Use of English (2016)

Happy people work differently. They’re more productive, more creative, and willing to take greater risks. And new research suggests that happiness might influence [1] firms work, too.

Companies located in place with happier people invest more, according to a recent research paper. [2], firms in happy places spend more on R&D (research and development). That’s because happiness is linked to the kind of longer-term thinking [3] for making investments for the future.

The researchers wanted to know if the [4] and inclination for risk-taking that come with happiness would [5] the way companies invested. So they compared U.S. cities’ average happiness [6] by Gallup polling with the investment activity of publicly traded firms in those areas.

[7] enough, firms’ investment and R&D intensity were correlated with the happiness of the area in which they were [8]. But it is really happiness that’s linked to investment, or could something else about happier cities [9] why firms there spend more on R&D? To find out, the researches controlled for various [10] that might make firms more likely to invest—like size, industry, and sales—and for indicators that a place was [11] to live in, like growth in wages or population. The link between happiness and investment generally [12] even after accounting for these things.

The correlation between happiness and investment was particularly strong for younger firms, which the authors [13] to “less confined decision making process” and the possible presence of “younger and less [14] managers who are more likely to be influenced by sentiment.” The relationship was [15] stronger in places where happiness was spread more [16]. Firms seem to invest more in places where most people are relatively happy, rather than in places with happiness inequality.

[17] this doesn’t prove that happiness causes firms to invest more or to take a longer-term view, the authors believe it at least [18] at that possibility. It’s not hard to imagine that local culture and sentiment would help [19] how executives think about the future. “It surely seems plausible that happy people would be more forward-thinking and creative and [20] R&D more than the average,” said one researcher.

[A]why

[B]how

[C]where

[D]when

[A]In return

[B]In particular

[C]In contrast

[D]In conclusion

[A]necessary

[B]famous

[C]perfect

[D]sufficient

[A]individualism

[B]realism

[C]optimism

[D]modernism

[A]miss

[B]echo

[C]spoil

[D]change

[A]imagined

[B]measured

[C]assumed

[D]invented

[A]Sure

[B]Odd

[C]Unfortunate

[D]Often

[A]divided

[B]advertised

[C]overtaxed

[D]headquartered

[A]summarize

[B]overstate

[C]explain

[D]emphasize

10.

[A]factors

[B]stages

[C]levels

[D]methods

11.

[A]desirable

[B]sociable

[C]reliable

[D]reputable

12.

[A]resumed

[B]emerged

[C]held

[D]broke

13.

[A]assign

[B]attribute

[C]transfer

[D]compare

14.

[A]serious

[B]civilized

[C]ambitious

[D]experienced

15.

[A]instead

[B]thus

[C]also

[D]never

16.

[A]rapidly

[B]directly

[C]regularly

[D]equally

17.

[A]While

[B]Until

[C]After

[D]Since

18.

[A]arrives

[B]jumps

[C]hints

[D]strikes

19.

[A]share

[B]rediscover

[C]simplify

[D]shape

20.

[A]pray for

[B]lean towards

[C]send out

[D]give away

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

1. [B] how. 考查宾语从句引导词。前文说快乐的人工作方式不同，新研究表明幸福感也可能影响公司“如何（how）”运作。
2. [B] In particular. 考查逻辑关系。前一句说较快乐地区的公司投资更多，后一句具体提到在研发(R&D)上花费更多，这是对前文的进一步具体说明，故用“尤其是/具体来说（In particular）”。
3. [A] necessary. 考查形容词搭配。因为幸福感与对未来投资所“必要的（necessary）”长期思维相联系。
4. [C] optimism. 考查名词语境。伴随幸福感而来的通常是“乐观（optimism）”和冒险倾向。
5. [D] change. 考查动词语义。研究人员想知道这种乐观和冒险倾向是否会“改变（change）”公司投资的方式。
6. [B] measured. 考查过去分词。研究比较了由盖洛普民调“测量/评估（measured）”的美国城市平均幸福感。
7. [A] Sure. 考查固定搭配。`Sure enough` 意为“果不其然”，表示结果与预期完全一致。
8. [D] headquartered. 考查动词语义。公司的投资与它们“设立总部（headquartered）”所在地区的幸福感相关。
9. [C] explain. 考查动词语义。除了幸福感，是否还有快乐城市的其他因素能“解释（explain）”为什么那里的公司在研发上花钱更多？
10. [A] factors. 考查名词语义。为了查明真相，研究人员控制了可能使公司更倾向于投资的各种“因素（factors）”，如规模、行业等。
11. [A] desirable. 考查形容词语义。以及控制了那些表明一个地方“适合/令人向往（desirable）”居住的指标，如工资增长。
12. [C] held. 考查动词语义。即使排除了（accounting for）这些因素，幸福感与投资之间的联系总体上依然“成立/有效（held）”。hold 在这里是不及物动词，表示“站得住脚”。
13. [B] attribute. 考查固定搭配。`attribute... to...` 意为“将...归因于”。作者将年轻公司更强的相关性归因于其较少受限的决策过程。
14. [D] experienced. 考查形容词语境。年轻公司里可能有较年轻且“经验较少的（less experienced）”经理，他们更容易受情绪影响。
15. [C] also. 考查副词。这种关系在幸福感分布更均匀的地方“也（also）”更强，表示另一种维度的相关性。
16. [D] equally. 考查副词语义。对应后文的“happiness inequality（幸福感不平等）”，说明这种地方的幸福感分布更“均匀/平等（equally）”。
17. [A] While. 考查连词。`While` 在句首引导让步状语从句，意为“虽然/尽管这并不能证明幸福感直接导致投资增加……”。
18. [C] hints. 考查动词搭配。`hint at` 意为“暗示”。作者相信这至少暗示了那种可能性。
19. [D] shape. 考查动词语义。不难想象，当地文化和情绪有助于“塑造/形成（shape）”高管思考未来的方式。
20. [B] lean towards. 考查动词短语。快乐的人更有前瞻性、更具创造力，并且比一般人更“倾向于（lean towards）”研发。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 分词后置定语与宾语从句：
"So they compared U.S. cities’ average happiness measured by Gallup polling with the investment activity of publicly traded firms in those areas."
 【解析】`measured by...` 是过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰 `happiness`。句子主干是 `compare A with B`，比较了“城市的平均幸福感”和“当地上市公司的投资活动”。 
2. 强调句与疑问语序的结合：
"But is it really happiness that’s linked to investment, or could something else about happier cities explain why firms there spend more on R&D?"
 【解析】前半句是一个一般疑问句形式的强调句：`is it... that...`，强调了 `happiness`。后半句中 `why` 引导了一个宾语从句作 `explain` 的宾语。整句话探讨了幸福感与投资之间究竟是因果关系，还是仅仅是相关关系。 
3. 非限制性定语从句与长并列宾语：
"The correlation... was particularly strong for younger firms, which the authors attribute to “less confined decision making process” and the possible presence of “younger and less experienced managers who are more likely to be influenced by sentiment.”"
 【解析】`which` 引导非限制性定语从句，修饰前面的整个主句现象（即相关性在年轻公司中更强）。在定语从句中，谓语是 `attribute to`（归因于），其宾语有两个并列的部分：一是较少受限的决策过程，二是经验较少的经理人的存在。在第二个宾语后，又跟了一个由 `who` 引导的定语从句来修饰 managers。 