Most of the people 12 happy and become progressively less happy as they grow older.
答案：(C) start off
start off 意為「一開始（處於某種狀態）」：多數人一開始是快樂的，隨著年紀增長逐漸不快樂；end up（最後落得）方向相反，pass by（經過）、go on（繼續）語意也不合。
答對率 35%。
start off 與 end up 是一組相反的說法，你大概兩個都眼熟，一時分不清該用哪個。start off ＝ 一開始是…；end up ＝ 最後變成…。看句子講的是「起點」還是「終點」。
Most of the people ___ happy and become progressively less happy as they grow older.——後半句已經說「隨著年紀增長逐漸不快樂」，那是後來的變化；空格所在的前半句自然是在講「一開始」。and 前後是一個時間順序：先快樂 → 後來逐漸不快樂。
前一句說統計圖呈現「微笑形狀的曲線」（a smile-shaped curve）——兩端高、中間低。高的左端就是年輕時的快樂，這正是 start off happy。下一句說最低點落在四十幾歲，也吻合。
start off／start out（一開始是…）、end up（最後落得）、grow older（年紀漸長）、progressively（逐漸地）。
Recent studies show that levels of happiness for most people change throughout their lives. In a British study between 1991 and 2003, people were asked how satisfied they are 11 their lives. The resulting statistics graph shows a smile-shaped curve.
Most of the people 12 happy and become progressively less happy as they grow older. For many of them, the most miserable period in their life is their 40s. 13, their levels of happiness climb.
Furthermore, it seems that men are slightly happier on average than women in their teens, but women bounce back and overtake men 14 in life. The low point seems to last longer for women—throughout their 30s and 40s, only climbing 15 women reach 50. Men, on the other hand, have the lowest point in their 40s, going up again when they reach 50.