EX 1 - Quotations – Put the two halves of each quotation together. Then choose the quote you agree with most and explain why.
1 Everywhere is walking distance
a. but wanting what you have.
2 All good things in life are either
b. you are going too slow.
3 Happiness is having a large, close-knit family
c. It's only necessary to be rich.
4 The person who knows how to laugh at himself
d. will never cease to be amused.
5 It isn't necessary to be rich and famous to be happy.
e. in another city.
6 Happiness is not having what you want,
f. immoral, fattening or overpriced.
7 If everything is under control,
g. if you have the time.
EX 2 - You are going to read part of a magazine article about psychology. For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B, e or D) which
you think fits best according to the text.
Many religious and philosophical traditions have spoken of the benefits of living in the present moment but, until recently, there has not been
much scientific evidence to support this advice. Now, a study by psychologists in the USA has shown that if we learn to live in the now we can
be happier. According to the study, the problem is that we spend nearly half our time thinking about something other than what we are doing.
How did the Harvard scientists arrive at this conclusion? Of course, it is not possible to measure happiness by simply observing people. When
researchers want to look into a question such as this they have to rely on their subjects' ability to look at their thoughts and emotions and then
be able to say what they are feeling. That would be relatively easy if you planned to study only a small number of subjects but in a project like
this involving several thousand, things become rather more complicated.
To be able to reach as many people as possible, the psychologists designed a new mobile phone application that sent volunteers text messages
at various times during the day. They were asked what they were doing and then told to rate their happiness on a scale from zero to one
hundred. They also had to say whether they were concentrating on what they were doing or daydreaming about something positive, negative or
neutral. 'We never anticipated getting so many responses,' says Matthew Killingsworth, one of the main researchers on the team. 'People are
naturally concerned about this issue but I doubt that they would have been so keen to take part if we had tried to interview them on the street or
sent out online questionnaires. The mobile phone application was the key. '
The study produced one surprising result. Although activities that demanded people's full attention like exercise and conversation made them
happiest, even the most engaging tasks failed to hold their full attention. Volunteers admitted to thinking about something else at least thirty
percent of the time even if they were doing something they enjoyed. People were least happy when working, resting or using a home computer
because it was then that their minds wandered more. In fact they reported being distracted for as much as forty-six percent of the time.
Julia Wilson, one of the volunteers who took part in the study, found it helpful. 'I had no idea just how much time I spent daydreaming. The
first couple of days it seemed that whenever a message arrived I was actually thinking about something else. One afternoon, I was playing
tennis when a message came in. I had been missing even very easy shots and my serves kept going out. It was the message that woke me up and
made me focus on the match instead of an overdue assignment I had at college.'
The psychologists say that happiness was more affected by how often people drifted off than by the activity they were doing at the time. But
couldn't it be that we daydream so much because we are unhappy? The Harvard team say that this is not the case. Remembering, thinking
ahead or imagining things tend to make people more miserable, even when they are thinking about something pleasant. This is what convinces
the researchers that we become unhappy because we think too much and not the other way round.
So how can we overcome the problem? It seems that we might not want to. 'The unique human ability to focus on things that are not happening
right now allows us to reflect on the past and learn from it. It also helps us anticipate and plan for the future,' said Killingsworth. If we could not
do this, we probably wouldn't survive. So our wandering minds benefit us some of the time. The trouble is we also let them make us unhappy.
1 What is important about the American study?
A It confirms the results of previous studies. B It gives actual statistics to support its results.
C It proves that most people are unhappy.
D It identifies a major cause of unhappiness.
2 It is quite difficult to investigate happiness because
A people do not really know how they feel.
B people may look happy when they are not.
C people do not like to talk about their feelings. D people are reluctant to take part in scientific studies.
3 How did the researchers feel about the way they conducted their survey?
A confident that their results were correct
B disappointed by the way people responded
C amazed that so many people agreed to take part D uncertain about why their methods were successful
4 What surprised researchers when they examined the results of the study?
A People didn't often concentrate even if they were enjoying themselves. B People spent more time daydreaming when they were working.
