Aristotle once wrote that “happiness is a state of activity”. In other words, whether you’re Seeking life-long satisfaction or a few moments of good cheer, you’ve got to move forward. We’ve interviewed the experts and found five steps to take toward a sunny mood:
Over a 30-year period, University of Illinois researchers asked nearly 120,000 people how income, education, political participation, volunteer activities and close relationships affected their happiness. Reported Newsweek’s Sharon Begley on the findings, “The highest levels of happiness are found with the most stable and satisfying relationships.”
Singing aloud, talking to a stranger, raising your hand: all may increase a feeling of happiness, according to a study from Wake Forest University. Participants followed the development of their moods for two weeks and reported feeling happier when they were more outgoing and less happy when reserved or withdrawn.
The editors of forbes.com gave $5 or $20 to 46 strangers by chance. Half the group was told to spend the money on themselves, while the other half was told to spend it on others. Those who’d shared the wealth felt much happier at the end of the day than those who’d spent it on themselves. There was no difference in happiness between those who spent $5 or $20, suggesting that it’s not how much money you spend, but how you spend it, that inspires the spirit.
Studies from the Positive Psychology Center showed that discouraged people who wrote down three good things that happened to them each day for six months reported an improved attitude.
Drinking water really can help keep you cheerful. A small 2012 study from the University of Connecticut suggested that even slight dehydration affected the moods of its female participants.
| Title | ||
| Introduction | You will move | |
| The findings of | Some | |
| •Value your relationships | •The | |
| • yourself | •You can gain happiness by singing aloud or talking to others. | |
| •Spend money on others | •Your spirit will be inspired by | |
| • | •You attitude would be improved when you fix your attention on good things. | |
| •Drink water | •If a woman takes in enough water,her | |
| Conclusion | Happiness can be found if all | |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】It hurts to keep secrets. Secrecy (保密) is associated with lower well-being, worse health, and less satisfying relationships. Research has linked secrecy to increased anxiety, depression, symptoms of poor health, and even the more rapid progression of disease. There is a seemingly obvious explanation for these harms: hiding secrets is hard work. You have to watch what you say.
New research, however, suggests that the harm of secrets doesn’t really come from the hiding after all. The real problem with keeping a secret is not that you have to hide it, but that you have to live with it, and think about it.
To better understand the harms of secrecy, researchers first set out to understand what secrets people keep, and how often they keep them. They found that 97% of people have at least one secret at any given moment, and people have, on average, 13 secrets.
Across several studies, researchers asked participants to estimate how frequently they hid their secret during conversations with others, and also how frequently they thought about the secret outside of social interactions. They found that the more frequently people simply thought about their secrets, the lower their well-being.
Following up this research, a new paper reveals why thinking about secrets is so harmful. Turning the question around, the consequences of telling secrets are examined. Researchers found that when a person reveals a secret to a third party, it does not reduce how often they have to hide the secret from others who are still kept in the dark. Rather, it reduces how often their mind wanders toward the secret in irrelevant moments.
Therefore, if you choose to still keep something secret, talking to another person can make the world of difference. Secrets don’t have to hurt as much as they do.
1. Which is not one of the harms of keeping secrets?| A．Being physically sick. | B．Mental problems. |
| C．Harmed relationships. | D．Hiding somewhere. |
| A．Because you must hide them. |
| B．Because you often think about them. |
| C．Because it’s difficult to keep secrets. |
| D．Because you must watch what to say. |
| A．By working hard. | B．By keeping 13 secrets. |
| C．By thinking about the secrets. | D．By telling secrets to a third person. |
| A．An advertisement | B．A research report |
| C．A biology textbook. | D．A travel brochure. |
【推荐2】“A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots (靴子) on.” said Mark Twain. In today’s Internet world of “fake (假的) news,” lies spread even faster and the truth is having trouble finding its boots.
To make matters worse, most young people get news from social media sites where facts are mixed with rumors (谣言), half-truths and complete lies. This has led to young people becoming confused. In the latest PISA, which tested 15-year-olds worldwide on academic subjects, fewer than one in ten of the examinees were reported to be able to recognize fact from opinion. A Stanford University study showed that students at all levels of education could not tell teal news from fake news. In one instance, 80 percent thought that a paid advertisement was a real news story.
Fake news is spread by people who have a prejudice (偏见). They want to influence public opinion either for or against something or someone. It is important, then, for young people to recognize when they are being used and to be doubtful about online information.
Traditional media, such as newspapers and television, are still the more credible sources of information. Reporters are professional trained to look for facts, and editors have the job of making sure those facts are correct. However, if you are getting most of your information online, you have to be your own editor. In that case, the first thing to do is to look at the writer of a post. Is this person known to be objective? Does the site where you read the post have a prejudice? Next, look for other sources from mainstream media to make sure the information. In other words, by putting on your truth boots you won’t be fooled into chasing lies.
1. What does the writer say about young people with news around?| A．They make fake news and spread it. | B．They are easily fooled by fake news. |
| C．They get worried about their education. | D．They can recognize facts from opinions. |
| A．Primary. | B．Realistic. |
| C．Believable. | D．Important. |
| A．Only look for news through media. |
| B．Become a professional and trained reporter. |
| C．Compare the news from different sources. |
| D．focus on the new instead of the writer. |
| A．What Should a Reporter Do? |
| B．Who Makes and Spreads Fake New? |
| C．How Can We Become a Newspaper Editor? |
| D．How Can We Stay Objective in Reading News? |
【推荐3】How to not be a slave to technology
Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project, shared four of his most important tools for applying technology more productively, and building a work life that supports—rather than wastes—your energy.
Build daily rituals (习惯).
Take a “first things first” approach to your mornings.
Use technologies selectively. If you expose yourself to different forms of technology continuously, they will pull you in the way a drug would, even when you know it is not serving you well. Keep technological temptations (诱惑) away when you find yourself getting too distracted—or as Schwartz puts it: “
| A．Be intentional with your energy. |
| B．Do the most important thing first every day. |
| C．Taking breaks throughout the workday is a nice thought. |
| D．If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t have cup-cakes in the fridge. |
| E．We’ve crossed the line of being able to effectively manage all of the information coming at us. |
| F．When you’re working, you’ re really working; and when you’re relaxing, you’re really relaxing. |
| G．The only way to ensure that things that aren’t urgent but are important happen is to develop habits. |
