大学英语美文阅读Word文档格式.docx

大学英语美文阅读Word文档格式.docx

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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