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Sometimes at night he would indulge himself in listening to opera, feeling intoxicated and gratified. Though he was not rich in material things and was suffering from an incurable disease, he spent each day happily.

3) The average person is so fogged up by all this, he has no perspective on what?s really important anymore. (Para. 8)

As the average person has been brainwashed into believing that material things alone could bring happiness, he or she has lost the ability to think about and decide what is really important in life.

4) And then they wanted to tell you about it. ?Guess what I got? Guess what I got?? (Para. 9)

The repetition of ―Guess what I got?‖ shows the speaker’s uncontrollable excitement and gratification at gobbling up something new.

5) Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone. (Para. 23)

If you want to be accepted equally and respectably by people both at the top and at the bottom, you must be open-hearted instead of showing off your social status. In other words, you must be yourself, feel free in expressing your real thoughts, opinions, and feelings, be candid and ready to offer others what you have to give.

Checking Your Vocabulary

Word Detective

1 Put down the right word from Text B in the space provided according to the given definition. The first letter of each word is already given.

Example: incredibly: extremely; in a way that is hard to believe

1) diminish: cause to become or seem smaller

2) temporary: lasting only for a limited time

3) inform: give information or knowledge to

4) truthful: (of a person) who habitually tells the truth

5) rewarding: (of an experience or action) worth doing or having

6) scale: a set of numbers or standards for measuring or comparing

7) cultivate: improve or develop (esp. the mind, a feeling, etc.) by careful attention, training, or study

2 Fill in each blank with a word or phrase from Text B. Both the explanation and the number of the paragraph in which the target

word or phrase appears are given in brackets. Be sure to use the proper form.

Example: He suddenly became wealthy, which changed his whole mode of life.

(a way of behaving, living, operating, etc.: Para. 2)

1) Sometimes you may fail even though you’ve tried hard — it’s a fact of life . (sth. that exists and that cannot easily be changed: Para. 1)

2) My shoes wear out easily since I like jogging at dusk every day. (be reduced to a useless state by long use: Para. 2)

3) He never speaks to me other than to ask for something. (except: Para. 6)

4) I’m not sure what her job is, but it has something to do with marketing. (have some connection with: Para. 7)

5) The famous actor keeps fit by working out for an hour every day. (exercise to improve physical fitness: Para. 7)

6) The salary they’re offering is very attractive , but I still don’t want the job. (causing interest or pleasure: Para. 7)

7) At school Trudy always excelled in languages but didn’t do well enough in mathematics.

(be the best or better than: Para. 7)

8) He has found contentment at last — he now feels he’s the happiest man on earth.

(a feeling of happiness or satisfaction: Para. 9)

Checking Your Comprehension

1 Answer the following questions with the information contained in Text B.

1) How do we feel when we get something we really want?

We feel happy, but only for a short time. Over time, we get bored with the thing we’ve got.

2) What is the difference between material happiness and spiritual happiness?

Material happiness is derived from our purchasing power while spiritual happiness means something else altogether, like good friends, a loving spouse, well-raised children, a home built on love, a clear conscience, a worthy goal and a satisfying job. Such things bring us contentment that lasts and has meaning.

3) What is the philosophy of the author’s friend?

His philosophy is: No matter how much money you make, you always want more. So, one should break free from this cycle and find time to do what he wants.

4) What are the ―scales‖ by which we can measure wealth according to the author?

The author lists seven ―scales‖ by which we can measure wealth: friends, health, strength, family, knowledge, skill and character.

5) What is special about those different types of wealth that is not measured in dollars?

They are not taxed.

6) What can bring you lasting and meaningful happiness?

They are good friends, a loving spouse, well-raised children, a home built on love, a clear conscience, a worthy goal and a job you truly enjoy. All these things can bring us lasting and meaningful happiness.

7) How can we find lasting happiness?

Take a look at the world around you and think about what it is that you enjoy and what makes you truly happy.

2 Read the following sentences carefully and discuss in pairs what the author intends to say in the following sentences.