Before Reading_ MAIN

1. Before Reading_ MAIN About the Author James Surowiecki ● Born: 1967 ● Birthplace: Meridien, Connecticut ● Best known as: An American finance journalist who wrote 2004’s TheWisdom of Crowds Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships James Surowiecki Publications Group Discussion

2. Before Reading_1.1 About the Author Surowiecki is a 1984 graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall and a 1988 alumnus of the University of North Carolina. He pursued PhD studies in American History at Yale University before becoming a financial journalist. James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

3. Before Reading_1.2 About the Author Surowiecki was editor-in-chief of Rogue magazine from 1995 — 96 and a staff writer for Motley Fool. He was a finance columnist for Slate from 1997 – 2000. Before joining The New Yorker, he wrote “The Bottom Line” column for New York magazine and was a contributing editor at Fortune. He is now a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he writes a regular column on business and finance called “The Financial Page. ” James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

4. Before Reading_1.3 About the Author In 2002, Surowiecki edited an anthology, Best Business Crime Writing of the Year, a collection of articles from different business news sources that chronicle the fall from grace of various CEOs. In 2004, he published The Wisdom of Crowds, in which he argued that a diverse, independent and decentralized group of people, under the right conditions, makes the smartest choices. James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

5. Directions: Watch the video to see how Surowiecki answers the following two questions based on his book The Wisdom of Crowds . Before Reading_1.4.1 About the Author James Surowiecki Education 1) Tell us about your book The Wisdom of Crowds. Groups can be smarter even than the smartest person within them. When solving problems or making decisions, we’ d better ask a group of people instead of a single expert. It allows companies or organizations to tap collective intelligence. Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

6. 2) How does “The Wisdom of Crowds” apply to real estate? Before Reading_1.4.2 About the Author Two ways. In terms of the market, if you want to go into it, you need to come up with innovative and interesting ideas. There is a lot of competitive pressure. You need to be more active. In terms of companies, tapping collective intelligence of all organizations even of customers could be valuable. It expands our ideas of where good information is. James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

7. Before Reading_2.1 About the Author Directions: This clip is a brief introduction of the Industrial Revolution. Watch the video and try to answer the following questions. James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

8. Before Reading_2.2 About the Author 1. Where and when did the Industrial Revolution begin? James Surowiecki Britain; In 18th century Education 2. What are the three factors preparing Britain for the change? Work experience Domestic peace, economic health and the availability of critical iron and coal resources in Britain. Publication The Wisdom of Crowds 3. What happened after the spinning mule was turned into a time-and-labor saving device? Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Textile and loom factories essentially replaced home spinning and weaving. Education Current position 4. Following the textile industry, what demand did manufacturing create? Most recent awards and fellowships There was unprecedented demand for new machines, mechanical components, processed materials and skilled labor. Publications Group Discussion

9. Before Reading_2.3 About the Author 5. How did work and economy change in Britain? James Surowiecki Work became increasingly specialized, mechanized and urbanized. An agriculture-based economy evolved into an industrial one. Education Work experience Publication 6. List the inventions mentioned during the Industrial Revolution. The Wisdom of Crowds Eli Whitney’s cotton gins, 1763; Charles Babbage’s mechanical computer, 1834; the first steam carriage; steam ship; and steam locomotive. Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

10. Before Reading_3.1 About the Author ● Born: 1926 ● Birthplace:Ridgefield Park, New Jersey ● Best known as:A foremost promoter in both economic and demographic fields James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Richard Easterlin Group Discussion

11. Before Reading_3.2 PhD University of Pennsylvania, 1953 A.M. University of Pennsylvania, 1949 M.E. Stevens Institute of Technology, 1945 About the Author James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

12. Before Reading_3.3 About the Author University Professor and Professor of Economics in University of Southern California James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

13. Before Reading_3.4 About the Author Distinguished Fellow, American Economic Association, 2006 Distinguished Researcher Award, International Society for Quality of Life Studies, 2006 Mellon Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Center for Excellence in Teaching, USC, 2006 James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

