PASSAGE 1

Is There a Recipe for Happiness

A What makes us happy? Money? Friends? A good job? Are the answers the
same for everyone? According to world surveys, Mexico and Singapore are two happy
countries - but their people may be happy for different reasons.

B There are more than 21,000 people per square mile in the small nation of
Singapore. People on the island work very long hours and regularly bring work home
with the public. The country has strict laws against smoking in , littering, and even
jaywalking. But according to the World Database of Happiness, Singapore is one of
the happiest countries in Asia. Why?

C One reason for Singapore's happiness is that the government provides the
basic necessities, such as housing and healthcare. There is almost no extreme
poverty in Singapore. The government "tops up" poorer people's incomes so everyone
can have a minimum standard of living. It also offers tax breaks to people who look
after their aging parents. The result is a lot of closely connected families with roughly
equal standards of living.

D People may not be happy about all the laws, but they are generally happy with
the results - they breathe clean air, they don't step in litter, and the streets are safe
and orderly. So for Singaporeans, it seems that living in a secure, clean, and safe
place may be more important than having a lot of personal freedom. Many societies
are trying to find a happy medium between order and freedom. Singapore's ranking
on the World Database of Happiness suggests that the country has done a pretty
decent job at it.

E In many ways, Mexico is the opposite of Singapore. There are some parts of
Mexico where people do not have a safe or secure life. Many people do not have jobs,
enough food, or access to education. But, as in Singapore, most people in Mexico feel
that they are happy. Why?

F One reason is the importance of social interaction. According to psychologists,

much of our happiness comes from feeling that we are part of a larger community.
Simple acts like smiling at a neighbor or having dinner with friends can greatly increase
our overall happiness. People in Mexico socialize with family and friends a lot, and this
adds to their happiness.

G But what about poverty? In Mexico, about half of the population is poor.
However, most Mexicans live near people in a similar financial situation. If your
neighbor doesn't have expensive items - such as a big house or an expensive car -
you probably don't feel the need to have those things either. So money, by itself, may
not be that important for happiness. What matters more is how much money you have
compared to the people around you.

H So the question "What makes people happy?" does not seem to have a simple
answer. Security, safety, freedom, and socializing with friends and family can all play
important roles. As the examples of Singapore and Mexico suggest, there may be no
single recipe for happiness. It is up to each of us to find our own.

PARA B
PARA C
PARA D
PARA E
PARA F
PARA G
PARA H

MATCHING HEADINGS
I. differences between Singapore and Mexico
II. low income
III. Singapore's population
IV. good welfare
V. a mixed recipe
VI. basic information about singapore
VII. solutions to poverty
VIII. close relationships in the community
IX. citizens’ satisfaction

SKIMMING AND SCANNING

1. What could be another title for this passage?

→ SKIMMING: read quickly + key words => key message

→ do the other questions first ⇒

● Happiness in Singapore and Mexico

● Standard of Living in Singapore

● How Money Creates Happiness

 2. What does Paragraph B tell you about Singapore's laws?

→ SCANNING: KEYWORDS → SCAN→ WHERE? → READ & CHOOSE

● They stop people from working too much.

● They keep the population low on the island.

● They help to keep the country clean and tidy.

3. According to the passage, which of these is true about Singapore?

→ SCANNING: READ OPTIONS → KEY WORDS → SCAN : WHERE ? READ AND

CHOOSE

● Individuals must pay for their own healthcare.

● Older people who live alone pay less taxes.

● There are few extremes between rich and poor.

4. What is the purpose of Paragraph E?

→ SKIMMING: QUICKLY + KEYWORDS → MAIN IDEA

● To show differences between Singapore and Mexico

● To prove that education is important for happiness

● To explain that Mexico has similar laws to Singapore

5. Which of these is given as an example of socializing in the reading?

→ SCANNING: SOCIALIZING IN READING → WHERE → READ + UNDERSTAND

WHAT IT MEANS?
→ CRITICAL THINKING: READ THE OPTIONS → MATCH THE DEFINITION?

