Middle Age:A Low Point for Most

People around the globe hit the height of their misery and depression in middle （51), a new international study suggests. The finding by British and American researchers was based on an analysis of well-being among approximately 2 million people in 80 nations. With few exceptions， the observation appears to apply across the board， regardless （52) gender （性别)， culture， geography， wealth， job history， education， and marriage or parental status.

"The scientific fact seems to be that happiness and positive mental health follow a giant ‘U’ （53) through life，" said study author Andrew J. Oswald， a professor of economics at Warwick University in Warwickshire， England. "For the average person， it‘s high when you’re 20， and then it slowly （54) and bottoms out in your 40s. But the good news is that your （55) health picks up again， and eventually gets back to the high levels of your youth."

The finding was （56) on the pooling of several different sources of happiness data， including:two multi-decade happiness/satisfaction surveys （first launched in the 1970s)， involving about 500，000 American and Western European men

and women； four rounds of the 80-nation "World Values Survey" （57) between 1981 and 2004 in North America， Eastern and Western Europe， Asia， Africa， Australia， and Central and South America； and a 2004-2007 survey （58) nearly 1 million Britons.

The bottom-line:For most people throughout the world， the highest probability for （59) striking is around 44 years of age.

In the United States， however， some as-yet unexplained （60) differences were observed， with happiness among men dipping the most in their early 50s， whereas women hit their nadir （最低点) around the age of 40.

The researchers cautioned that cheerful people tend to live longer than unhappy

（61) - a fact that might have skewed （使偏斜) the overall finding. But they also suggested that evidence of a happiness （62) might simply reflect a midlife choice to give up long-held but no longer tenable （守得住的) aspirations （志向)， followed by a senior‘s sense of gratitude for having successfully endured （63) others did not.

"That said， some might find it helpful simply to understand the general （64) of mental health as they go through their own life，" said Oswald. "It might

be useful for people to realize that if they are （65) in their 40s this is normal. It is not exceptional. And just knowing this might help."

51 A age B place C height D degree

52 A of B for C to D by

53 A color B size C shape D letter

54 A improves B moves C rises D falls

55 A mental B personal C general D physical

56 A focused B concluded C decided D based

57 A measured B conducted C checked D inspected

58 A calling B counting C involving D passing

59 A cancer B depression C accident D injury

60 A race B gender C education D income

61 A men B people C women D couples

62 A curve B line C axis D table

63 A unless B because C while D if

64 A moods B figures C views D trends

65 A weird B low C old D weak

参考答案

51 A 52 A 53 C 54 D 55 A 56 D 57 B 58 C 59 B 60 B 61 B 62 A 63 C 64 D 65 B

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