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The secret of happiness

Many people think that being clever, rich and attractive is the best way to find happiness. But according to a recent report in New Scientist magazine, these things aren’t as important as we think. A group of scientists reviewed hundreds of research studies from around the world and then made a list of the top ten reasons for happiness and their list makes very surprising reading.

  1. Your genes

Some people are simply born happier than others. In a study 0f 4000 adult twins,

differences in their genes were the main reasons for their different levels of happiness.

  1. Being married

All studies show that married couples are happier than single people. Just living

together without being married doesn’t have the same effect.

  1. Friends and family

People who have large families and lots of close friends are usually happier than people who have a lot of money but live on their own.

  1. Not wanting more than you’ve got

People who expect to have a successful career, lots of money and the perfect relationship aren’t as happy as people who accept what they’ve got.

  1. Helping others

Studies by psychologists in different countries show that helping other people is not only good for them, it also makes you feel happier.

  1. Religion

Four out of five studies show a positive link between religion and happiness. Very religious people usually live longer too.

  1. Being attractive

Attractive people believe they are very happy – maybe because they also have good genes and are therefore healthier. Cosmetic surgery does not have the same effect.

  1. Growing old

Studies show that old people are happy as often as young people and are unhappy less often. This is probably because they spend more time doing the things they enjoy.

  1. Money

When you are poor, money can buy you some happiness. However, when people have enough money to live comfortably, more money doesn’t make them happier.

  1. Intelligence

Surprisingly, this has very little effect on happiness. Being able to get on well with people is much more important than how intelligent you are.

Pre-writing task 3

Read the article about some ways to be lucky. Look at the words in bold and find the synonyms among them. Express your opinion, if you agree with the ideas given in the text.

Learn to be lucky

In June 1980, Maureen Wilcox became one of the US lottery’s biggest losers. She chose the winning numbers for both the Rhode Island and Massachusetts lotteries. But unfortunately for her, the numbers she picked for The Rhode Island lottery were the correct ones for the Massachusetts lottery, and vice versa.

We all know lucky people – they have good relationships, successful careers and are very satisfied with their lives. But what makes them so lucky? Dr. Richard Wiseman has spent ten years studying luck and has found that lucky people have a completely different approach to the world.

The results of his work revealed that people aren’t born lucky. Instead, fortunate people behave in a way that creates good luck in their lives.

They notice the opportunities that happen by chance more often than unlucky people. They are also more open to meeting new people and having new experiences.

They tend to make good decisions by listening to their intuition.

They are optimists and are certain that the future is going to be full of good luck. This positive attitude often makes good things happen.

They are also good at coping with bad luck and often cheer themselves up by imagining things could be worse than they are.

Dr. Wiseman tested his ideas by starting a luck school, where he helped the volunteers spot opportunities that happen accidentally, trust their intuition more, feel sure they are going to be lucky and become better at dealing with bad luck.

Dr. Wiseman’s ideas won’t help you win the lottery, but they might help you to be more successful in your day-to-day life.

Pre-writing task 4

Read the extract from the text. Express your opinion, if you agree with the main idea or not.