Integrated English -3
Unit Fifteen
The Roots of Happiness
Morning speech
Suggested topics:




What is happiness /Defining happiness
Ingredients/ determinants of happiness
Money and happiness
The road to happiness
What is happiness?
[Longman] the state of being happy
happy: having feelings of pleasure, for
example because something good has
happened to you or you are very satisfied
with your life; satisfied, not worried
--Longman
happy: feeling or expressing pleasure,
contentment, satisfaction, etc
-- OALD
T or F
With the fast economic development of
our country, Chinese people are becoming
happier.
Happiness Index
China Daily (11/20/2010)
China ranks 125th on the Forbes' gross national happiness
(GNH) index, though its GDP is now the second largest in
the world. This does not surprise us, because 35.97 million
people in China still live in extreme poverty.
A high GNH may sound like pie in the sky, partly because
the poor have to toil hard even to get enough food and
clothes to survive. Some people have been having noodles
and Chinese cabbages for supper for years; others live in
such remote places that it takes them a whole day to get
to a town.
Such people encounter untold suffering even at the
slightest rise in food prices. They suffer the most because
of environment degradation, soaring housing prices and
dwindling [to become gradually less in number] jobs,
especially decent ones.
Economic growth amid bipolarizing income
certainly cannot solve their problems. The
beautification projects - taller buildings, wider
roads and bigger cities - only makes these
vulnerable people invisible.
Households move in and out of poverty
primarily because of shocks such as poor
weather and crop failure, sickness or injury, and
loss of job for the migrant worker in a family.
…
Although economic output has increased sharply
over the past three decades, the corresponding
rise in the satisfaction level of the majority of
the people has been low. Instead, there has
been substantial increase in depression and
distrust.
T or F
1. Money cannot buy happiness.
2. If you have got your health, you’ve got just
everything.
3. Young, energetic people are happier than old,
weak people.
4. Children bring a lot of joy and fulfillment to
parents. Therefore, the people who have
children are happier than those without.
5. Socially active people are happier than socially
inactive people.
…
Text I of Unit 15
The Roots of Happiness: An Empirical
Analysis
Questions for general understanding
What kind of writing is the text?
An academic paper in the field of social
sciences.
How is an academic paper organized?
Organization of an academic paper
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
3. Methodology




Research question (s)
Instruments
Participants (subjects)
Data collection and analysis
4. Results and Discussion
5. Conclusion
What research is done in this paper?
What is the research question?
What instruments are used in the study?
Does the author report findings of his own
study or does he report findings of other
people’s studies?
What findings are reported?
1. Factors that are not very important
2. Factors that are important
3. Factors that are very important
Question: How does the author organize
his findings?
Organization of findings
The writer organizes the findings in a
logical order, according to the degree of
importance.
He starts with those factors that have
little impact on happiness, goes on with
those that are moderately important and
ends with those very important factors.
Text structure (p. 224)
How many parts can the text be divided into?
3 parts
Which paragraph(s) comprises each part?
Introduction

(Para.1)
Body

(Para. 2-18)
Conclusion

(Para. 19-22)
Part One: Introduction
Vocabulary
much of speculation
hypothesis
abound
commercial
Language work
1. much of speculation:
-- mostly a conjecture (or guess, opinion)
without firm evidence
speculation: the act of guessing without
knowing all the facts about something, or the
guesses that you make


Their speculations are still far from the truth.
Former speculations about life on other planets
were mere guesses.
2. hypothesis:
-- an idea that is suggested as a possible way
of explaining a situation, proving an idea etc. ,
which has not yet been shown to be true
Different hypotheses have been put forward to
explain why a number of ships and aircraft
disappear in that area.
 The hypothesis will be tested.
 to prove/disprove /confirm/reject a hypothesis
Note: "Hypothesis" is borrowed from Latin. Its plural
form is "hypotheses."
More examples: basis (pl. bases), thesis (pl. theses),
diagnosis (pl. diagnoses)

