Four keys to happiness page 13

General idea
Although people are happy for different reasons, researchers have found that there
are four basic things that bring about happiness. The first one is to stay socially
connected. Humans are social animals and we all need congenial friends to keep us
company at all times to feel fulfilled and happy. It is a great pleasure to be in the
company of like-minded friends. Those who are well-connected enjoy health and
longevity. The second is health. A healthy soul inhabits a healthy body and doing
exercise on a regular basis can increase one’s sense of well-being. Health can be
one’s biggest asset and without health, nothing is meaningful. The joint onslaught of
poverty and ill-health is the worst thing that could happen to a person. Getting close
to nature is one of the fastest ways to get out of a bad mood and have a change of
the frame of mind because of nature’s therapeutic properties. The third is to strip life
to its essentials. We often desire more than we need but possessions do not
guarantee a happy life. On the contrary, we may gain much pleasure from keeping
our life simple. Last but not least, a helping hand and a grateful heart are essential to
our happiness. Philanthropy is the basis for happiness and to give is more blessed
than to take. If you give away your time and money to help those in need, you will
increase your happiness level to a great degree and lead a more fulfilled life.
Paragraph 1
Vocabulary
1 area 領域 n.: a particular part of a place
This area of the park has been specially designated for children.
2 long-term 長期的 adj.: continuing a long time into the future
Requited love is not enough to sustain a long-term relationship.
3 long-running 長時期的 adj.: continuing for a long time
Their long-running dispute eventually led to their divorce.
4 track 追蹤 vt.: to follow a person or animal by looking for proof that they have
been somewhere, or by using electronic equipment
It’s difficult to track an animal over stony ground.
5 connections 人脈關係 n.: the people you know and who can help you
He only got the job because of his connections.
6 community 社群 n. the people living in one particular area or people who are
considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group or nationality.
There is a large Chinese community living in this area.
7 support 支持 vt.: to help someone emotionally or in a practical way
My family has always supported me in whatever I’ve wanted to do.
Grammar point
Compound adjectives are made up of two items. The first item may be an adjective
or an adverb or a noun and the second item may be a present participle or a past
participle. They are two-in-one adjectives.
spine-chilling; far-reaching; penny-pinching; life-threatening; record-breaking; life-
changing; fault-finding
1 Teachers have to be careful with their words and deeds because they exercise a
_______________ effect on their students.
2 It is hard to get along with him because of his _________character.
3 Reading the __________ horror stories at the dead of the night really makes me
feel creepy.
4 Company profits are rising and it looks as though this is going to be a
______________ year.
5 Meeting one’s soul mate can be a ______________ event because you will never
be the same after the encounter.
6 Drunk driving may pose a _____________ risk to your life, so there should be zero
tolerance for it.
7 A tight-wad is a ____________ person.
Paragraph 2
Vocabulary
1 well-being 幸福 n.: the state of feeling healthy and happy
People doing exercise benefit from an increased feeling of well-being.
2 mood 心情 n.: the way you feel at a particular time
The drink had put him in an amiable mood.
3 positive 正面的 adj.: full of hope and confidence, or giving cause for hope and
confidence.
There was a very positive response to our new design—people seemed very pleased
with it.
4 boost 增強 vt.: to improve or increase something
The boss gave the staff a pep talk this morning in an attempt to boost sales.
5 profound 深刻的 adj.: felt or experienced very strongly or in an extreme way
Those two lines of poetry express perfectly the profound sadness of loss.
6 self-esteem 自尊 n.: belief and confidence in your own ability and value
The compliments she received after the presentation boosted her self-esteem.
Grammar point
Gerund is used as a subject of a sentence.
drinking; mastering; resisting; overcoming; growing
1 _________ wine to drown your trouble only adds to your aggravation
2 __________growing old in spite of time seems to be the all-time favorite dream of
mankind, but natural aging proves to be what brings about genuine happiness.

3 __________extreme poverty, hunger and disease requires not only the standard
prescriptions for economic growth---rule of law, security, corruption held in check
and open trade---but also targeted public investments in agriculture, health,
education and infrastructure.

4 __________from the deep mulch without being contaminated makes lotus flowers
need to be watched from the distance, but not to be played and trifled with

5___________ English requires years of hard work and the guidance of a good
teacher.

Paragraph 3

Vocabulary

1 factor 因素 n.: a fact or situation that influences the result of something

People’s voting habits are influenced by political, social and economic factors.