C Working and resting made people equally unhappy.
D People were not thinking about what they were doing most of the time.
5 Why did Julia Wilson find taking part in the study helpful?
A It taught her something she didn't know about herself. B She started to feel happier.
C It made her remember some important college work.
D Her tennis skills improved.
6 What does this (underlined) refer to?
A That what you are doing makes you unhappy.
B That feeling sad makes you drift off into fantasy.
C That thinking about the past makes you unhappy. D That people's minds wander all the time.
7 Changing the way our minds work may not be a good idea because
A we enjoy daydreaming.
B we find thinking about the present is boring.
C we need the ability to think about the past and the future. D we think of it as one of our special human characteristics.
8 The purpose of the article is to
A describe how happy people think.
B indicate the best way to conduct research.
C encourage more people to take part in surveys. D show the connection between daydreaming and unhappiness.
EX 3 - You are going to read an article about happiness. Seven sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences AH the one which tics each gap 1-7. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Happiness is hard to define. For some people it's about being in love or the birth of a child, for others, winning the lottery or being in touch with
nature. 1) ___ Positive psychology expert, Sheila Panchal, explains: 'Psychologists have identified three elements to happiness - having pleasures in
life, being engaged and using your strengths on a regular basis, and experiencing a sense of meaning by feeling part of something greater than
yourself.'
Happy people have stronger immune systems - when exposed to the flu virus, they are more able to resist it - and they recover from surgery faster. 2)
___ That's the conclusion from an analysis of the attitudes of new nuns entering an American convent in 1932. Psychologists rated each of them for
the level of positive feeling expressed and found a correlation with how long each nun lived.
The relationship between money and happiness is complex. 'If you're below the breadline, then extra money makes a difference to your happiness,'
says Panchal. But after a certain level of income, extra money does not make you that much happier. 3) ___ In one study, Harvard students were
asked what they would prefer - a world where they got $50,000 a year and everyone else got $25,000, or one where their income was doubled to
$100,000, but others got more - $250,000. The majority preferred the first world, where they got less in absolute terms, but at least it was more than
everyone else.
Studies on twins show a strong genetic component in happiness and depression. This is not just because twins share the same environment - research
on identical twins brought up apart shows the same. However, the genes involved in happiness are unknown and, as with all psychological attributes,
it is likely that many different genes are responsible. 4) ___ Low levels of serotonin are linked to depression. Drugs like Prozac boost serotonin
levels and so lift depression and improve mood. But even if you are born miserable, you can still learn to be happier by changing your outlook and
attitude.
Relationships are one of the most important sources of our happiness. Socioeconomic surveys in Germany suggest that both men and women become
happier when they marry. Happiness increases as the marriage approaches, peaks in the first year and then decreases a little as people get used to
their new status. 5) ___ Children, as you might expect, are a source of joy when they are born, but within two years, their parents' happiness tends to
revert to its former level.
Happiness around the world is tracked by projects such as the World Database of Happiness. 6) ___ This appears to be true despite massive
increases in the standard of living and quality of life. Dr Stevens identifies two major barriers to achieving happiness in the 21st century - the car and
the media. Cars isolate you from the local community so that your neighbourhood and town centre more often feel like threatening places rather than
a positive resource. Television (and to a lesser extent print media) exposes people to violence, bad news and consumer pressures which create fear
and discontent. TV watching is also passive and takes away time that could be used for much more satisfying activities.
According to the US General Social Survey, the main sources of happiness are, in order of importance: family relationships, finances, work, social
networks and health. Added to that are personal values and freedom. Based on his long-standing research, Dr Stevens claims happiness comes from
the body, relationships and learning to direct your thoughts in a positive way. 7) ___ It means taking definite steps to improve your life. 'Take
exercise and watch your diet, work at caring, loving relationships and give them the time they need,' he says. 'Smile at strangers, make small gestures
and, above all, list the good things you have to be grateful for. If you think like this, wellbeing and good feelings will follow.'