3. abound:
-- to exist in very large numbers or
quantities


These essays abound in wit.
I have visited several places abounding with
deer.
commercial
Adj. of or for commerce 商业的，贸易的
N. advertisement on TV or radio 广告
commerce n.
commercialism n. (often derog) 商业主义；
营利主义
commercialize, -ise v.
commercially adv.
Questions for discussion
1. Why does the author say that the
question of the roots of happiness has
been much of speculation?
2. How many questions are raised in the
first paragraph?
3. Why does the author ask so many
questions in the first paragraph?
1. Why does the author say that the
question of the roots of happiness has
been much of speculation?
There are only commonsense hypotheses
about what factors lead to happiness, but
so far not much empirical or theoretical
study has been made on the question.
The hypotheses, which have not gone
through theoretical evaluation, can only
be called speculation.
2. How many questions are raised in the
first paragraph?
Five questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What exactly makes a person happy?
Do you believe it?
Is health indeed the key?
What if you’re healthy but poor,
unemployed, and lonely?
Are these the factors that promote
happiness?
3. Why does the author ask so many
questions in the first paragraph?
The author intends to call the reader's
attention to, and then proceed to explore
the causes of happiness and consider
whether the common beliefs are right or
not. These questions have prepared the
reader for the following discussion of
what the real factors are.
Body (Para. 2-18)
In this part the author discusses the
determinants of happiness.
This part can be further divided into three
subdivisions, with the first one displaying
the findings of those unimportant factors,
the second discussing those factors that
are of moderate importance to happiness,
and the third dealing with the factors that
are very important.
Unimportant factors (What?)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Money
Age
Gender
Parenthood
Intelligence
Physical attractiveness
community
Vocabulary
4. highlight:
-- to make a problem or subject easy to
notice so that people pay attention to it


The prime minister's speech highlighted the
importance of military defense.
The report of Department of Commerce
highlighted the need to reduce the tariffs.
5. determinant:
-- something that strongly influences what
you do or how you behave

The windows and the views beyond them are
major determinants of a room's character.
6. influential:
-- having a lot of influence and therefore
changing the way people think and
behave


He has been influential in shaping economic
policy.
He holds the influential position of president
of the chamber.
7. voracious consumption:
-- the state of using in large amounts
voracious: eating or wanting large
quantities of food; extremely eager to
gain knowledge


Marie is a voracious reader. She is eager to
read all sorts of magazines and books.
He has a voracious appetite.
8. come out short:
-- to end up lacking in money
9. affluent: having plenty of money

They have a relatively affluent way of life.
10. shift some: to change by a small
degree
11. hassle:
--n. [C, U] something that is annoying,
because it causes problems or is difficult
to do 困难，麻烦

It was worth all the hassle to have the room
redecorated.
12. balance ... out: to become equal
13. negligible:
-- too slight or unimportant to have any
effect 可以忽略的，不重要的

His contribution to the effort was negligible.
14. stereotype:
-- a fixed idea or image of what a
particular type of person or thing is like
模式化的形象﹑ 思想﹑ 人物等; 老套


She believes that she is not a good mother
because she does not fit the stereotype of a
woman who spends all her time with the
children.
He doesn't conform to the national stereotype
of an Englishman.
stereotypical adj.
15. tranquil:
-- pleasantly calm, quiet and peaceful
平静，安宁



Twilight in the forest is a very tranquil period.
黎明或黄昏
Mother remained tranquil despite the
confusion around her.
tranquility n.
16. pastoral:
-- typical of the simple peaceful life in the
country乡村生活的, 田园风光的, 牧人的

The painting showed a typical pastoral scene
of shepherds watching over their grazing
sheep.
Unimportant factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Money and happiness
Age and happiness
Gender and happiness
Parenthood and happiness
Intelligence and happiness
Physical attractiveness and happiness
Community
1. Money and happiness
RQ: Are affluent people happier than poor
people?
F: A weak positive correlation: .12
Q: Wealthy people are only marginally
happier than those in the middle classes
or poor people. Why?
Q: What is the middle class? (Para.3)
Not working class or upper class.
The middle class is the class of people including
those in professional and commercial
occupations. The usual criteria are: relatively
median income, secondary or higher education,
and work in professional jobs.
Business people, managers, doctors, lawyers,
and teachers are usually regarded as middle
class.
2. Age and happiness
RQ: Are younger people happier than older
ones?
F: No. Age and happiness are consistently
found to be unrelated.
Q: There is no correlation between age and
happiness. Why?
3. Gender and happiness
RQ: Are men happier than women?
Hypothesis: Women, who are treated for
depressive disorders about twice as often
as men, are hypothesized to be less
happy on average.
F: Almost no correlation between gender
and happiness.
4. Parenthood and happiness
RQ: Are people who have children happier
than those without children?
F: No correlation.
Q: Parents are neither more nor less happy
than childless couples. Why?
A: The good and bad aspects of parenthood
balance each other out.
5. Intelligence and happiness
RQ: Are people with higher IQ scores
happier than those without?
F: No correlation is found either between IQ
scores and happiness or between
educational attainment and happiness.
What is IQ? (Para. 7)
IQ is the abbreviation of intelligence
quotient. It is a number supposed to
denote a person's intelligence and
obtained by dividing one's mental age by
one's chronological age and multiplying
the result by 100. A person of average
intelligence would thus have an IQ of 100.
7. Community and happiness
RQ: Are people living in rural areas happier
than those living in suburban areas?
F: Although people show a clear preference
for the stereotype of tranquil, pastoral
life in rural areas, people living in
suburban and rural areas are found to
be equally happy.
Factors of moderate importance
1.
2.
3.
4.
Health
Social activity
Religion
Culture
Vocabulary
17. adapt to:
-- to gradually change one's behavior or
attitudes so that one gets used to a new
situation and can deal with it successfully


