Passage3

Questions 1I to I5 are based on the following passage.

Whether it is out of necessity or by choice, for most of us there are periods when much of what we do does not afford us satisfaction. Many students never enjoy exam period; and even in the most engaging workplaces, some projects are less interesting than others.

Research shows that pursuing self-satisfying goals engaging in activities that are meaningful and pleasurable impacts our experience in other areas that are not directly related to these activities. Meaningful and pleasurable activities can function like a candle in a dark room, and just as it takes a small flame or two to light up an entire physical space, one or two happy experiences during an otherwise uninspiring period can transform our general state and rejuvenate us. I call these brief but transforming experiences happiness boosters activities, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, that provide us with both meaning and pleasure, both present and future benefit.

Happiness boosters can inspire and invigorate us, acting as both a motivation pull and a motivation push. For a single parent, a happiness booster in the form of a meaningful outing with her children over the weekend can change her overall experience of life, including the hours spent at work. The outing can motivate her and pull her through the week, giving her something to look forward to when she gets up for work in the morning. The same happiness booster can then energize her, providing her with the push she needs by recharging her motivational stores for the following week.

Ideally, we want our entire day to be filled with happy experiences. This kind of life is not always attainable, though, and it might be that we need to wait until evenings or weekends to pursue activities that provide present and future benefit. One of the common mistakes people make is that in their free time they choose passive pleasure -seeking over an active pursuit of happiness. At the end of a hard day at work or in school, they opt to do nothing but sit around in front of the television screen. rather than engage in activities that are both meaningful and pleasurable.

The opening paragraph of the passage implies that people do not always______