The most wonderful time of the year isn’t all that wonderful for those who hate opening presents in front of other people.
Imagine it’s the Christmas morning. Your large family are looking at you because it’s your turn to open a present. You try to make a response that will seem both grateful and genuine. Instead, it comes across as awkward—even when you really like the present.
According to the study by Professor Stefan Hofmann and Professor Mark Leary, this is a sign of ordinary social anxiety. Let’s explain some of the reasons why opening presents in front of others can make the gift opener so anxious.
Some people just don’t like being the center of attention. “Being the focus of everyone’s attention puts pressure on people to be ‘perfect’ or follow social norms(规范). Everyone is more on their guard when lots of other people are watching，” Leary said.
And it feels like your reaction is being judged by the other people in the room. “It is not only the act of opening a present but also the emotional response that other people are carefully judging to determine whether the person likes the gift，” Hofmann said. “This person is expected to be joyful and surprised.”
“People want to be seen as appreciative, but one always runs the risk of not conveying the appropriate level of appreciation，” Leary said. “People may worry that they won’t respond as the gift giver hopes.”
Both experts agreed that feeling anxious in this type of social situation is totally normal. “If we never experienced social anxiety, we’d deal with many social encounters(遭遇) in ways that go against social norms, make bad impressions on others, or even hurt other people，” Leary explained.
“Try to be in the present moment and enjoy the occasion，” Hofmann recommended. “Receiving and giving gifts is a human tradition that shows kindness. Worrying about what other people think or what impression I make on others detracts(减损价值) from this experience.”
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明性议论文。当着众人的面打开礼物，你会焦虑不安吗？来听听专家的分析吧。
1．How does the gift opener feel if he hates opening gifts in front of others?
A．Angry. B．Surprised.
C．Grateful. D．Anxious.
D 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段中的...this is a sign of ordinary social anxiety. Let’s explain some of the reasons why opening presents in front of others can make the gift opener so anxious.可知，当着众人的面打开礼物，有些人会感到焦虑不安。
2．What may people worry about when opening a gift?
A．What reaction the gift giver expects.
B．Whether the gift is their favorite or not.
C．Whether they can meet the gift giver’s expectation.
D．How they can express their thanks to the gift giver.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据倒数第三段中的People may worry that they won’t respond as the gift giver hopes.和文章最后一句可知，当人们打开礼物的时候会担心自己能不能做出送礼物的人所期待的反应。
3．What does Leary think of such kind of social anxiety?
A．It should be dealt with in time.
B．It may help us behave properly in public.
C．It is harmful to our relationships with others.
D．It will make us leave a strong impression on others.
B 解析：推理判断题。根据倒数第二段可知，Leary认为如果我们不经历这种社交紧张的话，在处理很多社会遭遇时可能会违反社会规范，给他人留下不好的印象，甚至会伤害他人。由此推知，经历这样的社会紧张有助于我们在众人面前表现得得体。
4．Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?
B 解析：篇章结构题。综合分析文章可知：第一段引出主题，第二段举出具体事例，第三段引出原因，第四、五和六段具体分析原因，第七和第八段专家给出相关建议。故B项正确。