The shrewd politician adapts his speech to
suit the interests of his audience.
He was obliged to adapt himself to the
situation.
18. spectrum:
--a complete range of opinions, ideas,
situations etc., going from one extreme to
its opposite


The proposal has been supported by people
on all sides of the political spectrum.
A wide spectrum of opinion was presented at
the meeting.
The plural form of "spectrum" is "spectra."
More examples:
curriculum (pl. curricula), datum (pl. data)
19. religiosity:
-- the state of being excessively religious
20. foster:
-- to help an idea to develop over a period
of time

I'm trying to foster an interest in classic
music in my children.
21. attribute:
1) v. attribute sth to sb/sth: regard sth as
caused by sb/sth

She attributes her success to hard work and a
bit of luck.
2) n. a quality of feature, especially one
that is considered to be good or useful属
性，特质


Generosity is but one of her many attributes.
Cruelty is a normal attribute of human
behavior.
22. place a priority on:
-- to deal with ... first and give it
preferential treatment
take/have priority over
23. disparity:
-- a difference between two or more
things, especially an unfair one

There was such disparity in the standards of
living between the rich and the poor.
Health and happiness
Q: Does good health make people happy?
Finding 1: A moderate positive correlation
(.32) is found between health status and
happiness.
-- Good health makes many people feel
happy.
Q: Why does health only have moderate
impact on happiness?
Why does health have moderate impact
on happiness?
Health is, of course, of great importance
to one's subjective well-being, but it is not
the most factor. Firstly, when one's health
has unfortunately deteriorated, one can
manage to retain happiness even with
health problems. Secondly, people think
good health is a matter of course. They
usually won't treasure it when they are
healthy. Nor will they relate it to
happiness.
Social activity and happiness
Are people who are satisfied with their
friendship networks and socially active
happier than those who are not?
Finding 2: People who are socially active
report above-average levels of happiness;
people troubled by loneliness tend to be
very unhappy.
Religion and happiness
Finding 3: There is a modest correlation
between religiosity and happiness.
Q: Religious people are more likely to be happy
than nonreligious people. Why?
A: (conjectures) religion can ①give people a
sense of purpose and meaning in life; ②help
people accept setbacks gracefully; ③connect
them to a caring, supportive community; ④
comfort them by putting ultimate mortality in
perspective (by telling what is waiting for them
when they die)
Culture and happiness
Finding 4: modest cultural variations in the key
sources of happiness
Q: How does individualism differ from collectivism?
How do they correlate with happiness?
A: ①Relationship harmony appears to be a more
important determinant of happiness in collectivist
cultures than in individualistic ones.
②People from individualistic cultures report higher
average levels of happiness than people from
collectivist cultures.
Very important factors
1. Love and marriage
2. Work
3. personality
Vocabulary
25. extraversion (also spelled as
extroversion): the state of being outgoing
and socially confident
introversion
introvert n. introverted adj.
extrovert n. extroverted adj.
Love, marriage and happiness
Q: How are they related?
Finding 1: Love and marriage are two
most critical ingredients of happiness.
①People being in love feel happy.
②Married people are happier than those
who are single or divorced.
Q: Does marital satisfaction cause
happiness or does happiness lead to
marital satisfaction?
A: Unclear.
Work and happiness
Finding 2:
Job satisfaction is strongly related to
general happiness. (Work is a key source
of happiness.)
Q: causal relations?
A: Causation seems to flow both ways.
Personality and happiness
Finding 3:
Strong correlations are found between
personality (such as self-esteem,
extraversion, optimism, a sense of
personal control) and happiness.
Question for discussion
Name the factors that are not important
to happiness, those that are somewhat
important and those that are very
important. Compare the number in each
list. What insights have you gained from
the difference?
Factors that are unimportant to happiness
(money, age, gender, IQ, etc.) are mostly
objective factors.
Factors that are somewhat important to
happiness are: health, social activity, religion and
culture.
The most important ingredients of happiness are:
love and marriage, work and personality.
The list gets shorter as the degree of importance
increases. That is to say, only few factors will be
really important to one's subjective well-being.
Conclusions (Para. 19-22)
What data does the author collect as
empirical evidence?
What warning is given when using
correlational data?
How many insights are given? What are
they? Find one key word for each insight.
Questions for Discussion
1. Are most of the determinants of
happiness subjective or objective?
2. How does the author explain the fact
that age, health, wealth, job are not
very important to one's subjective wellbeing?
3. Why, according to the author, affluent
people may still not be happy?
1. Are most of the determinants of
happiness subjective or objective?
Most of them are subjective.
2. How does the author explain the fact that
age, health, wealth, job are not very
important to one's subjective well-being?
He thinks that these are objective factors.
The feeling of happiness is largely
subjective. It is how people feel about
themselves that really counts.
3. Why, according to the author, affluent people
may still not be happy?
The author explains that one's subjective wellbeing is relative. People are likely to compare
what they have achieved with what they
expected or with what people around have
achieved. They will feel happy when their
achievements exceed their expectations or
when they are doing better than their neighbors.
But if, on the other hand, they find they haven't
reached their expectations or their neighbors
are richer than they are, they will not have the
feeling of happiness, even when they earn six
figure incomes.
Language work
1. much of speculation:
-- mostly a conjecture without firm
evidence
speculation: the act of guessing without
knowing all the facts about something, or
the guesses that you make


