Happiness report: Norway is the happiest place on Earth
The World Happiness Report measures "subjective well-being" - how happy the people are, and why.
Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic
came last.
Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table, with the US and UK at 14th and 19th,
respectively. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and those hit by conflict have predictably low scores. Syria
placed 152 of 155 countries - Yemen and South Sudan, which are facing impending famine, came in at
146 and 147.
The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the United Nations' International Day of
Happiness on 20 March. It mainly relies on asking a simple, subjective question of more than 1,000
people every year in more than 150 countries.
"Imagine a ladder, with steps numbered from 0 at the bottom to 10 at the top," the question asks.
"The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder
represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally
feel you stand at this time?"
The average result is the country's score - ranging from Norway's 7.54 to the Central African
Republic's 2.69. But the report also tries to analyse statistics to explain why one country is happier
than another. It looks at factors including economic strength (measured in GDP per capita), social
support, life expectancy, freedom of choice, generosity, and perceived corruption.
This year's report also contains a chapter titled "restoring American happiness", which examines
why happiness levels in the United States are falling, despite constantly-increasing economic
improvement.
"The United States can and should raise happiness by addressing America's multi-faceted social
crisis - rising inequality, corruption, isolation, and distrust - rather than focusing exclusively or
even mainly on economic growth," the authors said.
"America's crisis is, in short, a social crisis, not an economic crisis." Jeffrey Sachs, the director of
the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, which published the report, said President
Donald Trump's policies were likely to make things worse. "They are all aimed at increasing
inequality - tax cuts at the top, throwing people off the healthcare rolls, cutting Meals on Wheels in
order to raise military spending. I think everything that has been proposed goes in the wrong
direction," he told Reuters.
The report also suggests that professional "white collar" jobs are associated with improved
happiness over "blue collar" roles - but that having a job at all is one of the biggest factors.
And while "those in well-paying jobs are happier and more satisfied with their lives", that effect has
diminishing returns - "an extra $100 of salary is worth much more to someone at the lower end of
the income distribution than someone already earning much more."
(From bbcnews.co.uk)
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Reading test
Exercise 1. Answer the questions choosing the right option according to the text.
1) According to the article it is not surprising that
a) countries in northern Europe have a high score
b) countries involved in conflicts have a low score
c) Finland is in the top five countries
2) The survey was mainly based on
a) asking six questions
b) handing out a questionnaire
c) asking one question
3) According to the article, the economic situation in America
a) is slowly deteriorating
b) is constantly improving
c) is not so good as it was in the past
4) According to the report
a) happiness is associated with well-paid jobs
b) happiness has nothing to do with money
c) working makes people unhappy
Exercise 2. Decide if the following statements are true or false.
a) The World Happiness Report was released in March.
T
F
b) About 1000 countries were involved in the survey.
T
F
c) GDP measures the economic strength of a country.
T
F
d) The Americans are no longer happy because of the economic crisis.
T
F
e) Social expenses have been lately increased in the USA.
T
F
f) “White collars” are happier than “blue collars” according to the report.
T
F
Exercise 3. Answer the following questions in your own words
1. What does the World Happiness Report measure?
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2. Why have happiness levels decreased in the United States according to this report?
3. Why does Jeffrey Sachs think that Trump’s policies will make things worse in the USA?
Use of language
Exercise 1. Rewrite the following sentences using the word in bold
1) Norway is the happiest place on Earth
AS
There is ___________________________________________Norway.
2) Western Europe and North America dominated the top of table.
BY
The top of table ___________________________________________Western Europe and
North America.
3) The World Happiness Report was released to coincide with the International Day of Happiness.
ON
They released_________________________________________________International Day
of Happiness.
4) Donald Trump’s policies were likely to make things worse.
DUE TO
Things ________________________________________Donald Trump’s policies.
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5) This year’s report also contains a chapter which examines why happiness levels in the United States
are falling.
REASONS
In this year’s report there is also________________________________the decrease of happiness
levels in the USA.
6) They are all aimed at increasing inequality
GOAL
Their main _______________________________________social gaps.
Exercise 2. Read the text about the article. CIRCLE the correct answer
Norway is officially the happiest country in the world according to a new report released on March
20th. The authors of the report found that a half-dozen socioeconomic factors explain much of the
difference in happiness among/between countries, but that social factors play/run an
underappreciated role. Even in Norway and several other Nordic countries that dominated the top
of the list, economics alone did not explain the high rates of happiness. The ranking is
based/basing on answers to a simple life evaluation question.
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