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85 Rob: Hmm – I know people are quite cautious these days so I’d say, 11 years old. Yvonne: Umm – as usual I won’t tell you the answer now, but we’ll find out what the answer is at the end of the programme. Now recently, there’s been a lot of attention given to the break-down of traditional British families. Rob: The break-down of families – that’s when parents get divorced or separate. Yvonne: And lots of children are brought up by single parents. Rob: Single parents – just one parent, either a mother or a father. Yvonne: There’s also been a lot of talk about people needing to be better parents – or even attending parenting classes. But despite the negative view of families we might read about in the newspapers, most people said that their families made them happy. Rob: People were asked which of the following things made them most happy – family, friends, job or hobbies. Yvonne: Now families came in at almost 80%, friends just over 60%, next came hobbies and last on the list of the things that make people happy were their jobs. Only about 25% of the people surveyed said their jobs make them happy! Rob: Umm – interesting! Answer: at the age of 11. Tapescript 2 BBC Learning English 6 Minute English The Secret of Happiness NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript. Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob and with me today is Finn. Finn: (sounding glum) Hi Rob. Rob: Finn you’re sounding a bit down in the dumps – you know, a bit miserable. Finn: Well Rob I am. It’s raining again… I’ve got no money… and I’m feeling unfit too – just look at me! Rob: Hmm. Well I’ve got some news today that might put a smile on your face. It’s about a new study that tells us how we can make ourselves happier. And we’ll be using some words about happiness too.