Unhappy people glue(使粘牢) themselves to the television 30 percent more than happy people.
The finding, announced on Thursday, 1 from a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted between 1975 and 2006 as part of the General Social Survey.
2 happy people reported watching an 3 of 19 hours of television per week, unhappy people reported 25 hours a week. The results held even after 4 into account education, income, age and marital status.
In addition, happy individuals were more socially 5 , attended more religious services, voted more and6 a newspaper more often than their less-chipper(没有精神的) counterparts.
The researchers are not sure, though, whether unhappiness7 more television-watching or more viewing leads to unhappiness.
In fact, people say they like watching television: Past research has shown that when people watch television they8 it. In these studies, participants reported that on a9 from 0 (dislike) to 10 (greatly enjoy), TV-watching was nearly an 8.
But perhaps the high from watching television doesn't10 .
"These conflicting data11 that TV may provide viewers with short-run12 , but at the expense of long-term malaise(精神欠爽)," said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park.
In this case, even the happiest campers could turn into Debbie-downers if they continue to13 at the TV. The researchers suggest that over time, television-viewing14 push out other activities that do have more lasting15 . Exercise and sex come to mind, as do parties and other forms of socialization known to have psychological benefits.
Or, maybe television is simply a refuge(慰藉物) for people who are already16 .
"TV is not judgmental 17 difficult, so people with18 social skills or resources for other activities can engage in it," Robinson and UM colleague Steven Martin write in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.
They add, "19 , chronic unhappiness can be socially and personally debilitating(使人衰弱的) and can interfere with work and most social and personal activities, but even the unhappiest people can click a remote and be passively20 by a TV."
The researchers say follow-up studies are needed to tease out the relationship between television and happiness.
( ) 1. A. comes B. arrives C. differs D. results
( ) 2. A. When B. As C. While D. Therefore
( ) 3. A. average B. amount C. number D. effort
( ) 4. A. speaking B. talking C. taking D. getting
( ) 5. A. active B. positive C. crazy D. cozy
( ) 6. A. look B. read C. see D. take
( ) 7. A. builds up B. cuts down C. leads to D. tends to
( ) 8. A. hate B. enjoy C. adopt D. adapt
( ) 9. A. fashion B. group C. scale D. rate
( ) 10. A. last B. decrease C. widen D. disappear
( ) 11. A. report B. suggest C. improve D. admit
( ) 12. A. excitement B. pleasure C. suffering D. sadness
( ) 13. A. glare B. look C. stare D. fix
( ) 14. A. should B. must C. could D. need
( ) 15. A. comforts B. laughter C. pressures D. benefits
( ) 16. A. tired B. lonely C. bored D. unhappy
( ) 17. A. and B. neither C. nor D. but
( ) 18. A. few B. little C. many D. quantity
( ) 19. A. Therefore B. Furthermore C. However D. Yet
( ) 20. A. controlled B. transformed C. persuaded D. entertained