A One key factor seems to be that we start to compare ourselves with others and this creates discontent.
B That doesn't just mean vaguely wishing that things in your life were different.
C However, it still remains at a higher level than in the single state.
D In scientific terms, happiness has different dimensions.
E This is something governments don't appear to be very concerned about.
F One group of genes that may be involved in positive mood are those dealing with the brain chemical serotonin.
G Happy people also tend to live longer.
H It seems that populations in Western countries, such as Britain, have not got any happier since 1950.
EX 4 Read the 'Happy Hints'. Which do you think are the three best pieces of advice? Why? Is there one which you would consider
trying to follow? Could you add one more 'happy hint'?
HAPPY HINTS - TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MOOD.
Go nuts - Instead of eating sweets and crisps, snack on nuts, seeds, bananas and avocados - they all help to boost levels of serotonin, the brain's
'feel good' chemical.
Be optimistic - Learn to be an optimist. Look for temporary and specific explanations when things go wrong - “I wasn't on top form”, rather
than “I'm useless”. Take time to identify what you are really good at.
Get a pet - Consider getting a pet to look after. Choose an animal that suits your personality or lifestyle.
Socialize - Do something to connect you to the community - join an evening class, volunteer for a campaign or invite a neighbour in for coffee.
Keep dancing - See what happens if you cut your TV watching and newspaper reading in half. Replace with something more active, e.g. try a
dance class, learn a new language, etc.
Smile - Be really daring - smile and say 'hello' to someone you don't know; even consider stopping for a chat.
Keep a diary - Keep a journal of the good things that happen - aim to list three to five items, however small, every day.
Go running - Twenty to thirty minutes exercise, outside if possible, three times a week will boost your mood.
Say thank you - Develop the habit of gratitude and learn the art of forgiveness - let go of the bad things that happened in the past. Live as
much in the present as you can.
Happy talking - Take time to talk. Schedule an hour-long conversation with your partner or closest friend every week and guard the time
jealously.
Keys: Ex 1: 1G 2F 3E 4D 5C 6A 7B; EX 2: 1D 2B 3C 4A 5A 6B 7C 8D; EX 3: 1D 2G 3A 4F 5C 6H 7B
OTHER HINTS…
CHOOSE which of the reasons for happiness you agree with and which you don’t. Then think of the last time you felt
really happy and describe that moment to your classmate.
(From a survey among teenagers)
1. When I want to be happy I go for a walk through a wood. The other day in the wood near my house, I saw a home-made swing hanging from the
branch of an old oak tree. I checked that there was no-one looking, then I got on and had the best 10 minutes of fun I've had all year. When I got
off, I left feeling terrific and I thought about how simple things can make us happy.
2. What makes me happy is sleeping! Of course, family and friends (including my cat) come first, but sleeping is the best.
3. Feeling the affection and support of my family makes me feel good. Especially my little niece, Rose, her laughter gives me a real kick.
4. My Mum is a good example of happiness. She always sees the glass half full, not half empty. She says it's important to see the positive in
everything and to learn to laugh at yourself.
5. If I'm feeling down I make myself a good cup of tea. Piping hot. Strong. Lots of milk. No sugar to spoil it. It's a very useful beginning to feeling
on-top-of-the-world again.
6. Listening to my favourite music in the open air is brilliant. No hassle, no homework, no duties, just nature, sunshine and me - listening to my
music, doing my thing.
7. Beauty makes me ecstatic. I think the key to happiness is to notice the beauty that is everywhere around us. There might be loads of bad things
happening in this world at the moment, but there is still so much happiness and beauty left to be discovered.
8. Happiness is not to read newspapers! They concentrate on the negative - that is what news is. I stopped years ago and noticed the change
immediately: I felt calm and confident.
