Are people less(1) happy or more happy the older they get(2)? If you answered more happy, then you were right(3), based on a study published two years ago(4). It found(5) that people generally(6) become happier(7) and experience(8) less worry(9) after age fifty.
In fact(10), it found that by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were at eighteen. The findings(11) came from a Gallup survey(12) of more than three hundred forty thousand adults in the United States in two thousand eight.
At that time(13), the people were between the ages of(14) eighteen and eighty-five. Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry(15) and Behavioral(16) Science at Stony Brook University in New York led(17) the study.
His team found that levels(18) of stress were highest(19) among(20) adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. Stress levels dropped(21) sharply(22) after people reached(23) their fifties.
Happiness(24) was highest among the youngest(25) adults and those in their early seventies(26). But the people least likely(27) to report(28) feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.
The survey also(29) found that men and women have similar(30) emotional patterns(31) as they grow older(32). However(33), women at all ages(34) reported more sadness(35), stress and worry than men did.
The researchers(36) also considered possible influences like having(37) young children, being(38) unemployed(39) or being single(40). But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being(41) related to(42) age.
So why would happiness increase(43) with age? One theory is that, as people get older(44), they become more thankful(45) for what they have and have better control(46) of their emotions. They also spend less time(47) thinking about bad experiences.
The findings appeared(48) in the Proceedings(49) of the National Academy of Sciences. Happiness is not the only thing(50) that apparently(51) improves(52) with age. In a study published(53) this year, people in their eighties reported the fewest(54) problems with the quality of their sleep(55).
Researchers surveyed more than one hundred fifty thousand American
adults. The study, led by Michael Grandner at the University of
Pennsylvania, appeared in the journal Sleep. The original goal(56) was to confirm the popular belief(57) that aging is connected with(58) increased(59) sleep problems.
The survey did find an increase during(60) middle age(61), especially in women. But except for that(62), people reported that they felt(63) their sleep quality improved as they got older. For VOA Special English, I’m Alex Villarreal.
Vocabulary
1. Less = menos 2. the older they get = quanto mais velhos ficam 3. you were right = você estava certo 4. two years ago = dois anos atrás 5. found = descobriu 6. generally = geralmente 7. become happier = tornam-se mais felizes 8. experience = experimentar 9. worry = preocupação 10. In fact = na verdade 11. Findings = descobertas 12. Survey = enquete (pesquisa popular) 13. At that time = naquela época 14. between the ages of = entre as idades de 15. Psychiatry = Psiquiatria 16. Behavioral = comportamental 17. Led = liderou 18. Levels = níveis 19. Highest = os mais altos 20. Among = entre (mais de duas coisas) 21. Dropped = caíram 22. Sharply = abruptamente 23. Reached = alcançaram 24. Happiness = felicidade 25. the youngest = os mais jovens 26. early seventies = início dos setenta 27. least likely = menos provável 28. report = relatar 29. also = também 30. similar = semelhantes 31. emotional patterns = padrões emocionais 32. as they grow older = à medida em que eles ficam mais velhos 33. However = contudo 34. women at all ages = mulheres de todas as idades 35. sadness = tristeza 36. researchers = pesquisadores 37. like having = como ter 38. being = estar 39. unemployed = desempregado 40. single = solteiro 41. well-being = bem estar 42. related to = relacionado a 43. increase = aumentar 44. get older= ficam mais velhos 45. thankful = gratos, agradecidos 46. better control = controle melhor 47. spend less time = passam menos tempo 48. appeared = apareceram 49. Proceedings = procedimentos 50. is not the only thing = não é a única coisa 51. apparently = aparentemente 52. improves = melhora 53. published = publicado 54. the fewest = o menor número de 55. sleep = sono 56. original goal = objetivo original 57. popular belief = crença popular 58. connected with = ligado a 59. increased = aumentado 60. during = durante 61. middle age = meia-idade 62. except for that = exceto por isso