Their speculations are still far from the truth.
Former speculations about life on other
planets were mere guesses.
2. hypothesis:
-- an idea that is suggested as a possible way
of explaining a situation, proving an idea etc. ,
which has not yet been shown to be true


Different hypotheses have been put forward to
explain why a number of ships and aircraft
disappear in that area.
The hypothesis will be tested.
Note: "Hypothesis" is borrowed from Latin.
Its plural form is "hypotheses."
More examples:
basis (pl. bases), thesis (pl. theses), diagnosis
(pl. diagnoses)
3. abound:
-- to exist in very large numbers or
quantities


These essays abound in wit.
I have visited several places abounding with
deer.
4. highlight:
-- to make a problem or subject easy to
notice so that people pay attention to it


The prime minister's speech highlighted the
importance of military defense.
The report of Department of Commerce
highlighted the need to reduce the tariffs.
5. determinant:
-- something that strongly influences what
you do or how you behave

The windows and the views beyond them are
major determinants of a room's character.
6. influential:
-- having a lot of influence and therefore
changing the way people think and
behave


He has been influential in shaping economic
policy.
He holds the influential position of president
of the chamber.
7. voracious consumption:
-- the state of using in large amounts
voracious: eating or wanting large
quantities of food; extremely eager to
gain knowledge


Marie is a voracious reader. She is eager to
read all sorts of magazines and books.
He has a voracious appetite.
8. come out short:
-- to end up lacking in money
9. affluent: having plenty of money

They have a relatively affluent way of life.
10. shift some: to change by a small
degree
11. hassle:
-- [C, U] something that is annoying,
because it causes problems or is difficult
to do

It was worth all the hassle to have the room
redecorated.
12. balance ... out: to become equal
13. negligible:
-- too slight or unimportant to have any
effect

His contribution to the effort was negligible.
14. stereotype:
-- a fixed idea or image of what a
particular type of person or thing is like


She believes that she is not a good mother
because she does not fit the stereotype of a
woman who spends all her time with the
children.
He doesn't conform to the national stereotype
of an Englishman.
stereotypical adj.
15. tranquil:
-- pleasantly calm, quiet and peaceful


Twilight in the forest is a very tranquil period.
Mother remained tranquil despite the
confusion around her.
tranquility n.
16. pastoral:
-- typical of the simple peaceful life in the
country

The painting showed a typical idyllic pastoral
scene of shepherds watching over their
grazing sheep.
17. adapt to:
-- to gradually change one's behavior or
attitudes so that one gets used to a new
situation and can deal with it successfully


The shrewd politician adapts his speech to
suit the interests of his audience.
He was obliged to adapt himself to the
situation.
18. spectrum:
--a complete range of opinions, ideas,
situations etc., going from one extreme to
its opposite


The proposal has been supported by people
on all sides of the political spectrum.
A wide spectrum of opinion was presented at
the meeting.
The plural form of "spectrum" is "spectra."
More examples:
curriculum (pl. curricula), datum (pl. data)
19. religiosity:
-- the state of being excessively religious
20. foster:
-- to help an idea to develop over a period
of time

I'm trying to foster an interest in classic
music in my children.
21. attribute:
-- a quality of feature, especially one that
is considered to be good or useful