● Living with your older relatives

● Having dinner with some friends

● Comparing cars with your neighbors

6. Which sentence has the closest meaning to "most Mexicans live near people
in a similar financial situation" in Paragraph G?

→ PARAPHRASING: READ THE ORIGINAL TEXT CAREFULLY → MAIN IDEA →

UNDERSTAND → READ THE OPTIONS → CHOOSE

● In Mexico, most people live near others who have equal access to education.

● In many Mexican communities, people have about equal standards of

living.

● In most Mexican neighborhoods, you will find very different levels of wealth.

7. What does the Paragraph H imply

→ SKIMMING: QUICKLY + KEYWORDS

● It is clear that the ingredients for happiness are health and wealth.

● Sharing food and socializing are the best ways to make people happy.

● Happiness can result from many different factors, not just one.

8. what is the organizational structure of this passage

a. causes-effects
b. problems-solutions
c. definitions and examples
 d. comparison and contrast

READING 2

STEP 1: PREVIEWING AND PREDICITING

- LAUGHING CAN HELP IMPROVE HEALTH: SUBSTANCE → TRIGGER OUR POSITIVE
EMOTIONS → IMPROVE MENTAL WELL-BEING

Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

A For years, people have believed that laughter improves people's health.
Famous comedian Charlie Chaplin thought that laughing relieved pain. Recent
research suggests that Chaplin may have been right, and that laughter can also
remove stress, increase the function of your heart, and improve your immune system
so that you can fight disease better. Of course, laughing can change your mood so
you feel happier.

B Laughing changes the levels of hormones in the body so that a stressed

person feels more relaxed. Under stress, the hormone cortisol increases and has a
negative effect on the body. Laughing reduces the cortisol level, stimulates blood
circulation, and helps the muscles relax. A hearty laugh brings in fresh air loaded
with oxygen so the heart and lungs work better. Finding something funny also helps
people put their problems in perspective and makes their problems seem more
manageable.

C The body's immune system benefits from laughter in several ways. A good
guffaw, or strong laugh, can increase the number of antibodies and immune cells
that fight infection. Antibodies in the blood attack harmful bacteria that cause
disease. In addition, some scientists believe that negative thoughts are connected to
disease. Laughter results in more positive thoughts that help the body respond better
to infection.

D When a person laughs, natural pain-killers called endorphins are released

from the brain. The endorphins create many changes in the body that help a person
cope better with pain. A recent study tested people who had their arms in painful
frozen ice packs. Laughter made a big difference in how long the research subjects
could cope with the discomfort. In his writing, Norman Cousins, a 20th century
American journalist, popularized the idea that laughter could help people cope with
pain. In 1964, Cousins developed a serious muscle disease and was told he had
only a short time to live. He used comic films to laugh frequently to control his pain
and lived until 1990.

E Not all scientists are satisfied with the type of research that has been done on
laughter and its health benefits. Some critics say that the research has depended on
subjective responses - personal opinions of people involved in the studies.
Participants simply described their personal reactions or feelings. There is a need for
more laboratory research which tests the actual physical effects of laughter on the
human body.

F Many research questions remain unanswered. For example, is there a

difference in the body's response when a person laughs in a social group that is
experiencing a humorous moment together as contrasted to laughing alone? There
is also the matter of basic personality differences. Some individuals simply have a
greater sense of humor than others do. Will these people benefit more from laughing
than more serious individuals? Clearly, there's a need for more research, but in the
meantime, it seems that we can all benefit from laughing loud and often.

1. What is the passage mostly about?

→ SKIMMING: QUICKLY + KEYWORDS

(NẾU ĐỌC CẢ ĐOẠN 1 LẦN QUÁ SỨC THÌ LÀM SAU CÙNG)

The most popular Charlie Chaplin films

Ways in which laughing benefits your body

How people deal with pain and disease

2. Which of these is true about people suffering from stress?

SCANNING : KEYWORDS → SCAN → READ THE TEXT → READ OPTIONS & CHOOSE
●

They laugh much more than other people.

