Happy people
“How wonderful to have such blessings! Yes, great blessings belong to those who have the Lord as their God” (Psalm 144:15, ERV).
TRAC
Listen and read the article. Then choose the correct option to answer the question below.
Happy people
b.
A description of Finland’s way of life. ................
c.
A worldwide survey about happiness. ................
ES TR
What is the text mainly about? a. The top ten happiest countries in the world. ................
Lifestyle Imágenes: © Altafulla, Rawpixel.com, Fitenko Natalia | Shutterstock
1.
A
K2
U
Are you a happy person? What makes you happy? Do you know where the happiest people in the world live? Every year, the United Nations (UN) publishes the “World Happiness Report”, a document that contains a ranking of the happiest countries. The UN obtains the results by asking people of 156 countries questions that determine how happy they feel. The survey measures people’s well-being, how they feel about their communities, their government and the freedom they enjoy. According to this report, the winner is Finland, and this is not its first time! Finnish people ranked first twice in a row because they won the previous year, too! There are many factors that contribute to the happiness of the Finnish people, and it is interesting to see that money is not the most important of them. The government plays a vital role in contributing to its population’s well-being. Fighting corruption, improving basic public services and guaranteeing people’s personal freedom are some of the basic regular actions of the Finnish government system. Here is the list of the top ten happiest countries:
M
Material exclusivo para docentes (c) 2023 ACES Educación. Prohibida su reproducción o distribución en ningún formato físico o electrónico.
1
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Norway
4. Iceland
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Canada
5. Netherlands
10. Austria
“I feel privileged”, says Leena, a 22-year-old woman who lives in Helsinki, the country’s capital. “I live in a country that is safe and where people are generous and care for one another. I travel to different countries five or six times a year, I am friendly, and I know people from many different parts of the world. I love visiting new places, but after some time away, I want to go back home. I miss my place and my people.” Leena’s words summarize the feelings of a nation, a happy nation, or, as the report says: “The happiest nation in the world.”
8 · CHAPTER 1 ·
Happy people