Generosity is but one of her many attributes.
Language is an attribute of human beings.
22. place a priority on:
-- to deal with ... first and give it
preferential treatment
23. disparity:
-- a difference between two or more
things, especially an unfair one

There was such disparity in the standards of
living between the rich and the poor.
24. quadriplegic:
-- a person who is permanently unable to
move any part of their body below their
neck
25. extraversion (also spelled as
extroversion): the state of being outgoing
and socially confident
26. glean:
-- to find out facts and information slowly
and with difficulty

From what I'm able to glean, the news isn't
good.
Text comprehension -I
A.
As the text is taken from a course book in
psychology, the author is supposed to
adopt a very objective and scientific tone
for the sake of reliability and authority.
And he actually does so by citing
numerous researches throughout the text
and making tentative assertions.
Text comprehension -II
1. F. Money has a weak correlation with
the subjective feeling of happiness
because even the rich and affluent may
often be troubled by a lack of money
given the age of "voracious consumption"
we live in today.
2. T. Intelligence and educational
achievement have little to do with one's
actual feeling of happiness according to
the studies cited in Paragraph 7.
Text comprehension -II
3. T. Though good health seems to be an
essential factor of happiness, people tend
to take it for granted if they enjoy good
health. Health means more to those that
are plagued by serious, disabling health
conditions.
4. F. Though marital status is, perhaps,
the most important correlate of happiness,
researchers cannot decide whether there
is any causal relationship between them,
i.e., whether it is good marriage that
brings happiness or vice versa.
Text comprehension -III
1. According to the definitions of individualism
and collectivism, China is a collectivistic society
because in a traditional Chinese society, group
goals are put ahead of personal goals and one's
identity is defined according to the group one
belongs to. A key determinant of happiness in such
a society is relationship harmony, for one
depends on the other members of the groups for
the formation of his identities and the recognition
of his values. Relationship harmony plays a less
important role for people living in individualistic
society.
Text comprehension -III
2. There is a strong correlation between
work and happiness (work is the most
important determinant of happiness next
to love and marriage). But scientists
cannot decide whether it is work that
brings happiness or happy people tend to
work well. One thing for sure is they have
a mutual effect on each other.
Text comprehension -III
3. Happiness does not depend as much on
external circumstances as on one's interpretation
of the external circumstances. In conclusion, the
author reminds us of the fact that the
determinants of happiness are subjective and
objective realities are not as important as
subjective feelings. That's why the external
circumstances are considered less important than
our interpretation of the external circumstances
in our feeling of happiness.
Text comprehension -IV
1. It is hard to find out whether job
satisfaction causes happiness or
happiness leads to job satisfaction, but it
is suggested that either of them has an
effect on the other.
2. Nothing, such as misfortune, weakness,
difficulty, or insufficiency, can make it
impossible for a person to achieve
happiness unless he suffers from a fatal
disease.
Structural analysis of the text
The writer organizes the findings in a
logical order, according to the degree of
importance. He starts with those factors
that have little impact on happiness, goes
on with those that are moderately
important and ends with those very
important factors.
Rhetorical features of the text
We can find two sources, namely. (Myers
& Diener, 1995) and (Diener et al. , 1993)
in Paragraph 3 and another two sources in
Paragraph 4, which are (Inglehart, 1990;
Myers & Diener, 1997).
Vocabulary exercises -I
