閱讀理解

　　Happiness is important for everyone．Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness．Money and success don't bring lasting happiness．Happiness depends on ourselves．In other words, we make our own happiness．

　　Some people believe that if they are rich, they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness．On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness．In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can't be bought by money．However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government．These people value(重視)their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health．They think these can make them happy．

　　Here are a few ways to help you be happier．

　　The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life．Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job．But we don't enjoy the present．You should enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favourite music, or spending time with close friends．People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives．

　　The second secret of happiness is to be active．Many people go dancing or play sports．People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities．

　　Finally, many people find happiness in helping others．According to studies, people feel good when they do many meaningful things for others．If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone．You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house．

　　Now maybe you know how to find happiness!

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閱讀理解

　　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 decided 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(復雜的)．In the past half-century, the average income(平均收入)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(social position), and status makes people feel better,”say 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 his research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires(欲望), 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 measures of only 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 Professor Laura Carstensen．In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotion questionnaire．She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people．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．”

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