2-英语精读第五单元

QuickFixSociety1.MyhusbandandIjustgotbackfromaweek’svacationinWestVirginia.2.Ofcourse,wecouldn’twaittogetthere,sowetookthePennsylvaniaTurnpikeandacoupleofinterstates.3.“Lookatthosegorgeousfarms!”myhusbandexclaimedaspastoralsceneryslidbyusat55mph.“Didyouseethosecows?”4.Butat55mph,it’sdifficulttoseeanything;thegorgeousfarmslooklikemovinggreencheckerboards,andtheherdofcowsisreducedtoafewdotsintherear-viewmirror.5.Forfourhours,ouronlyrealamusementconsistedofcountingexitsignsandwonderingwhatitwouldfeelliketoholdstillagain.6.Gettingtherecertainlydidn’tseemlikehalfthefun;infact,gettingtherewasn’tanyfunatall.7.So,whenitwastimetoreturntoourhomeoutsideofPhiladelphia,Iinsistedthatwetakeadifferentroute.8.“Let’sexplorethatcountryside,”Isuggested.9.Thetwodaysittookustomakethereturntripwerefilledwithnewexperiences.10.WetouredaCivilWarbattlefieldandstoodonthelittlehillthatfifteenthousandConfederatesoldiershadtiredtotakeonanotherhotJulyafternoon,onehundredandtwenty-fiveyearsago,notknowingthathalfofthemwouldgetkilledinthevainattempt.11.WedroveslowlythroughmainstreetsofsleepyPennsylvaniaDutchtowns,slowingtotwentymilesanhoursoasnottocrowdthehorsesandhorsecarriagesontheirwaytomarket.12.Weadmiredtoytrainsandantiquecarsincountrymuseumsandsaved70percentinfactoryoutlets.13.Westuffedourselveswithspicysaladsandhomemadebreadinan“all-you-can-eat”farmhouserestaurant,thenwanderedoutsidetoenjoythesunshineandtheherdsofcows-nolittledotsthistime-lyinginit.14.Andwereturnedhomerefreshed,revitalized,andreeducated.Thistime,gettingtherehadbeenthefun.15.Whyisitthatthefeaturelessturnpikesandinterstatesaretheroutesofchoiceforsomanyofus?16.Whydoesn’teverybodytryslowingdownandexploringthecountryside?17.Butmoreandmore,thefastlaneseemstobetheonlywayforustogo.18.Infact,mostAmericansareconstantlyinahurry-andnotjusttogetfromPointAtoPointB.19.Ourcountryhasbecomeanationinsearchofthequickfix-inmorewaysthanone.20.Nowinsteadoflater:Americansunderstoodtheprincipleofdeferredgratification.21.Weputalittleofeachpaycheckaway“forarainyday.”Ifwewantedanewsofaoraweekatalakesidecabin,wesavedupforit,andthebankshelpedusoutbyprovidingspecialChristmasClubandvacationClubaccounts.22.Ifwelivedintherightpartofthecountry,weplanedcornandbeansandwaitedpatientlyfortheharvest.23.Ifwewantedtobethinner,wesimplyatelessofourfavoritefoodsandwaitedpatientlyforthescaletodrop,apoundatatime.24.Buttodaywearen’tsopatient.Wetakeoutloansinsteadofmakingdeposits,orweuseourcreditcardtogetthatfurnitureorvacationtrip-relaxnow,paylater.Webuyourfood,likeourclothing,ready-madeandofftherack.25.Andifwe’reinahurrytoloseweight,wetrythelatestmiraclediet,guaranteedtotakeawaytenpoundsintendays...unlesswe’rerichenoughtoaffordliposuction.26.Fasterinsteadofslower:Notonlydowewantitnow;wedon’tevenwanttobekeptwaitingforit.27.Thisgeneralimpatience,the“I-hate-to-wait”attitude,hasinfectedeverylevelofourlives.28.Insteadofstandinginlineatthebank,wewithdrawtwentydollarsinasmanysecondsfromanautomatictellermachine.29.Thenwetakeourfastmoneytoafastconveniencestore(Whywaitinlineatthesupermarket?),wherewebuyafrozendinnerallwrappedupandreadytobeputintothemicrowave...unlesswedon’tcaretowaiteventhatlongandpickupsomefastfoodinstead.30.Andifourfastmealdoesn’tagreewithus,wehurrytothemedicinecabinetfor-youguessedit-somefastrelief.31.Welikefastpictures,sowebuyPolaroidcameras.Welikefastentertainment,sowerecordourfavoriteTVshowontheVCR.Welikeourinformationfast,too:messagesflashedonacomputerscreen,documentsfaxedfromyourtelephonetomine,currenteventsin90-secondsburstsonEyewitnessNews,historyreducedtoBicentennialMinutes.32.Symbolically,theAmericaneaglenowfliesforExpressMail.33.HowdareanyonekeepAmericanwaitinglongerthanovernight?34.Superficiallyinsteadofthoroughly:What’smore,wedon’tevenwantatallofit.35.Once,welingeredovereverywordofaclassicnovelorthelatestbestseller.36.Today,sincefasterisbetter,wereadthecondensedversionorputatapeofthebookintoourcar’stapeplayertolistentoonthewaytowork.37.OrwebuytheCliff’sNotes,especiallyifwearestudents,sowedon’thavetodealwiththebookatall.38.Once,welistenedtoeverynoteofBeethoven’sFifthSymphony.39.Today,wedon’thavethetime;instead,wecanenjoy26secondsofthatfamous“da-da-da-DUMtheme”-and99othermusicalexcerptsalmostasfamous-onourGreatestMomentsoftheClassicsCD.40.Afterall,whywaste45minuteslisteningtothewholethingwhensomeoneelsehassavedusthetroubleofpickingoutthebestparts?41.Ourmagazinearticlescometouspre-digestedinReader’sDigest.Ournewsbriefings,thankstoUSAToday,aremorebriefthanever.42.EvenourpersonalrelationshipshavebecomecompressedInsteadofdevotinglargepartsofourdaystoourlovedones,wereplacethemwithsomethingcalled“qualitytime,”which,moreoftenthannot,isnotimeatall.43.Aswerushfrombooktomusictonewsitemtorelationship,wedonotrealizethatwearelivingourlivesbytheicebergprinciple-payingattentiononlytothetopandignoringthe8/9thatliesjustbelowthesurface.44.Whendiditallbegin,thisurgetodoitnow,togetitoverwith,toskimthesurfaceoflife?Whyareweinsuchahurrytosavetime?Andwhatarewegoingtodowithallthetimewesavebesides,ofcourse,rushingoutto