英語每周一文Your Weekly English Digest 性格確實會隨著年紀漸長改變，你要的梗在這啦。

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這篇來自華爾街日報The Wall Street Journal(WSJ)的報導，說明了多數人年紀漸長，性格也會跟著改變。如果你問我，上英文寫作課為什麼要閱讀呢？我的答案是：因為閱讀與寫作不分家嗄。唯有勤讀才能替我們的大腦硬碟增加一些可以使用的訊息與字詞。

獨立型寫作與托福的口說題目，最傷腦筋的往往是想不出東西來表達，所以缺梗比英文弱還要糟糕。托福的寫作與口說(Task 2)題都曾經出現過下面這一題(高危險題喔)請看：

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?

A person’s personality changes with his or her age.

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

所以英文的每周一文有讀有保庇啦！

Personality Research Says Change in Major Traits Occurs Naturally

Many people become more agreeable, dependable and emotionally stable, and also more introverted

Is it possible to significantly alter 改變your personality? Experts say you can—but it isn't easy.

Several large research studies conducted over the past few years show that a person's personality naturally changes over the course of在…的過程中 adulthood, in response to做為對…的回應 life events such as entering a committed relationship進入一段認真付出的感情 or advancing in a career工作升遷.

From the ages of 20 to 65, people report increases in positive traits正向特質, such as conscientiousness有良心且認真負責, and decreases in negative traits, such as neuroticism神經質的. Most people tend to become more agreeable令人愉快且好相處的, more responsible, more emotionally stable情緒穩定的—in other words, their personalities improve. Psychologists call it the Maturity Principle.心理學的成熟定律

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Researchers have also long known that friendly, outgoing, responsible people tend to be happier than shy, irresponsible, unsociable people. The researchers found people who were happy in 2005 tended to become more emotionally stable, more conscientious, more agreeable and—perhaps most intriguingly有趣地—more introverted over the next four years.

When researchers talk about "personality," they mean a "characteristic pattern 性格模式of thinking, feeling and behaving that is consistent over time and across situations透過各種狀況," says Christopher Soto, a research psychologist and director of the Colby Personality Lab at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, who was the researcher on the happiness study. Personality is about 50% innate and 50% learned個性一半是天生，一半後天形成, he says.

According to the Big Five personality model五大性格特質, developed by several sets of researchers starting in the 1940s, the human personality can be divided into five broad categories or domains—openness個性寬容開放, conscientiousness盡責認真的, agreeableness開朗好相處, neuroticism神經質的 and extroversion外向活潑 (also spelled extraversion).

Within each category are specific traits and behaviors. Extroversion, for example, encompasses 擁有traits such as gregariousness與群眾為伍 and warmth. Neuroticism includes anger, anxiety and vulnerability容易受傷的.

Some personality types are more successful than others, experts say. People who are more conscientious tend to do better in the workplace and school, Dr. Soto says. People who score high on積分高 agreeableness and low on neuroticism tend to have more satisfying and stable relationships. Extroverts do better in social and entrepreneurial occupations企業家質性的工作.

Good news/bad news: Even small changes in a person's personality can produce important effects on relationships, career, health and happiness, Dr. Soto says. But because personality characteristics are, by definition, relatively stable, change takes time.

Don't set expectations too high.不要將期待質設定太高 Be patient. It takes a long time for an intentional behavior 刻意的行為to become second nature變成自然(成為性格的一部分), Dr. Soto says. Warren Kennaugh, a behavioral strategist in Sydney, Australia, who helps individuals and teams develop successful behaviors, says it's important to start small由小處開始. Identify a first step and then practice it, without worrying about the initial results. "It's like learning to kick a football," he says. "You focus on the steps, not whether it goes in the goal."