英语阅读材料.docx

英语阅读材料.docx

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英语阅读材料

英语阅读材料

（一）

　　“Thereisnothingeithergoodorbad,butthinkingmakesitso.”—WilliamShakespeare,“Hamlet”

　　Oneofthegreatestsourcesofunhappiness,inmyexperience,isthedifficultywehaveinacceptingthingsastheyare.

　　Withoutjudgment,withoutwishingforotherwise.

　　Whenweseesomethingwedon'tlike,wewishitcouldbedifferent—wecryoutforsomethingbetter.Thatmaybehumannature,orperhapsit'ssomethingthat'singrainedinourculture.

　　Therootoftheunhappinessisn'tnecessarilythatwewantthingstobedifferent,however:

it'sthatwedecidedwedidn’tlikeitinthefirstplace.We'vejudgeditasbad,ratherthansaying,"It'snotbadorgood,itjustis."

　　Anexample:

Inmyrecentpost,ABeautifulMethodtoFindPeaceofMind,quiteafewcommentersthoughtmyoutlookwasnegative,pessimistic,orfatalistic…becauseIsaidyoushouldexpectpeopletomessup,expectthingstogodifferentlythanyouplanned,andthatyoushouldembracethat.

　　It'stoonegativetoexpectthingstogowrong,theysaid.However:

it'sonlynegativeifyouseeitasnegative.Ifyoujudgeitasbad.

　　Instead,youcouldacceptitasthewaytheworldworks—asthewaythingsactuallyare.Andtrytounderstandwhythatis,andembraceit.Asitis.

　　Thiscanbeappliedtowhateveryoudo:

whetheritbehowotherpeopleactatwork,howpoliticsworksandhowdepressingthenewsmediacanbe.Acceptthesethingsastheyare,andtrytounderstandwhythey'rethatway.

　　It'llsaveyoualotofgrief,becauseyou'llnolongersay,"Oh,Iwishthingsdidn'tsuck!

"

　　Doesitmeanyoucanneverchangethings?

Notatall.Butchangethingsnotbecauseyoucan'tacceptthingsastheyare,butbecauseyouenjoytheprocessofchange,oflearningandgrowing.

　　Canwemakethisworldabetterplace?

Again,that'sassumingthatit'sabadplacerightnow.Butinstead,youcouldsaytheworldisjustwhatitis—andthat'sneithergoodnorbad.Youcansaythatyou'llcontinuetotrytodothingstohelpothers,togrowasaperson,tomakeadifferenceinthisworld—notbecauseyou'resuchabadpersonnow,ortheworldsucks,butbecausethat'sthepathyouchoosetotake,becauseyouenjoythatpath.

　　Asyoucatchyourselfjudging,andwishingfordifferent—andwealldoit—tryadifferentapproach:

accept,andunderstand.Itmightleadtosomeinterestingresults.

（二）

Whatwouldyoudoifyouonlyhadashorttimetolive?

It'shard,fromwithinthestormofeverydaylife,toseethingswithrealperspective,toknowwhat'simportantandwhat'ssimplypressingonourconsciousnessrightnow,demandingattention.

Wehavepeopleemailingusforinformationandrequestingaction,wehavephonecallsandvisitorsandalongto-dolistandamillionchoresanderrandstorunandalloftheslingsandarrowsofourdailyreality…andyet,whatisimportant?

Askyourselfthis:

ifyousuddenlyfoundoutyouonlyhad6monthstolive（forwhateverreason）,wouldthethinginfrontofyoumattertoyou?

Wouldthose20emailswaitingforaresponsematter?

Wouldthepaperworkwaitingtobeprocessedmatter?

Wouldtheworkyou'redoingmatter?

Wouldthemeetingsyou'resupposedtohavematter?

Wouldabigcarandnicehouseandhigh-payingjobandcoolcomputerandmobiledeviceandniceshoesandclothesmatter?

I'mnotsayingtheywouldn’tmatter…butit'simportanttoaskyourselfiftheywould.

Whatwouldmattertoyou?

Formanyofus,it'sthelovedonesinourlives.Ifwedon'thavelovedones…maybeit'stimewestartedfiguringoutwhy,andaddressingthat.Maybewehaven'tmadetimeforothers,forgettingoutandmeetingothersandhelpingothersandbeingcompassionateandpassionateaboutothers.Maybewehaveshutourselvesinsomehow.Ormaybewedohavelovedonesinourlives,butwedon’tseemtohavethetimewewanttospendwiththem.

Whenwasthelasttimeyoutoldyourlovedonesyoulovedthem?

Spentgoodqualitytimewiththem,beinginthemoment?

Formanyofus,doingworkthatmatters…wouldmatter.Thatmightmeanhelpingothers,ormakingavitalcontributiontosociety,orcreatingsomethingbrilliantandinspiring,orexpressingourselvessomehow.It’snotthemoneythatmatters,buttheimpactofthework.Areyoudoingworkthatmatters?

Formanyofus,experiencinglifewouldmatter—reallybeinginthemoment,findingpassioninourlives,seeingtheworldandtraveling,orjustseeingtheworldthat’saroundusrightnow,beingwithgreatpeople,doingamazingthings,eatingamazingfood,playing.

Thesearejustafewideas…butwhatwouldmattertoyou?

Ihighlyrecommendthatyouspendatleastalittletimenow,andregularly,thinkingaboutthisquestion…figuringoutwhatreallymatters…andlivingalifethatshowsthis.

Howdoyoulivealifethatputsagreatemphasisonwhatmatters?