1. picking out ... as an important part / the
degree of a positive and pleasant mood
2. spending spree age / meet with an
insufficiency of incomes
3. change by soft degrees/ more important
4. Considering / Taking ... into account
5. helping them judge or consider eventual
death in a wise and reasonable way
6. except for
Vocabulary exercises -II
1. hassle
3. empirical
5. attributed
7. negligible
2.
4.
6.
8.
conjecture
hypotheses
gleaned
stereotypes
Vocabulary exercises -III
I. balance out
2. sorting out
3. account for
4. adapt to
5. turn out
6. contribute to
Vocabulary exercises -IV
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
admittance/admission
inconsistency
accountable
triumphantly
affluence
instability
responsible，answerable，liable，
accountable，amenable /əˋminəbl/
These adjectives share the meaning obliged to answer, as for one's
actions, to an authority that may impose a penalty for failure.
这些形容词的共有意思是有义务对可能惩罚失误的当权者作出答复的，
如对自己的行为。
Responsible often implies the satisfactory performance of duties,
the adequate discharge of obligations, or the trustworthy care for
or disposition of possessions:
Responsible 常意指满意地履行义务、充分地行使职责或对其所有物
可靠的照料或处置：
“I am responsible for the ship's safety” (Robert Louis Stevenson).
“我对轮船的安全负责” （罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂芬森）。
“The people had given him his command, and to the people alone
he was responsible” (J.A. Froude).
“人民已给了他管理的权利，所以他对人民负责” (J.A.弗劳德）。
Answerable suggests a moral or legal
responsibility subject to review by a
higher authority:
Answerable 指接受高一级权威评判的道德
或法律的责任：
The court held the parents answerable for
their minor child's acts of vandalism.
法庭要求父母对于其未成年孩子恶意破坏
文物的行为负责。
Liable may refer to a legal obligation, as to
pay damages, or to a responsibility to do
something, as to perform jury duty, if called on:
Liable 可指如赔偿损坏物等法律义务或指做某事
的责任，如受召履行陪审员职责：
Wage earners are liable to income tax.
劳动者应交纳所得税。
During the war men between the ages of 18
and 35 were liable for military conscription.
在战争期间十八至三十五岁的男人都应服兵役。
Accountable especially emphasizes the
requirement to give an account of one's
discharge of a responsibility entrusted to one:
Accountable 尤强调对委托给某人的职责的执行
情况作出交代：
“The liberal philosophy holds that enduring
governments must be accountable to someone
beside themselves; that a government
responsible only to its own conscience is not for
long tolerable” (Walter Lippmann).
“自由派哲学认为长久的政府必须对除自己以外的
他人负责；一个仅对自己良心负责的政府是不能
持久的” （沃尔特·李普曼）。
Amenable implies the condition of being
subject to the control of an authority and
therefore the absence of complete autonomy:
Amenable 指受当权者的控制，因而缺乏完全的
自主权的状况：
“The sovereign of this country is not amenable
to any form of trial” (Letters of Junius)
“这个国家的主权不受任何形式审判的支配”
（朱尼厄斯的信）
Vocabulary exercises -V
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
endure
reveal your real mental state
mentioned
respected
accept
talk annoyingly about
Grammar exercises -I
The negative form of "as ... as" is "not as ...
as" or "not so ... as. " But "so" may not be used
(1) after the contracted form such as "isn't,"
"don't," (2) when there are other lexical items
in between the negative word and "as ... as"
construction. E.g. : Sue does not act as quickly
as Sam. However, when adverbs with negative
meanings are used directly before the
comparative construction, "so" is usually
acceptable. Michael does not swim nearly as/so
well as Paul.
Grammar exercises -II
1. I have never seen anyone as/so happy as Mary.
2. John isn't as tall as his father. / John is not as/so
tall as his father.
3. Michael does not swim as well as Paul.
4. Michael does not swim nearly as/so well as Paul.
5. There is nothing quite as/so satisfying as
undergoing a difficult process and after long
hard work discovering the true nature of that
process.
6. He is not as/so wise as he is witty.
Grammar exercises -III
1. flows
2. are unfounded
3. were
4. get
5. come
6. be
7. make
8. invest
Grammar exercises -IV
1. shake
2. to do, (to) wait, to let
3. standing
4. finding
5. take, make, drink
6. leave
7. being spoken
8. be, look
Grammar exercises -V
Given that…假定，鉴于，考虑到


