Happiness - Is spending money the way to find it? Reading Answers

Dec 30, 2023

Happiness - Is spending money the way to find it? Reading Answers contains 14 questions, and it is a topic from the IELTS academic reading test. Happiness - Is spending money the way to find it? Reading Answers has been taken from a book called Cambridge IELTS 10 Student’s Book with Answers. In IELTS reading section, the nature of questions is such that candidates have to read a passage and provide answers from therein, it is to be attempted within 20 minutes. Happiness - Is spending money the way to find it? Reading Answers contains the questions that ask the candidates to find information from the passage and filing in the blanks. To practice more reading papers like that the candidates can refer to IELTS practice test.

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the questions that follow

Happiness - Is spending money the way to find it? Reading Answers

At some stage, all of us have questioned the popular idea that money cannot buy happiness. Surely being able to pay off your mortgage, have more frequent holidays or give your kids an expensive college education would make you happy. There is a great deal of research that has gone into happiness, particularly the type money can or cannot buy. However, most studies are based on self-assessed levels of happiness. There is probably no easy way to measure something so subjective, though asking someone how happy they are on a scale from one to ten does seem rather inadequate. To begin with, people are not always aware of their own happiness. It is generally when they are feeling unhappy that they tend to notice it. If you were asked to pick a number from one to ten right now, what would you choose? If you were told that the average happiness level is a five, you might give a different answer. It depends on how the question is framed.

In any case, quite a few studies, most of them conducted using self- assessment, have shown that the higher the level of income, the happier a person is. However, one American study found that there was a limit to the difference in the level of happiness. Once the income got to about $30,000 higher than the average salary, the effect started to taper off. There was little difference in the happiness levels between, say, a New York high school teacher and a millionaire property developer.

Wealthier people were not any more happy but no less happy either. There was just a happiness threshold which when people were below were less happy. It seems that once the immediate pressures of creating enough income to live comfortably are met, anything further than that has no impact. It would be very interesting to understand more about this. Furthermore, earning and spending are two different things, and how the money earned is spent is very relevant when researching levels of happiness. Spending money on experiences such as travel and activities rather than material goods can make people happier for longer, and if money is spent on a lot of small purchases rather than one big outlay, it has the same effect.

A paper from Cambridge University now suggests that happiness can be bought if we purchase products that suit our personality. This study was conducted by tracking the cheque accounts of customers of a UK bank. Researchers put the transactions into 59 categories, ranging from hairdressers to insurance premiums and clothes shopping to holidays.

Each of these categories was allocated a score from personality trait measurements. For example, people who spent money on music were said to be more open and outgoing, those who spent it on charity tended to be more agreeable, while spending on health and fitness showed conscientiousness. The participants rated their satisfaction with life and were tested for personality type.

The results showed that the people whose purchases matched their personality type were more satisfied with life even after being controlled for age, gender and income. These results were even stronger than previous research done purely on total income or total spending. The researchers say that this parallel of purchases and personality represents a true form of self-expression. The psychological fit allows people to express their basic preferences and needs, enabling them to convey their identity authentically. Past studies have shown that similar expressions of identity, such as type of job held or neighbourhood lived in, also increase happiness levels.

A further experiment was added by giving participants money and then instructing them on how they should spend it. When the spending matched the personality fit (when extroverts were sent to a bar and introverts to a bookshop) happiness levels went up. In the opposite situations, happiness levels either decreased or stayed the same. It is unclear why these exact categories of purchases were chosen for the experiment. Don't extroverts read books too? In any case, the researchers reported that the difference in happiness was heightened for the introverts as they were much happier buying a book, while the extroverts were relatively content with either purchase.

So levels of happiness may also be based on personality type. Perhaps extroverts are more likely to say they are happy than introverts are, or then again they could be more positive and flexible in their expectations of situations that do not fit their personality type. Extroverts tend to be favoured types in society, and this might influence their happiness levels more than the availability of money.

