HAPPINESS   1

THINK AND DISCUSS

Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. Happiness can mean different things to different people. I think true happiness is when you are surrounded by people who love you and you feel fulfilled in your life.

2. My friend Janna is someone who seems happy. She likes to laugh and be around other people. She always looks on the positive side of a situation, even when times are tough.

EXPLORE THE THEME

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. Yes, I’ve been to Canada and Mexico. Most of the countries shown here are very scenic and have stunning natural views, so maybe that’s why people from these countries are generally happy.

2. Many countries have high GDPs, but then again, number 1 (Costa Rica) and number 3 (Mexico) don’t, so that can’t be the major reason for happiness. I think this suggests that there are other factors that

contribute to happiness.

B provide; secure; standard of living

Reading 1

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. socialize

2. poverty (Note: Social programs are ways to help people in a community with childcare, afterschool programs, or care for the elderly, etc.)

3. access (Note: Access often appears in the phrase have access to: Many people have access to the Internet through smartphones.)

4. financial (Note: Concerned means worried.)

5. equal

6. Freedom (Note: Freedom of speech means that citizens have the right to voice their opinions.)

7. basic necessities (Note: A struggle is something that is very difficult to do.)

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. my classmates and my family

2. access to healthcare, freedom

3. Yes, money is not equally distributed in my country. Some people are very wealthy, but many are very poor. The government is trying to tackle

this problem by setting a national minimum wage.

C Answers will vary. Possible answers: health, friends, an interesting job, money, family, a safe environment

D b (Note: This passage doesn’t talk about how to measure happiness or whether one country is the happiest. It discusses how different things

contribute to happiness, so b is the correct answer.)

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A a (Option b is not mentioned in the reading passage. Option c is incorrect because some people in Mexico don’t have a safe or secure life

but are still happy.)

B Mexico d

Singapore b, e

Both a, c

C 1. look after

2. strict

3. decent

4. happy medium

D Answers will vary. Possible answers: I think I would prefer to live in Mexico because I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a place with very strict rules. Or I think I would prefer to live in Singapore because I think it’s very important to feel safe and secure.

DEVEOPING READING SKILLS

A 1. C; 2. G; 3. F; 4. H; 5. D

B Answers will vary. Possible answer: Being healthy makes people feel happier.

Video

BEFORE VIEWING

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

They eat healthy food; they stay active; they have hobbies; they have a positive attitude; they have families that take care of them.

B 1. eat healthy foods; exercise; have a positive outlook

2. Answers will vary. Possible answers: When people are unhappy, the stress can cause them to lose sleep and not take care of themselves. This can affect their health. When people are happy, they are more likely to be healthier.

C 1. traditional lifestyle

2. centenarian (Note: The root of this word, cent, means 100. One hundred years is a century, percent is a number divided by 100, and 100

cents make a U.S. dollar.)

3. processed food

WHILE VIEWING

A c (Note: The narrator in the video talks about an aging population, but he doesn’t mention a struggle (option a). Happiness (option b) is not

mentioned as the most important factor. Both medicine and lifestyle choices are mentioned, so c is the correct answer.)

B 1. People are living longer.

2. Answers will vary. Possible answers:

whales—200 + years; giant tortoises—150 + years;

elephants—up to 70 years

3. Answers will vary. Possible answers: They stay active, have hobbies, eat locally grown food, have access to good medical care, and keep their

friends and family close.

4. They eat more processed foods and may be less active.

AFTER VIEWING

Answer will vary. Possible answers:

A 1. There are many elderly people in my community. I think this is because we have very good medical care here and a healthy environment.

2. I think this means that some people think of aging as a bad thing, so scientists are trying to find ways to prevent or delay the effects of aging.

B Singapore; they have access to good medical care.Mexico; they have the support of their families.

Reading 2

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. long-term

2. communities; support

3. well-being

4. volunteered; grateful

5. mood; factors

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. My community is very safe and clean, but people don’t talk to their neighbors so it can be lonely if you don’t already have friends.

2. fun friends; exercise; shopping; vacations

C Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Stay Connected—family; friends; Skype.

Keep Active—exercise; walk; sports.

Buy Less—recycle; reuse; save money.

Give Away—donate; volunteer; help others.

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A b (Note: The answer, b, is found in the first paragraph. Option a is incorrect because the passage is not about different types of people,

and option c is incorrect because the author doesn’t say that forming social connections is the most important factor.)

B 1, 2, 4, and 6 (Note: Scenario 1 is an example of buying less; Scenario 2 is an example of keeping active; Scenario 4 is an example of giving

away; and Scenario 6 is an example of staying connected.)

C 1. confident

2. money

3. better

4. less

D Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. Stay Connected—I can invite friends to dinner once a week, and try to see relatives who live far away as often as possible.

2. Give Away—I can donate clothes that I don’t wear anymore to local charities. Maybe I can even volunteer at the charity thrift store.

3. Buy Less—If I go to the mall less often, I won’t buy as much. Maybe I can meet my friends at a museum or in a park instead of at the shopping

mall.

Writing

EXPLORING WRITTEN ENGLISH

A 1. F; 2. R; 3. F; 4. F; 5. R; 6. R; 7. F; 8. R; 9. R

LANGUAGE FOR WRITING

B 1. are

2. work

3. offers

4. live

5. go

6. have

7. is

8. cycle

9. reports

C 1. spend

2. are; offers

3. provides; has (Note: Everyone and no one take the third-person singular.)

4. don’t feel; aren’t

5. have; grow; eat

D Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. I exercise three times a week.

2. I spend time with my family and friends every weekend.

3. I study English every day.

E Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. My community includes people of over 15 different nationalities.

2. Our government offers tax breaks to parents of young children.

3. My country is a democracy.

WRITING SKILLS

F 1. In Mexico, family is important.

2. Studies have shown that laughter may be an important factor for happiness and that people who laugh a lot are happier. (Note: This is an

example of a strong topic sentence.)

3. It’s important to like your job.

G Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. In Mexico, close support from family members is an important factor in being happy.

2. Because we spend most of our daily lives at work, having a job that we enjoy can increase our happiness.

WRITING TASK

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Things people in my community are happy about: safe neighborhoods; green spaces; good schools

Things people in my community are unhappy about: not enough jobs; not enough public transportation; high taxes

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

Topic Sentence: People in my community are generally happy.

reason 1: green spaces

detail(s): three parks in the middle of the city; people go there to relax, enjoy nature, jog, meet friends, walk their dogs

REVISING PRACTICE

d, a, c, b

EDITING PRACTICE

1. I enjoy the work that I do because it’s very challenging, but I don’t like my boss.

2. My co-workers are supportive, friendly, and fun, and I enjoy spending time with them after work.

3. It’s important to me to spend time with my family members, but it’s difficult because they don’t live close to me.

4. Although my house is not big and fancy, my neighborhood is very safe.

5. My friends and I exercise together every day to stay healthy, and that contributes to our happiness.

6. My grandfather is still very active and spends a lot of time outdoors. (Note: Here, two verbs, is and spends, have the same subject—grandfather.)

7. Most happy people have hobbies like hiking or playing a musical instrument.