Given that we do not have complete information about
animal detection capabilities, we can only guess as to
what the animals are actually sensing.
鉴于我们对动物的察觉能力没能完整的资料, 对动物真正
感觉到什么我们只有推测。
given prep. Taking into account 考虑到

Given her interest in children/Given that she is
interested in children, I am sure teaching is the right
career for her.
考虑到她喜欢孩子, 我可以肯定教书是最适合她的职业.
considering
-- prep, conj in view of (the fact that);
taking into consideration 考虑到; 就...而言
She's very active, considering her age.
就她的年龄来说, 她是够活跃的.
Considering he's only just started, he
knows quite a lot about it.
考虑到他只是刚刚开始, 他对此的了解已经
不少了.
provided
Also provided that, providing,
providing that) conj on the condition or
understanding that 在...情况或条件下; 假
若; 倘若; 除非:
I will agree to go provided/providing (that)
my expenses are paid.
假如为我负担费用, 我就同意去.
Provided we get good weather it will be a
successful holiday.
如果天气良好, 我们的假日将过得非常好.
Translation exercises -I
1. The speech made by Professor Zhang
highlighted the importance of the solid
foundation in learning English.
2. It is believed that there is a correlation
between smoking and lung cancer.
3. Admittedly, he has courage and
stamina/willpower/perseverance which we
lack.
4. We should try to see things in their
true perspective.
5. I trust him, because what he says is
always consistent with what he does.
6. Both of them are in perfect harmony
despite the great disparity in age.
7. Everyone has the right to happiness
regardless of their age, sex, or color.
8. Relative to the city of New York, the
town on the sea /seaside town /coastal
town is very small.
Translation exercises –II
关于幸福，人们有着不同的观点。有些因素，人
们或许会认为有影响力，实际上与幸福没有很大的关
系，这些因素中最为常见的是金钱、年龄和性别。但
是，有些因素则有点重要，它们包括健康和社会活动。
健康的身体可能是幸福的一个必备条件，然而，许多
人尽管身染疾病，仍然设法过着幸福的生活。因为人
是社会动物，所以他们的友谊网络有助于他们的幸福。
文章作者认为，幸福的最重要的因素是爱、工作和性
格。大部分人同意，没有爱的生活是痛苦的。工作中
获得成功是幸福的主要源泉之一。说来奇怪，有些人
似乎命里注定是幸福的，而另外一些人则命里注定是
不幸福的，这和一个人的性格很有关系。
Exercises for integrated skills -I
Throughout history human beings have sought
to improve their external situation, / yet despite all
our efforts we are no happier. / It is true that from
the point of view of material development / many
countries are making progress. / Technology is
becoming more and more sophisticated, / and
worldly knowledge has increased dramatically. /
Superficially it looks as if our world is improving, /
but if we look a little more deeply / we shall see that
there are now many problems that never existed
before. / Terrifying weapons have been invented, /
our environment is being poisoned, / and new
diseases are appearing. / The results of the unbridled
(抑制不住的，无法约束的) pursuit of happiness from
external sources remind us / that it is time we sought
happiness from a different source.
Exercises for integrated skills -II
1. as
3. polls
5. feels
7. whether
9. for
11. cope
13. alone
15. other
2. state
4. consider
6. contribute
8. out
10. in
12. than
14. correlation
Listening exercises The Perfect Society
Presenter: I suppose everyone wishes
the world could be a perfect place, where
everyone lives in happy harmony. Well,
we're going to hear about three visions of
the perfect society. Going back to Ancient
Greece first, Plato was born in 427 BC and
he called his imaginary perfect society
"The Republic." Er ... Philippa ...
Philippa: Now, Plato's Republic has only got
5,040 citizens. The political leaders of the
Republic are called "guardians." Now, children in
Plato's Republic go to school until they're twenty
years old and then they do tests. The ones who
fail these tests become businessmen, workers,
farmers, and they're capitalists who are
permitted to own property and to use money.
The ones who pass the tests do another ten
years of education and then they do more tests,
and the ones who fail these tests become
soldiers and they live in a society where they
own no property and they don't have any
money, they share everything.
The ones who pass these further tests go on to
study philosophy for another five years, and then
they live practical lives in the world ... in the real
world for another fifteen years and then when
they're 50, they become "guardians," the political
leaders. And their only possession is in fact power.
Marriage is interesting; In Plato's Republic
marriage is completely controlled by the state and
it's very selective and only the best marry the best.
And children: The very ... the superior children are
allowed to survive but in fact all the rest are killed
at birth. And they're brought up not by their
parents, but they're brought up collectively as a
group.
Presenter: Well, thank you, Philippa. Now,
Thomas More lived from 1477 to 1535 and he
actually invented the term Utopia, didn't he,
Terry?
Terry: Yes. Yes, he took it from the Greek and it
means "No place" On the political side it's not
everything we'd consider right now, but he had
it ruled by a king, where slaves did menial work,
and where women were inferior to men. On the
plus side, however, all religions were tolerated.
No money changes hands, in fact there is no
monetary system at all, so there's no love of
property and acquisition, therefore there's no
greed, therefore no theft.
Every adult male works six hours a day at a job
that he likes to do and a job which serves the
needs of the community. He doesn't receive
payment, as I said, in money: He receives what
he needs from a common store – food, drink,
that sort of thing for his family. Each group of
30 families elect a leader, and every ten leaders
elect a chief ... er ... the chief becomes a
member of the national council. The national
council elects one king, who rules for life, so it's
a sort of democratically elected king. Er...
education ... well, that emphasizes vocational
subjects, obviously subjects which will be useful
to the people who work, for the benefit of the
community, so it all ties in.
Presenter: Fine! H. G. Wells, who was born in
1866 and died in 1946, also had a vision of
Utopia. Polly ...
Polly:
Well, Wells's Utopia is a world state,
so that means one government for the whole
world. And in this world government the state
