A Pathway (路径) to Meaning in Life
When it comes to a meaningful life, we might think of love, happiness and health. A life filled with meaning is what most of us want for ourselves. Then, what makes a meaningful life?
Many researchers agree that a meaningful life comes down to three factors (因素): having long-term goals, believing that one’s life matters, and feeling that one’s life fits together and “makes sense”.
But we believe there is more to consider. Sometimes life enables us to experience small moments of beauty. When people are open to appreciating (欣赏) such experiences, these moments may improve how they see their own life. We call this experiential appreciation (EA). EA is about the person feeling connected to events and being able to appreciate the value within the connection. It shows the discovery of and admiration for life’s beauty.
We recently set out to better understand EA in studies. We were interested in whether EA was also tied to general judgment of meaning in life. If so, it could be a factor for meaningfulness.
In the first study, we had people rate (评估) their support for different methods of reducing stress. We found that people who managed stress by focusing on their appreciation for life’s beauty also reported experiencing life as highly meaningful.
In the next study, we asked people to rate the degree to which they agreed with various statements, such as “I appreciate the beauty of life” and “I appreciate little things in life,” as well as other statements that related to the three factors and a general sense of meaning in life. Our results showed that the more people reported that they were “appreciating life” and its many experiences, the more they felt their life was valuable.
In the following studies, we further looked at the connection between EA and meaningfulness. For example, we found that people who were asked to look back on the most meaningful event of the past week generally reported high EA in those moments.
All the results proved our theory (假设) true. But putting it into practice can be difficult. Our fast-paced lifestyles fill the day with goals. We try to get the highest output both at work and in spare time. This focus on future outcomes makes it all too easy to miss what is happening right now. We should slow down and let life surprise us.
(1). You were most probably in the EA condition when _________.
| A． |
you made a travel plan for the coming holiday |
| B． |
you hurried to serve the customers in the store |
| C． |
you practiced hard to become the best violinist |
| D． |
you stopped to admire the roses by the roadside |
(2). What can we learn from the studies mentioned in the passage?
| A． |
Thinking back to the past weakens our sense of meaning. |
| B． |
Enjoying small things can influence our attitude toward life. |
| C． |
Proper stress management is the key to living a satisfying life. |
| D． |
Good judgment on beauty improves connections among people. |
(3). What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A． |
It is easier for results-driven people to achieve success. |
| B． |
We often turn a blind eye to the present moment. |
| C． |
A fast-paced lifestyle helps us reach our goals. |
| D． |
Future life will bring us many more surprises. |
(4). What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this passage?
| A． |
To explain how to discover beauty in life. |
| B． |
To discuss what the true meaning of life is. |
| C． |
To introduce a new factor for a meaningful life. |
| D． |
To compare different factors for meaningfulness. |
It is a very common thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone, so nobody wants to be her friend.
One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a biscuit. I accepted(接受) it. We talked and joked, and from then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than with Diana. I felt a little uneasy.
After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks when Vinien came and sat with me. She offered me a sandwich. She also offered one to Diana, but Diana refused it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude(无礼的).
“Never mind.” Vivien said, “I’m used to(习惯) it.”
After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. While walking home, I tried to correct her attitude(态度), but she didn’t listen to me. She said, “Go and join your dear Vivien. I know you make a new friend and forget the old one.”
For the next few weeks, we didn’t talk to each other. Then one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, “I’m really sorry about what I did. Would you please forgive me?” Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I have been best friends.The writer was angry with Diana .
| A．because she was too good for anyone |
| B．when Diana refused(拒绝) Vivien’s biscuit. |
| C．though she asked the writer to forgive me |
| D．when she was waiting for Vivien |
Vivien’s words “I’m used to it.”show that .
| A．someone refused to give her things |
| B．Vivien used to be rude to others |
| C．she cared a lot about it |
| D．Diana had been rude to her before |
Diana asked Vivien and the writer to forgive her because .
| A．they didn’t spend much time with her |
| B．she realized she was wrong |
| C．Vivien and the writer didn’t talk to her |
| D．she was rich and proud girl |
According to the passage, it is clear that .
| A．Diana, Vivien and the writer became good friends at last |
| B．Diana didn’t like the sandwich |
| C．Vivien didn’t want to make new friends at all |
| D．the writer forgot her old friend after she had a new one |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．the mistake among the three girls |
| B．the story of two girls |
| C．three friends at a store |
| D．the trouble between Diana and Vivien |
TV is very popular in the world today. It presents a vivid world to us. We can watch exciting football games at home or “travel” to Beijing. After a full day’s work, we can relax ourselves by watching TV. Some entertainment programs can really help us to have a good time. They can refresh our mind and give us a new way of life. And we can also learn something from these kinds of TV programs.