Scientific evidence suggests we should all try to do five things every day that promote happiness.
1. Connect with others
Human beings are social animals and making links with other people is vital for our well-being. This means we should all try to make time to
maintain and develop our relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
2. Be active
There is a close relationship between physical health and mental health. Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will
keep us fit and stimulate our minds.
3. Take notice of our surroundings
There is growing evidence that being actively aware of our surroundings is important if we want to stay happy. We can try to notice the things
around us whether walking to school, eating lunch or talking to friends.
4. Learn
It’s very important to keep our minds active and growing. Fixing a bike, learning a musical instrument, or cooking something different can give
a sense of satisfaction and confidence. We can learn something new every day.
5. Give to our neighbours and communities
People who give their time and energy to other people seem to have higher levels of happiness. So, if you want to be happy, give your time and
interest generously.
Listening activity: Happiness is… http://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/valoris/2/Track_No40.mp3
Speaker 1: Happiness is an emotional or affective state that is characterized by feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. States associated with
happiness include well-being, delight, health, safety, contentment, and love. Contrasting states include suffering, depression, grief, anxiety, and
pain. Happiness is often associated with the presence of favourable circumstances such as a supportive family life, a loving marriage, and economic
stability.
Speaker 2: Well, it's a bit difficult for me to say, since there are many English language terms to be used for happiness and pleasure. These terms
may vary according to the pleasure they describe, as well as the kind of satisfaction and gratification. These include: bliss, joy, joyous, carefree,
jubilant, exultant, cheerful, playful, amused, fun, glad, gay, gleeful, jolly, delighted, euphoric, ecstatic, thrilled, elated, enraptured, comfortable,
harmonious, and triumphant.
Speaker 3: I think happiness and unhappiness are opposite sides of a judgement about your situation. If you judge your situation as bad for you,
that's unhappiness. If you judge a situation as good for you, that's happiness.
Speaker 4: Dismissing the view that happiness was arbitrarily bestowed by capricious Fortune, the more serious thinkers among the Greeks
regarded it as a gift of the gods. Further reflection led to the view that it was given as a reward for goodness.
Inner peace
From all across the UK, 1000 people were asked what happiness meant for them. Unlike other surveys, people did not have to choose their
answer from a list someone had already prepared. Instead, they could describe what happiness meant to them in their own words. Happiness
emerged in six different forms: relationships, contentment, security, money, health and fulfilment.
The first answer, relationships – sharing life with loved ones, such as partners, friends, family, children, grandchildren and even pets – was
exactly as expected. What was interesting, however, is that 56% of the respondents equated happiness with contentment.
According to the dictionary, contentment is accepting things as they are. Another interpretation is mental or emotional satisfaction and, foremost,
peace of mind. But what does it mean to have peace of mind? Is it about not worrying? Is it about not arguing? Is it about having everything you
want or actually not wanting? Is it about a clear conscience?
For most of us, contentment is a mixture of these things and what they have in common is not fighting yourself. You are content when the
different parts of yourself make friends with each other. Discontent, on the other hand, is the result of a discrepancy between what you want and
what you get. However, nobody can have everything they want. What we want depends on us, rather than the situation, so by changing our
perspective we can affect our level of contentment a lot. As a famous saying goes, change what you can, accept what you cannot and have the
wisdom to know the difference.
Paper 1, Part 3 - You are going to read the Happiness Quiz. Seven answers have been removed from the quiz. Choose from the answers A-H the one which fits each
gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph which you don't need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0).
HAPPINESS QUIZ
1 Your health routine is best described as:
a chaotic. The best things in life are fast food, chocolate and the TV remote control.
b controlled. You're careful about what you eat and play sport regularly.
c 0G
2 It's the end of a long day and you have nothing planned for the evening. Do you:
a 1 ____
b collapse on the sofa after dinner, so exhausted that you do nothing - find it difficult to sleep and feel worse in the morning.
c hurry home to finish that important project. However difficult your day has been, you have to be ready for tomorrow!
