Are you happy
Everyone wants to be happy, but it seems that not many people can
achieve happiness. There are some clues, however, as to what makes us
happy. We know, for example, that it is necessary to have a reasonable
amount of material possessions, but more than that doesn't make much
difference. On average, people in America and Europe are twice as wealthy
as they were forty years ago, yet surveys show that they are not as happy. In
fact, in many cases they are less so.
It's not surprising that people who have a large circle of friends are
usually happier than those who do not have much of a social life, and that
healthy people are happier than sick people. What’s surprising to most of
us is that disabled people have the same possibility for happiness as the
rest of us do. Even people who have been seriously injured in an accident
describe themselves as happy three weeks afterwards.
The truth is that happiness is a relative state. If you discover that
something absolutely awful is going to happen, then the life you had been
leading up to that point can seem like absolute bliss, although you probably
thought it was miserable while you were living it.
It seems, however, that those of us who are lucky enough to achieve
happiness are going to mess it up anyway. Unfortunately, many of the things
that make us happy are also the things that we can become addicted to.
In order to prove this, scientists carried out an experiment. They attached
electrodes to a rat’s brain and connected them to a handle in the animal’s
cage so that it could directly stimulate its pleasure centres by pressing the
handle. The result was that the rat kept on pressing the handle instead of
eating or drinking. Humans are different from rats because they are a bit
more complicated, but research has shown that they, too, can fall into this
trap.
One of the reasons we have such a problem with happiness is that
we confuse it with a life untouched by negative feelings such as anxiety,
rage, doubt or sadness. We have a naive belief that happiness means that
nothing ever goes wrong. In order to be happy, we need to come to terms
with a few truths. We must learn how to live contentedly with the negative
elements of life rather than attempting to live a life where nothing bad ever
happens.
A professor at the University of Chicago, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has
spent a great deal of time researching 'happiness' and has provided us with
some food for thought. He believes that the key to happiness is something
he calls the flow. The flow is the state you are in when you are doing
something that completely absorbs you. It comes when you are pushed right
up to the limit of your ability, but not beyond it. People can get a feeling of
flow from dangerous sports like mountain climbing or driving fast, but it
can also come from less strenuous pursuits, like painting or reading a great
book. The point is that people do these things because they want to and not
because they are looking for some kind of reward.
The really curious thing is that despite the fact that we are familiar with
what makes us feel good, we still do not do those things very much. For
example, a study showed that while playing sport, people have a flow of
35% whereas when they are watching television, they have no flow at all.
Yet, they watch TV for ten times as long as they spend playing sport!
A good measuring stick for those of us who are desperately seeking
happiness is asking ourselves, 'Is what I am doing today contributing to the
things that are most important in my life?' If not, why are you doing it?
05
10
15
1. AD JECTI VES + PREPOSITIONS
A. Complete the sentences below with the missing
prepositions. If you are not sure, look back at the
text on page 33.
vocabulary
2. EXPRESSIONS WIT H ‘COME’
a. actually happen
b. to begin to apply
c. to take a position of leadership or control
d. to be useful
e. to be made known
with of about
A. Look at the extract from the text on page 33.
What’s the meaning of the expression in bold?
Humans are different rats because they are a
bit more complicated...
...despite the fact that we are familiar what
makes us feel good...
B. Match the expressions in bold with the meanings
given.
1. It later came to light that she had cheated in her
Maths test.
2. It took Mark several months to realise that his
dream had finally come true.
3. I turned seventeen the year the president came
into power.
4. This torch will come in handy when we go
camping.
5. The new anti-smoking law is to come into effect
next January.
3. IDIO MS
B. Complete the sentences with the prepositions in the
box.
1. Margaret is really proud her son because
he won the school championship.
2. I’m really nervous my interview
tomorrow.
3. When his little sister was born, Brad was very
jealous all the attention that was given to her.
4. I’m not familiar this procedure; could you
please explain it to me?
5. Albert was very pleased his exam results.
6. Are you angry me for some reason? You
haven’t spoken to me all day.
7. I’m ashamed myself for spending so much
money on a dress.
8. I didn’t think Paul was capable looking
after the children on his own, but he was able to
manage without me.
9. Omar is very conscious the scar he has on
his face.
10. Young children are curious everything.
They are constantly asking questions.
