2006年VOA标准英语-A Recent Study Shows Good News is Good for

By Carol Pearson
Washington, DC
28 February 2006
 
watch Good News report
 
  
  
By definition, news is something that takes place that is out of the ordinary...and a lot of news could be considered bad: car bombings, assassinations¹, war.

But a recent survey shows that along with "bad" news, we need to hear good news.

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According to a recent survey, good news has a positive impact on our lives and people want more of it.

Several people on the street had reactions when ask about hearing good news and how it makes them feel:

"You hear a good news story, you hear something nice happening in the world, it makes me feel good.  I like it."

"When I hear good news, I feel more optimistic, not only about the world as a whole, but also for my own life. When I hear good news, it does make me feel better."

The survey shows that bad news: news about war, death and calamity² has a negative psychological impact.

 
Dr. Dorree Lynn 
  
Bad news increases people's anxiety according to Dorree Lynn, a psychologist who analyzes³ news. "Anxiety and depression are increasing and part of it is the way media impacts on them and the rapidity of the terror stories in the news.  People feel badly.  They get scared."

The survey concerns Americans' attitudes toward news.  It was conducted by Monitor Services, a company that studies trends. Psychologist David Bersoff oversaw⁴ the research. 

 
Dr. David Bersoff
  
"Americans want to see the media report on more good news stories. They not only crave⁵ more balance in their news, they need more balance in their news."

Dr. Lynn says the same would hold true anywhere. "Of course there has to be a global impact because the world is shrinking and anything that happens one place is instantly available someplace else."

The survey shows that good news makes people feel motivated, inspired and more optimistic about the future, and it even increases their productivity at work, while bad news has a negative impact, according to Dr. Bersoff.  "For example, in this study alone, we found that 65 percent of people thought that things weren't going very well in the country today."

Dr. Lynn says the media must change and present a more balanced account of events.  She sometimes tells her clients to turn off the TV.

1 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

2 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

3 analyzes   

v.分析( analyze的第三人称单数 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• This approach analyzes management by studying experience usually through cases. 这个学派通常从实例获得经验，用以分析管理。 来自辞典例句
• The econometrician analyzes statistical data. 经济计量学者要分析统计材料。 来自辞典例句

4 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

5 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。