听力原文:W: Good morning, Professor Sherwood, Thank you for accepting our interview. You'v
e been doing re search on happiness for many years, so I'm sure you have some interesting information to share with our audience.
M: Good morning. I hope I can answer your questions.
W: Are people in rich countries happier than people in not-so-rich countries?
M: Well, I would say there is a relationship between national wealth and well-being. In other words, the economic wealth of a country does appear to reflect the overall well-being of its citizens.
W: Does it mean that rich people in a country are happier than poor people?
M: In some poor Countries, satisfaction with one's financial situation does affect happiness. But once people are able to afford the basic necessities of life; having more money doesn't necessarily make them happier.
W: What about rich places like Europe and United States? Are income and happiness related?
M: Very little. Rich people are only slightly happier than the average citizen.
W: I'm always wondering whether winning a lottery can bring happiness.
M: Well, as a matter of fact, various studies show that lottery winners only get temporary joy.
W: I guess wealth is like health. If you don't have your health or if you're extremely poor, you will be miserable.
M: Yes, that's true. Happiness is wanting what we have rather than getting what we want.
W: That's a nice way of putting it. In your opinion, do people become happier as their countries be come richer?
M: Well, if I take the case of the United States, from 1957 to 1996, the proportion of people who said that they were very happy declined from 35% to 30%. But during that same period, the average income per person in the United States doubled.
W: So, you mean that a steady increase in a country's prosperity does not mean an increase in its people's happiness.
M: That's right.
What does the woman do?
A.A teacher of economics.
B.A professor of studying happiness.
C.A consultant on economic affairs.
D.A specialist in political science.