Question

    While enjoying good incomes, physicians suffer from a lack of time. Between scheduled clinical work and being on call, it’s common to have only one full day off in seven. Not surprisingly, it’s far too easy to spend that entire day just trying to do the boring tasks for yourself and your family.

The good news, however, is that new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that many professionals can increase their happiness by using their incomes to buy back some of that lost time through the use of time-saving services such as housecleaners or online personal assistants.

Study authors Ashley Whillans and Elizabeth Dunn found that when people spend money on such services, happiness improves. Their findings suggest that “using money to buy time may provide benefits by serving as a buffer（缓冲器）against the harmful effects of time pressure on overall life satisfaction”.

Spending money on a big purchase, such as an expensive car, can feel good and serve as a reward for having worked so hard. Research has consistently shown, however, that the gains from such material purchases are short lived. Instead, buying back time and then using it to go after meaningful activities is more likely to result in long-term gains in well-being.

There are the obvious tasks that have been outsourced（外包）for decades，such as house cleaning or meal preparation. In my own physician coaching practice, it amazes me how many of my physician clients do not take full advantage of these classic opportunities to save time, particularly meal services. When your time is worth well over $100 to 200 an hour, how could you NOT pay another person far less than that to do the job better than you would do it yourself?

Regaining a couple of hours on your only day off can change your well-being. How different would you feel if you had a few more hours to spend quality time with other people, improve your health, or try a new hobby?

1.Which of the following is true according to this passage?

A.Physicians often do boring tasks for their family.

B.Time pressure often has effects on life satisfaction.

C.Physician clients never use time-saving services.

D.People all should regain time to change their well-being.

2.What will lead to long-term gains in well-being?

A.Meal preparation. B.Earning high incomes.

C.Buying expensive materials. D.Spending quality time with family.

3.What is the author?

A.A physician coach. B.A salesman.

C.A researcher. D.A reporter.

4.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A.To persuade people to spend money wisely.

B.To introduce some ways to gain happiness.

C.To advise physicians to buy time for happiness.

D.To state physicians’ terrible working environment.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。医生可以通过购买时间（付钱让别人做一些诸如家务活等事情）从而提高自己的幸福指数。

1.

细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句“Their findings suggest that “using money to buy time may provide benefits by serving as a buffer（缓冲器）against the harmful effects of time pressure on overall life satisfaction.”可知他们的研究结果表明，“用钱买时间可能会带来好处，因为它可以缓冲时间压力对整体生活满意度的负面影响。”也就是说时间方面的压力往往会影响生活满意度。故选B项。

2.

推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Research has consistently shown, however, that the gains from such material purchases are short lived. Instead, buying back time and then using it to go after meaningful activities is more likely to result in long-term gains in well-being.”可知然而，研究一直表明，从这些物质购买中获得的收益是短暂的。相反，把时间买回来，然后用它去做有意义的活动，更有可能带来长期的幸福感。B项和D项都是跟物质获得的收益有关，先排除B,D项。根据第五段中的“There are the obvious tasks that have been outsourced（外包）for decades，such as house cleaning or meal preparation.”可知作者认为很多任务是可以外包的，比如打扫屋子或者备餐，由此推知作者认为备餐是不需要自己花时间做的，排除C项。综合来看，D项（与家人共度美好时光）是很有意义的活动，根据作者的看法，这个会带来长期的幸福感，故选D项。

3.

细节理解题。根据第五段中的“In my own physician coaching practice,”可知作者是医生指导师，故选A项。

4.

推理判断题。文章第一段提出很多医生缺少时间，第二段到第四段中作者表明有个新研究发现对于医生来说，用钱买时间可能会带来好处，因为它可以缓冲时间压力对整体生活满意度的负面影响。第五段作者结合自己的经历再次表明某些任务比如打扫房间等可以外包来节约时间。最后一段中作者让读者想想用节约下来的时间休息或和他人度过美好时光会让生活有多么不同。综合全文，作者写这篇文章的目的就是建议医生通过购买时间（付钱让别人做一些诸如家务活等事情）从而提高自己的幸福指数。故选C项。