Do you believe that blood types can determine your personality? People in Japan take blood types very seriously, according to a recent BBC report. They have big implications for life, work and love. “What’s your blood type?” is often a key question in everything from matchmaking to job applications.
Last year, four of Japan’s top 10 best-sellers were about how blood type determines personality, selling more than 5 million copies altogether. Why is it such a popular belief that they determine one’s character? Taku Kabeya, chief editor, the publisher of one of the books, told The Huffington Post that he thought the appeal of these books comes from having one’s self-image confirmed. Readers discover the definition of their blood type and “It’s like ‘Yes, that’s me!’” A popular reason often given about the craze is that in a relatively homogenous (一致) society, it provides a simple framework to divide people up into easily recognizable groups. “Being the same is considered a good thing here in Japanese society,” translator Chie Kobayashi told the BBC. “But we enjoy finding little differences that distinguish people.”
As defined by the books, type As are sensitive perfectionists and good team players, but they tend to be over-anxious. Type Os are curious and generous but stubborn, while ABs are artistic but also mysterious and unpredictable. Type Bs are cheerful, but have eccentric (怪癖的), individualistic and selfish traits (特点).
The beliefs surrounding blood groups have been used in unusual ways. The women’s softball team that won gold for Japan at the Beijing Olympics is reported to have used blood type theories to design training for each player. Major companies reportedly make decisions about assignments based on employees’ blood types, for example, in 1990 the Asahi Daily newspaper reported that Mitsubishi Electronics (日本三菱电器) had announced the creation of a team made up entirely of A workers.
【小题1】What is the popular belief in Japan according to the passage?| A．Being the same is considered a good thing. |
| B．Blood types can determine personality. |
| C．Happy marriage is based on personality. |
| D．It is fashionable to buy top 10 best-sellers. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Behavior. |
| C．Attraction. | D．Habit. |
| A．Because they are mysterious artistic and unpredictable. |
| B．Because they are perfectionists, good team players. |
| C．Because they are curious and generous but stubborn. |
| D．Because they are cheerful, but have eccentric traits. |
| A．medicine | B．teamwork |
| C．geography | D．culture |
