vi. 决定，断定
consensus [k？n"sens？s] n. 一致，舆论，合意
transition [tr？n"si？？n， -"zi？？n， trɑ：n-] n. 过渡，转变，转换
status ["steit？s， "st？-] n. 地位，状态，情形，重要身分
survey [s？："vei， "s？：vei， s？-] n. 调查，纵览；
vt. 调查，勘测
Practice
What steps are important toward reaching adulthood？
译文
一项调查显示，大多数美国人认为人要到26岁——届时你也许已经完成学业，找到了一份全职工作，支撑一个家庭，实现经济独立——才算长大。
芝加哥大学全国意见研究中心的报告指出，人们同时也认为，正式成人的过程开始于20岁左右，需要五年时间才能完成。研究人员选取了1398个18岁以上的人作为代表性样本进行研究。
调查显示，人们预计会在以下年龄实现成年过程中的各个转变——20.9岁：自立；21.1岁：与父母分居；21.2岁：找到全职工作；22.3岁：完成学业；24.5岁：具备养家糊口的能力；25.7岁：结婚；26.2岁：生子。
主持调查的汤姆·史密斯说：“对于这七个转变的相对重要性，社会各阶层人的意见相当一致。”唯一显著不同的是人们对养家、生子和结婚的看法。“年长一些的人、已婚及丧偶者比青年和未婚者更看重这些，”史密斯补充道，“这也许在很大程度上反映了代际之间传统家庭价值观念的转变。”
调查发现，在人们心目中，迈向成年最重要的步骤是完成学业，其后依次为找到全职工作、养家、经济独立、与父母分居、成家及为人父母。
练习
在迈向成年的过程中，有哪些重要的步骤？
Completing an education， full-time employment， supporting a family， financial independence， living independently of parents， marriage and parenthood.
14 Color and Life 色彩与人生
What is your favorite color？ Do you like yellow， orange， red？ If you do， you must be an optimist， a leader. Do you prefer grays and blues？ Then you are probably quiet， shy， and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be a pessimist.
At least， this is what psychologists tell us， and they should know， because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference， as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. They tell us， among other facts， that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up-we are born with our preference.
If you happen to love brown， you did so， as soon as you opened your eyes， or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
Colors do influence our moods-there is no doubt about it. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one； and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand， black is depressing.
A black bridge over the Thames River， near London， used to be the scene of more suicides than any other bridge in the area-until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply； perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. It is an established fact that factory workers work better， harder， and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or gray.
Vocabulary 词汇
pessimist ["pesimist] n. 悲观主义者
psychologist [sai"k？led？ist] n. 心理学家
preference ["pref？r？ns] n. 偏爱，倾向，优先权
suicide ["sjuisaid] n. 自杀，自杀者，自杀行为
establish [i"st？bli？] vt. 建立，安置，创办
Practice
What’s your favorite color？ Tell your classmates what you think of colors.
译文
你最喜欢什么颜色？你喜欢黄色、橙色和红色吗？倘若如此，你准是一个乐观的人，一个领导者。你偏爱灰、蓝系列色彩吗？那么，你很可能缄默、羞怯，你宁愿被别人领导，而不愿领导别人，你有悲观者的倾向。
至少，这是心理学家告诉我们的——心理学家应该是这方面的专家，因为他们一直在认认真真地研究色彩偏爱的意义以及各种颜色对人的不同影响。他们告诉我们许多东西，其中之一是我们并不是在成长过程中挑选自己偏爱的色彩——我们的这种偏爱与生俱来。
假设你碰巧喜欢褐色，那么当初你一睁眼看到这个世界，或至少当你看清这个世界的时候，你就喜欢上褐色了。
色彩的确能影响我们的情绪，这一点毫无疑问。大多数人在一个黄色的房间比在一个深色的房间更感到愉悦松弛；一件红衣服在最凄凉的冬日也能给人带来温暖和振奋。而黑色却使人压抑。
伦敦附近泰晤士河上曾有一座黑色的桥，在这座桥上自杀的人数比这一区任何一座桥都多。后来人们把它漆成绿色，企图自杀的人数立刻骤减；倘若将这座桥漆成粉红色或浅蓝色，下降幅度或许会更大。
浅色或艳丽的色彩不仅使人更加愉快也更积极向上。事实证明，如果把工厂里的机器油漆成橘黄色而不是黑色或灰色，工人就会干得更勤奋、更出色，事故也会更少。
练习
你喜欢什么颜色？谈谈你对色彩的看法。
15 The Best Years of Your Life 生命的最佳时期
The ups and downs of life may seem to have no predictable plan. But scientists know there are very definite patterns that almost all people share. Even if you’ve passed some of your “prime”， you still have other prime years to experience in the future. Certain important primes seem to peak later in life.
When are you smartest？ From 18-25， according to I.Q. scores； but you’re wiser and more experienced with increasing age.
You’re sharpest in your 20’s； around 30， memory begins to decline， particularly your ability to perform mathematical computations. But your I.Q. for other tasks climbs. Your vocabulary at age 45， for example， is three times as great as when you graduated from college. At 60， your brain possesses almost four times as much information as it did at age 21.
This trade-off between sharpness and wisdom has led psychologists to suggest that “maturity quotients” （M.Q.） be adopted for adults.
When are you happiest？ You have the best physical sense of yourself from 15 to 24； the best professional sense from 40 to 49.
Before age 24， we believe that our happiest years are yet to come； over 30，we believe that they’re behind us. A National Health Survey agrees： After age 30， we “become more realistic and do not view happiness as a goal in itself. If we maintain our health， achieve professional and emotional goals， then happiness， we feel， will follow”.
When are you most creative？ Generally between 30 and 39， but the peak varies with different professions.
Mozart wrote a symphony and four sonatas by age eight， and Mendelssohn composed his best known work A Midsummer Night’s Dream， at 17， but most of the great music was written by men between 33 and 39.