Other studies have shown that contrary to participants' expectations, greater happiness was achieved when money was spent on another person rather than on themselves. This variation in levels of happiness between giving and receiving is also true when no money is involved, for example, when doing someone a favour or giving someone your time.

This may be the result of being seen by others in a positive light. People really do care what others think of them, despite many declaring this is not the case. Self-esteem and the possession of a positive self-image have been closely associated with self-assessed happiness in several studies. My thoughts are that when money gives you enough financial stability to build your self-esteem, and you are sure of your identity, happiness often follows.

Question 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

In the first paragraph the writer states that the idea that money cannot buy happiness

Has been shown to be true
Is not well known among people
Is something people want to believe
Is often challenged

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: At some stage, all of us have questioned the popular idea that money cannot buy happiness.
Keyword: money, happiness
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, 1st line
Explanation: An ide being questioned is the same as it being challenged. So, the idea that money can’t buy happiness is often challenged because we have all questioned it.

The writer believes the self -assessment of happiness

Is useful because people know how much happy they are
Is the easiest method to use to measure it
Might not be enough to get accurate information
Should definitely not be used as a measure

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: However, most studies are based on self-assessed levels of happiness. There is probably no easy way to measure something so subjective, though asking someone how happy they are on a scale from one to ten does seem rather inadequate.
Keyword: self-assessed, inadequate
Keyword Location: Paragraph 1, 5th & 7th line
Explanation: The Supporting sentence claims that most studies are based on self-assessed levels of happiness which is self-assessment of happiness. It further states that even though there isn’t another way this easy, this one seems rather inadequate. This inadequacy means that this method isn’t enough to get accurate information.

Research on income and happiness has shown that

Extremely wealthy people are extremely happy
Income makes no difference to happiness levels
High income earners are happier than low-income earners
People who have an income over a certain level are more unhappy

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: In any case, quite a few studies, most of them conducted using self- assessment, have shown that the higher the level of income, the happier a person is.
Keyword: income, happier
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, 2nd line
Explanation: The Supporting sentence says that studies have been conducted which amounts to research. The result of this research was higher the level of income, happier the person is. In other words, as the income increases, happiness increases too. Thus, high income earners are happier than low-income earners.

What does the writer say about the happiness threshold?

The data is probably flawed
The source of income is important
More research would be appreciated
The results are very clear

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: There was just a happiness threshold which when people were below were less happy. It seems that once the immediate pressures of creating enough income to live comfortably are met, anything further than that has no impact. It would be very interesting to understand more about this.
Keyword: happiness threshold, more
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 2nd & 4th line
Explanation: The beginning of Supporting Sentence talks about happiness threshold. So, the “this” at the end refers to happiness threshold. Now, the Supporting sentence says it would be interesting to know more about this which means more data is required or not enough is known. The data can be collected or more can be known through research.

What is stated about the ways of spending money?

Happiness is greater the more is spent
It is more satisfying to buy tangible goods
Its better to buy a lot of small things than one big one
Material goods and experiences are equally satisfying

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Spending money on experiences such as travel and activities rather than material goods can make people happier for longer, and if money is spent on a lot of small purchases rather than one big outlay, it has the same effect.
Keyword: spending, money, small purchases
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, 6th & 8th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that money spent on experiences can make people happier for longer. This result of making of people happier for longer is the meaning of the expression “same effect” used at the end. So, making small purchases rather than one big outlay will make people happier for longer.

Questions 32-37

Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

If we buy products that match our ……… it can increase happiness.

Answer: Personality
Supporting Sentence: A paper from Cambridge University now suggests that happiness can be bought if we purchase products that suit our personality.
Keyword: purchase, products, suit
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, 2nd line
Explanation: The Suporting sentence says that happiness can be bought if we purchase products that match our personality. Here, match means suit and purchase means buy. So, buying products to suit our personality means buying happiness and the more we buy such products, more the happiness. Hence, products matching our personality can increase happiness.

