UNIT
Science & Techology
6
Part 1 Writing & Speaking Happiness Reading The science of happiness Grammar Comparatives Pronunciation & Reading The schwa /ə/
Writing and Speaking 1 Write down five things that make you happy.
2 Read the text again. Look at the answers and complete the questions. 1
2 Work in pairs. Compare your lists and discuss these questions.
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• Which items do you have in common? • Is there anything you would like to change in your list? • What do you think makes people happy? • On a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you?
Reading 1 Read the article The science of happiness and put the headings in the correct place. Climate and happiness Measuring happiness Money and happiness What makes people happy?
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3 Match the highlighted words in the text to the definitions. 1 2 3 4
The science of
happiness
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Everyone wants to be happy. Some argue that the main reason people do the things they do is to become happier. Others argue that happiness is a basic human right. But what is happiness? What really makes people happy? 1 Social scientists usually calculate happiness simply by asking how happy people are. They ask people the question ‘How happy are you from 1 to 10?’ Ed Diener, an expert on happiness from the University of Illinois, says that this is a valid way of getting information about people’s happiness. 2 In one study, researchers asked people in different parts of a country ‘How satisfied are you with your life?’ People in parts of the country with nicer weather said they were more satisfied with their lives. They said they lived better than people from a city with bad weather. 3 Researchers have examined the relationship between money and happiness for many years. They conclude that very poor people are less happy than rich people. But lots of money doesn’t make you happier. If you have a home, food and clothes, extra money doesn’t automatically make you more content. 4 According to researchers, there are three things which make people happy: 1 Having close relationships with people – family and friends. The closer and deeper the relationships are, the better for your happiness. 2 Believing in something. This could be religion, a spiritual outlook or a special philosophy in life.
Q: How happiness? A: By asking people how happy they are. Q: Which satisfied with their lives? A: Those who live in warmer parts of the country. Q: Does money ? A: If you have a home, food and clothes then no, it doesn’t. Q: What three things ? A: Family and friends, belief in something and enjoyable objectives.
officially acceptable something that makes you happy meaning your general view of things to discover a number or result using mathematics
4 Do you agree with what the text says about happiness? Do you think it is possible to measure happiness?
Extend your Vocabulary – metaphors for happy We often use words that mean high up or moving upwards when we want to describe feeling happy or hopeful. We often use words that mean low down or falling when we want to describe feeling sad.
Look at these expressions. Is each person feeling happy or sad? 1 2 3 4 5 6
That news really lifted my spirits. My heart sank when I saw him. I feel pretty low today. I’m on top of the world. I’m walking on air. She’s a bit down today.
Grammar Lots of money doesn’t make you happier. People with close family relationships were more satisfied than people with no family. People said they lived better in warm countries. • use comparative adjectives to compare two people or objects • use adjective + er for short adjectives and more + adjective for longer adjectives • use comparative adverbs to compare two actions Complete the texts with the comparative form of the adjectives in brackets.
Health and happiness Scientists say that happy people are (healthy) than unhappy people. They also live (long) and (good) lives and are (fit). One study found that (happy) people live up to nine years longer. Research in the United States suggests that married couples with children are (satisfied) when their children are (young). When researchers asked married couples about happiness with teenage children they said their lives were a lot (stressful). A survey of British men and women between 1993 and 2003 found that many people said their lives were (enjoyable) as they became older. It showed that men were (content) than women in their teenage years, but women were (happy) than men (late) in life.
Pronunciation and Reading 1 2.01 Listen to the words and phrases. How are the underlined sounds pronounced? fitter happier more productive comfortable regular exercise patient better driver
2 Listen again and repeat the words. 3 The words in exercise 1 come from a song by the English rock group Radiohead. Work in pairs. A: read the first line of the song. B: read the second line. Pay attention to the underlined schwa sounds. 4 The songwriter said that this song is about people in Britain in the 90s. Do you think he liked the 90s? Would you say the same about your country in the 90s?
Fitter Happier Fitter, happier, more productive Comfortable Not drinking too much Regular exercise at the gym (3 days a week) Getting on better with your associate employee contemporaries At ease Eating well (No more microwave dinners and saturated fats) A patient better driver A safer car (Baby smiling in back seat) Sleeping well (No bad dreams)
G
rammar focus – explanation & more G practice of comparatives on page 142
No paranoia
3 Having objectives that you find enjoyable and interesting. This means that your life has a purpose. 66
Unit 6 Science
Science Unit 6
67