 to explain _______.
[A] why positive emotions can enhance one's cognitive resources for self-control
[B] how negative emotions inevitably lead to a collapse of willpower
[C] why Americans tend to report higher levels of optimism than Asians
[D] the mechanism by which self-control restricts creativity and flexibility
34. By the phrase "knuckling their way through" (Para. 7), the author suggests that people often _______.
[A] rely solely on brute force of will to overcome challenges
[B] use physical gestures to remind themselves of their goals
[C] prioritize social connections over personal achievements
[D] ignore the difficulty of the tasks they have undertaken
35. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
[A] The Myth of Willpower: Why Grit Matters More Than Happiness
[B] Cultural Perspectives on Self-Regulation and Success
[C] Happiness First: A New Approach to Building Self-Control
[D] Parenting Strategies for the Digital Age
附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。
参考答案见以下。
Quick look: CBAAC
31. 【答案】C
【解析】题型：主旨/细节题
定位： 第三段 "...measuring their levels of self-control and happiness over time. They examined whether self-control at one point led to greater well-being later on, and vice versa."
分析： 文章第三段明确指出，研究人员测量了参与者的自我控制和幸福感，旨在考察“某一时刻的自我控制是否会导致后来的幸福感更高，反之亦然”。这即是调查两者之间的因果关系（causal relationship）。
干扰项：[A] 尽管提到了亚洲和美国两个组，但这只是样本，并非研究目的（比较文化差异）。 [B] 文中提到了抑制和启动等策略，但这是测量手段，不是研究的主要目的。 [D] 第四段提到结果在年龄和性别上是一致的，说明这些因素不是主要调查对象。
32. 【答案】B
【解析】题型：细节/推理题
定位： 第五段 "Our findings point to the reverse... psychological well-being may, in fact, be an essential precursor to better self-control."
分析： Jia 指出，流行的叙事认为自控是美好生活的引擎，但他们的发现指向“相反的方向”（the reverse），即心理健康实际上可能是更好自控力的“必要先驱”（essential precursor）。这对应选项 B，即幸福感是行使自律的基础。
干扰项：[A] 这是被研究反驳的“流行叙事”观点。 [C] 文中未提及遗传特征。 [D] 第四段提到结果跨文化一致（consistent across... culture），排除了文化背景的决定性作用。
33. 【答案】A
【解析】题型：例证/因果题
定位： 第六段 "...having positive feelings increases our psychological resources... helping us manage the 'work' of avoiding temptation."
分析： 第六段引用该理论是为了解释“为什么感觉好会导致更好的自控”。理论指出，积极情绪增加了心理资源，使人认知更灵活，从而帮助管理诱惑。
干扰项：[B] 文中未详细讨论消极情绪的机制。 [C] 与该理论的引用目的无关。 [D] 原文说感觉好让人更灵活（creative, cognitively flexible），选项 D 说自控限制创造力，属过度推断且方向错误。
34. 【答案】A
【解析】题型：词义理解题
定位： 第七段 "...focus less on 'knuckling their way through' and more on prioritizing activities that foster positive feelings..."
分析： "Knuckle down" 或 "white-knuckle" 通常指靠蛮力、死撑或纯粹的意志力去度过难关。文中对比了这种方式与“培养积极情绪”的方式，暗示前者是指单纯依赖意志力（brute force of will）。
干扰项：[B] 字面意思误解。 [C] 这是作者建议的替代方案，而不是 "knuckling" 的意思。 [D] 文中未暗示忽视困难。
35. 【答案】C
【解析】题型：主旨题
定位： 全文，特别是第一段和最后一段。
分析： 文章开篇提出新研究认为幸福感导致自控力，中间解释了原因（扩展-建构理论），最后建议人们关注幸福感来达成目标。核心观点是“幸福感先于自控力”。选项 C 最能概括这一反直觉的发现。
干扰项：[A] 文章反驳了纯粹意志力的作用，但并未说 Grit（坚毅）比幸福更重要，反而是说幸福更重要。 [B] 文化只是背景，不是核心。 [D] 育儿只是一个应用场景，不能概括全文。
【参考译文】
在每个新的一年开始时，我们许多人都在思考如何在未来让生活变得更好。也许我们想减肥、戒酒或限制屏幕时间。这种想法通常是：只要我们有更强的意志力，我们就能实现目标，成为更快乐的人。但一项新研究表明，我们可能把因果关系搞反了。并非自我控制引导我们在未来获得更大的幸福感，而是更大的幸福感增强了我们进行自我控制的能力。
“与自我控制的斗争并不一定表明意志力或毅力存在根本性的缺陷，”新加坡国立大学的 Shuna Khoo 说道。“相反，这种挣扎可能是幸福感处于耗竭状态的迹象。”
在这项研究中，研究人员分析了两组参与者——一组是亚洲成年人，一组是美国人——测量了他们随时间推移的自我控制和幸福感水平。他们考察了某一时刻的自我控制是否会导致后来的幸福感更高，反之亦然。两组人都报告了他们如何运用抑制（抵制诱惑）和启动（不浪费时间）等策略。在幸福感方面，他们报告了自我价值、乐观情绪和普遍的快乐感等方面。
结果显示出显著的相关性：自我控制力更强的人往往更快乐。然而，当观察个体随时间的变化时，研究人员发现，在某一时刻拥有更强自我控制力的人，并未报告在随后有更高的幸福感。相反，在某一时刻拥有更高幸福感的人，后来确实表现出了更强的自我控制力。这一发现在不同年龄、性别和文化背景下都是一致的。
该研究的合著者 Lile Jia 指出，这挑战了流行文化中的主流叙事，即自我控制是美好生活的首要引擎。“我们的发现指向了相反的方向，”Jia 说。“它们告诉我们，心理健康实际上可能是更好的自我控制力的必要先决条件。”
为了解释这一点，Jia 指出了芭芭拉·弗雷德里克森（Barbara Fredrickson）的积极情绪“扩展-建构”理论。该理论认为，积极的情绪会增加我们的心理资源。当我们感觉良好时，我们在认知上会变得更加灵活和开放，这有助于我们管理避免诱惑这项“工作”。从本质上讲，感觉良好建立了支持自律的心理资本。
这具有重要的启示。那些希望改变行为的人或许应该少关注“硬着头皮死撑”，多优先考虑那些能培养积极情绪和社会联系的活动。
这些发现也适用于育儿。假设一个孩子试图在晚饭前偷吃饼干。父母不应惩罚孩子“缺乏自控力”，而应将此视为一种状态耗竭的信号——也许孩子感到压力大或孤独。“一个疲惫或不快乐的孩子自然会拥有较少的心理资源来控制他们的冲动，”Khoo 说。因此，创造一个支持性的环境不仅有利于幸福，也是培养自我调节技能的最佳方式之一。
最终，这项研究表明，我们制定新年决心的关注点可能错了。“当你发现自己难以坚持目标时，抑制住给自己贴上‘无纪律’标签的冲动，”Jia 说。“感觉良好不仅仅是目的地。它是旅程的关键部分。”
附注：
本篇 Flesch–Kincaid 可读性指标（估算英文文章纯语言阅读难度，数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为 6.5。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为 6.5、7.0、7.9、7.6，英语（二）为5.2、6.2、6.8、5.8 。在话题熟悉度，逻辑复杂度、段落结构线索丰富度方面综合指标（数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为6.0。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为5.8、6.5、8.2、8.0，英语（二）为4.5、6.0、6.5、5.2 。原文阅读链接为：https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/we_need_well_being_more_than_willpower_to_reach_our_goals ©图源水印/网络
