2 . Are people less or more happy when they get older? A study in 2018 found that people generally become happier and experience less worry after age 50. In fact, it found that by the age of 85, people are happier with their life than they were at 18.

Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were the highest among adults between the ages of 22 and 25.     1    

Happiness was the highest among the youngest adults and those in their early 70’s. But the people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their 70's and 80's. The survey also found that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older.     2    

The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.

    3     One theory is that, as people get older, they become more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.

    4     In another study, people in their 80’s reported the fewest problems with the quality of their sleep. The original goal was to confirm the popular belief that aging is connected with increased sleep problems.     5     But except for that, people reported that they felt their sleep quality improved as they got older.

3 . An 8-year-old boy achieved the wish of his late (已故的) mother to climb Jade Mountain. Tzou Ze Gang, along with his father, _________ their two-day climbing _________ on August 18. Along the way the boy _________ a photo of his late mother. They _________ to reach the top of Jade Mountain on August 20. Standing at 3, 952 meters above sea level, Jade Mountain is seen as the _________ mountain in Taiwan.

Tzou was only 4 years old when he first _________ Jade Mountain and he had dreamed of climbing it ever since. For the locals, the mountain is _________ believed the home of the Goddess of Life.

The boy was _________ by the mountain and promised his mother that they would both climb it one day. _________, years later his mother had to __________ leg surgery (手术), which made her unable to __________ the mountain. “When you __________ the world in the future, you can bring Mummy’s things along,” his mother told him. Unluckily, she __________ last year. Tzou’s father __________ the child during their training by saying, “Jade Mountain is the highest point in Taiwan. I’m sure we’ll be __________ to Mummy over there.”

The climb was __________ for Tzou. He felt __________ and was out of breath (气喘吁吁). He __________ felt sick even after resting. But Tzou’s father said Tzou felt much better when they were on their last __________, adding that the final 200 meters was a piece of cake for him.

Upon reaching the top, Tzou pulled out his mother’s __________ and shouted, “Mummy! We’ve reached the top. I carried you to the top of Jade Mountain!”