Reading.Variant 7

Read the text on the next page. Match the sentences a–g to the gaps 1–5. There are two extra sentences.

a Couples who said five positive things to each other for every negative thing had longer, happier relationships.

b Are there many unhappy people in relationships?

c He found that couples who ignored each other, showed contempt, or were critical or negative were the most likely to get divorced.

d Is it money, the weather or a good relationship?

e Couples who share chores and don’t keep interrupting each other are much more fun to be around, he says.

f A relationship also benefits if you are grateful to your partner for the things they do for you.

g Similarly, people who were in bad relationships were found to suffer more from stress and illnesses.

Happiness and relationships

What makes us happy or unhappy? 1__________   _Research has shown that if we have a reasonable amount of money, more of it doesn’t make us any happier. It has also shown that the weather only really affects us if it’s extreme. The answer, it turns out, is that what makes us happy is a good relationship.

A recent study of over 8,652 people aged between fifty-one and sixty-one found that people who were divorced or whose partner had died had twenty per cent more health problems than people who were still married. 2_______   _So what can we do to have better, happier relationships?

John Gottman, a relationship researcher at the University of Washington, filmed 124 couples discussing problems in their relationships. 3_______   _They were the couples least able to communicate effectively. Conversely, couples who showed affection, an interest in what their partner said and who could laugh together were much more likely to remain together. The couples who behaved reasonably were usually able to communicate effectively about issues.

Gottman concluded that the best way to improve a relationship and keep it healthy was to be positive and treat each other with respect. 4________   They were able to avoid arguments more frequently.

Another study carried out by Shelly Gable showed that couples with problems shouldn’t focus all the time on what is wrong but should focus instead on the positive aspects of their relationship. Her research showed, for example, that it is more important to have a positive reaction to a partner’s good news than to react sympathetically to their bad news. ‘It is a very powerful thing for someone to respond well to something good that’s happened to you - it makes us feel even better about it,’ she explained. 5_______   _This makes you feel closer to the other person and, as a result, you feel happier.

Read the text again. Choose the correct answer.

1 Money  

a isn’t important for happiness.

b is the most important factor in making people happy.

c is more important for some people than others.

d doesn’t increase happiness after a certain point.

Read the text again. Choose the correct answer.

2 According to Gottman’s research, couples who were least likely to get divorced  

a laughed all the time.

b enjoyed each other’s company.

c didn’t make a drama out of things.

d settled down later in life.