Book Review - IELTS Reading Answers

Book Review Reading Passage

The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold Us Well-Being By William Davies

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Richard Layard, an economist and supporter of positive psychology, encapsulated the current beliefs and convictions of many individuals through his assertion that happiness serves as the supreme objective because it is self-evidently positive. When questioned about why happiness is important, we can provide no further external justification. It is simply apparent that it matters. For Layard and similar thinkers, the primary duty of the government is to cultivate an atmosphere of shared prosperity. The only remaining challenge is discovering how to achieve it, and advocates claim that positive psychology—a supposed science that not only identifies what brings joy to people but also allows their happiness to be measured—can show the way. Armed with this research, governments are presently better equipped than ever before to guarantee social harmony, according to these theorists.

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It represents an extremely primitive and overly simplistic mode of thinking, yet it continues to gain popularity for precisely this reason. The extensive philosophical literature that has analyzed and questioned the meaning and value of happiness is disregarded by followers of this mindset, who write as though no meaningful concepts had ever been explored on the topic prior to their own discoveries. The rise of this viewpoint was largely driven by the philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832). To Bentham, it was self-evident that human well-being consists of happiness paired with the absence of suffering. Back in the 4th century BC, the Greek thinker Aristotle linked happiness to self-fulfillment, and thinkers throughout history tried to merge the pursuit of happiness with other human virtues; however, Bentham dismissed all of this as mere metaphysics or fiction. Modern supporters of positive psychology carry on his tradition, rejecting almost all historical ethical reflection on human pleasure as outdated and irrelevant, despite knowing little about him or the moral theory he established—remaining largely uneducated in the history of ideas due to their upbringing and philosophical bias.

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Nevertheless, as William Davies highlights in his recent book, The Happiness Industry, presuming that happiness is the primary self-evident good ultimately limits moral evaluation. Among the many strengths of this insightful, transparent, and compelling work is its ability to place the contemporary obsession with happiness into a clearly defined historical framework. Davies accurately evaluated Bentham, recognizing that he was far more than a mere philosopher. According to Davies, Bentham engaged in projects akin to those undertaken by modern management consultants advising the public sector. During the 1790s, he sent letters to the Bank of England offering a design for a printing machine capable of producing counterfeit-proof banknotes, and to the Home Office proposing that various government divisions be connected through an arrangement of conversation tubes. To preserve perishables such as meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables, he invented a frigidarium. His famous blueprint for a prison known as a Panopticon, where inmates would experience solitary confinement while remaining under constant surveillance by guards, came remarkably close to execution. Interestingly, Davies omits the fact that Bentham intended his Panopticon design to function simultaneously as a penitentiary and a monitoring system applicable to both schools and factories.

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Bentham also formulated the science of happiness. If happiness is to qualify as a science, it must necessarily be quantifiable. Bentham put forward two approaches for measuring happiness. He suggested that pleasure could be gauged by monitoring an individual's average heart rate and treating happiness as a combination of positive emotional states. Alternatively, monetary value could serve as the standard for measurement: if two distinct commodities cost the same amount, it can be deduced that both afford the consumer an identical degree of happiness. The latter concept captured Bentham's interest to a greater extent. As Davies notes, Bentham established the foundation for merging psychological research with capitalism, which would shape twentieth-century practices, by binding money so closely to internal human experiences.

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The book The Happiness Industry discusses how the quest for a science of gratification has integrated with commerce. Readers gain valuable insight into how economic matters are reframed and handled as psychological states. Furthermore, Davies illustrates how advertising and management practices have been shaped by the notion that internal contentment and discontent can be precisely quantified. Early behaviourism* pioneer J. B. Watson held the view that politicians and managers could mould or manipulate individuals. Watson's assumptions about human behaviour lacked empirical backing; when he became president of the American Psychological Association in 1915, his research had been limited to white rats, having "never really examined a fellow human being." In Britain, the government established a Behaviour Insights Team to investigate how citizens might be encouraged to adopt socially preferred lifestyles while minimizing public expenditure. Nevertheless, Watson's simplified framework has already gained widespread acceptance.

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To maintain workplace motivation, contemporary industrialized societies seem to demand the prospect of perpetual happiness. Yet, regardless of its theoretical roots, the premise that governing bodies should take charge of cultivating joy remains a constant threat to personal liberty.

* behaviourism: a field of psychology in which focus is on observable behaviour

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Questions 1-3

Choose the correct letter, A,B,C or D.Write the correct letter in the boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

1. The critic mentions the Greek philosopher Aristotle, to state that happiness ______.

1. is not something that should be fought for.
2. may not be just pleasure and the absence of pain.
3. is not just an abstract concept.
4. should not be the main goal of humans.

2. In Davies' opinion, the suggestion that was given by Bentham’s to link the prices to happiness was remarkable because _____.

• it established a connection between work and psychology.
• it involved consideration of the rights of consumers.
• it was the first successful way of assessing happiness.
• it was the first successful example of psychological research.

3. What is the reviewer’s opinion on the proponents of positive psychology?

1. They have a fresh new approach to ideas on human happiness.
2. They are wrong to reject the ideas of Bentham.
3. They are ignorant about the ideas they should be considering.
4. They are over-influenced by their study of Bentham’s theories.

Questions 4-8

Complete the summary using the list of words A-G below.Write the correct letter, A-G, in the boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet.

