Read the passage on voluntary simplicity and answer: (1) How important is happiness to most people, and what is the relationship between material wealth and happiness? (2) How does the author characterize "Voluntary Simplicity" as a movement and as a philosophy? (3) What impact is feared by the growing consumerism of modern society? (4) What influences make it difficult for people to reduce their consumption patterns? (5) What are the challenges and rewards of voluntary simplicity?

The passage

The majority of people have always lived simply, and most of humanity still struggles on a daily basis to eke out a meager existence under dire circumstances. Only in affluent industrialized countries do people have the luxury of more goods and services than they need to survive. On the basis of material wealth, North Americans and Europeans should be the happiest people on earth, but according to the 2012 Happy Planet Index (HPI), they are not. Surprisingly, what had begun as an experimental lifestyle evolved into a quiet revolution that spread the word through books such as Duane Elgin’s best-selling Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (1981), as well as numerous magazines, alternative communities of the like-minded, and, later, Internet websites. Combined with a growing awareness of the environmental consequences of consumerism, the voluntary simplicity movement sought to reduce the consumption of goods and energy and to minimize one’s personal impact on the environment. “Voluntary” denotes a free and conscious choice to make appropriate changes that will enrich life in a deeper, spiritual sense. “Simplicity” refers to the lack of clutter, that is, eliminating all those things, patterns, habits, and ideas that take control of our lives and distract us from our inner selves. However, this is not to be confused with poverty, which is involuntary, degrading, and debilitating. Neither does it mean that people must live on a farm or reject progress or technology, or do without what is necessary for their comfort and welfare. To practice voluntary simplicity, one must differentiate between what one wants (psychological desires) and what one needs (basic requirements of life), and seek a healthy balance that is compatible with both. In a consumer society where advertising bombards us with the message that without this, that, and the other product, we are unsuccessful, undesirable, and unimportant, being clear on what you really need and resisting what you don’t can be an ongoing struggle. The beauty of voluntary simplicity is that it is a philosophy, and not a dogma. How one goes about it depends on individual character, cultural background, and climate. For this, three Rs (i.e., Reduce, Recycle & Reuse) represent the best way to get a handle on rampant consumerism. In economies driven by the quest for ever more, living with less is erroneously equated with poverty and social inferiority. By conserving energy, for instance, you are actually ensuring that more resources are available for future use. By making a frugal budget and sticking to it, you can eliminate unnecessary expenses. Recycling paper, metal, plastic, and glass and reusing building materials and old clothing keep materials in the loop and out of landfills. Pooling skills and resources through barter networks not only saves money, but sharing with others establishes bonds and fosters a sense of community. With the glut of cheap goods that are usually designed for obsolescence, quality products that last are becoming progressively harder to find. In the long run, a more expensive but durable and repairable item or even an older used item that is still in good condition is a better investment than a brand new piece of junk that will only break down and end up in the trash. Thus, at the heart of voluntary simplicity is the conscious realization that less is really more. Less consumption means more resources for future generations. Less activity that brings little satisfaction or reward is more time for yourself and your loved ones. Less stuff is more space to move around in. Less stress means more relaxation and better health. Less worry provides more enjoyment and more fulfillment in life.

1. How important is happiness to most people, and what is the relationship between material wealth and happiness?

Happiness is what most people are really seeking; in consumer societies it is pursued through acquiring more goods. The passage shows that the link between wealth and happiness is weak. North Americans and Europeans, who enjoy "more goods and services than they need to survive", "should be the happiest people on earth" on the basis of material wealth, yet the 2012 Happy Planet Index shows they are not. Beyond basic needs, more possessions do not bring more happiness; they bring clutter, stress and distraction. The passage concludes that "less is really more": less consumption and worry bring more time, health and fulfilment.

2. How does the author characterize "Voluntary Simplicity" as a movement and as a philosophy?

As a movement, voluntary simplicity began as "an experimental lifestyle" and grew into "a quiet revolution", spread by Duane Elgin's 1981 book, magazines, like-minded communities and later websites. Joined with environmental awareness, it aims to reduce the consumption of goods and energy and one's impact on the environment. As a philosophy, it is "not a dogma": how one practises it depends on character, culture and climate. "Voluntary" means a free, conscious choice, and "simplicity" means removing the clutter of things and habits that distract us from our inner selves. It is not poverty and does not reject technology or comfort; it asks people to tell wants from needs and to balance the two.

3. What impact is feared by the growing consumerism of modern society?

The main fear is environmental. The passage refers to "the environmental consequences of consumerism": heavy use of energy and resources leaves less for "future generations", and a "glut of cheap goods" designed to wear out quickly ends up "in the trash" and in landfills. There is a personal cost too. Possessions and habits "take control of our lives", causing stress and distracting people from their inner selves and their families.

4. What influences make it difficult for people to reduce their consumption patterns?

Three influences stand out. First, advertising "bombards us with the message" that without certain products we are "unsuccessful, undesirable, and unimportant". Second, in growth-driven economies, "living with less is erroneously equated with poverty and social inferiority", so cutting back carries social stigma. Third, the market is flooded with cheap goods "designed for obsolescence", while durable products are "progressively harder to find", pushing people into repeated buying. Underlying all three is the difficulty of telling psychological wants from real needs.

5. What are the challenges and rewards of voluntary simplicity?

The challenges are resisting advertising, distinguishing wants from needs (an "ongoing struggle"), facing the stigma that equates simplicity with poverty, and finding durable goods among disposable ones. The rewards are many: lower expenses through a frugal budget, resources conserved for future generations, materials kept out of landfills through recycling and reuse, and stronger community bonds through barter and sharing. Personally, "less is really more": less stuff means more space, less pointless activity means more time with loved ones, and less stress and worry mean better health and greater fulfilment.

Tips

Q1 asks two things, and the passage answers only the second directly; infer the first carefully and do not invent statistics. Quote the 2012 Happy Planet Index as the passage does, without adding figures from outside.