14. Happiness in Economics , 2002. Growth Triumphant: The Twenty-first Century in Historical Perspective, 1996 Birth and Fortune: The Impact of Numbers on Personal Welfare, 1987 The American Baby Boom in Historical Perspective, 1962 Before Reading_3.5 About the Author James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

15. Before Reading_4 About the Author Directions: What do you think is the key to happiness? Does it have anything to do with the development of technology? Discuss with your group members to share your opinions. James Surowiecki Education Work experience Publication The Wisdom of Crowds Industrial Revolution Richard Easterlin Education Current position Most recent awards and fellowships Publications Group Discussion

16. Global Reading_1.1 Parts Paras. Main Ideas Part Division of the Text Material and technological advances do not really bring happiness to people in the developed countries. Though Americans now are wealthier than they were in the middle of the last century, they are not happier than they used to be. 1~2 1 Further Understanding True or False Questions and Answers Blank Filling Technology and happiness are not necessarily closely correlated because people adapt to technological progress too quickly. Role Play 3~5 2 The current comments on technology have mostly centered on the bad effects of technology on human relationships rather than particular, harmful technologie 6~9 3

17. Global Reading_1.1 Parts Para. Main Ideas Part Division of the Text The most important impact of technology on people’s sense of well-being is in the field of health care. Further Understanding 10 4 True or False Questions and Answers People in general claim that on a deeper level, technology cannot bring happiness to them, which is just contradictory to the fact that it has greatly improved people’s health and life expectancy. 11 5 Blank Filling Role Play

18. 1. 2. 3. 4. In the second half of last century, gross domestic product per capita increased by 200 percent in US. Media and leisure were turned into multibillion-dollar industries for the American spent less time on work and more time on entertainment. Material and technological advances haven’t made Americans happier than before. This is a unique phenomenon in US that with the increase of their income the percentage of people who feel happy has fallen slightly since the early 1970s. Global Reading_2 ( ) T Part Division of the Text Further Understanding True or False ( ) F Questions and Answers Americans’ pursuit of entertainment turned media and leisure into multibillion-dollar industries even though they seemed to work extraordinarily hard. Blank Filling Role Play ( ) T ( ) F Similar data revealing this phenomenon have been found in most developed countries.

19. Global Reading_3.1 1. In what sense is Richard Easterlin’s paper a truly groundbreaking work? Part Division of the Text Further Understanding The topic his paper is concerning has seldom been examined by other economists and social scientists. True or False Questions and Answers 2. What is the relationship between money and happiness according to Richard Easterlin? Blank Filling Role Play At least after a certain point, money can’t buy happiness. 3. How usually does a lottery winner’s sense of well-being change? Usually he is very happy, but soon the excitement will disappear, and his sense of well-being will become the same as before.

20. Global Reading_3.2 Part Division of the Text • Why do people tend to take technological innovations for • granted? Further Understanding Technology develops very fast, any miraculous innovation will soon become common or frustrating when it doesn’t work well, and it’s hard for people to remember what things were like before without the technological innovation. True or False Questions and Answers Blank Filling Role Play

21. Global Reading_4 Part Division of the Text Downside of technology Further Understanding True or False Negative impact Questions and Answers Specific bad technologies: a. , b. , c. . telemarketing ___________ Blank Filling __________ traffic jams 1. Increasingly , 2. fragile privacy , 3. privacy . _________________ disrupt relationships Role Play ___________ identity theft ________________ fracture community ______________ gradual isolation

22. Global Reading_5 Directions: Work in pairs to perform an interview. One student plays as the writer, James Surowiecki, and the other, a journalist. You two are talking about the impact of technology on people’s sense of well-being in the field of health care and the paradox of happiness. Your conversation should be based on part 4 and 5. The conversation should cover the following aspects: Part Division of the Text Further Understanding True or False Questions and Answers Blank Filling Role Play 1. How has life expectancy changed in Europe? 2. How did technology change people’s life? 3. How did medical technology benefit people? 4. What is the paradox of happiness?

