大学英语美文阅读.docx
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大学英语美文阅读.docx
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大学英语美文阅读
Passage1
TheRoadtoHappiness
Thereareagreatmanypeoplewhohaveallthematerialconditionsofhappiness,i.e.healthandasufficientincome,andwho,nevertheless,areprofoundlyunhappy.Insuchcasesitwouldseemasifthefaultmustliewithawrongtheoryastohowtolive.Inonesense,wemaysaythatanytheoryastohowtoliveiswrong.Weimagineourselvesmoredifferentfromtheanimalsthanweare.Animalsliveonimpulse,andarehappyaslongasexternalconditionsarefavorable.Ifyouhaveacat,itwillenjoylifeifithasfoodandwarmthandopportunitiesforanoccasionalnightonthetiles.Yourneedsaremorecomplexthanthoseofyourcat,buttheystillhavetheirbasisoninstinct.Incivilizedsocieties,especiallyinEnglish-speakingsocieties,thisistooapttobeforgotten.Peopleproposetothemselvessomeoneparamountobjective,andrestrainallimpulsesthatdonotministertoit.
Abusinessmanmaybesoanxioustogrowrichthattothisendhesacrificeshealthandprivateaffections.Whenatlasthehasbecomerich,nopleasureremainstohimexceptharryingotherpeoplebyexhortationstoimitatehisnobleexample.Manyrichladies,althoughnaturehasnotendowedthemwithanyspontaneouspleasureinliteratureorart,decidetobethoughtcultured,andspendboringhourslearningtherightthingtosayaboutfashionablenewbooksthatarewrittentogivedelight,nottoaffordopportunitiesfordustysnobbism.
Passage2
LoveIsDifficult
Itisgoodtolove,butloveisdifficult.Foronehumanbeingtoloveanotherhumanbeingisperhapsthemostdifficulttaskthathasbeenentrustedtous—theultimatetask,thefinaltestandproof,theworkforwhichallotherworkismerelypreparation.Thatiswhyyoungpeople,whoarebeginnersineverything,arenotyetcapableoflove:
itissomethingtheymustlearn.Withtheirwholebeing,withalltheirforces,gatheredaroundtheirsolitary,anxious,upward-beatingheart,theymustlearntolove.Butlearningtimeisalwaysalong,secludedtimeaheadandfaronintolife,andissolitude,aheightenedanddeepenedkindofalonenessforthepersonwholoves.Lovingdoesnotatfirstmeanmerging,surrenderingorunitingwithanotherperson;itisahighinducementfortheindividualtoripen,tobecomesomethinginhimself,tobecomeworldinhimselfforthesakeofanotherperson;itisagreat,demandingclaimonhim,somethingthatchooseshimandcallshimtovastdistances.Onlyinthissense,asthetaskofworkingonthemselves,mayyoungpeopleusethelovethatisgiventothem.Mergingandsurrenderingandeverykindofcommunionisnotforthem,whomuststill,foralong,longtime,saveandgatherthemselves;itistheultimate,itisperhapsthatforwhichhumanlivesareasyetbarelylargeenough.
Passage3
BusinessofInsuranceCompanies
Insurancecompaniesdotwotypesofbusiness.Oneisgeneralinsuranceagainstvariousformsofrisk,andtheotherislong-terminsurancewhichismainlylifeinsurance.
Generalinsurerswillagreetopayapersonorcompanyasumofmoneyintheeventofsomethinghappeningornothappening.It’sabigbusinesstoday.Iftheprojectsucceeds,shareholdersinyourcompanywillexpecttobepaidadividend.Ifyouaskaninsurertounderwriteyourproject,thenhewillrequireapaymentinadvance,apremium.Iftheprojectsucceeds,hekeepsthepremium,butyoudon’tpayhimanythingelse.Payingapremiumtoaninsurerorunderwriterisoftencheaperthanpayingadividendtoshareholders.Iffewerdividendsarepaidtoshareholders,thenmoremoneycanbekeptasretentiontofinancethecompany’snextproject.
Anothertypeofinsurancebusinessisthelifeinsurance.Itdiffersbasicallyfromgeneralinsuranceinthatitisbasednotonriskbutoncertainty—thecertaintythateachofuswillonedaydie.Lifeinsuranceisthebasisofpensionfundswhichprovideforretirementandguardagainstothercontingenciessuchasill-health,butisbestseenbythefinancialeconomistasameansofcollectingmanysmallsavingstoputtogetherintolargeinvestments,inshort,asaformofintermediation.
Passage4
SeasonalAffectiveDisorder
Somepeoplefeelsadordepressedduringthewintermonthsinnorthernareasoftheworld.Theymayhavetroubleeatingorsleeping.TheysufferfromaconditionknownasSeasonalAffectiveDisorder,orS-A-D.
VictimsofS-A-Dsufferitseffectsduringtheshort,darkdaysofwinter.Theproblemsaremostsevereinthemonthswhentherearefewerhoursofdaylight.Whenspringarrives,thesesignsdisappearandS-A-Dvictimsfeelwellagain.
TheNationalMentalHealthAssociationreportsthatS-A-Dcanaffectanyone.Thegroupsaysyoungpeopleandwomenareatthehighestriskforthedisorder.Itsaysthatanestimated25percentoftheAmericanpopulationsuffersfromsomeformofS-A-D.About5percentsufferfromasevereformofthedisorder.Manypeopleinotherpartsoftheworldalsohavethecondition.
