Question

Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older. Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.

The findings came from a survey of more than three hundred forty thousand adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five. The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.

Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.

The study also showed that men and women have similar feeling patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men.

Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their feelings. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.

Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.

The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.

1.According to the survey of The Gallup Organization people are most likely to become happier ___________.

A. when they are between ages of 18 and 85

B. when they come to their old age

C. when they are in their twenties

D. when they are eighteen years old

2.According to Arthur Stone, old people ________.

A. have a positive attitude toward their life

B. can control their behaviors better

C. dream about good things every day

D. have earned a large amount of money

3.From the last paragraph we can know that ________.

A. you must be worried if you have young children

B. health has nothing to do with your age

C. you can be happy even if you are still single

D. happiness depends on your family and job

4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A. Getting older means getting happier

B. The young are happier than the old

C. The younger, the happier

D. Women are easier to happy in life

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文重点介绍的是老年人的幸福感问题，作者通过一个调查研究告诉我们：随着年龄的增长，人们的幸福感会越来越强。

1. 细节理解题。根据第一段中Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty.可知，研究者发现人们到了50岁时，人们变得更快乐，烦恼更少。故选B。

2. 细节理解题。根据短文三四段描述，可知随着年龄的增长，人们的幸福感越来越强，对生活的态度越来越积极。故选A。

3. 推理判断题。根据最后一段The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.可知，即使你仍然单身，你也可以快乐。故选C。

4. 主旨大意题。这篇短文的中心就是越老人们对生活越满足。故选A，“变老意味着变得更快乐”。

【名师点评】本文浅显易懂，层次分明，学生很容易把握文章中心内容。答题中注意带着问题阅读短文，一般就能顺利找出答题依据。对于不能直接找到根据的问题注意联系上下文，根据短文中心总结出正确答案。

考点：考查人生感悟类阅读