Question

【题目】Yesterday night, over a dinner with my elder brother’s family, a topic of happiness came up. My wife, Marla, a psychologist, was sharing Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” with us. Marla explained that according to the research on flow, people are happiest when they are absorbed in a task that is just challenging enough for them to experience a sense of mastery(熟练).

A few moments later my brother, Yuri, offered the following opinion: “The first and only, necessary and sufficient factor for happiness is to stop associating happiness with pleasure. The two — happiness and pleasure — have nothing to do with each other.” This morning, with my cup of coffee, I searched through a pile of books on my bedside table and—at the bottom—found a book by Bertrand Russell, I started reading but didn’t finish. In it, I found the following thought:

“The human animal, like others, is adapted to a certain amount of struggle for life, and when by means of great wealth homo sapiens can gratify all his whims (突发奇想) without effort, the mere absence of effort from his life removes an essential ingredient of happiness.”

The conversation came full circle: people are happiest when they are in a state of flow (Csikszentmihalyi’s language )…which is the effortful devotion in a moment…which has nothing to do with pleasure.

Indeed, as Yuri insisted : happiness–as–pleasure is a myth; the association between happiness and pleasure is nothing but a semantic(语义的) habit; psychologically, the two—happiness and pleasure—are arguably different; and breaking up this association between pleasure and happiness might, in fact, be a powerfully first step in pursuit of happiness.

As I look back on that exchange, I recall that there was an effort, a struggle to find a common understanding about this seemingly difficult idea—a struggle that made me happy.

【1】The author wrote this text mainly to ________.

A. look back on the happy night

B. advise readers to read Bertrand Russell

C. tell readers how to be happiest

D. show different opinions on family gathering

【2】According to Marla, people feel happiest when they ________.

A. get what they want without effort

B. master the happiness around them

C. involve themselves in a challenging task

D. experience things that can bring pleasure

【3】What writing style is used by the author to explain happiness?

A. Giving examples. B. Using quotes.

C. Making comparisons. D. Offering arguments.

【4】The best title of the text may probably be ________.

A. The struggle for life B. Happiness as pleasure

C. A topic over the dinner D. The effort for happiness

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】C

【3】B

【4】D

【解析】文中作者介绍了happiness 和pleasure的不同及如何得到快乐的方法。

【1】C

推理判断题。根据第一段people are happiest when they are absorbed in a task that is just challenging enough for them to experience a sense of mastery.第四段people are happiest when they are in a state of flow ( Csikszentmihalyi’s language )第五段breaking up this association between pleasure and happiness might, in fact, be a powerfully first step in pursuit of happiness.等内容可知，作者主要是想告诉我们如何最快乐，故选C.

【2】C

细节推理题。根据第一段Marla explained that according to the research on flow, people are happiest when they are absorbed in a task that is just challenging enough for them to experience a sense of mastery(熟练).可知Marla认为人们最高兴的是专注于一项具有挑战性和体验熟练感的任务，故选C.

【3】B

推理判断题。根据第二段my brother, Yuri, offered the following opinion: “The first and only, ……和I found the following thought: …… 可知在解释happiness时作者运用了引用，故选B.

【4】D

主旨大意题。文中作者介绍了happiness 和pleasure的不同，如何得到快乐的方法，D项：The effort for happiness指为幸福付出的努力，能概括全文作为标题，故选D.