第一节 阅读理解

　　Have you ever wondered why certain people always say they are lucky? Some people say the secret of being born lucky is probably a summer birthday. May babies are the most likely to enjoy a lifetime of good fortune, a study of 5,000 people has found. The time of year you are born has a lasting influence on optimism and whether people think they are lucky, British and Swedish scientists said. May is the luckiest month to be born in, with half of those born then considering themselves lucky. October is the least lucky month with only 43 percent claiming good fortune.

　　The study adds to evidence that luck is not all down to chance, but is also affected by a person's attitude. Another research has shown that whether people think themselves lucky depends more on having a "glass half-full" (instead of "half-empty") approach to life, than on success. Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the study, said, "Something is influencing how people feel about their luck. People create their own luck through their attitude towards life."

　　Luck is a mental state and not a matter of blind chance. There could be two reasons why those born in spring and summer reported themselves luckier than those born in autumn or winter. "One theory is that the temperature at the time of birth might be helpful to the development of the brain." He said. "People born in winter are more likely to suffer from depression". He said another possible reason is that mothers may be in a bad mood during winter, which influences their babies. The researchers said their findings were based on statistics only, and would not be true for everyone.

　　What's depression? Medical depression is when one feels so sad and hopeless that sometimes he can't imagine being happy. The pain becomes so deep that you don't feel like participating in life. People who are permanently depressed usually have physical problems like stomachaches, headaches, and lack of energy. As you probably know, some people experience such deep depression that they believe suicide (killing yourself) is the only way to escape their pain.

1. Why can your birthday influence your attitude towards life?

A. The time of your birthday determines how fortunate you will be.

B. Mothers may feel differently in different seasons, and their moods influence their babies.

C. How successful you will be lies in the hour of your birthday.