While I was having dinner with a well-known author and lecturer, our conversation drifted to money. “I have enough money,” he told me casually. “I don’t need any more money.”
“Of course you can say that,” I thought to myself. “You get fifteen thousand dollars for a lecture.”
Then I caught my thought process, and pondered(仔細考慮)more deeply on his statement. Is he satisfied because he has a lot of money, or does he have a lot of money because he chooses to be satisfied?
I know people with more money than this man, and they still don’t have enough. And I know people with very little money, and they always have enough. So is enoughness something that happens to us when we reach a certain level, or is it an experience we can choose and celebrate at any time?
My friends Adrian and Carey live in a humble cottage in the rainforest. They have quite a modest income, no telephone, and they walk around naked most of the time. I think they are the happiest people I know. They wake up with the sun, love each other very much, and welcome guests with a full and open heart. They appreciate every moment of their lives, have no distraction games going, and are not waiting for the big break around the corner. When I am with them, the predominant(主要的)feeling I have is, “It’s all right here—why would anyone want anything more?”
Ram Dass used to say, “There are three kinds of people in the world: those who say, ‘Too much!’; those who say, ‘Not enough!’; and those who say, “Ah, just right!’”; Since “too much” of one thing implies “not enough” of another, there are really only two approaches to life: lack or contentment.
小題1:From the first paragraph, we can infer that the lecturer ___________.
A.was living a happy life | B.was careless about his money |
C.was satisfied with his life | D.was rich enough to live a happy life |
小題2:We learn from the underlined part that ____________.
A.it’s money that is of importance | B.it’s not money but the attitude that matters |
C.we don’t have to have much money | D.we won’t have enough money in life |
小題3:What does the author think of Adrian and Carey’s life?
A.They have no guests. | B.They have all they want. |
C.They live a very hard life. | D.They live a very happy life. |
小題4:According to the last paragraph, people have two different attitudes towards life: ____________.
A.not enough or too much | B.lack or too much |
C.lack or contentment | D.just right or enough |
小題5:Which of the following best suits the passage?
A.Nothing is better than a contented mind. |
B.Where there is a will, there is a way. |
C.Practice makes perfect. |
D.Better late than never. |