Theideaofhealthproblemslinkedtoalackoflightisnotnew.Scientistshavediscussedtheissuesincethebeginningofmedicine.Morethantwo-thousandyearsago,theGreekdoctorHippocratesnotedthattheseasonsaffecthumanemotions.
Today,expertsdonotfullyunderstandS-A-D,andyettheyagreethatitisaveryrealdisorder.
Totreatthedisorder,victimsofS-A-Ddonotneedtowaituntilspring.Expertsknowthatplacingaffectedindividualsinbrightlighteachdayeasesthecondition.Thereareotherthingspeoplecandotoeasetheproblem.Theycanincreasethesunlightintheirhomesandworkplacesandspendmoretimeoutdoorsinthefreshairduringtheday.
Onestudyfoundthatwalkingforanhourinwintersunlightwasaseffectiveasspendingtwo-and-one-halfhoursunderbrightlightindoors.
Passage5
SuccessIsaChoice
Allofusoughttobeabletobraceourselvesforthepredictablechallengesandsetbacksthatcropupeveryday.Ifweexpectthatlifewon’tbeperfect,we’llbeabletoavoidthatimpulsetoquit.Butevenifyouarestrongenoughtopersisttheobstaclecourseoflifeandwork,sometimesyouwillencounteranadverseeventthatwillcompletelyknockyouonyourback.
Whetherit’safinancialloss,thelossofrespectofyourpeersorlovedones,orsomeothertraumaticeventsinyourlife,thesemajorsetbacksleaveyoudoubtingyourselfandwonderingifthingscaneverchangeforthebetteragain.
Adversityhappenstoallofus,andithappensallthetime.Someformofmajoradversityiseithergoingtobethereorit’slyinginwaitjustaroundthecorner.Toignoreadversityistosuccumbtotheultimateselfdelusion.
Butyoumustrecognizethathistoryisfullofexamplesofmenandwomenwhoachievedgreatnessdespitefacinghurdlessosteepthateasilycouldhavecrashedtheirspiritandleftthemlyinginthedust.Moseswasastutterer,yethewascalledontobethevoiceofGod.AbrahamLincolnovercamealldifficultiesduringtheCivilWartobecomeourarguablegreatestpresidentever.HelenKellermadeanimpactontheworlddespitebeingdeaf,dumb,andblindfromanearlyage.FranklinRoosevelthadpolio.
Thereareendlessexamples.Thesewerepeoplewhonotonlylookedadversityinthefacebutlearnedvaluablelessonsaboutovercomingdifficultcircumstancesandwereabletomoveahead.
Passage6
IsTelevisionaBlessingoraCurse?
Itisuniversallyacceptedthattelevisionisplayinganimportantpartinpeople’slives.But,thereisanongoingheateddiscussionastowhethertelevisionisablessingoracurse.
Televisionkeepsonebetterinformedaboutcurrentaffairs,allowsonetofollowthelatestdevelopmentsinpoliticsandscience,andoffersagreatvarietyofprogramswhicharebothinstructiveandstimulating.Themostdistantcountries,thestrangestcustomsandthemostattractivescenesofnaturearebroughtrightintoone’sroomorhousehold.
However,somepeopleinsistthattelevisionisacurseratherthanablessing.Theyarguethatithasbroughtaboutmanyseriousproblems.Themajoroneisitseffectsonyoungpeople.Childrenarenowsousedtogettingtheirinformationandentertainmentfromtelevisionthattheirliteracyaswellasphysicalabilityhasbeengreatlyweakened.Evenworsethanthat,vulgarcommercialsandindecentprogramsmaycultivatetheirbadtastes,distorttheirview-pointstowardshumanlifetosuchadegreethattheirmindsmightbecorrupted.
Tosumup,televisionhasbothadvantagesanddisadvantages.Whatevereffectsithas,onepointiscertain,televisioninitselfisneithergoodnorbad.Itistheusetowhichitisputthatdeterminesitsvaluetosociety.
Passage7
FewUSWorkersWhoCouldTelecommuteDoSo
One-quarteroftheU.S.workforcecouldbedoingtheirjobsfromhomeifallthoseabletotelecommutechosetodoso,andallthosepeopleworkingfromhomecouldtranslateintoannualgasolinesavingsof$3.9billion,accordingtotheNationalTechnologyReadinessSurvey.However,manystillselecttoworkattheoffice.Thestudyfoundthat2percentofU.S.workerstelecommutefull-timeandanother9percentdosopart-time.Butanother14percentofworkershavetheoptionoftelecommuting,orhavejobsconductivetothepracticebutchoosenotto.“Thenumberssuggestthatmanypeoplewouldratherworkattheofficeeveniftheirjoballowedtelecommuting,”saidProfessorP.K.Kannan,oftheRobertH.SmithSchoolofBusinessattheUniversityofMaryland.“Thatseemstosuggestthatevenifemployersweretosaytomorrowthateverybodyhadtheoptionoftelecommutingandyouwouldsavealotofgas,that’snotgoingtohappen.Anhypothesiscouldbethatpeoplestillneedthe‘facetime’withtheirbosses.Anotherthingispeoplemiss
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