A: Here are a few points for students to consider:
? Happiness is related not only to material wealth but also to spiritual satisfaction.
? The sense of happiness won?t be obtained by substituting material things for love, tenderness or for a sense of comradeship.
? Happiness cannot be achieved by attempting to satisfy your greed while ignoring what you really need. ? We should not confuse what we want with what we need. ? Happiness lies in leading a meaningful and purposeful life.
? To live happily, we should offer others what we have, such as our concern and sincerity.
Section C Voicing Your Views
▇ Happiness lies in contentment, so one won’t be happy until one’s needs are met. This brings us to Abraham Maslow’s theory on the hierarchy of human needs as is shown in the following graph. According to the theory, we have needs that must be satisfied in order of priority, i.e. before higher ideals can be achieved, the lower needs must be met.
Now study the hierarchy, then work in groups of threes or fours and discuss the following questions. 1. Do you agree with the order of priority in the hierarchy?
2. Based on the hierarchy, do you think material comforts alone bring happiness? Why? Give an example to support your ideas.
3. In your opinion, what are the basic needs that must be met in modern society to maintain the minimum of happiness?
4. As far as you are concerned, what should you pursue in order to have the maximum happiness?
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
(Source: Introduction to Business, Joseph T. Straub and Raymond F. Attner, Boston: PWS-Kent Publishing, Co. 1991)
Useful Statements 1) People who face death by starvation or exist near the breadline need money badly to meet life-sustaining needs. 16
2) A secure house to sleep in at night and a stable job to go to in the morning can make a person happy. 3) With physical and safety needs fulfilled, one should not sacrifice relationships in pursuit of higher income. 4) To be happier, people eventually need a sense of being recognized. 5) The realization of one?s potential helps a person get the maximum happiness. 6) It?s a myth that money makes people happy, for man does not live by bread alone.
Text B
Section A Key Words and Expressions Key Words:
mode n. temporary a. spiritual a. rewarding a. diminish vt. incredibly ad. scale n. excel vi. inform vt. short-term a. cultivate vt. truthful a. extravagant a. attractive a. tax vt. contentment n. simple-minded a.
mode n. [(of)] fml a way of behaving, living, operating, etc. [常与of连用]〖正式〗方式，样式 e.g. 1. You?ll have to change your mode of life now that you?re unemployed.
2. He suddenly became wealthy, which changed his whole mode of life.
temporary a. lasting only for a limited time 暂时的，临时的
e.g. 1. Some students are taking part-time or temporary jobs to support themselves.
2. He afforded a temporary shelter for the needy.
short-term a. concerning a short period of time 短期的，暂时的 e.g. 1. The short-term training class has been run three times.
2. What are your short-term goals? What about in five years from now?
extravagant a. derog wasteful, esp. of money〖贬〗奢侈的；（尤指对钱财）浪费的 e.g. 1. She?s very extravagant — she spends all her money on clothes.
2. It?s very extravagant of us to buy strawberries — they are not in season now.
spiritual a. of the spirit rather than the body 精神的；心灵的
e.g. 1. Listening to Grandpa talk about his miserable life in the past is a truly spiritual experience.
2. He could not comprehend the mental or spiritual force of the island people.
scale n. [C] a set of numbers or standards for measuring or comparing; [C; U] size or level in relation to other things or to what is usual （用于计量或比较的）标准；等级，级别；规模，程度，范围 e.g. 1. The force of the wind is measured on a standard scale of 0-12.
2. The electronic industry is developing on a large scale.
cultivate vt. improve or develop (esp. the mind, a feeling, etc.) by careful attention, training, or study 陶冶，培养；修习
e.g. 1. As teachers, they aim to cultivate the minds of all the children they teach.
2. We should cultivate the good habits of diligence and frugality.
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attractive a. able to attract; causing interest or pleasure 有吸引力的，引人注目的，诱惑人的 e.g. 1. Cliff is not good-looking in the conventional sense, but women find him attractive.
2. A good ad can bring about the attractive features of a product.
rewarding a. giving satisfaction, but perhaps not much money; (of an experience or action) worth doing or having 令人满意的，可喜的；（经验等）有益的；（行动等）值得做的 e.g. 1. The agricultural practice became a challenging and rewarding vocation.
2. One of the advantages of teaching is that it?s so rewarding to work with children.
excel vi. [(at, in) not in progressive forms] fml be the best or better than [常与at或in连用][不用进行式]〖正式〗优于；擅长
e.g. 1. Her son excels in music and art while her daughter is good at sports.
2. Those who are “numbers and logic smart” excel at math and science.
truthful a. (of a person) who habitually tells the truth; (of a statement, account, etc.) true （人）一向说实话的，诚实的；（讲话、记述等）真实的，如实的
e.g. 1. Lucy?s a truthful girl. I think you can believe her.
2. You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.
tax vt. charge a tax on 对……征税，向……课税
e.g. 1. If the people are taxed much more, they?ll begin to complain.
2. The greater the tax rate, the more those who are being taxed try to avoid it.
diminish vt. cause to become or seem smaller 使减少；使变小 e.g. 1. Nothing could diminish her enthusiasm for the project.
