If you had a lot of money, what would you spend it on? Think twice about that new iPhone, as science now says that you'd be better off paying for an experience that lasts a little while rather than an object that lasts longer.
The idea that buying experiences is more satisfying than buying material things has been expressed for a long time by Cornell psychology professor Thomas Gilovich. In a recent journal of Psychological. Science, Amit Kumar supported the current understanding that spending money on experiences “provides more enduring happiness”, both before and after the purchase is made.
“You can think about waiting for a delicious meal at a nice restaurant or looking forward to a vacation,” Kumar said, “and how different that feels from waiting for you pre-ordered iPhone to arrive.”
You might also compare the bad behavior of people who are waiting in line to buy material items and the better behavior of those who are waiting for a concert. People might' talk to each other about what songs the band is going to play, for example, so there is opportunity to connect with other people.
Research has also found that people tend to be more generous to others when they've just thought about the purchase of an experience as opposed to a material purchase. They're also more likely to take part in social activities.
What is it about imagining experiences that's different from thinking about future material purchases? Well, one interesting idea says that you can imagine all sorts of possibilities for what an experience is going to be.
A good plan for getting the most out of purchasing an experience may be to plan it far in advance. Thinking about it for days, weeks or even years only makes the experience more valuable. So it may also be time to stop those impulse buys if you want to be happy.
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相似题推荐
1. 一些人认为财富能带来快乐
2. 另一些人认为钱多了不是一件好事
3. Your own opinion. (Your opinion should be positive.)
注意：
1. 对前两点进行适当拓展；你的看法至少写两点。
2. 词数为150左右。
Wealth and Happiness
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Mike licked the last of the mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was almost time to leave. He jumped into the car with his parents and headed off to the Olympic-sized pool for the big swim meet.
When his race came up, Mike was confident. He was strong and swift. Mike climbed out the pool, smiling. He had just won first place, making him the fastest boy in his age group.
“Congratulations, son,” his father said. His mom gave him a hug, even though he was soaking wet.
A week later, it was time for another swim meet. Like before, Mike decided to enjoy his favorite ice cream flavor. Mike remembered that the last time he had won a race, he also ate mint chocolate chip ice cream first. Maybe he’d win again.
He’s taken first place again in his race. Mike was feeling pretty good. As it turned out, Mike decided to have some mint chocolate chip ice cream before every one of the next few swim meets. He began to think of it as his lucky charm. After several months of placing in the top positions of every race he swam, Mike was feeling unbeatable. And he wouldn’t admit it, but all that ice cream was adding a few pounds to his athletic swimmer’s build.
It didn’t take long after that for Mike to start coming in second place – and then third – and then last place in his races. The lucky mint chocolate chip ice cream had lost its magic.
On the day of his next swim meet, his mother sat down at the table with him. “Mike, we all love ice cream, but it’s not healthy for your body to eat so much of it. Maybe it’s time to quit the sweet treats for a while, especially before you go swimming.””
Mike unwillingly agreed. He went to the swim meet, and didn’t perform well. His father offered to go running with him a few days a week to help him feel better and strengthen his muscles. The extra weight soon disappeared, and Mike found himself breathing easier at swim practices.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右。
2.开头已给出。
Paragraph 1:
As he dove into the water, he kicked his legs and stretched his arms as far as he could.
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Paragraph 2:
His jaw dropped as he realized he had beaten his own best time, and everyone else too.
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I started playing the cello(大提琴) when I was three years old. Its large wooden body made me look very tiny. Every week my father would drive me past gardens, and I would look out of the window to watch dogs running and look for flowers all the way. This was the road to my cello teacher’s home.
My childhood was a mixture of cello performances, at-home concerts, and instrument rehearsals(彩排). My hands ran up and down the instrument, and adults smiled when I played well. Actually, I didn’t enjoy all of that. To me, all was just about getting A grades, practicing accompanied by my mother and her opinions about what the music should feel and sound like.
I felt the pressure to succeed, and I did it. I got my diploma(文凭) at 14, and my parents bought an expensive cello for me when I was 16, hoping I would become the next Yo-Yo Ma, a well-known cellist. I continued to practise and play unwillingly, spending almost every Saturday at a music program.
However, I didn’t feel much towards it. When high school finished, I stopped playing, leaving the cello sit in its place silently. Growing up, I sometimes resented(怨恨) my parents for expecting so much from me, and wondered why they wouldn’t let me decide my own hobbies and interests. When I gave up playing, relatives complained about my wasted talent at family gatherings, which made me feel like I had nothing else to offer. At that time I was just like a lot of today’s young people, who feel angry when they are forced to do what they don’t really like.
But things have changed in the last few years. I began to have a strong desire for cello when I felt lonely in a strange city. I missed its familiar sound, and it aroused passion in my mind. Without any hesitation, I asked my parents to drive my cello down from Sydney to Melbourne. I started playing again, writing songs that sounded more like the kind that I’d always want to play in bands and alone in my room.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Playing the cello again was both unfamiliar and familiar to me.
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Now I have a real understanding of my parents’ decisions for me.
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