2022年职称英语考试阅读理解习题(五十)2

2022年职称英语考试阅读理解习题(五十)2Ifyoursenseofwell-beingfluctuateswithstockmarket,youmightbecomfortedtoknow

thatmoneycan”tbuyyouhappinessanyway.

InoneAmericanstudyconductedin1993,levelofincomewasshowntohaveaninverserelationtohappiness:Thegroupwhoseincomehaddeclinedwashappieroverallthanthegroupwhoseincomehadincreased.Asoon-to-bepublishedreviewofthehundredsofstudiesonthissubjectsupportsthe1993findings.

Indevelopedcountries,thecorrelationbetweenincomeandhappinessisclosetozeroand

sometimesnegative.

Withacorrelationbetweenlevelofincomeandhappinesssomewherebetween0.12and0.18,theUnitedStatesisnearthebottomofthelist;that,factorsotherthanincomeareoverwhelminglymoreimportantinexplaininghappiness.

Also,asourmaterialwealthincreases,thegapbetweenincomeandsatisfactionwithlifeseemstobewidening.Predictably,moneyhasitsmostpositiveeffectonthepoor,butonceapersonhasachievedaminimalstandardoflivinglevelofincomehasalmostnothingtodowithhappiness.

Closerelationship,ratherthanmoney,isthekeytohappiness.Indeed,thenumberofone”spersonalfriendsisamuchbetterindicatorofoverallsatisfactionwithlifethanpersonalwealth.Onestandsabetterchanceofachievingasatisfyinglifebyspendingtimewithfriendsandfamilythanbystrivingforhigherincome.Incidentally,intheUS,aspeoplebecomericher,theprobabilityofdivorceincreases.

Ourneedforcompanionshipispartlybiological.Allprimatesrespondwithpleasuretodemonstrationsofaffectionandwithpaintolossofcompanionship.Isolatedmonkeyswillsacrificefoodjustfortheglimpsesofanothermonkey.Byignoringourbiologicallyprogrammedneedforeachother,weriskphysicalandmentaldistress.

Arecentcross-nationalstudyofmentaldepressionintheUSfoundthatinadvancedcountries,thereisarisingtideofmajordepression.Teenagesuicideshaveincreasedinrecentdecadesinalmostalladvancedcountries.Moreover,intheUSsinceWorldWarII,therehasbeenanactualdeclineintheproportionofpeoplewhoreportthemselvestobe“veryunhappy.“

Youcaneasilytesttheclaimthatcompanionshipexceedswealthasasourceofhappiness.Askyourselfwhichhasagreaterinfluenceonyoursatisfactionwithlife:yourincomeortheaffectionofyourintimatecompanionsandthewell-beingofyourchildren?Conversely,whichwouldmakeyoumoredepressed:areductioninsalaryoradivorceandisolationfromyourfriends?

Capitalismsucceedsincreatingmaterialriches,butitislesssuccessfulinbuildingcompanionablesocietiesandprotectingfamilyintegrity.Butdevelopingcountriesstillhavemuchworktodoinpursuingmaterialwealth,whereariseinproductivitystillgreatlyincreaseshappiness.Forpoorercountries,thetimeisnotyetripeforashiftinprioritiesfromwealthaccumulationtocompanionship.

Canweaffordtobelievethatthepursuitofmaterialgainwillleadtoself-fulfillment?Weshouldcontinuetoenjoyourwealthingoodcompany,orelsewemayfindthatitisnotsatisfying.

1.Accordingtothe3rdparagraph,whichofthefollowingistrueindevelopedcountries?

A)Themoremoneyonehas,theunhappierhebecomes.

B)Incomeandhappinessarecloselyrelated.

C)Thericheroneis,thehappierheis.

D)Moremoneydoesnotnecessarilymakeonehappier.

2.WhichofthefollowingstatementsbestdescribesthesituationintheUS,accordingtothe1993study?

A)Mostpeoplethinkpersonalwealthcanmakethemhappy.

B)Mostpeopledonotthinkwealthhasmuchtodowithhappiness.

C)Moneyisanimportantfactorinmakingonehappy.

D)Happinesscanonlybeexplainedintermsofincome.

3.Intheauthor”sopinion,whichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrue?

A)Wealthmeansdifferentlytothepoorandtherich.

B)Moneymakesthepoorandtherichequallyhappy.

C)Moneymeanslesstoapersonasheachievesahigherstandardofliving.

D)Moneymeansmoretothepoorthantotherich.

4.Accordingtotheauthor,whichofthefollowingismostlikelytoshareourbiologicalneedforcompanionshipbesidesthemonkey?

A)Aswallow.B)Apig.C)Anape.D)Adog.

5.W