英语四级美文

11.HappinessManypeoplethinkthatwhentheybecomerichandsuccessful,happinesswillnaturallyfollow.Letmetellyouthatnothingisfurtherfromthetruth.Theworldisfullofveryrichpeoplewhoareasmiserableasiftheywerelivinginhell.Wehavereadstoriesaboutmoviestarswhocommittedsuicideordiedfromdrugs.Quiteclearly,moneyisnottheonlyanswertoallproblems.Wealthobtainedthroughdishonestmeansdoesnotbringhappiness.Lotterywinningsdonotbringhappiness.Gamblewinningsdonotbringhappiness.Tomymind,thesecrettohappinessliesinyoursuccessfulwork,Thereisnousesayinginyourcontributiontowardsothers’happinessandinyourwealthyouhaveearnedthroughyourownhonesteffort.Ifyouobtainwealththroughluckordishonestmeans,youwillknowthatitisillearnedmoney.Ifyougetyourmoneybytakingadvantageofothersorbyhurtingothers,youwillnotbehappywithit.Youwillthinkyouareabaseperson.Long－termhappinessisbasedonhonesty,productivework,contribution,andself－esteem.Happinessisnotanend;itisaprocess.Itisacontinuousprocessofhonest,productiveworkwhichmakesarealcontributiontoothersandmakesyoufeelyouareauseful,worthyperson.AsDr.Waynewrote,“Thereisnowaytohappiness.Happinessistheway.”“SomedaywhenIachievethesegoals,whenIgetacar,buildahouseandownmyownbusiness,thenIwillbereallyhappy.”Lifejustdoesnotworkthatway.Ifyouwaitforcertainthingstohappenanddependonexternalcircumstancesoflifetomakeyouhappy,youwillalwaysfeelunfulfilled.Therewillalwaysbesomethingmissing.2.TheEnglishCharacterTootherEuropeans,thebestknownqualityoftheBritish,andinparticularoftheEnglish,is“reserved”.Areservedpersonisonewhodoesnottalkverymuchtostrangers,doesnotshowmuchemotion,andseldomgetsexcited.Itisdifficulttogettoknowareservedperson:henevertellsyouanythingabouthimself,andyoumayworkwithhimforyearswithouteverknowingwherehelives,howmanychildrenhehas,andwhathisinterestsare.Englishpeopletendtobelikethat.CloselyrelatedtoEnglishreserveisEnglishmodesty.Withintheirhearts,theEnglishareperhapsnolessconceitedthananybodyelse,butintheirrelationswithotherstheyvalueatleastashowofmodesty.Self－praiseisfelttobeimpolite.Ifapersonis,letussay,verygoodattennisandsomeoneaskshimifheisagoodplayer,hewillseldomreply“Yes,”becausepeoplewillthinkhimconceited.Hewillprobablygiveananswerlike,“I’mnotbad,”or“IthinkI’mverygood,”or“Well,I’mverykeenontennis.”Evenifhehadmanagedtoreachthefinalsinlastyear’slocalchampionships,hewouldsayitinsuchawayastosuggestthatitwasonlyduetoapieceofgoodluck.Sincereserveandmodestyarepartofhisownnature,thetypicalEnglishtendstoexpecttheminothers.Hesecretlylooksdownonmoreexcitablenations,andlikestothinkofhimselfasmorereliablethantheyare.Hedoesn’ttrustbigpromisesandopenshowsoffeelings,especiallyiftheyareexpressedinflowerylanguage.Hedoesn’ttrustself－praiseofanykind.Thisappliesnotonlytowhatotherpeoplemaytellhimaboutthemselvesorally,buttotheletterstheymaywritetohim.Tothosewhoarefondoffloweryexpressions,theEnglishmanmayappearuncomfortablycold.23.ExerciseAstateofphysicalandmentalhealthallowsyoutotakepartinexercisecomfortablyandenjoyablysothatitdoesn’thurt,sothatyoucanlookforwardtoit,andfeelgoodafterwards.Ifyouarefeelingdown,exercisemayhelppickyouup.Althoughresearchersdisagreeonthisissue,onereviewofpaststudiesfoundthatlong-termexercise,especiallywhenitincludeslong-lasting,strenuoustrainingsessions,hasaboutasmuchofaneffectondepressionaspsychotherapy.Workingouthelpsyoudealwithstressinyourjob,relationshipsoranyareaoflife—possiblybecauseexerciseisaformofstressitselfandhelpsconditionyourbodytodealwithit.WhenAustralianresearcherscomparedpeoplewhodid30minutesofaerobicexercisethreetimesaweektothosewhopracticedprogressiverelaxationtechniques,theyfoundthattheformergrouprespondedbettertoacutestressandhadlowerbloodpressure.Evenalittleexercisecanmakeyouthinklessanxiously.Studieshaveshownthatanyamountofexercise,fromabrisk10minutewalktoanintenseaerobicsorweightliftingsessionseemstodecreasefeelingsofanxiety.Workingoutregularlymaymakeyousmarternowandlessenthepossibilitythatyou’lllosebrainfunctionasyouage.AccordingtoarecentanimalstudyattheUniversityofIllinois,exercisecanactuallyhelpthebraindevelopnewcells.Inseveralstudies,regularweighttrainingoraerobicexercisewasshowntoimprovethequalityanddurationofsleep.Naturally,thiscanmakeyoulessfatiguedandbeabletofunctionbetterduringtheday.Likemeditation,hobbiesoranyotherleisureactivity,exercisegivesyourmindaneededbreakfromeverydaythoughts,responsibilitiesandcommitments.Finally,there’sonemorereasontokeepexercising.Whenyouworkoutregularly,yourbodysimplyfunctionsbetteryouarebetter,healthierandlesslikelytosufferpainfulphysicalconditions.Andthatjustplainfeelsgood.5.AllEverReallyNeededtoKnowILearnedinKindergarten…MostofwhatIreallyneedtoknowabouthowtoliveandwhattodoandhowtobe,Ilearnedinkindergarten.Wisdomwasnotatthetopofthegraduatemountain,butthereinthesandboxatnurseryschool.ThesearethethingsIlearned:Shareeverything.Playfair.Don’thitpeople.Putthingsbackwhereyoufoundthem.Cleanupyourownmess.Don’ttakethingsthataren’tyours.Sayyou’resorrywhenyouhurtsomebody.Washyourhandsbeforeyoueat.Warmcookiesandcoldmilkaregoodforyou.Liveabalancedlife.Learnsomea