11. You have to be patient people when you
are teaching them a foreign language.
12. Many people are upset how the manager
handled the situation.
13. Faten is very popular her classmates.
14. Are you serious moving to New Zealand?
...we need to come to terms with a few truths.
A. Look at the extract from the text on page 33.
What’s the meaning of the idiom in bold?
...and has provided us with some food for thought.
B. Match the idioms in bold with their meanings.
1. John is having second thoughts about moving to
Australia; he is not sure if it’s the right decision
for him and his family.
2. You’re very quiet; a penny for your thoughts.
3. You’ve interrupted my train of thought with all
that noise.
4. That installation art show has to be seen to be
believed. It has the most amazing exhibits.
5. Don’t be frightened, Sally; the story your brother
told you was just make-believe.
a. to be unusual but true
b. something you say to ask someone what they are
thinking about
c. a series of thoughts that are connected in some way
d. not real
e. to change your opinion or have doubts about
something
grammar
A. Read the following examples. What were the
speakers’ exact words?
1. REPORTED SPEE CH (STATE MENTS )
We use the verbs below to report the speaker’s
message rather than his/her exact words:
• agree, offer, refuse, threaten, etc. + full infinitive
• advise, allow, beg, encourage, forbid, invite, order,
permit, remind, warn, etc. + object + full infinitive
• accuse of, apologise for, admit (to), complain about,
deny, insist on, suggest, etc. + -ing form
• explain, claim, exclaim, etc. + that clause
1. The scientist announced that they were planning to carry
out more experiments with rats.
The scientist said: ‘We to
carry out more experiments with rats.’
2. A participant claimed that he was able to control the
level of his happiness.
A participant said: ‘ to
control the level of my happiness.’
3. The man told the psychologist that he realised he had
made lots of mistakes in his life.
The man said to the psychologist: ‘I realise that
lots of mistakes in my life.’
4. The teacher told the boys that they would feel better after
doing some sport.
The teacher said to the boys: ‘
better after doing some sport.’
5. The researcher added that he couldn’t understand why
the rats had behaved like that.
The researcher added: ‘
understand why the rats
like that.’
B. Look at the examples above again and answer the
following questions.
Everyone wants to be happy, but it seems that not many people can
achieve happiness. There are some clues, however, as to what makes us
happy. We know, for example, that it is necessary to have a reasonable
amount of material possessions, but more than that doesn't make much
difference. On average, people in America and Europe are twice as wealthy
as they were forty years ago, yet surveys show that they are not as happy. In
fact, in many cases they are less so.
It's not surprising that people who have a large circle of friends are
usually happier than those who do not have much of a social life, and that
healthy people are happier than sick people. What’s surprising to most of
us is that disabled people have the same possibility for happiness as the
rest of us do. Even people who have been seriously injured in an accident
describe themselves as happy three weeks afterwards.
The truth is that happiness is a relative state. If you discover that
something absolutely awful is going to happen, then the life you had been
leading up to that point can seem like absolute bliss, although you probably
thought it was miserable while you were living it.
It seems, however, that those of us who are lucky enough to achieve
happiness are going to mess it up anyway. Unfortunately, many of the things
that make us happy are also the things that we can become addicted to.
In order to prove this, scientists carried out an experiment. They attached
electrodes to a rat’s brain and connected them to a handle in the animal’s
cage so that it could directly stimulate its pleasure centres by pressing the
handle. The result was that the rat kept on pressing the handle instead of
eating or drinking. Humans are different from rats because they are a bit
more complicated, but research has shown that they, too, can fall into this
trap.
One of the reasons we have such a problem with happiness is that
we confuse it with a life untouched by negative feelings such as anxiety,
rage, doubt or sadness. We have a naive belief that happiness means that
nothing ever goes wrong. In order to be happy, we need to come to terms
with a few truths. We must learn how to live contentedly with the negative
elements of life rather than attempting to live a life where nothing bad ever
happens.
A professor at the University of Chicago, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, has
spent a great deal of time researching 'happiness' and has provided us with
some food for thought. He believes that the key to happiness is something
he calls the flow. The flow is the state you are in when you are doing
something that completely absorbs you. It comes when you are pushed right
up to the limit of your ability, but not beyond it. People can get a feeling of
flow from dangerous sports like mountain climbing or driving fast, but it
can also come from less strenuous pursuits, like painting or reading a great
book. The point is that people do these things because they want to and not
because they are looking for some kind of reward.
