In this lecture, I can only give you a_______view of how we can live life to the full.

A．simple            B．good             C．secret            D．personal

 

Most people want to be successful, but never stop to think what it will really take to get there in their chosen field. If it means going back to college for 2 years of night school, could you do it ? If it means reading a book a week for about 6 months in order to really master a new skill ? If you aren’t prepared to do any of those things because they are outside of your comfort zone, then you can forget being succesful. I guarantee you will never reach your goals in life, unless your goals are to be ordinary.

The biggest killer by far is the dreaded “ comfort zone ” where most people live in their entire life. And the funny thing is that people just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they’ve earned it ! If you haven’t built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else. So how comfortable is that ?

So what can you do about it ? Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire. If you don’t take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything. I promise--- and I don’t make many promises !

Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many. That’s why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer.

Don’t wander aimlessly through life. Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy. Visit my website and find what you’ve been missing. Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you’re there in the article section, which is updated daily.

1.This text must be taken from __________.

A．a(chǎn) radio program	B．a(chǎn) website
C．a(chǎn) newspaper	D．a(chǎn) TV program

2. If you want to be successful in life, what should you do first ?

A．We should think what it really takes to be successful in our chosen field.

B．We should focus our full attention on the work in our chosen field.

C．We should live out of the “ comfort zone ” all through our life.

D．We should work together with other people to reach our goals in time.

3. According to this text, why do some people have so much free time to relax ?

A．Because they have enough money to do so.

B．Because they don’t want to be successful.

C．Because they have already earned it through hard work.

D．Because they only work nine to five every day.

4. The writer thinks it necessary for you to __________ if you want to be successful.

A．do a lot of actual wotk	B．write a book and publish it
C．take a course in stock trading	D．make enough money to retire

 

Minimalism (簡(jiǎn)約主義) is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features.
As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life.
When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn’t take everything with me, but I kept asking myself “how could I possibly throw this away?”, “what if I need it one day?”, and “what about all of the memories?” Now that I’ve moved, and left that stuff behind, I don’t even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now.
I’ve learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it.
You might think nostalgically（懷舊的） about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1’ve heard it a hundred times, “you don’t need things to make you happy.” It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is.
Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It’s about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don’t have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don’t need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I’ll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden.
Of course there are exceptions. There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don’t really need?
Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it’s because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our attachment to things.
Attachment to too many objects creates a great mess and can severely hold back our freedom to do whatever we want, while minimalism helps us start new projects, move, travel, learn new things, work, expand, be debt-free, be healthy – really living life to our full potential.
I left the nest to fly onwards and upwards, I can’t do it with old things weighing me down. And that is why I have adopted minimalism with open arms.
【小題1】In paragraph l, the writer gives the definition of minimalism to      .

A．introduce a topic	B．present his own idea
C．describe a scene	D．offer an argument

【小題2】Many people don’t want to let go of some of their belongings because       .

A．they haven’t had any life-changing experiences

B．they fear their memories will be gone with the thrown-away stuff

C．they hope to live life to their full potential by storing things away

D．they may have to change their lifestyle because of the loss of them

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors “minimalism” in life?                          

A．It takes the burden off her while she is moving.

B．It reduces her attachment to her personal things.

C．It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires.

D．It helps her to realize how true life is.

【小題4】By saying “there are exceptions”, the writer means       

A．little is left if we keep what we cherish most in our life

B．minimalism should be practised accordingly in different situations

C．minimalism is a method difficult to employ in reality

D．life is full of exceptions so it’s difficult to preserve what we value

【小題5】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Minimalism brings happiness.

B．Minimalism is applied in many fields.

C．Minimalism makes people think nostalgically.

D．Minimalism is about able to move.

The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.

A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?” the Cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded “yes”.

“Pick up that piece of string from the floor~~there, my ‘toy’ The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.

“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head.

“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it，” the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string.”

Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man stroked the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.

One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely calico and white.

It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.

1.Why did the Cat give the man a slightly annoyed look?

A.Because the man’s tears made the Cat really anxious.

B.Because the Cat didn’t know what made the man burst into tears.

C.Because the Cat couldn’t go to sleep when the man was in low spirits.

D.Because the man didn’t have to be so sad and concerned.

2.According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws?

A.Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind.

B.Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic.

C.Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets.

D.Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy.

3.What does the underlined word “string” in paragraph 3 stand for?

A. Life.      B. Birth.     C. Hope.    D. Power.

4.What's the main idea of the passage?

A.Pets play an important part in our life.

B.Life has no end and death is just a new beginning.

C.We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest.

D.It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away.

 

The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn’t anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible.
A tear rolled down the Man’s cheek and landed on the Cat’s forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. “Why do you cry, Man?” the Cat asked. “Because you can’t bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?” The Man nodded “yes”.
“Pick up that piece of string from the floor. There, my ‘toy’. The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. “Now take each end of the string in one hand,” the Cat ordered. The Man did so.
“The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together,” the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, “You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?” The Man inspected the string and then shook his head.
“Close your eyes.” the Cat said. “Now lick your hand.” The Man widened his eyes in surprise. “Just do it,” the Cat said. “Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string.”
Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn’t, he opened his eyes. The Cat’s eyes were closed. The Man stroked(輕撫) the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone.
One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely white cat. It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same.
【小題1】Why did the Cat give the man a slightly annoyed look?

A．Because the man’s tears made the Cat really anxious.

B．Because the Cat didn’t know what made the man burst into tears.

C．Because the Cat couldn’t go to sleep when the man was in low spirits.

D．Because the man didn’t have to be so sad and concerned.

【小題2】According to the text, which of the following is the reason why a cat licks paws?

A．Licking paws can make a cat remain calm and have a clear mind.

B．Licking paws will make a cat happy and energetic.

C．Licking paws will make a cat find out many unknown secrets.

D．Licking paws can make a cat stay tidy and healthy.

【小題3】What does the underlined word “string” in paragraph 3 stand for?

A．Life.

B．Birth.

C．Hope.

D．Power.

【小題4】What's the main idea of the passage?

A．Pets play an important part in our life.

B．Life has no end and death is just a new beginning.

C．We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest.

D．It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away.