self-consciousness which could lead to happiness.

Wolfgang Lang: We give these classes to students to help them find

happiness. Now the question is: How do I define happiness? Happiness is for example a strengthening of the personality. We are providing helpful suggestions to make stronger people. People that ask “Who am I as a person? Am I really happy?”

Pascal Gemble: It takes time and everybody has to find happiness for

themselves. You cannot go into a coaching lesson and say teach me happiness. One can only get indications from teachers or the visiting lecturers. There are also happiness scientists, if we could talk to one of those, I am sure he would have some hints.

Yosma Pinar Cetinkaya: You would think that the teachers are writing

definitions on the board. Not true. Those who want happiness have to find it for themselves, you cannot really learn that. So what does it take to be happy and can you learn it at school?

? Listening in

Passage 1

Interviewer: Can you tell me, how do you think you have changed as you

have matured? What things have had a major influence on you?

Speaker 1: Well, let me think…I suppose going to university had a big

impact on my life. It made me much more open-minded. I met so many different types of people there with weird and wonderful ideas and it changed the way I see the world. I’m much more tolerant now. It made me a more rounded person.

Interviewer: Great, and had any particular person had a central role in

forming your character?

Speaker 1: I guess that’d have to be my grandfather. I was very close to him,

and he taught me to stand up for my beliefs. He was always

telling me about this.

Interviewer: So what people or events have had an impact on your life? Speaker 2: I think that traveling my gap year made me grow up and see

both the beauty of the world and, well…just the generosity（慷慨，大方） of ordinary people. I traveled a lot around Asia and you know, I found that in some of the poorest countries, like Cambodia and Laos, people share whatever little they have, and they possess a real joy for life. It’s probably made me a less selfish person.

Interviewer: Interesting,so you would recommend that young people take

a gap year to discover themselves and the world?

Speaker 2: Definitely. It gives you an opportunity to learn about the world

beyond the one you grew up in and I foundit really…

Interviewer: Could you tell me what things in your life have had the

greatest influence in forming your personality?

Speaker 3: Well…a couple of years ago I was on a reality TV show where a

group of young people all lived in a house together. Each week someone was voted off by the audience. I got down to the final three! I suppose being on the show and seeing how the other contestants behaved made me realize how selfish and spiteful some people can be just to get what they want. I also realized it’s best to just be yourself in life. If you pretend to be someone different people will eventually see through the lies.

Interviewer: Right…And how did you feel when you were eventually voted

off?

Speaker 3: Relieved, to be honest with you. But you know, a slight regret

that I didn’t win because I kind of…

Interviewer: So you can tell me, what one thing do you think that has had

the biggest impact on your life?

Speaker 4: Hmm, that’s a difficult question. But I think helping victims of

just arrived in Thailand for a family Christmas holiday. When I heard the news I knew I had to help-you couldn’t not. I ended up acting as an interpreter for a group of volunteer doctors. It was an incredibly difficult time but you know, even in the middle of such a horrific tragedy there is still a huge amount

of genuine human kindness. Interviewer: That’s amazing! And has it changed the way you view your future…

Passage 2

Tony: Talking to us today in our Life Choices series is Joan Robinson, an

academic counselor at Manchester University. She gives advice to school students on choosing the right subject to study at university. Joan, welcome to the show. Joan: Thanks Tony.

Tony: So Joan, what do our listeners need to think about when choosing a

course? It’s a huge, potentially life-changing decision, isn’t it?

Joan: Yes. I generally give students advice in two areas. Firstly, know

yourself, and secondly, think to the future.

Tony: When you say “know yourself” what do you mean?

Joan: Basically, I mean evaluate your own personal strengths and

weaknesses, your personality traits and the things you like. Tony: I see…So how can our listeners do this?

Joan: Well, start by asking yourself questions to help reflect on your life so

far. For example, what subjects are you good at? Are you an organized and self-disciplined person? Are you confident and outgoing? Do you like working with others in a team or do you prefer working alone? These kinds of questions will help you discover more about yourself.

Tony: Sounds like good advice. How about your second point regarding the

future?

Joan: Well, your choice of major subject is likely to have a significant

impact on your future career so it’s important to look into this carefully. I recommend you check not only which academic subjects will help you get into a particular area of work, but also look carefully at what universities offer. Each university has its strengths so try to choose one that is the best in your chosen field. Find out what links the department has to related industries and leading companies in it.

Tony: Good point. Now I’d like to take some calls from our listeners. First

up we have James on the line. Hi, James! How can we help?

James: Hi. I’m interested in career in IT and I’d like to ask Joan whether she

thinks it’s better to go to a highly respected university, like Oxford, or to study somewhere that has more of a vocational focus?

Joan: Well, James, you know it really depends on what you expect to get

out of a university and how you see your future. Basically a handful of the brightest graduates are picked from the top universities around the world to join the leading IT companies. So I’d say if you’re a high-flyer then this is the route that might be for you. But if you are looking for a more mainstream career then you should consider a course that helps you acquire practical, transferable skills that you can use in the workplace…and look at which universities have the best levels of graduate recruitment for the kind of job you are aiming for.

James: I see! Thanks a lot. That really helps me out.

Unit 2

? Inside view

Janet: Hey, look at that! It's just like I've seen it in the films! Andy: Welcome to London, my home town. We're in Southwark, south of the river. There's London Bridge off to your left, and there's Tower Bridge. Janet: I'm really impressed. How old is it? Andy: It's only about 120 years old. Janet: Well, that's quite old. Andy: The London Docks used to be around this area. What happened was that about three or four times a day, they raised Tower Bridge, so the bigger ships could come right into London. But because they couldn't go under London Bridge, they had to stop and unload here. Janet: Does Tower Bridge still open?