Spending on ……… shows a person has the characteristic of being agreeable.

Answer: Charity
Supporting Sentence: For example, people who spent money on music were said to be more open and outgoing, those who spent it on charity tended to be more agreeable, while spending on health and fitness showed conscientiousness.
Keyword: spent money, charity, agreeable
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5, 1st & 2nd line
Explanation: The Supporting Sentence talks about spending money and gives examples in this regard. One of the examples clearly states that those who spend on charity are more agreeable.

The study done on spending to suit character type had …….. results than earlier studies.

Answer: Stronger
Supporting Sentence: The results showed that the people whose purchases matched their personality type were more satisfied with life even after being controlled for age, gender and income. These results were even stronger than previous research done purely on total income or total spending.
Keyword: personality type, previous research
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, 1st & 3rd line
Explanation: The expression “these results” refers to results that showed purchases matched their personality type were more satisfied. And earlier studies means previous research. So, results on purchases suting/matching the personality type were stronger than earlier studies.

If people can express themselves through spending they can show their true……..

Answer: Identity
Supporting Sentence: The researchers say that this parallel of purchases and personality represents a true form of self-expression. The psychological fit allows people to express their basic preferences and needs, enabling them to convey their identity authentically.
Keyword: people, express, authentically
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, 5th & 6th line
Explanation: The psychological fit refers to the parallel of purchases and personality and this parallel is a form of self-expression as well. so, people can exprss themselves through spending and it enables them to convey their identity authentically. Conveying the identity authentically means showing true identity.

The Second Experiment involved ………… participants how to spend money they were given.

Answer: Instructing
Supporting Sentence: A further experiment was added by giving participants money and then instructing them on how they should spend it.
Keyword: further, experiment, participant, spend
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, 1st & 2nd line
Explanation: The expression further experiment denotes that it isn’t the first experiment so it could very well be second. This second experiment involves instructing participants on how to spend the money they were given.

The writer was not sure how the spending categories for the experiment were ……..

Answer: Chosen
Supporting Sentence: It is unclear why these exact categories of purchases were chosen for the experiment.
Keyword: categories, unclear, purchases
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, 4th &5th line
Explanation: Purchases means spending and unclear means not sure. Thus, supporting sentence says that the writer is not sure why these exact categories were chosen for the experiment.

Question 38-40

Complete each sentence with correct ending, A-E below.

(A) When it functions as way of building self-esteem
(B) The way introverts react to a situation
(C) Happiness than spending it on oneself
(D) If the person has an enormous amount of it
(E) Their income when measuring their happiness

The social position of extroverts might be more influential than

Answer: E
Supporting Sentence: Extroverts tend to be favoured types in society, and this might influence their happiness levels more than the availability of money.
Keyword: extroverts, society, money
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8, 4th, 5th, & 6th line
Explanation: The availability of money means their income. The Supporting sentence says that their favourability in society influences their happiness more than their income. The favourability in society is equivalent to social position.

Spending money on others has been shown to have a greater influence on

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: Other studies have shown that contrary to participants' expectations, greater happiness was achieved when money was spent on another person rather than on themselves.
Keyword: greater, another person, themselves
Keyword Location: Paragraph 9, 1st & 2nd line
Explanation: The Supporting sentence says that greater happiness is produced when money is spent on another person rather than oneself. This means spending money on other has greater influence on happiness when compared to spending money on oneself.

Money is probably only important for measuring happiness

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: My thoughts are that when money gives you enough financial stability to build your self-esteem, and you are sure of your identity, happiness often follows.
Keyword: self-esteem, happiness
Keyword Location: Paragraph 10, 5th & 6th line
Explanation: The supporting sentence says that when money gives you self-esteem, happiness often follows. This means money is measuring happiness here when this money is used to build self-esteem.