Jeremy Bentham

Jeremy Bentham was active in other areas besides philosophy. In the 1970s he suggested a type of technology to improve 4…………. for different Government departments. He developed a new way of printing banknotes to increase 5…………. and also designed a method for the 6……….. of food. He also drew up plans for a prison which allowed the 7…………. of prisoners at all times, and believed the same design could be used for other institutions as well. When researching happiness, he investigated possibilities for its 8………… and suggested some methods of doing this.

1. profits
2. communication
3. security
4. preservation
5. implementation
6. measurement
7. observation

Questions 9-14

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the Reading Passage?In the boxes 9-14 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees the claims of the writerNO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writerNOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the write thinks about this

9. Industrialisation is connected to the requirement of happiness.10. Prior to 1915, Watson conducted study on people that supported his theories of behaviourism.11. Government’s main objective should be to increase the population’s happiness.12. The Happiness Industry’s strength is the discussion of the connection between psychology and commerce.13. The theories by Watson had immense influence on the governments outside America.14. Certain emotions are more challenging to measure than others.

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Book Review IELTS reading answers with explanations are given below. It is inclusive of the precise locations along with justifications for the answers. Use these as a base to rectify your errors.

(Note: The text in italics is from the reading passage and shows the location from where the answer is taken or inferred. The text in the regular font explains the answer in detail.)

1. B

Key Location: 2nd Paragraph, 8th Line.

Explanation: For Bentham, it was apparent that happiness and the lack of misery constitute the human good. In the 4th century BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle connected happiness……….. this was just metaphysics or fiction to Bentham. It is discussed here that happiness is just about pleasure and has no pain, in Bentham’s opinion. However, Aristotle believed the opposite of that, stating that happiness cannot be just about happiness and lack of misery. Therefore, the answer B.

2. A

Key Location: 4th Paragraph, 5th Line.

Explanation: In the fifth line, The writer Davies describes the theories that Bentham proposed. It included a connection between the prices and happiness. He explains Bentham’s idea, that, “if the price of two items is same, the joy received from both of them would be equal.” further he explains that Bentham pioneered the stage that connected business and psychology. Hence, the answer is A.

3. C

Key Location: 2nd Paragraph, 1st Line.

Explanation: They clarify that while that particular concept of happiness was quite basic and unexpectedly crude, it gained significant fame. It is further noted that these proponents tend to remain oblivious, overlooking the literal meaning and value of happiness outlined in prior research before endorsing the concept.

4. B

Key Location: 3rd Paragraph, 8th Line.

Explanation: During the 1790s, he sent letters to the Bank of England featuring a design for a printing machine capable of producing counterfeit-proof banknotes, and to the Home Office proposing that various government divisions be connected through an arrangement of conversation tubes. Here, these tubes signify that communication ought to be established and enhanced across the different departments. Consequently, the correct choice is option B, which is communication.

5. C

Key Location: 3rd Paragraph, 8th Line.

Explanation: This line mentions that he put forward a printing machine design for the Bank of England that could create unforgeable notes. This implies enhanced security, since the notes would prevent duplication. Therefore, the answer is security.

6. D

Key Location: 3rd Paragraph, 12th Line.

Explanation: To keep items such as meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables preserved, he invented a frigidarium. This statement shows that he formulated plans and techniques for storing perishable food goods. Thus, the correct answer is option D, preservation.

7. G

Key location: 3rd Paragraph, 13th Line.

Explanation: This sentence explains how Bentham created a prison known as the Panopticon, which became a famous design. He engineered it such that inmates were held in cells visible from every angle by the guard. As a result, the answer is option G, observation.

8. F

Key Location: 4th Paragraph, 1st Line.

Explanation: Bentham also founded the science of happiness. If happiness is treated as a science, it follows that it must be quantified. The text indicates that he pioneered the science of happiness and believed that viewing it as a science opened the door to measuring it. Hence, the answer is measurement.

9. YES

Key Location: 6th Paragraph, 1st Line.

Explanation: To maintain worker motivation, contemporary industrial nations appear to need the prospect of continually growing happiness. It is noted that the demand for happiness links to the corporate sphere, as it is necessary to inspire employees. This statement aligns with the passage, so the answer is yes.

10. NO

Key Location: 5th Paragraph, 8th Line.

Explanation: Watson's theories concerning human nature lacked any factual backing. He had only performed studies on white rats when named president of the American Psychological Association in 1915. His experiments were restricted solely to white rats. Therefore, the statement does not match.

11. NO

Key Location: 6th Paragraph, 2nd Line.

Explanation: But regardless of its conceptual roots, the notion that authorities should take charge of promoting happiness always poses a threat to personal liberty. The author believes that if the state assumes responsibility for boosting citizen happiness, individual freedom becomes endangered. He stands in opposition to this objective being pursued by the government.

12. YES

Key Location: 5th Paragraph, 1st Line.

Explanation: The book The Happiness Industry details how the pursuit of a science of pleasure has integrated with commerce. We discover numerous intriguing details regarding the reframing and handling of economic matters as psychological states. This statement corresponds with the passage. Thus, the answer is yes.

13. NOT GIVEN

Explanation: Paragraph 5 of the text notes that Watson's concepts were widely applied by governments with the aim of achieving behavior change. However, there is no mention of whether they were influential or adopted exclusively by governments outside of America.

14. NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The sole reference to emotional measurement occurs in paragraph 5, but no details are supplied about measuring a diverse range of emotions or the methods for doing so. Consequently, the answer is not given.

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