23. Detailed Reading_t0 In the present era, all of us are enthusiastically pursuing technological advancement and take it for granted that the development of technology will make us happier. However, little evidence can be found to prove the correlation between technology and happiness once material and technological advances reach a certain level. The text below may provide you with some insights into this issue. Detailed Reading

24. Technology and Happiness James Surowiecki Detailed Reading_t1 Detailed Reading In the 20th century, Americans, Europeans, and East Asians enjoyed material and technological advances that were unimaginable in previous eras. In the United States, for instance, gross domestic product per capita tripled from 1950 to 2000. Life expectancysoared. The boom in productivity after World War II made goods better and cheaper at the same time. Things that were once luxuries, such as jet travel and long-distance phone calls, became necessities. And even though Americans seemed to work extraordinarily hard, their pursuit of entertainment turned media and leisure into multibillion-dollar industries .

25. Detailed Reading_t2 By most standards, then, you would have to say that Americans are better off now than they were in the middle of the last century. Oddly, though, if you ask Americans how happy they are, you’ll find that they are no happier than they were in 1946 (which is when formalsurveys of happiness started). In fact, the percentage of people who say they are Detailed Reading “very happy” has fallen slightly since the early 1970s — even though the income of people born in 1940 has, on average, increased by 116 percent over the course of their working lives. You can find similar data for most developed countries.

26. Detailed Reading_t3 The relationship between happiness and technology has been an eternal subject for social critics and philosophers since the advent of the Industrial Revolution. But it’s been left largely unexamined by economists and social scientists. The truly groundbreaking work on the relationship between prosperity and well-being was done by the economist Richard Easterlin, who in 1974 wrote a famous paper entitled “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot?” Easterlin showed that when it came to developed countries, there was no real correlation between a nation’s income level and its citizens’ happiness. Money, Easterlin argued, could not buy happiness — at least not after a certain point. Easterlin showed that though poverty was strongly correlated with misery, once a country was solidly middle-class, getting wealthier did not seem to make its citizens any happier. Detailed Reading

27. Detailed Reading_t4-补 This seems to be close to a universal phenomenon. In fact, one of happiness scholars’ most important insights is that people adapt very quickly to good news. Take lottery winners for example. One famous study showed that although winners were very, very happy when they won, their extreme excitement quickly evaporated, and after a while their moods and sense of well-being were indistinguishable from what they had been before the victory. So, too, with technology: no matter how dramatic a new innovation is, no matter how much easier it makes our lives, it is very easy to take it for granted. You can see this principle at work in the world of technology every day, as things that once seemed miraculous soon become common and, worse, frustrating when they don’t work perfectly. It’s hard, it turns out, to keep in mind what things were like before the new technology came along. Detailed Reading

28. Does our fast assimilation of technological progress mean, then, that technology makes no difference? No. It just makes the question of technology’s impact, for good or ill, more complicated. Let’s start with the downside. There are certain ways in which technology makes life obviously worse. Telemarketing, traffic jams, and identity theft all come to mind. These are all phenomena that make people consciously unhappy. But for the most part, modern critiques of technology have focused not so much on specific, bad technologies as the impact of technology on our human relationships. Detailed Reading_t5 Detailed Reading

29. Detailed Reading_t6 Privacy has become increasingly fragile in a world of linked databases. In many workplaces, technologies like keystroke monitoring and full recordings of phone calls make it easier to watch workers. The notion that technology disrupts and fractures community gained mainstream prominence as an attack on television. Some even say that TV is chiefly responsible for the gradualisolation of Americans from each other. Similarly, the harmful effects of the Internet, which supposedly further isolates people from what is often called “the real world”. Detailed Reading relationships This broad criticism of technology’s impact on relationships is an interesting one and is especially relevant to the question of happiness, because one of the few things we can say for certain is that the more friends and the closer relationships people have, the happier they tend to be.

