FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS

PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

I. Answer the questions. Use the words from the box.

happy sad excited sorry proud embarrassed angry guilty surprised afraid jealous hopeful hurt thrilled nervous puzzled

1. How do you feel today? Why?

2. How would you feel if you forgot your mother’s birthday or your father’s birthday?

3. How do you feel when you are in a car that is going very fast?

4. How do you feel when other people ask you to do things that you don’t want to do?

5. If you made a stupid mistake in English, how would you feel?

6. Is there any one thing that you are proud of?

7. How do you feel about going home after a wonderful holiday?

TEXT

II. Read the text.

The Rules of Lasting Happiness

Are you searching for the key to lifelong contentment? Psychologist Oliver James lists the five simple ways to find it.

Stop the comparisons

It is impossible to expect to be happy all the time, but it is possible to feel comfortable. It’s a fact that depressed people make more comparisons with others and as a result feel miserable. Happy people, on the other hand, rarely compare unless it is to learn something positive from someone they admire. Try to do the same. Don’t be afraid of other people’s choices, looks or lifestyles; instead try to realize that their lives have no impact on your life.

Appreciate your positives

Many fail to enjoy what they have because they spend their lives looking at what they don’t have. Take a look around you. Be grateful for what’s good in your life every day and it will become a habit. Encourage happiness in others by sharing what you have.

Live in the present

Our lives are full of worries about the past or the future. Why didn’t I have rich parents? When will I have enough money to buy my dream home? Learn to live each day as it comes. If you are not happy with something, change it.

Look at your childhood

Maybe your childhood wasn’t very happy, deal with it, then move on. Stop blaming your parents and make the best of what you have, and you will feel happier and more in control.

Speak your mind

Happy people are very honest. They say what is on their mind without fear. As a result, they are not keeping negative emotions inside. If you want to lie to someone, ask yourself why. You will feel happier if you just tell the truth. In the same way, if you have something positive to say, just say it – if you love someone, tell them as much as you can, and if you appreciate somebody’s act of kindness, say so.

VOCABULARY

III. Read and memorize the definitions.

admire - regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval; have a high opinion of smth/smb

(be) afraid (of) = scared = frightened = terrified - feeling fear

angry – furious, cross

appreciate - used to thank someone in a polite way or to say that you are grateful for something they do

bored - uninterested, tired of the world

contentment = satisfaction - happiness with one's situation in life

depressed - very unhappy

disappointed – feeling sad by the failure of an expectation

emotion – the inner feeling of a person

embarrassed - feeling nervous and uncomfortable and worrying about what people think of you

encourage - to give someone the courage or confidence to do something

envy (be envious) – the feeling of wanting something that someone else has

enjoy – like, get pleasure from having or doing something

excited – emotional, emotionally aroused

fear – the feeling that you get when you are afraid or worried that something bad is going to hate habit – something that you do regularly or usually, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before

happy - feeling, showing joy; pleased

hate – dislike strongly

hatred – an angry feeling of extreme dislike for smth/smb

grateful - feeling that you want to thank someone because of something kind that they have done

(feel) guilty – a strong feeling of shame and sadness because you know that you have done something wrong

impatient - restless or short-tempered

jealous - suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival

joy – great happiness and pleasure

lie – give false information with the intention of deceiving

miserable - extremely unhappy, for example because you feel lonely, cold, or badly treated

mood (in good/bad mood) – the way you feel at a particular time

negative – harmful, unpleasant, or not wanted

nervous - anxious, showing anxiety

pleasure – the feeling of happiness, enjoyment or satisfaction that you get from an experience

positive – good or useful

proud – pleased about something that you have done or something that you own

puzzled = confused - feeling an inability to understand

relaxed – feeling comfortable, free from strain or tension

sad - feeling sorrow; unhappy

shame (be ashamed) – (have) the feeling that you have when you are guilty and embarrassed because you have done something wrong

stress – a state of worry resulting from pressure caused by the problems of living, too much work etc.

(be) surprised = amazed = astonished – get the feeling caused by something unexpected

tell the truth – give true, actual, or factual information

upset – feeling unhappy and worried

worried - feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled

READING COMPREHENSION

IV. Answer the questions.

1. Why is it bad to compare yourself with other people?

2. Is it important to be grateful for the good things you have? Why?

3. How do the worries about our past and our future influence our life?

4. Why is it necessary not to look back and move on?

5. How can being honest make you feel happier?

PRACTICE

V. Write all possible synonyms.

upset

surprised

puzzled

miserable

contentment

angry

afraid

enjoy