3 Your personal space is:
a low on your list of priorities. You're so busy that you don't have time for yourself!
b 2 ___
c non-existent. You try to find time for yourself, but the phone never stops ringing, or you're meeting your friends.
4 How do you feel about yourself?
a You're OK, other people just don't realise what you're worth.
b You rarely feel good about yourself – you always know you can do better.
c Great! You feel good about yourself, you solve your problems and achieve your goals.
5 When you feel bad, what's your emotional style?
a Get angry - you love the excitement of letting off steam, even if it does cause trouble.
b 3 ___
c You're relaxed about your feelings. Sometimes you feel bad, but you soon feel happier. You get back on top quickly.
6 If you're faced with a problem in life, you:
a wait for things to get better. Everyone has problems, it's finding solutions that's important.
b 4 ____
c work hard to get it sorted out. You feel bad if you have any problem, no matter how small.
7 In love, you:
a always try to make your relationships work, but you don't feel you get it right.
b are happy overall, your relationships last, and when they finish, there's rarely any bad feeling.
c have bad luck - your relationships are stormy and end in tears.
8 When you've got problems - in work, love or life - you:
a 5 ____
b rely on those close to you - you'd be too embarrassed to get professional help.
c try to solve it alone, you don't want to worry other people with your difficulties.
9 When you look at your life, you feel it's:
a not as good as it could be. You often wish you'd behaved differently and you're not very confident about the future.
b good. You generally do well - you're happy! But even the bad times have taught you something, and you feel that the future is promising.
c 6 ____
10 When it comes to making plans and setting goals for yourself, you're:
a unsure. Goals? You know you should have them, but you've never really had time to make plans.
b unmotivated. You do set goals, but often you don't achieve them. Nothing you do seems to work out right.
c 7 ____
A very important. You have your own comfortable room, where you can relax and take time out for yourself.
B panic because you don't know how to deal with it, you feel unmotivated and do nothing.
C at ease. You may not be a religious person, but you do have your own sense of morality and try to live your life as well as you can.
D secure. You enjoy the feeling of setting targets and are really happy when you meet them.
E work out who can best help you with them - often you'll go straight to an expert.
F You feel uncomfortable with negative feelings and try to forget about them as soon as possible.
G varied. Your preferences and tastes guide you. As for exercise, you do what makes you feel good.
H confusing. Opportunities often slip away from you, or other people try to hurt you. You suspect you don't know how to make things work.
I go home and relax: watch the TV, read your favourite book or ring a friend for a chat - you deserve a break.
1 c a b
2 a b c
3 b c a
4 c a b
5 c a b
6 a b c
7 b c a
8 a b c
9 b c a
10 c a b
  
X Y Z
Answers: Circle your answers on the list below. Then decide which type most applies to you - X, Y or Z.
Now read the description of your type below. Do you agree with the explanation?
X: Free and happy: You really understand how to be happy. You've got a brilliant approach to life. At the centre of this is the
understanding that if you're not happy, then it's up to you to sort it out. There are things you can do about it - changing the way you think,
feel or the way you handle your problems. You have confidence and self-belief and won't accept misery as a way of life. You believe in
yourself and your ability to get through things. You're not smug, but at peace with the real you. It could be, of course, that you aren't 100
per cent secure in all areas of your life - work, play and love - and that's natural. Or it could be that you lack some happiness skills, such as
goal setting or managing your emotions.
Y: It's not up to me! You're not happy because you've never learned the skills to be happy. Not only do you not have these skills, but
you don't feel you need them. You tend to think that your happiness or unhappiness is not up to you, that it comes from events beyond your
control or from other people. You haven't fully realised that your happiness is in your own hands. So maybe you need to make some
changes to your lifestyle, to the way you handle events or your approach to other people. Or maybe you've become too focused on yourself
- a bit 'me, me, me'. Remember that the basis of true happiness is finding the balance between considering yourself and giving to other
people.