30. Detailed Reading_t7 Today, technological change is so rapid that when you buy something, you do so knowing that in a few months there’s going to be a better, faster version of the product, and that you’re going to be stuck with the old one. Someone else, in other words, has it better. It’s as if disappointment were built into acquisition from the very beginning. Detailed Reading Daily stress, an annoying sense of disappointment, fear that the government knows a lot more about you than you would like it to — these are obviously some of the ways in which technology reduces people’s sense of well-being. But the most important impact of technology on people’s sense of well-being is in the field of health care.

31. Before the IndustrialRevolution, two out of every three Europeans died before the age of 30. Today, life expectancy for women in Western Europe is almost 80 years, and it continues to increase. The point is obvious: the vast majority of people are happy to be alive, and the more time they get on earth, the better off they feel they’ll be. But until very recently, life for the vast majority of people was nasty, rough, and short. Technology has changed that, at least for people in the rich world. As much as we should worry about the rising cost of health care and the problem of the uninsured, it’s also worth remembering how valuable for our spirits as well as our bodies are the benefits that medical technology has brought us. Detailed Reading_t8 Detailed Reading On a deeper level, what the technological improvement of our health and our longevity emphasizes is a paradox of any discussion of happiness on a national or a global level:even though people may not be happier, even though they are wealthier and possess more technology, they’re still as hungry as ever for more time. It’s like that old joke: the food may not be so great, but we want the portions to be as big as possible.

32. Detailed Reading_t3_But… But it’s been left largely unexamined by economists and social scientists. Detailed Reading 1. What does “it” refer to here? It refers to the relationship between happiness and technology. 2. Paraphrase this sentence. But economists and social scientists have hardly examined the relationship between happiness and technology at all.

33. Detailed Reading_t3_The truly… The truly groundbreaking work on the relationship between prosperity and well-being was done by the economist Richard Easterlin, who in 1974 wrote a famous paper entitled “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot?” Detailed Reading 1. What is the meaning of “lot”? It means fortune in life. 2. How is the paper of great significance? As a work on the relationship between prosperity and well-being, it is innovative. 3. Translate this sentence into Chinese. 经济学家理查德·伊斯特林在经济繁荣和幸福的关系方面进行了具有开拓性的研究，并于1974年发表了一篇题为“经济增长改变人类命运吗？”的著名论文。

34. Detailed Reading_t3_Money… Money, Easterlin argued, could not buy happiness — at least not after a certain point. Detailed Reading What does this sentence imply? Money can’t bring people happiness, at least when people’s wealth has reached to a certain level.

35. Detailed Reading_t4_补…people … …people adapt very quickly to good news. Detailed Reading How usually will people react to good news? They tend to feel happy and excited on hearing good news but they soon take it for granted.

36. Detailed Reading_t4_Telemarketing… Telemarketing, traffic jams, and identity theft all come to mind. Detailed Reading 1. Explain the three expressions in the sentence, “telemarketing”, “traffic jam” and “identity theft”. Telemarketing means salespeople try to sell products to you on the phone. Traffic jam means your car is stuck in heavy traffic. Identity theft means your personal information is stolen. 2. Translate this sentence into Chinese. 我们马上会想到电话推销、交通阻塞以及身份资料失窃等情况。

37. Detailed Reading_t4_But for … But for the most part, modern critiques of technology have focused not so much on specific, bad technologies as the impact of technology on our human relationships. Detailed Reading 1. What do modern critiques of technology mainly focus on? They mainly focus on the impact of technology on our human relationships. 2. Paraphrase this sentence. However, current comments on technology have mostly centered on the bad effects of technology on our human relationships rather than particular, harmful technologies.