They produce a lot of pain-killing endorphins.

They have a high level of the hormone cortisol.

3. Which of these describes a guffaw?

SCAN GUFFAW → READ THE TEXT →GUESS → READ OPTIONS

A very noisy laugh

A quiet private laugh

An almost silent laugh

4. How does laughter make the heart and lungs work better?

SCAN KEYWORDS → READ THE TEXT → READ THE OPTIONS

It gives the body oxygen-rich fresh air.

 ●

It increases the antibodies in the blood.

It improves a person's mood and happiness.

5. What was Norman Cousins's job?

→ SCAN KEYWORDS → READ THE TEXT → READ THE OPTIONS AND CHOOSE

Acting as a comedian in funny films

Scientific research on muscle diseases

Writing for newspapers and magazines

6. Look at the word subjective in Paragraph E. Which is an example of a

subjective response?

SCAN THE KEYWORDS →

Lab tests show a 5% improvement in heart function.

According to the computer scan, his brain is normal.

 ●

I think I feel a lot better after drinking that healthy tea.

7. What conclusion can be made from the last paragraph?

SKIM → THE MAIN IDEA

Some people have more fun than other people.

There is a need for more research on laughter.

Scientists fully understand the benefits of laughter.

READING SKILL REVIEW - IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA:

Choose the main idea for each paragraph from Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

A For years, people have believed that laughter improves people's health. Famous
comedian Charlie Chaplin thought that laughing relieved pain. Recent research
suggests that Chaplin may have been right, but that laughter can also remove stress,
increase the function of your heart, and improve your immune system so that you
can fight disease better. Of course, laughing can change your mood so you feel
happier.

Which of these is the main idea for Paragraph A?

a. There are many ways that laughter can improve health.

b. Charlie Chaplin believed laughter leads to good health.

B Laughing changes the levels of hormones in the body so that a stressed person
feels more relaxed. Under stress, the hormone cortisol increases and has a negative
effect on the body. Laughing reduces the cortisol level, stimulates blood circulation,
and helps the muscles relax. A hearty laugh brings in fresh air loaded with oxygen so
the heart and lungs work better. Finding something funny also helps people put their
problems in perspective and makes their problems seem more manageable.

Which of these is the main idea for Paragraph B?

a. There are several ways in which laughter reduces stress.

b. The hormone cortisol has a negative effect on the body.

C The body's immune system benefits from laughter in several ways. A good guffaw,
or strong laugh, can increase the number of antibodies and immune cells that fight
infection. Antibodies in the blood attack harmful bacteria that cause disease. In
addition, some scientists believe that negative thoughts are connected to disease.
Laughter results in more positive thoughts that help the body respond better to
infection.

Which of these is the main idea for Paragraph C?

a. People who think negative thoughts are sick more often.

b. Laughter helps people's immune systems fight off disease.

D When a person laughs, natural pain-killers called endorphins are released from the
brain. The endorphins create many changes in the body that help a person cope
better with pain. A recent study tested people who had their arms in painful frozen
ice packs. Laughter made a big difference in how long the research subjects could
cope with the discomfort. In his writing, Norman Cousins, a 20th century America
journalist, popularized the idea that laughter could help people cope with pain. In
1964, Cousins developed a serious muscle disease and was told he had only a short
time to live. He used comic films to laugh frequently to control his pain and lived until
1990.

Which of these is the main idea for Paragraph D?

The endorphins from laughter help people manage pain.

Norman Cousins lived much longer than doctors expected.

E Not all scientists are satisfied with the type of research that has been done
on laughter and its health benefits. Some critics say that the research has depended
on subjective responses - personal opinions of people involved in the studies.
Participants simply described their personal reactions or feelings. There is a need for
more laboratory research which tests the actual physical effects of laughter on the
human body.

Which of these is the main idea for Paragraph E?

A. Scientists have not studied the physical effects of laughter on people at all.
B. Some scientists think there should be more laboratory research on laughteR

PARA F

New research should focus on people who laugh more often than others.

There should be more research on laughter, but we know it is healthy.

antique