Thursday, January 2, 2014

Vocabulary Exercise #23: Synonyms of "Happy"

Communicative Goal: Describing Happiness

Context: Varieties of Happiness

















Part 1, Speaking: The words listed below are all synonyms of the adjective “happy.” Each varies slightly from the others in meaning and use. Discuss the definition and application of each word.

1.   cheerful: (adjective) happy (formal, neutral, especially used for one’s general personality)   
Example: American news anchors are usually cheerful on camera.

2.   ecstatic: (adjective) happy (formal, positive, very strong, especially used in relation to major developments) 
Example: She is ecstatic over the news!

3.   glad: (adjective) happy (informal, neutral, weak, especially used in relation to minor developments)
Example: Oh, I’m so glad for you.

4.   pleased: (adjective) happy (formal, neutral, weak, especially used in relation to expectations)   
Example: I am pleased that she followed my advice.

5.   upbeat: (adjective) happy (informal, positive, weak, especially used in relation to problems)
Example: She was upbeat despite her chemotherapy.

Part 2, Reading Exercise:

    Most people experience happiness in a variety of forms over the course of their lives. As young children, of course, we are generally __________ by nature. This changes as we grow older and take on more responsibilities and disappointments, but seeing the fruits of our labor in our academic and professional careers makes us __________.

     Major milestones in our personal and professional lives, such as marriage and significant promotions, obviously lead us to feel __________. It is the “little things,” in daily life, however, like e-mails from old friends, that help us feel __________.

     Finally, it is important to try to remain __________ despite challenges and setbacks, as researchers have determined that maintaining a positive outlook can actually lend itself towards overcoming these difficulties.   

© James Doyle, 2013

Vocabulary Class: 
Are you interested in learning more vocabulary? Take this great class!
http://www.mylanguagesolutions.com/#!intermediate-reading-and-vocabulary/ccve

Answers: 
The answers to this exercise are available at the following link: 

No comments:

Post a Comment