What would you do with $590m? This is now a question for Gloria MacKenzie, an 84-year-old widow who recently emerged from her small, tin-roofed house in Florida to collect the biggest undivided lottery jackpot in history. If she hopes her new-found fortune will yield lasting feelings of fulfilment, she could do worse than read Happy Money by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton.

These two academics use an array of behavioral research to show that the most rewarding ways to spend money can be counterintuitive. Fantasies of great wealth often involve visions of fancy cars and extravagant homes. Yet satisfaction with these material purchases wears off fairly quickly. What was once exciting and new becomes old-hat; regret creeps in. It is far better to spend money on experiences, say Ms Dunn and Mr Norton, like interesting trips, unique meals or even going to the cinema. These purchases often become more valuable with time—as stories or memories—particularly if they involve feeling more connected to others.

This slim volume is packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners get the most “happiness bang for your buck.” It seems most people would be better off if they could shorten their commutes to work, spend more time with friends and family and less of it watching television (something the average American spends a whopping two months a year doing, and is hardly jollier for it). Buying gifts or giving to charity is often more pleasurable than purchasing things for oneself, and luxuries are most enjoyable when they are consumed sparingly. This is apparently the reason McDonald’s restricts the availability of its popular McRib—a marketing trick that has turned the pork sandwich into an object of obsession.

Readers of Happy Money are clearly a privileged lot, anxious about fulfilment, not hunger. Money may not quite buy happiness, but people in wealthier countries are generally happier than those in poor ones. Yet the link between feeling good and spending money on others can be seen among rich and poor people around the world, and scarcity enhances the pleasure of most things for most people. Not everyone will agree with the authors’ policy ideas, which range from mandating more holiday time to reducing tax incentives for American homebuyers. But most people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.

1.According to Dunn and Norton, which of the following is the most rewarding purchase?

A A big house.

B A special tour.

C A stylish car.

D A rich meal.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据Dunn and Norton和the most rewarding purchase定位到第二段，根据后半部分可知，他们认为把钱花在“体验”（如有趣的旅行、独特的美食、看电影）上，会更有价值。故选B。

2.The author’s attitude toward Americans’ watching TV is _________.

A critical

B supportive

C sympathetic

D ambiguous

解析：选A。A 细节理解题。由Americans’ watching TV定位到第三段第二句，可知作者认为大部分人都能通过多陪家人、少看电视过得更好，美国人每年花两个月看电视，但却并未因此变得更快乐，可见作者的态度是批判的。故选A。

3.McRib is mentioned in Paragraph 3 to show that _________.

A consumers are sometimes irrational

B popularity usually comes after quality

C marketing tricks are often effective

D rarity generally increases pleasure

解析：选D。D 目的意图题。根据McRib定位到第三段最后一句，根据最后一句可知，“这正是麦当劳限量供应McRib的原因”，可知原因在上一句，即只有少量消费奢侈品才会带来最大的快乐。D更符合原文，故选D。

4.According to the last paragraph, Happy Money _________.

A has left much room for readers’ criticism

B may prove to be a worthwhile purchase

C has predicted a wider income gap in the US

D may give its readers a sense of achievement

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据题目定位到最后一段，根据最后一句可知，大多数人读完这本书后，都会觉得它非常值得购买。故选B。

5.This text mainly discusses how to _________.

A balance feeling good and spending money

B spend large sums of money won in lotteries

C obtain lasting satisfaction from money spent

D become more reasonable in spending on luxuries

解析：选C。C 主旨大意题。本文对《快乐金钱》一书进行评价，围绕怎样花钱更能使人获得快乐展开，故选C。