English is full of colourful phrases to describe shyness. Someone shy might be called shrinking violet or a wallflower, while for especially nervous types we have the curious expression: they wouldn’t say “boo” to a goose.
None of these are traditionally seen as positive descriptions, even if you like geese. In a culture of go-getting high achievers, shy people don’t come first. Or that’s what the self-help industry would have you believe. Bookshops are filled with vital tomes (大部头书籍) that promise to help beat social fears and find success in life, love and business. That is why one book, Shrinking Violets: A Field Guide to Shyness, bucks the trend. It became a sudden success across English-language media recently for its new take-on shyness.
Author Joe Moran says that despite struggling with shyness and longing for loneliness all his life, being shy can also be “a gift”. Freed from the constant urge to participate and compete in social situations, people are liberated to look at the world in new ways, and gain fresh insights.
Indeed, many of the world’s great thinkers and artists are introverts (内向的人). Scientists Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein preferred their own company; actress Keira Knightley often finds herself tongue-tied at parties; and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling claims she used to be too nervous to even borrow a pen.
Moran told BBC Future, “I think shyness probably does turn you into an amateur anthropologist (人类学家), really — you are more likely to be an observer.”
So, while extroverts make all the noise, they don’t necessarily have the best ideas.
If you’re shy, you’ve probably known this for a long time. You just don’t shout about it.
【小题1】Why did the author mention many famous shy people?| A．To point out the harm shyness brings. |
| B．To disconnect shyness and success. |
| C．To show the reasons for shyness. |
| D．To prove shyness contributes to science. |
| A．Opposed. | B．Indifferent. |
| C．Supportive. | D．Critical. |
| A．praised for his grace |
| B．admired for his character |
| C．laughed at for his shyness |
| D．told off for his nervousness |
| A．Goes against the trend and succeeds. |
| B．Changes the public idea completely. |
| C．Becomes unpopular and unaccepted. |
| D．Becomes the major concern of people. |
When I was a boy there were no smart phones, and our television only got one channel clearly. Still, I was never bored. The fields, hills, and woodlands around my home were the perfect playground. I can remember once hiking to a nearby lake. At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old dirt road that I had never seen before. It was full of muddy tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but exploring it still seemed like a fine adventure.
I walked on and on for hours. I was sure my guardian angel was whispering in my ear “Turn around and head back home”, but I was stubborn, so I walked on. There was still neither a car nor a house in sight. I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew scared. I didn’t want to end up trapped on this road, and I was worried that it would be dark before I could make my way back to the lake again.
I continued to walk on with something growing inside of me. My heart was pounding and my legs were aching. I was almost in tears when I turned one last curve and saw something in the distance. It was a house that I recognized. I jumped up and down and laughed out loud. It was still over a mile away, but my legs felt like feathers and I hurried back to my house in no time. I walked in with a big smile on my face just in time for dinner.
I remembered this recently when I saw a sign that said “All roads lead home”. It is true. In life, all roads, no matter how they twist and turn, can lead us home again. What is important, though, is how we travel them. Are we going to go forth in fear or are we going to go forth in faith? Are we going to make this life a terrible trip or are we going to make this life a joyful journey? The choice is ours.
【小题1】Why did the author hardly feel bored when he was young?| A．Because he could have fun in nature. |
| B．Because he could watch TV all day. |
| C．Because he had many friends. |
| D．Because he used to explore the old dirt road. |
| A．He thought he would be scolded by his parents. |
| B．He felt contradictory in mind. |
| C．He thought he would be trapped in the woods. |
| D．He was unconscious. |
| A．The dirt road. | B．His house. |
| C．The lake. | D．A passing car. |
| A．Always make choices on our own. |
| B．All roads lead home. |
| C．It’s our attitude that matters in our life. |
| D．Every effort is worthwhile. |
Money can buy happiness.
Spending money on experiences — travel, outdoor activities, concerts, classes, movies — brings us more joy than buying material things. One reason is that our experiences are a bigger part of our identity than our possessions. You can really like your material stuff, you can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things,
Another reason we value experience even after they’re over is that even negative experiences can become positive over time.
Shared experiences are also looked upon me favorably because they connect us to others more than shared consumption does. We feel more connected to people who have also backpacked through Europe than people who happen to have purchased the same iPhone.
| A．But how you spend it matters. |
| B．Yet they remain separate from you. |
| C．You could use the material item every day. |
| D．One of the enemies of happiness is adaptation. |
| E．Just talking about them made their evaluation improve. |
| F．Spending money on experiential purchases makes people more generous. |
| G．If weighing your options, buying experience promises promotion of well being. |
What is friendship? The answers may be different.
Friendship is valuable. It can touch your heart and give you hope. Many people are proud of having a good friend.
In fact， friendship isn't always easily kept.
Because of friendship， our lives are full of happiness. Therefore， the more friends we have， the more pleasures（乐事） we can share with them. Let's say “Thank you” to our friends for their love and care.
| A．When you want to keep a friend |
| B．If your friendship still cannot last long |
| C．No matter where we go or who we become |
| D．Everyone needs friends and is eager to get friendship |
| E．True friendship must be sincere and must not have conditions |
| F．But one ，thing is clear that friendship is one of the most important things in our life |
| G．Sometimes people have good friends when they are young and studying in school |
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