owns all the land and all the sources of power
and food. But individuals can still own and
inherit property, so you can have some personal
things. He's really into high-tech, he has these
visions of these amazing electric trains that go
at 300 kilometers per hour and they've got
libraries and sofas and reading rooms – it's
really just extraordinary. And he thinks that
most work should be done by machines, which
is a nice idea, so people have a lot of free time.
Now, his world is governed by this special ruling
class and you have to take a test to qualify, and
if you qualify you're not allowed to smoke or
drink or gamble, but you can tell the rest of the
world what to do!
Personal details of every person on the planet
are kept in what I guess a huge computer, and
this information is used to control population
and labor and tell the underlings how to live
their lives. And if you want to have children, you
have to produce this record that shows you're
healthy, and you have enough money and
you're the right age.
And after you have your children, the
state takes them away from you and they
take them to this place where they teach
you good habits and make you want to
learn, except I don't know how they make
you do that.
Listening exercises -A
As what constitutes "good points" and "bad
points" is a matter of opinion, there are no
"correct answers" here. What listed below are
the main points mentioned by the three
speakers. They can either be "good" or "bad.“
Plato's REPUBLIC (about 360 BC)
Population: only 5,040 citizens
Occupations:
-- those finish school at 20 – businessmen,
workers and farmers (permitted to own property
and to use money)
-- those finish school at 30 – soldiers (own no
property, don't have any money, share
everything)
-- those finish school at 35 – guardians (live
another 15 years of practical lives in the real
world before they could be called real guardians,
possess power)
Marriage:
-- completely controlled by the state
-- very selective – only the best marry the
best
Children
-- only the superior children are allowed
to survive
-- all the rest are killed at birth
-- children are brought up not by their
parents, but brought up collectively as a
group
Thomas More’s UTOPIA (1516)
On the political side:
-- ruled by a king
-- slaves did menial work
-- women were inferior to men
On the plus side:
-- all religions were tolerated
-- no monetary system
-- no love of property and acquisition
-- no greed
-- no theft
Working system:
-- adult male works six hours a day
-- no payment in money
Election system:
-- democratic
-- 30 families elect a leader
-- ten leaders elect a chief
-- the chief becomes a member of the
national council
-- the national council elects one king
Education:
-- vocational subjects are emphasized
H. G. Wells's A MODERN UTOPIA (1905)
A world state:
-- one government for the whole world
-- state owns all the land, sources of
power and food
-- individuals can still own and inherit
property
High-tech:
-- electric trains – 300 kilometers per hour
-- libraries, sofas and reading rooms
-- machines do most of the work
-- a huge computer keeps personal details of
every person on the planet
Ruling class:
-- take a test to qualify
-- not allowed to smoke or drink or gamble
-- can tell the rest of the world what to do
Children:
-- before having children – you must be
healthy, have enough money and of the
right age
-- after having children – the state
takes them away to be brought up in a
place where they are taught good habits
and made to want to learn
Text II Of Happiness
G1
Questions for discussion
1. They are human efforts, the gift of God and
chance. We believe that happiness chiefly
derives from human efforts. We may as well
regard happiness as a kind of reward for the
efforts we have made.
2. It is believed that happiness is a kind of
energy of soul according to virtue. In other
words, happiness is something that is connected
with soul and virtue. That's why beast devoid of
soul and virtue can not be happy.
3. Virtuous energies are the essential
constituents of happiness and the
contrary energy are the negation of
happiness. For when we have performed
something virtuous, we are most likely to
feel that we have been nice or good,
helpful or noble and then we naturally feel
happy; nevertheless, if we have done
something wicked, our conscience tells us
that we have been mean, bad or
disgusting and then we cannot possibly
feel happy. Of course it is an exceptional
case if one is a wicked man.
4. A happy man is in reality good and
wise, so he will never do hateful and
worthless actions, bear every accident of
fortune in a proper manner and acts in
the most honorable manner that the
circumstances admit of.
5. He should be considered as a man
among the blessed.
What is happiness?
Here are 10 definitions of happiness given
by greatest minds in history. What do you
think of them?
1. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are
in harmony. -- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), Indian nationalist leader
2. Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the
achievement of one’s values. -- Any Rand (1905-1982), American writer
3. Happiness is something that you are and it comes from the way you
think. -- Wayne Dyer (1940- ), an American self-help advocate, author,
and lecturer
4. Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, wholeheartedly,
one-directionally, without regret or reservation.
--William H. Sheldon (1898-1977),
5. Happiness is not a reward - it is a consequence. Robert Ingersoll
6. Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has
something to do with struggling and enduring and
accomplishing. George Sheehan
7. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the
whole aim and end of human existence. Aristotle
8. Happiness is not something you experience, it’s
something you remember. Oscar Levant
9. Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner
of traveling. Margaret Lee Runbeck
10. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every
minute with love, grace and gratitude. Denis Waitley