If you’ve been reading my reports from Australia, you’d be wondering why I haven’t mentioned the people I’m travelling with.
People often talk to you more than they would if you were with someone else. On the plane, I chatted with Lucy who was going on holiday. I quickly made friends with Rhiannon in Singapore airport. I love chatting to new people, but quite often I get the feeling that people talk to you only because they feel bad for you having no company (陪伴).
The strangest thing has been other people’s reactions. When I walk into a restaurant and ask for a table for one, the waiter looks surprised. And the surprise only increases when I tell them I’m here on business. Yes, that’s right. I’m not on holiday. It’s not only middle-aged men in suits who go on business trips, a young woman in her flowery dress can too.
Doing things on your own can be scary, but it’s also so rewarding (有益的).
A.That’s because there isn’t anyone. |
B.Travelling alone has its ups and downs. |
C.There’re oceans of advantages about travelling alone. |
D.But just because I’m alone it doesn’t mean I’m lonely! |
E.People tend to distrust you when they see you on your own. |
F.Travelling by myself has made me so much more confident. |
G.It reminds me how much we judge people by their appearance. |
Are you simply moving through your day without fully living? I think many of us have done this. Everyone wants to fully live every day.
Sit in the morning. When you wake up in the quiet of the morning, sit on the floor. I often use this opportunity to stretch. I feel every muscle in my body..
Read in silence. Find a quiet time, and a quiet place, and read a good novel. Have no television or computers on nearby.
Look at someone in a grateful way.
A.Work with force. |
B.Walk slowly. |
C.But this is easier said than done. |
D.And just put yourself in the world of the novel. |
E.It’s a way of building something good into your life. |
F.I also just sit, and focus on my breathing going in and out. |
G.Find someone you care about and be grateful for his existence. |
Last year, I found myself in a situation: at a friend’s drinks, speaking to a total stranger. Not long into our conversation, my brain started searching for escape routes. I’m comfortable admitting that, before COVID-19, I didn’t think “meeting new people” was on my list of preferred pastimes. Maintaining relationships takes time, so why open myself up to someone new if there’s no obvious connection?
Then the pandemic hit. Like many people, I was restricted to a year of limited socializing with a very small circle of friends. I’ve met a handful of new colleagues over Zoom in the last 12 months—but I can’t remember one meaningful in-person connection with someone new.
To my surprise, I now have a strong desire for meeting new people. I’d love to connect with a friend-of-a-friend at the pub or a new colleague over a slightly-too-warm white wine after work. I miss having unexpected things in common with people, but also hearing new perspectives on issues outside my own experiences.
The sense of connection with a new person can be thrilling. A 2018 study explored what happened to the brains of young adults when they met new people, and found that even 10 minutes of social interaction with a new person boosts cognitive performance. Other studies have linked new social interaction to better social and emotional wellbeing and improved life satisfaction.
I may not have had a “lockdown glow up” in the aesthetic (美感) sense, but I have learned about myself. Before the pandemic, I hadn’t realized that new people were a vital part of my social ecosystem. As the end of lockdown approaches. I’m prepared to find the courage to show strangers a less guarded version of myself.
【小题1】What can we learn about the author before the pandemic?A.He loved being alone. |
B.He was outgoing and sociable. |
C.He enjoyed making new friends. |
D.He had no desire to meet new people. |
A.link new social interaction to better life |
B.show the benefits of meeting new people |
C.imply the anxiety caused by meeting new people |
D.explain how the pandemic affects human brains |
A.It pays to open yourself up to old friends. |
B.It’s vital to guard yourself against strangers. |
C.Meeting new people may bring excitement to life. |
D.Zoom help people build close connections with strangers. |
A.The author didn’t think well of the lockdown. |
B.Lockdown enhanced the author’s aesthetic ability. |
C.The author’s aesthetic ability needed to be improved. |
D.The pandemic helped the author better understand himself. |
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