Z: Your own worst critic: You're not very happy, are you? You try hard, you mean well, but inside you is that little voice that screams 'I'm not good enough'. In
short, your unhappiness comes from what's happening inside you - you never feel contented because you are always trying for maximum success and even if you reach
it, you don't feel you deserve to enjoy it. But happiness isn't something that you get just by hard work. Yes, reaching goals and getting where you want in life is
important, but to be truly happy, you need to be at peace with yourself.
People who are at peace with themselves generally do much more, much better in life than those who try hard all the time. Learn to value what you do and you'll not
only feel happier, you'll also be more effective.
Keys: 1I 2A 3F 4B 5E 6H 7D
For questions 1-15, think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space. There is
an example at the beginning (0).
For the first time 0) in history, the developed world faces the problem 1) ___ producing too much. There
are so many cars that we are running 2) ___ of roads to drive them on. We have so 3) ___ food to eat that
we are suffering from an epidemic of obesity. There are so many things to buy, see and do that we cannot
find enough time to enjoy them. However, recent studies have shown 4) ___ levels of reported happiness
have stayed the same and 5) ___ some cases declined over the past thirty years. The explanation may lie in
the pyramid that Abraham Maslow, a behavioural psychologist drew 6) ___ in 1943. Maslow said that there
were various levels of need, each of 7) ___ had to be satisfied before people could progress to 8) ___ next
level. Clearly, money is very important. 9) ___ it, people cannot satisfy their basic needs and 10) ___
unlikely to progress beyond the lowest level of the pyramid. The trouble is that people - and governments –
have spent 11) ___ their entire history in the struggle 12) ___ subsistence. Because of this, they have 13)
___ to believe that greater prosperity is the key 14) ___ greater happiness. And they continue to believe this
even beyond the point 15) ___ which basic levels of comfort have been achieved. Maslow's pyramid
suggests otherwise.
self-actualization
pursue inner talent,
creativity, fulfilment
self-esteem
achievement,
recognition, respect
belonging, love - friends, family,
spouse, lover
safety - security, stability,
freedom from fear
physiological - food, water, shelter, warmth
Keys: 1OF 2OUT 3MUCH 4THAT 5EVEN 6UP 7WHICH 8THE 9WITHOUT 10ARE 11ALMOST 12FOR 13COME 14TO 15AT
For questions 1-15, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word
in each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Happiness = P + (5xE) + (3xH)
According (0) to psychologist Carol Rothwell and life coach Pete Cohen, this is the formula for happiness.
In the course (1) ___ a study, they interviewed 1,000 people and asked them to choose five situations (2)
___ made them happy from a list of eighty. They also got them to score themselves (3) ___ of 10 for a
series of simple questions. In the formula P stands (4) ___ Personal Characteristics: the way you see life
and how you adapt to change. E means Existence, (5) ___ involves your health, money and friendships. H
represents Higher Order Needs and relates (6) ___ self-esteem, expectations, ambitions and sense (7) ___
humour. They found that men and women saw happiness (8) ___ different ways. Three men out of ten said
a victory (9) ___ a favourite sports team made them happy. For seven women out of ten, happiness came
from (10) ___ with family and one in four were happy (11) ___ they lost weight. Romance was more
important for men, as (12) ___ a pay rise and hobbies. Women tended to be influenced by sunny weather.
Mr Cohen says, 'Most people probably don't know what happiness (13) ___. They think happiness is
perhaps (14) ___ lots of money or a big car, or a big house. But people who have all these things are not
necessarily happier (15) ___ people who just enjoy their life.'
Keys: 1 OF 2 THAT 3 OUT 4 FOR 5 AND 6 TO 7 OF 8 IN 9 BY 10 BEING 11 WHEN 12 WERE 13 IS 14 HAVING 15 THAN