38. Detailed Reading_t4_The notion … The notion that technology disrupts relationships and fractures community gained mainstream prominence as an attack on television. Detailed Reading 1. What do people blame television mainly for? Television is to blame mainly for interfering with the smooth development of relationships between people and breaking up community unity. 2. Translate this sentence into Chinese. 人们对电视的批评主要集中在以下方面：技术扰乱了人际关系、破坏了社区交往。

39. Today, technological change is so rapid that when you buy something, you do so knowing that in a few months there’s going to be a better, faster version of the product, and that you’re going to be stuck with the old one. Detailed Reading_t5_Today… Detailed Reading 1. With technology changing so rapidly, is it possible for people to buy the best product? Why or why not? No, because rapid development of technology will always soon produce a better one. 2. What can we do with the old version of the product? We have to keep it even if we don’t like it any more.

40. Detailed Reading_t5_It’s as … It’s as if disappointment were built into acquisition from the very beginning. Detailed Reading What does this sentence mean? It seems as if people were doomed to disappointment the moment they bought the product.

41. Daily stress, an annoying sense of disappointment, fear that the government knows a lot more about you than you would like it to — these are obviously some of the ways in which technology reduces people’s sense of well-being. Detailed Reading_t6_Daily … Detailed Reading Translate this sentence into Chinese. 日常生活的压力、一种令人烦恼的失望感、对政府知道你的情况超出你希望程度的恐惧感 —— 这些显然都是技术降低了人们幸福感的几个方面。

42. Detailed Reading_t6_…the …the more time they get on earth, the better off they feel they’ll be. Detailed Reading What does this sentence mean? …the longer life people live in the world, the happier they feelthey’ll be.

43. Detailed Reading_t7_As much … As much as we should worry about the rising cost of health care and the problem of the uninsured, it’s also worth remembering how valuable for our spirits as well as our bodies are the benefits that medical technology has brought us. Detailed Reading 1. Who are the “uninsured”? people who don’t enjoy health care insurance. 2. How does medical technology benefit people according to this sentence? It benefits people both physically and mentally.

44. Detailed Reading_t7_what… … what the technological improvement of our health and our longevity emphasizes is a paradox of any discussion of happiness on a national or a global level… Detailed Reading What does this sentence imply? …the fact that technology has greatly improved people’s health and life expectancy is just contradictory to the general claim at any level that technology cannot bring happiness to people.

45. Detailed Reading_t7_…even …even though people may not be happier, even though they are wealthier and possess more technology, they’re still as hungry as ever for more time. Detailed Reading Translate this sentence into Chinese. 即使人们不会更幸福，即使他们更加富裕并拥有更多技术，他们还会像以前那样渴望长寿。

46. Detailed Reading_t1_gross gross: a. general, total Detailed Reading gross domestic product (GDP) 国内生产总值 His gross annual income, before tax, is just $12, 000. 这个包裹连盒子总重量是十公斤。 The gross weight of the package is 10 kilos, including the box.

47. triple: v. (cause to) grow to three times the amount or number Detailed Reading_t1_triple Detailed Reading Apartments with generous spaces in this area will triple in value. 新设备的引进使我们的产量增加到了三倍。 The introduction of new equipment has tripled the output. World fuel consumption has tripled since World War Ⅱ.

48. Detailed Reading_t1_life expectancy1 life expectancy: Detailed Reading the length of time that a person or animal is expected to live Women still have a longer life expectancy than men. 这个部落人的平均寿命是40岁。 The average life expectancy of the people in this tribe is 40 years. Collocations: low life expectancy预期寿命短 high life expectancy预期寿命长 a life expectancy of 50 years预期寿命50年

49. Detailed Reading_t1_soar soar: vi. Detailed Reading rise rapidly or to a very high level Unexpectedly the jet crashed shortly after it soared into the air. Industrial unemployment has soared to 40%, which is threatening the social stability.

50. Detailed Reading_t1_boom boom: n. a (period of) rapid growth or increase Detailed Reading This country’s economy development has contributed a lot to the boom in world trade. 我们必须要意识到90年代的经济繁荣已经结束了。 We have to realize that the economic boom in 90s is over now.