However, watching TV too much can be harmful. It hurts our eyes and wastes our time. Some people will feel terrible after they watch TV for a whole night, because they do nothing that evening. If there is a program you like in the evening, maybe you will stay up late to watch it. So the next day you will get up late and have no energy for a whole day bleary-eyed（睡眼朦胧的）.
In my opinion, we should watch some TV programs. But we should not spend too much time on TV.
| On watching TV |
|
Advantages |
|
| It can help us relax ourselves. |
|
Disadvantages |
|
认真阅读短文，利用上下文补充所缺信息，每个空白处只需填写一个形式正确、意义相符的英语单词。
At twelve o’clock, I went to have my lunch by myself in a new restaurant. It’s not far away my office. It’s next to the bank. I took my handbag and
there. It took me only about 10 minutes to get there.
I found a seat near the door. The food there was quite , and I quite like it. After I finished lunch in the restaurant, however, I couldn’t
my handbag anywhere. I remembered putting it on a chair beside the door, but it was
! “Maybe there was a thief who took it.” I thought to
. As I was looking for it, the boss came in and asked, “Do you have
good lunch?”
“Yes, thank you.” I answered, “but I am afraid I can’t the bill. Somebody have taken away my handbag.”
The boss smiled and didn’t say anything. He went out at once. In a few minutes, he came back with my !
“I’m very sorry,” he said, “my dog took it into the garden and played it. He often did this.”
配对阅读：左栏是五位青少年的困惑，右栏是专家的建议。请将五个人的困惑与专家的相关建议配对，并将答案填在对应的答题位置。
| A. You should tell him about your dream and that if you work really hard it might happen even though you started late. The sooner you tell your dad how you feel, the sooner you will be able to work on making your dream come true. B. Nobody knows you at your new school. You have nothing to lose, so gather up all your courage and go over to someone who looks nice and say hi. You can break the ice by asking about your teacher and other kids in your class. Good luck! C. It is better to tell your mom the truth than for her to find out another way. When you tell her, explain why you failed. Ask her for help, so you will do better in your tests and meanwhile have time for playing soccer. D. Just be yourself and try not to care about what others think. The more you think about it, the worse you will feel. Always act strong and confident. Just relax. E. Try to talk with your parents about it. Tell them you are old enough to make some decisions on your own and you need to learn to decide gradually. Show them you can do something independently. F. Don’t talk to your mom about it. Don’t think about the test. What is done is done. Work hard from now on and try to pass the test next time. G. It is normal to feel nervous when you are on stage. Don’t worry about what the audience think about you. Just relax and enjoy yourself on stage. |
In October 2012, I joined an organization to volunteer to work in Thailand. When I arrived in Thailand, I thought I would be taken to an orphanage（孤儿院）. However, I was told that I had to go to the place where I would live by train alone. And then I knew that my job was to teach English in a school instead of working at an orphanage.
The next day I went to the school and met the kids I would teach. In the classroom, the kids looked at me, saying nothing. No one could speak English. But from their eyes, I knew they were really nervous to learn English, It seemed like a big challenge for me, but that was just what I wanted.
Although I loved the kids and the challenge, my life in Thailand was quite hard at first. I was alone and there was nobody I could talk to. However, I didn’t give up. If I had been afraid of difficulties, I wouldn’t have traveled all the way from England to Thailand to be a volunteer. Little by little, I learned some Thai（泰国语）and started to fall in love with Thailand. Every time I saw the kids’ pleasure of learning English, I was happy and felt that what I was doing was really worthwhile.
Now I’m working in a hospital in Thailand. If you also want to be a volunteer like me, don’t worry too much about the food or the place where you live. After all, as a volunteer, the most important thing is to help people who need help!What did the writer think she would do in Thailand at first?
| A．Teach in a school. |
| B．Work at an orphanage. |
| C．Provide service for volunteers. |
| D．Work in a hospital. |
How did the writer feel when she started her job on the first day?
| A．She wasn’t interested in it at all. |
| B．She wanted to go back home. |
| C．She felt her job was very easy. |
| D．She thought it hard but interesting. |
The underlined word “worthwhile” means “________” in Chinese.
| A．值得的 | B．费力的 | C．无聊的 | D．轻松的 |
Which of the following is RIGHT about the writer?
| A．She may come from England. |
| B．She can only speak English now. |
| C．She doesn’t like teaching children very much. |
| D．She thought her volunteer experience was terrible. |
The writer tells us her experience as a volunteer to ________________.
| A．explain that being a volunteer in a strange country isn’t a good idea |
| B．tell people not to worry about their food and housing conditions |
| C．explain that it’s very important for children to learn English |
| D．show that a volunteer should face difficulties bravely（勇敢地） |