英语听力精选进阶版 6251
时间：2019-02-21 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力精选进阶版
Britain's Happiness is to be Measured in a Survey 英国人将调查他们的快乐指数
What makes you happy?
That's a question British Prime Minister David Cameron is asking the nation in a survey this year, as part of a drive to improve Britons' lives beyond pure financial gain.
As the global recession continues, Mr Cameron says he is seeking a better measure of progress than GDP alone. He claims economic studies often focus too much on standard of life rather than quality of life.
The problem is that assessing happiness is a slippery subject. It is easier to measure something concrete like a person's income than a subjective 1, less tangible 2 factor like wellbeing.
BBC journalist Mark Easton having his smile measured
Is it possible to measure happiness?
Critics say the ￡2m (20m yuan) scheme will not produce any meaningful results. Others suggest it is unwise to carry out a survey into the nation's happiness just as the government launches the biggest public spending cuts in decades.
Mr Cameron himself admits that it is easy to brand his scheme "woolly" and "impractical 3", but it is not without precedent 4.
Canada has an Index of Wellbeing which looks at how things like money and education affect health and the sense of community. And the Kingdom of Bhutan has used its index of Gross National Happiness (GNH) since the early 1970s as a tool to help policy-making.
So what kind of answers is he likely to get? While the full survey begins later this year, respondents to an initial consultation 5 have already listed their top priorities.
Job security, good health and relationships with family members are what matter most to people in the UK, according to the findings. In fact, having a job was listed as more important than being paid a high salary.
So perhaps there is truth in the old adage 6 that 'money can't buy happiness'. An idea David Cameron may find solace 7 in as he tries to find a way out of the recession.
Glossary 词汇表
drive 运动
financial gain 钱财增加
global recession 全球经济衰退
measure of progress 衡量进步的尺度
slippery subject 棘手的课题
concrete 具体的
subjective 主观的
tangible 有形的、可触摸的
wellbeing 健康、幸福
unwise 不明智的
public spending cuts 削减公共开支
brand 给 … 加以罪名
woolly 像羊毛的、含糊的
precedent 前例
sense of community 社区意识
policy-making 政策的制定
initial consultation 初期阶段的咨询
job security 工作的保障
old adage 老话、谚语
find solace 找到慰籍
- The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
- A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。
- The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
- There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。
- He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
- An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。
- Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
- This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。
- The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
- The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
- But the old adage that men grow into office has not proved true in my experience.但是，根据我的经验，人们所谓的工作岗位造就人材这句古话并不正确。
- Her experience lends credence to the adage " We live and learn!"她的经验印证了一句格言: 活到老，学到老！