雅思九分转载 Simon's 'happiness' essay
20140917
来源 ielts-simon.com 谢振礼转载
>Essay question
Happiness is considered very important in life. Why it is difficult to define? What factors are important in achieving happiness?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge and experience (to support your opinion).
>Example answer:
It is no doubt that the majority of people would like to be happy in their lives. While the personal nature of happiness makes it difficult to describe, there do seem to be some common needs that we share with regard to experiencing or achieving happiness.
Happiness is difficult to define because it means something different to each individual person. Nobody can fully understand or experience another person's feelings, and we all have our own particular passions from which we take pleasure. Some people, for example, derive a sense of satisfaction from earning money or achieving success; whereas for others, health and family are much more important. At the same time, a range of other feelings, from excitement to peacefullness, may be associated with the idea of happiness, and the same person may therefore feel happy in a variety of different ways.
Although it seems almost impossible to give a precise definition of happiness, most people would agree that there are some basic preconditions to achieving it. Firstly, it is hard for a person to be happy if he or she does not have a safe place to live and enough food to eat. Our basic survival needs must surely be met before we can lead a pleasant life. Secondly, the greatest joy in life is usually found in shared experiences with family and friends, and it is rare to find a person who is content to live in complete isolation. Other key factors could be individual freedom and a sense of purpose in life.
In conclusion, happiness is difficult to define because it is particular to each individual, but I believe that our basic needs for shelter, food and company need to be fulfilled before we can experience it.
(292 words, band 9)