2. The opposition is trying to diminish our achievements.
inform vt. [(of, about)] usu. fml give information or knowledge to; tell [常与of或about连用]〖一般正式〗通知；告知
e.g. 1. I informed him that I would not be able to attend the meeting.
2. I?m very pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted.
contentment n. [U] a feeling of happiness or satisfaction满意；满足 e.g. 1. The old man spent his old age in contentment.
2. He found contentment in reading novels.
simple-minded a. having little ability to think or understand, or little experience of the world 头脑简单的；愚蠢的
e.g. 1. He is simple-minded, but daring and charming in nature.
2. It?s unwise of her to take a simple-minded approach to the problem.
incredibly ad. very; extremely; in a way that is hard to believe 非常，极其；难以置信地，不可思议地 e.g. 1. Incredibly, no one had ever thought of such a simple idea before.
2. The whole story was exceedingly remarkable, almost incredibly.
Expressions:
fact of life other than work out wear out have nothing/sth./a lot, etc. to do with (have) a clear conscience 18
fact of life sth. that exists and that cannot (easily) be changed 不会/不易改变的现实 e.g. 1. It?s a fact of life that success grows out of hard work.
2. We must all die some time: that?s just a fact of life.
wear out (cause to) be reduced to a useless state by long use; tire greatly （把……）用坏；穿破；使疲乏，使精疲力竭
e.g. 1. I wore out two pairs of shoes on a walking tour in the mountains.
2. She has worn out after a long hard day.
other than [usu. in negatives] except; apart from［一般用于否定句］除了 e.g. 1. The train was delayed, so there was nothing we could do other than wait.
2. I have not studied foreign languages other than English.
have nothing/sth./a lot, etc. to do with have no/some/a lot of, etc., connection with 与……没有/有些/有很大关系
e.g. 1. What he said just now has little to do with the question under discussion.
2. I am afraid we cannot entertain your claim as it has nothing to do with us.
work out infml exercise to improve physical fitness〖非正式〗锻炼，健身 e.g. 1. To prepare for the match, the boxer worked out in the gym every day.
2. If you want to keep fit you must work out every day.
(have) a clear conscience feel or a feeling that one has done nothing wrong 问心无愧 e.g. 1. I haven?t done anything wrong — I?ve got a clear conscience.
2. You have nothing to worry about as long as you have a clear conscience. Section B Difficult Sentences
1. It is a hard fact to understand sometimes, especially in a society that strives to teach you otherwise. (Para.1) 1) Translate this sentence into Chinese. Key:
有时这一事实却难以理解，尤其在这个竭力向你灌输相反观念的社会里。 2) Paraphrase the sentence. Key:
This fact is sometimes difficult to understand, especially in a society where you are frequently told that only material things bring you happiness.
2. It might mean that you have to buy material objects at a rate of perhaps one per day to sustain the temporary and short-term high of getting something new. (Para.3) 1) Translate this sentence into Chinese. Key:
或许这就意味着，你得以一天一件的速度购置物品，才能维持住你因得到新东西而感受到的那种短暂的快感。
2) Paraphrase the sentence. Key:
It might mean that you have to buy things at the speed of getting perhaps one each day to keep yourself excited and happy, since such happiness only lasts a short period of time.
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3. You can be “rich” in ways that have nothing to do with money. (Para. 7) 1) Translate this sentence into Chinese. Key:
在与金钱没有丝毫关系的方面，你照样可以“腰缠万贯”。 2) Make a sentence with the underlined structure. Key:
My boss advised me to present the information in ways that are interesting and attention getting.
4. As you look at the world around you and come to understand what is important to you, keep these things in mind. (Para. 10) 1) Translate this sentence into Chinese. Key:
当你环顾周围的世界，明白什么对你才是至关重要的时候，你要将其铭记在心。 2) Make a sentence with the underlined structure. Key:
You should keep in mind that drinking alcohol is illegal at your age.
Section C Comprehension Questions
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 1)
Q: What does society usually teach us about happiness?
A: Material things do bring us happiness. That is, the more you possess, the happier you will be.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 2)
Q1: Can material things bring permanent happiness?
A1: No. They bring happiness for a moment, but over time they will become worthless.
Q2: Why do we always want something new?
A2: Because we need something new to satisfy our desire for happiness when the old object can no longer
make us happy.
▇ Comprehension questions (Para. 3)
Q1: If a person falls into the pattern that “the more I possess, the happier I will be”, what will he do to keep
himself happy?
A1: He will perhaps buy material objects at a rate of one per day so as to maintain the temporary feeling of
happiness arising from having something new.
Q2: Have you ever asked yourself any of the three questions raised by the author? What are your answers? A2: (Open.)
▇ Comprehension questions (Paras. 4-6)
Q1: The author distinguishes two kinds of happiness. What are they?
A1: Material happiness and spiritual happiness. The former implies having all the basic or extravagant
comforts necessary to live a life while the latter goes beyond material things.
Q2: To illustrate his point, the author quotes the philosophy of his friend. What is the essence of his friend?s
philosophy?
A2: More money does not necessarily make a person?s life meaningful or happy. This is because people are
always longing for more money, yet with more money one will acquire more expensive tastes. So it is like a vicious cycle. To make one?s life meaningful, one must find something other than material happiness.
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