四级系统精讲之阅读理解2长篇

SectionB

四级系统精讲之阅读理解2—长篇阅读03

Directions:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.Youmaychooseaparagraphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.

AncientGreekWisdomInspiresGuidelinestoGoodLife

Isitpossibletoenjoyapeacefullifeinaworldthatisincreasinglychallengedbythreatsanduncertaintiesfromwars,terrorism,economiccrisesandawidespreadoutbreakofinfectiousdiseases?Theanswerisyes,accordingtoanewbookThe10GoldenRules:AncientWisdomfromtheGreekPhilosophersonLivingaGoodLife.Thebookisco-authoredbyLongIslandUniversity’sphilosophyprofessorMichaelSoupiosandeconomicsprofessorPanosMourdoukoutas.

ThewisdomoftheancientGreekphilosophersistimeless,saysSoupios.Thephilosophyprofessorsaysitisasrelevanttodayaswhenitwasfirstwrittenmanycenturiesago.“Thereisnoexpiration(失效)dateonwisdom,”hesays.“Thereisnoshelflifeoninligence.Ithinkthatthingshave everygloomythesedays,lotsofmisunderstanding,misleadingcues,alotofwhattheancientswouldhavecalledsophistry(诡辩).ThenicethingaboutancientphilosophyasofferedbytheGreeksisthattheytendedtoseelifeclearandwhole,inawaythatwetendnottoseelifetoday.”

Examineyourlife

Soupios,alongwithhisco-authorPanosMourdoukoutas,developedtheir10goldenrulesbyturningtothemenbehindthatphilosophy—Aristotle,Socrates,EpictetusandPythagoras,amongothers.Thefirstrule—examineyourlife—isthecommonthreadthatrunsthroughtheentirebook.Soupiossaysthatitisbasedonto’sobservationthattheunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving.“TheGreeksarealwaysconcernedaboutboxingthemselvesin,intermsofconvictions(信念),”hesays.“Sotakeastepback,switchofftheautomaticpilotandactuallystopandreflectaboutthingslikeourpriorities,ourvalues,andourrelationships.”

Stopworryingaboutwhatyoucannotcontrol

Aswebegintoexamineourlife,Soupiossays,wecometoRuleNo.2:Worryonlyaboutthingsthatyou

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cancontrol.“TheindividualwhopromotedthisideawasaStoicphilosopher.HisnameisEpictetus,”hesays.“AndwhattheStoicssayingeneralissimplythis:Thereisalargerninlife.Youarenotreallygoingtobeabletounderstandallofthedimensionsofthisn.Youarenotgoingtobeabletocontrolthedimensionsofthisn.”

So,Soupiosexins,itisnotworthittowasteourphysical,inlectualandspiritualenergyworryingaboutthingsthatarebeyondourcontrol.“IcannotcontrolwhetherornotIwindupgettingthediseaseswineflu,forexample,”hesays.“Imean,therearesomecautiousstepsIcantake,butultimayIcannotguaranteemyselfthat.SowhatEpictetuswouldsayissittingathomeworryingaboutthatwouldbewrongandwastefulandirrational.Youshouldliveyourlifeattemptingtoidentifyandcontrolthosethingswhichyoucangenuinelycontrol.”

Seektruepleasure

Tohaveameaningful,happylifeweneedfriends.ButaccordingtoAristotle—astudentoftoandteacherofAlexandertheGreat—mostrelationshipsdon’tqualifyastruefriendships.“JustbecauseIhaveabusinessrelationshipwithanindividualandIcanprofitfromthatrelationship,itdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthisismyfriend,”Soupiossays.“Realfriendshipiswhentwoindividualssharethesamesoul.ItisabeautifulanduncharacteristicallypoeticimagethatAristotleoffers.”

Inourpursuitofthegoodlife,hesays,itisimportanttoseekouttruepleasures—advicewhichwasoriginallyofferedbyEpicurus.ButunlikethemoderndefinitionofEpicureanismasalifeofindulgence(放纵)andluxury,fortheancientGreeks,itmeantfindingastateofcalm,peaceandmentalease.

“ThiswasthehighestandmostdesirableformofpleasureandhappinessfortheancientEpicureans,”Soupiossays.“Thisissomethingthatisverymuchwellworthconsideringhereinthemodernera.Idonotthinkthatwespendnearlyenoughtimetryingtoconcentrateonachievingasortofcalmness,asortofcontentmentinmentalandspiritualway,whichwasidentifiedbythesepeopleasthehighestformofhappinessandpleasure.”

Dogoodtoothers

Othergoldenrulescounselustomasterourselves,toavoidexcessandnottobeaprosperous(发迹的)fool.Therearealsorulesdealingwithinteralrelationships:Bearesponsiblehumanbeinganddonotdoevilthingstoothers.

“ThisisHesiod,ofcourse,ayoungercontemporarypoet,webelieve,withHomer,”Soupiossays.“Hesiodoffersanidea—whichyouveryoftenfindinsomeoftheworld’sgreatreligions,intheJudeo-ChristiantraditionandinIslamanothers—thatinsomesense,whenyouhurtanotherhumanbeing,youhurtyourself.Thatdamagingotherpeopleinyourcommunityandinyourlife,trashingrelationships,resultsinakindofself-inflicted(自己招致的)spiritualwound.”

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Instead,Soupiossays,ancientwisdomurgesustodogood.GoldenRuleNo.10foragoodlifeisthatkindnesstowardotherstendstoberewarded.

“ThisisAesop,thefabulist(寓言家),themanofthesecharminglittletales,oftentoldintermsofanimalsandanimalrelationships,”hesays.“IthinkwhatAesopwassuggestingisthatwhenyouofferagoodturntoanotherhumanbeing,onecanhopethatthatgooddeedwillcomebackandsortofpayaprofittoyou,thedoerofthegooddeed.Evenifthereisnoconcretebenefitpaidinresponsetoyourgooddeed,attheveryleast,thedoerofthegooddeedhastheopportunitytoenjoyakindofspirituallyenlightenedmoment.”

Soupiossaysfollowingthe10GoldenRulesbasedonancientwisdomcanguideustothepathofthegoodlifewherewestoplivingasonlookersand eengagedandhappierhumanbeings.Andthat,henotes,isalifeworthliving.

AccordingtoanancientGreekphilosopher,itisimpossibleforustounderstandeveryaspectofou