3、Over the last 70 years, researchers have been
studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a
difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a
certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the
top two.
Money can buy a degree of
happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each
extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on
average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness
is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in
developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once
your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have
more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy status, and
status makes people feel better,” conclude some
experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other
ways-scientists or actors, for example-may happily accept relatively
poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex
Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money, but for
friends, family, job, health-rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended
to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap (差距)。Indeed,
the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income
alone. “The gap measures just blow away the only
measures of income.” says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad “Given all the problems of aging, how
could the elderly be more satisfied?”asks Protessor
Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94,
and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people
reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions
much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some
scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live
with it, or they’re more
realistic about their time running out, older people have learned to focus on
things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t.
“People realize not only
what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or
wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional
responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
1. According to the passage, the
feeling of happiness .
A. is determined partly by genes
B. increases gradually with age
C. has little to do with wealth
D. is measured by desires
2. Some actors would like to
accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs .
A. make them feel much better
B. provide chances to make friends
C. improve their social position
D. satisfy their professional
interests
3. Aged people are more likely to
feel happy because they are more .
A.
optimistic
B. successful C.
practical D. emotional
4. Professor Alex Michalos found
that people feel less happy if .
A. the gap between reality and
desire is bigger
B. they have a stronger desire for
friendship
C. their income is below their
expectation
D. the hope for good health is
greater