In everyday life,we are often faced with important decisions — such as whether to apply for a new job or start a new course. 【小题1】 The more we can test our limits and abilities,the more we will learn about ourselves.New challenges are opportunities for us.

【小题2】 Rather than seeing the opportunity, often, we focus on what it will be like to fail.As a result,taking on a new challenge can be frightening. In these cases,we may avoid the challenge altogether and carry on down the same path we were on.

We make some excuses to ourselves so that we can stay in our comfort zone. 【小题3】 By avoiding challenges,we don’t have the opportunities to learn about ourselves.We feel trapped.We are troubled by discomfort,anxiety,and the sense that things are not quite right.

There are times when we might want to avoid a challenge for good,realistic reasons.Perhaps,deep down ,we are frightened of what other people might say and of what we might learn about ourselves.But instead of acknowledging that,we tell ourselves that now is not a good time,or that this isn’t the right opportunity. 【小题4】

To lead an authentic life,we need to take on new challenges that give us   more opportunities to be ourselves.It is not that authentic people don’t feel the same fear;rather,they are simply more willing to face their fear. 【小题5】 The question is not how to lead a life in which we never feel the fear of failure,but rather,how we can moved forward despite our fear.

I tried not to look down. My palms (手掌) were sweating. All I could concentrate on was the man below who was keeping the ladder steady. The tiny people waved up at me, but I couldn’t see them clearly.

When I got to the top, some sort of supernatural force brought my feet to the edge of the platform. I was going to slip off the board. The line holding me was going to break, and I was once again going to be thrown to death. Down was the only direction my eyes would go.

I begged to go back down the ladder, but the stupid man tried to convince me. The tiny dots below shouted encouragingly, saying they would run with me as I flew. I was going to slide off that platform. I couldn’t think; the tears stopped my brain. Why wouldn’t he let me go back? The message replayed in my mind, “You’re going to die…”

Like a blown-up balloon, I was let go just before it could be knotted at the bottom. I went in every direction, tension escaping from my body as I fell. The breeze hit my face and cooled my sweaty body. I could see clearly now, and I was flying.

Today, I am still terrified of heights. It would be nice to say that I conquered my fear and found something I loved. I owe my zip line (飞索) experience to the Englishman who pushed me off the platform. I am grateful for the experience because I love adventure. Trying new things has always appealed to me. Some of the most rewarding experiences I have had, like flying, have come out of conquering what at first appears to be frightening and impossible. While my days of aerial escapades are over, I look forward to the future and the question of fear of flying and will continue to create questions wherever I go.

Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away. 【小题1】 It’s just a local park near London that I’d never heard of during my eight years living in the UK. As I admired the serene garden, it taught me a lesson about the British culture of understatement.

“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty. 【小题2】

I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London. 【小题3】 Indeed, Oxford and Cambridge and the beloved Lake District National Park are some iconic symbols of Britain. But it would be a pity if they miss out on the lesser-known parts of the English landscape.

【小题4】 I remember a straight-A classmate once telling me he “survived exams” and another friend from Oxford introducing himself as “studying in the countryside”. This modesty also has its mirror in Chinese culture. I remember my parents’ telling me to work hard but not to brag about my achievements. Chinese culture is full of proverbs such as “real gold will shine sooner or later”, to encourage long-term dedication to one’s chosen area of expertise.

Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement. 【小题5】 It reflects the unspoken charm in both British and Chinese traditions. And it’s an off-the-beaten-path attraction well worth exploration.