Startbyfiguringoutwhatmatters,andwhatdoesn't.Theneliminateasmuchasyoucanofthestuffthatdoesn'tmatter,oratleastminimizeittotheextentpossible.Makeroomforwhatdoesmatter.

Makethetimeforwhatdoesmatter…today.Putitonyourschedule,anddon'tmissthatappointment.Makethosetoughdecisions—becausechoosingtolivealifethatisfilledwiththeimportantstuffmeansmakingchoices,andthey’renotalwayseasychoices.Butitmatters.

Spendtimewithyoursignificantother,showthemhowimportanttheyare.Takethetimetocuddlewithyourchild,toreadwithher,toplaywithher,tohavegoodconversationswithher,totakewalkswithher.Taketimetobeinnature,toappreciatethebeautyoftheworldaroundus.Taketimetosavorthelittlepleasuresinlife.

Becausewhileyoumightnothaveonly6monthstolive,I'mheretobreakthenewstoyou:

youreallydoonlyhaveashorttimetolive.Whetherthat's6months,6yearsor60…it'sbuttheblinkofaneye.

Thelifeyouhaveleftisagift.Cherishit.Enjoyitnow,tothefullest.Dowhatmatters,now.

（三）

ThereoncewasamasterwhowenttoIndia.Inthosetimes,wedidn'thavethecommunicationsorairplanesormanykindsoftransportationthatwedonow.SothemasterwenttoIndiaonfoot.HehadneverbeentoIndiabefore;perhapshecamefromPersia.Andwhenhegotthere,hesawalotoffruit.InIndiatheyhaveplentyoffruittosell,butmuchofitisexpensivebecausetheycan'tgrowmuchduetothewatersituation.Sohesawonebasket,abigbasketofsomeveryred,longfruit.Anditwasthecheapestintheshop,notexpensiveatall.

　　Sohewentupandasked,"Howmuchperkilo?

"Andtheshopkeepersaid,"Tworupees."TworupeesinIndiaisnothing;it'slikedirt.Soheboughtawholekilogramofthefruitandstartedeatingit.Butafterheatesomeofit:

Oh,myGod!

Hiseyeswatered,hismouthwateredandburned,hiseyeswereburning,hisheadwasburningandhisfacebecamered.Ashecoughedandchokedandgaspedforbreath,hejumpedupanddown,saying,"Ah!

Ah!

Ah!

"

　　Buthestillcontinuedtoeatthefruit!

Somepeoplewhowerelookingathimshooktheirheadsandsaid,"You'recrazy,man.Thosearechilies!

Youcan'teatsomany;they'renotgoodforyou!

Peopleusethemasacondiment,butonlyalittlebittoputintofoodfortaste.Youcan'tjusteatthembythehandfullikethat;they'renotfruit!

"Sothestupidmastersaid,"No,Ican'tstop!

Ipaidmoneyforthem,andnowI'lleatthem.It'smymoney!

"

　　Andyouthinkthatmasterwasstupid,right?

Similarly,wesometimesdoalotofthingslikethat.Weinvestmoney,timeoreffortinarelationship,businessorjob.Andeventhoughit'sbeenalongtime,bitterexperiencetellsusitwon'twork,andweknowthere'snomorehopethatthingswillchangeinthefuture-thiswedefinitelyknowbyintuition-westillcontinuejustbecausewe'veinvestedmoney,time,effortandloveintoit.Ifso,we'rekaputinthebrain.Justlikethemanwhoatethechiliesandsufferedsomuchbutcouldn'tstopbecausehedidn'twanttowastethemoneyhe'dpaid.

　　Soevenifyou'velostsomething,letitgoandmoveon.That'sbetterthancontinuingtolose.

（四）

Thescarsoflove

　　　　SomeyearsagoonahotsummerdayinsouthFloridaalittleboydecidedtogoforaswimintheoldswimmingholebehindhishouse.

　　Inahurrytodiveintothecoolwater,heranoutthebackdoor,leavingbehindshoes,socks,andshirtashewent.Heflewintothewater,notrealizingthatasheswamtowardthemiddleofthelake,analligatorwasswimmingtowardtheshore.Hismother-inthehousewaslookingoutthewindow-sawthetwoastheygotcloserandclosertogether.Inutterfear,sherantowardthewater,yellingtohersonasloudlyasshecould.

　　Hearinghervoice,thelittleboybecamealarmedandmadeareturntoswimtohismother.Itwastoolate.Justashereachedher,thealligatorreachedhim.

　　Fromthedock,themothergrabbedherlittleboybythearmsjustasthealligatorsnatchedhislegs.Thenbegananincredibletug-of-warbetweenthetwo.Thealligatorwasmuchstrongerthanthemother,butthemotherwasmuchtoopassionatetoletgo.Afarmerhappenedtodriveby,heardherscreams,racedfromhistruck,tookaimandshotthealligator.

　　Remarkably,afterweeksandweeksinthehospital,thelittleboysurvived.Hislegswereextremelyscarredbytheviciousattackoftheanimaland,onhisarms,weredeepscratcheswherehismother'sfingernailsdugintohisfleshinherefforttohangontothesonsheloved.

　　Thenewspaperreporterwhointerviewedtheboyafterthetrauma,askedifhewouldshowhimhisscars.Theboyliftedhispantlegs.Andthen,withobviouspride,hesaidtothereporter.Butlookatmyarms.Ihavegreatscarsonmyarms,too.Ihavethembecausemymomwouldn'tletgo.

　　Y