佚名/Anonymous
The ups and downs of life may seem to have no predictable plan. But scientists now know there are very defnite 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 to 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 ledpsychologists 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.
Though, the peak in most felds comes early—most Nobel prize winners did their top research in their late 20's and 30's—creative people continue to produce quality work throughout their lives. For the“well-conditioned mind”，there is no upper limit.
人生沉浮，看似難以預測。但是，科學家們現在了解到，幾乎所有的人都有一個相當明確的模式。即使度過了一些“黃金時期”，你仍然可以在未來經曆另外的黃金時期。某些重要的黃金時期好像要在生命的後期才能達到巔峰。
你什麽時候最聰明？根據智商測驗的分數，是從18歲到25歲期間。但是，隨著年齡的增長，你會更加明智，經驗更加豐富。
你的思維最敏捷是在20多歲的時候，到了30歲左右，記憶力開始下降，特別是你的數學計算能力降低。但是，你做其他事的智商提高了。例如，你45歲時的詞匯量是你剛從大學畢業時的3倍。到60歲時，你的大腦儲存的信息幾乎是你21歲時的4倍。
根據敏捷和智慧之間的轉化，心理學家提出了一個適用於成年人的概念“成熟商（M.Q.）”。
你什麽時候最快樂？你對自己身體感覺最好的時期是從15歲到24歲。職業感覺最敏銳的時期是從40歲到49歲。
在24歲之前，我們相信自己最快樂的時光還在前頭；過了30歲，我們確信最美好的時光已逝。一項全國性的健康調查也同樣證明：30歲以後，我們“變得更加實際，不再把幸福當成一種目標。如果我們保持身體健康，達到事業和情感上的目標，我們覺得，幸福就會隨之而來”。
你什麽時候最富於創造力？一般來說，會在30歲到39歲之間，但是，高峰期會因職業的不同而各不相同。
莫紮特寫下一部交響曲和四首奏鳴曲是在8歲的時候。門德爾鬆17歲時寫下了他最著名的作品《仲夏夜之夢》。然而，人們創造出偉大的音樂作品大都是在33歲到39歲時。
盡管許多領域的巔峰狀態來得較早——大多數諾貝爾獎獲得者完成他們頂級的研究是在20歲到30歲期間——創造型的人一生中會不斷地完成高品質的工作，對於“狀況良好的大腦”，沒有上限。
W詞匯筆記
pattern['p?t?n]n.圖案；式樣；典範
例 The cloth has a chequer pattern.
這塊布有格子花的圖形。
psychologist[sai'k?l?d?ist]n.心理學家
例 The psychologist always assign work to each researcher.
這位心理學家總是將工作分派給每個研究員。
maturity[m?'tju?riti]n.成熟；完善
例 My plan has gradually come to maturity.
我的計劃逐漸成熟。
emotional[i'm?u??nl]adj.感情的；情緒的
例 She had a major emotional upset.
她在情緒上受到了沉重的打擊。
S小試身手
人生沉浮，看似難以預測。但是，科學家們現在了解到，幾乎所有的人都有一個相當明確的模式。
譯________________________________________
根據敏捷和智慧之間的轉化，心理學家提出了一個適用於成年人的概念“成熟商（M.Q.）”。
譯________________________________________
在24歲之前，我們相信自己最快樂的時光還在前頭；過了30歲，我們確信最美好的時光已逝。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
From 18 to 25，according to I. Q.scores……
according to：按照；根據
造________________________________________
This trade-off between sharpness and wisdom has led psychologists to suggest that“maturity quotients（M. Q.）”be adopted for adults.
between……and：在……中間
造________________________________________