The really curious thing is that despite the fact that we are familiar with
what makes us feel good, we still do not do those things very much. For
example, a study showed that while playing sport, people have a flow of
35% whereas when they are watching television, they have no flow at all.
Yet, they watch TV for ten times as long as they spend playing sport!
A good measuring stick for those of us who are desperately seeking
happiness is asking ourselves, 'Is what I am doing today contributing to the
things that are most important in my life?' If not, why are you doing it?
05
10
15
1. AD JECTI VES + PREPOSITIONS
A. Complete the sentences below with the missing
prepositions. If you are not sure, look back at the
text on page 33.
vocabulary
2. EXPRESSIONS WIT H ‘COME’
a. actually happen
b. to begin to apply
c. to take a position of leadership or control
d. to be useful
e. to be made known
with of about
A. Look at the extract from the text on page 33.
What’s the meaning of the expression in bold?
Humans are different rats because they are a
bit more complicated...
...despite the fact that we are familiar what
makes us feel good...
B. Match the expressions in bold with the meanings
given.
1. It later came to light that she had cheated in her
Maths test.
2. It took Mark several months to realise that his
dream had finally come true.
3. I turned seventeen the year the president came
into power.
4. This torch will come in handy when we go
camping.
5. The new anti-smoking law is to come into effect
next January.
3. IDIO MS
B. Complete the sentences with the prepositions in the
box.
1. Margaret is really proud her son because
he won the school championship.
2. I’m really nervous my interview
tomorrow.
3. When his little sister was born, Brad was very
jealous all the attention that was given to her.
4. I’m not familiar this procedure; could you
please explain it to me?
5. Albert was very pleased his exam results.
6. Are you angry me for some reason? You
haven’t spoken to me all day.
7. I’m ashamed myself for spending so much
money on a dress.
8. I didn’t think Paul was capable looking
after the children on his own, but he was able to
manage without me.
9. Omar is very conscious the scar he has on
his face.
10. Young children are curious everything.
They are constantly asking questions.
11. You have to be patient people when you
are teaching them a foreign language.
12. Many people are upset how the manager
handled the situation.
13. Faten is very popular her classmates.
14. Are you serious moving to New Zealand?
...we need to come to terms with a few truths.
A. Look at the extract from the text on page 33.
What’s the meaning of the idiom in bold?
...and has provided us with some food for thought.
B. Match the idioms in bold with their meanings.
1. John is having second thoughts about moving to
Australia; he is not sure if it’s the right decision
for him and his family.
2. You’re very quiet; a penny for your thoughts.
3. You’ve interrupted my train of thought with all
that noise.
4. That installation art show has to be seen to be
believed. It has the most amazing exhibits.
5. Don’t be frightened, Sally; the story your brother
told you was just make-believe.
a. to be unusual but true
b. something you say to ask someone what they are
thinking about
c. a series of thoughts that are connected in some way
d. not real
e. to change your opinion or have doubts about
something
grammar
A. Read the following examples. What were the
speakers’ exact words?
1. REPORTED SPEE CH (STATE MENTS )
We use the verbs below to report the speaker’s
message rather than his/her exact words:
• agree, offer, refuse, threaten, etc. + full infinitive
• advise, allow, beg, encourage, forbid, invite, order,
permit, remind, warn, etc. + object + full infinitive
• accuse of, apologise for, admit (to), complain about,
deny, insist on, suggest, etc. + -ing form
• explain, claim, exclaim, etc. + that clause
1. The scientist announced that they were planning to carry
out more experiments with rats.
The scientist said: ‘We to
carry out more experiments with rats.’
2. A participant claimed that he was able to control the
level of his happiness.
A participant said: ‘ to
control the level of my happiness.’
3. The man told the psychologist that he realised he had
made lots of mistakes in his life.
The man said to the psychologist: ‘I realise that
lots of mistakes in my life.’
4. The teacher told the boys that they would feel better after
doing some sport.
The teacher said to the boys: ‘
better after doing some sport.’
5. The researcher added that he couldn’t understand why
the rats had behaved like that.
The researcher added: ‘
understand why the rats
like that.’
B. Look at the examples above again and answer the
following questions.
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