2 enrich 豐富 vt.: to improve the quality of something by adding something else

These trips give students the opportunity to enrich their independent studies in
geography and history.
3 urge 呼籲 vt.: to strongly advise or try to persuade someone to do a particular
thing
The class leader urges his classmates to donate money to help the student who just
had a car accident.
Grammar point
The + comparative… the + comparative
1 The higher you climb,
2 The cooler I am,
3 The greater the difficulties,
4 Humble yourself the more,

5 The higher the lantern poles, the larger the area they light up, 6 There are things
that people accept less, F the more you defend them.
__________________________________________________________________
A the harder you fall.
B the greater you are.
C the better in the end.
D and so the more lonely ghosts that can be fed
E the easier it is for faith to work
Paragraph 4
Vocabulary
1 give away 贈送 vt.: to supply something at no charge
They are giving away paper shopping bags.
2 donate 捐贈 vt.: to give money or goods to help a person or organization
An anonymous businessman donated one million dollars to the charity.
3 volunteer 做義工 vi: to offer to do something that you do not have to do, often
without having been asked to do it and without expecting payment
During the emergency many staff volunteered to work through the weekend.
4 shelter 收容所 n.: a building designed to give protection from bad weather, danger
or attack
They opened a shelter to provide temporary housing for the city’s homeless.
5 grateful 感恩的 adj.: showing or expressing thanks especially to another person
If you could get that report finished by Thursday, I’d be very grateful.
6 foundation 基礎 n.: the base that is built below the surface of the ground to
support a building
The two leaders have laid the foundations of a new era of cooperation between their
countries.
Collocation with give
give off; give vent to; give in; give away; give thought to; give ear to; give heed to;
1 It is most shameful to ___________ vile things.
2 It is healthier to ___________ your anger from time to time than to pen it up.
3 Don’t tell your secret to her because she is a blabber mouth and she will
__________ your secret.
4 The argument went on for hours as neither side would__________.

5 You are going to graduate from college, and now you have to ______________your
future career path.

6 The diamond ring ___________glittering glints in the dark room.

7 More and more people are ____________the problem of global warming.

The suffix less means without
hapless; shameless; homeless; jobless; clueless; meaningless
1 They seem to have a _____________ disregard for truth as they try to blacken the
character and reputation of the presidential candidate.
2 As your grow older, you will find out how much time you have wasted on
_____________ things like watching TV.

3 After the typhoon swept across Taiwan, the government had to set things right by
housing the _____________ in a temporary residence.

4 Welfare reforms are exploring new initiatives for those who have been
__________ for a year or more.

5 Many children are ___________victims of this war.

6 Most people are completely ___________about tide directions and weather

conditions.

Reading comprehension
1 According to this article, what is NOT a key to happiness?
(a) immense wealth (b) social connections (c) a healthy lifestyle habit (d) freely
giving away
2 Why are well-connected people happier than the less well-connected?
(a) Because they accomplish more than their friends and have a sense of superiority.
(b) Because they have friends to share their sorrows and joys with and someone to
turn to for comfort when in distress.
(c) Because they tend to be more intelligent and make more money.
(d) Because they are more likely to perform some feats beyond human competence.
3 What is the fastest way out of a bad mood?
(a) Treat yourself to a sumptuous dinner
(b) Give a phone call to your friends and pour out your heart to them
(c) Watch a video and get all your troubles out of your head
(d) Step outside and get close to nature
4 What does it mean by “our pleasures are really ancient”?
(a) What gives us pleasure is as old as human history.
(b) Only old people need to seek pleasure.
(c) Sensual pleasures are to be avoided at any cost.
(d) We all need to seek leisuretime pleasures like fishing and hiking.
5 What is NOT the thing that a pet can do to its owner?
(a) To encourage him to be healthy
(b) To provide him with love and friendship
(c) To increase his self-esteem
(d) To help him cut down on the living cost
6 According to paragraph 3, which statement is true?
(a) The more you have, the happier you are.
(b) You do not really gain pleasure from what you have.
(c) Your possessions guarantee a happy life.
(d) Wealth is an emblem of one’s social status.
7 What is the best dictum to summarize paragraph 4?
(a) Nothing ventured, nothing gained
(b) Do not cancel out the confident start by making a poor finish.
(c) Philanthropy is the basis for happiness.
(d) Nothing is impossible for a willing heart.
8 According to paragraph 4, what is the foundation for happiness?
(a) a quick understanding (b) a short memory (c) a willing heart (d) a grateful heart
9 According to this article, the secrets of happiness lie in
(a) a healthy body (b) a helping hand (c) a grateful heart (d) all of the above