Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that b...

In the past, people rarely discussed whether they were happy and tended to keep their feelings to themselves. Today, however, magazine articles offering advice on the pursuit of happiness surround us, and (18) __________.This group feels comfortable speaking openly about happiness or the lack of it and often equates happiness with success, believing that without success they amount to nothing. At the same time, more people appear willing to respond differently to life’s events. Janet is a clear example, (19) __________.She came to realise that she had made life difficult for herself through harmful patterns of thought, such as refusing to admit mistakes or criticising herself relentlessly.

At one point, Janet was a definite pessimist who believed that expecting little helped avoid disappointment. The turning point came when what she learned through her studies made her realise that she could overcome her doubts and become more content with her life. (20) __________.Change, however, creates uncertainty, and fear often keeps people attached to familiar unhappiness. Janet therefore advises against excessive self-criticism, noting that (21) __________.

Drawing on Epictetus’s view that it is our opinions rather than events themselves that trouble us, Janet argues that while we cannot always change what happens, we can change how we interpret it. She stresses that happiness is not a goal but a natural emotional response. Living in the present and focusing on positive experiences, she suggests, (22) __________.

[Adapted from Upstream]