ironic

Unit1

ManintheRealmofNature

onstantlyawareoftheinfluence

ofnatureintheformoftheairhebreathes,thewaterhedrinks,onnectedwithnatureby“bloodties”andwe

cannotliveoutsidenature.

Manisnotonlyadwellerinnature,tyconvertsnature’swealthintothemeansofthecultural,historicallifeof

subduedanddyhasmantransferredvarious

speciesofplantsandanimalstodifferentclimaticconditions,hehasalsochangedtheshapeandclimateofhinvironmentandtransformed

plantsandanimals.

Associetydevelops,mantendstobecomelessdependentonnaturedirectly,tantancestors

livedinfearofnature’r,despitetheirimperfect

tools,rnly,collectively,wasalsochangedthroughinteractionwithman.

forest,forexample,salldoneinthenameofcivilization,

whichmeanttheplaceswheremanhadmadehishome,wheretheearthwascultivated,wheretheforesthadbeencutdown.

Unit5

Fameisverymuchlikeananimalchasingitsowntailwho,whenhecapturesit,

andthepublicitythataccompaniesit,,isn’tit?

Thowhogainfamemostoftengainitasaresultofposssingasingletalentorskill:singing,dancing,painting,orwriting,

successfulperformerdevelopsastylethatgainssomepopularity,anditisthispopularitythatusuallyconvincestheperformertocontinue

performinginthesamestyle,ime,theperformerbecomesboredsingingthe

samesongsinthesamewayyearafteryear,orthepainterbecomesboredpaintingsimilarscenesorportraits,ortheactoristiredofplaying

rtistattempts

tochangehisorherstyleofwritingordancingorsinging,etc.,theaudiencemayturnawayandlooktogivethemomentaryfametoanother

andthen,intime,toanother,andsoonandsoon.

rmercaneasilycometobelievethatheorsheisasgoodashisor

tpeople,outthoperformerswhofail,oranyonewhofails?Curiously

enough,gssympathyfromotherswhoaredelightednottobeyou,anditallows

familyandfriendstolowertheirexpectationsofyo

theyfindexcusandexplanationsforyourinabilitytosucceedandbecomefamous:youaretoonsitive,youarenotinterestedinmoney,

youarenotinterestedinthepowerthatfamebringsandyouarenotinterestedinthelossofprivacyitdemands,etc.—allexcus,but

comfortingtothowhofailandthowhopretendnottonoticethefailure.

Unit6

entmansaidlongago:“Amancomestothisworldwithhisfist

clenched,butwhenhedies,hishandisopen.”

Surelyweoughttoholdfasttolife,foritiswonderful,thatthisisso,butalltoooftenwerecognizethistruth

onlyinourbackwardglancewhenwerememberwhatitwasandthensuddenlyrealizethatitisnomore.

Werememberabeautythatfaded,ememberwithfargreaterpainthatwedidnotethatbeautywhenit

flowered,thatwefailedtorespondwithlovewhenitwastendered.

spitalizedfollowingavereheartattackandhadbeeninintensivecareforveraldays.

Itwasnotapleasantplace.

Onemorning,uiredmachineswerelocatedinabuildingattheoppositeendofthehospital,soI

ergedfromourunit,’

howbeautifulitwas—howwarming;howsparkling;howbrilliant!

Ilookedtoewhetheranyoneelrelishedthesun’sgoldenglow,buteveryonewashurryingtoandfro,mostwitheyesfixedonthe

ememberedhowoftenI,too,hadbeenindifferenttothegrandeurofeachday,toopreoccupiedwithpettyandsometimes

evenmeanconcernstorespondtothegreatbeautyofitall.

Theinsightgleanedfromthatexperienceisreallyascommonplaceaswastheexperienceitlf:life’sgiftsareprecious—butwearetoo

carelessofthem.

Herethenisthefirstpoleoflife’sparadoxicaldemandsonus:ectfulbeforeeach

achgoldenminute.

Unit7

StrippingDowntoBareHappiness

“Whatwe’retalkingaboutissimplification,notdeprivation,”explainsSara,afriendofmine.“Itisn’tthatyoucan’tdoallthethingsyoulike,

’theoldhabitsemsowastefulandunsatisfyingthatyoureallyloyourtasteforthem.

Soyoustillhaveeverythingyouwant—onlyonlessmoney.”

WhenIfirstmetthem,SaraandMichaelwereatwo-careercouplewithahomeoftheirown,

begantotakeaninterestintheconceptof“voluntarysimplicity”withthebirthoftheirdaughterwhomtheywantedtoraiallbythemlves.

Neitheroneofthem,itturnedout,waswillingtorestrictwhattheyconsideredtheir“reallife”intothebrieftimebeforeworkandthetired

hoursafterwards.

“Alotofpeoplethinkthatastheyhavechildrenandthingsgetmoreexpensive,theonlyansweristoworkharderinordertoearnmore

’snottheonlyanswer,”insistsMichael.

Thecouple’sdecisionwastotradetwofull-timecareersfortwohalf-timecareers,cidedtospend

theirmoneyonlyonthingsthatcontributedtotheirmajorgoal,theconstructionofaworldwherefamilyandfriendship,workandplay,were

allofapiece,aworld,moreover,whichdidnotmakewastefuluoftheearth’sresources.

Today,theyliveinthesamesuburbancommunityinahandsome,ymoststandards,

itiasytoclean,furnish,stfloor,onelargeroom,hasakitchenareaalongonewall,abirchtableandchairsfor

dining,alivingroomdefinedbyacomfortablecouchandawoodstove,rsistheirbedroom,anofficethat

rvesthemboth,erewillbeasolargreenhououtside

thefrontdoor.

Unit8

TheStoryofanHour

KnowingthatMrsMallardwasafflictedwithahearttrouble,greatcarewastakentobreaktoherasgentlyaspossiblethenewsofher

husband’sdeath.

ItwashersisterJophinewhotoldher,inbrokenntences,band’sfriendRichardswas

there,too,ewhohadbeeninthenewspaperofficewhenintelligenceoftherailroaddisasterwasreceived,withBrently

Mallard’snameleadingthelistof“killed”.Hehadonlytakenthetimetoassurehimlfofitstruthbyacondtelegram,andhadhastenedto

preventanylesscareful,lesstenderfriendinbearingthesadmessage.

Shedidnothearthestoryasmanywomenhaveheardthesame,tatonce,with

sudden,wildabandonment,inhersister’estormofgriefhadspentitlf,ld

havenoonefollowher.

Therestood,facingtheopenwindow,acomfortable,isshesank,presddownbyaphysicalexhaustionthat

hauntedherbodyandemedtoreachintohersoul.

Shecouldeintheopensquaiciousbreathofrainwas

esofadistantsongreachedherfaintly,andcountlessbirdsweresinging.

Therewerepatchesofblueskyshowinghereandtherethroughthecloudsthathadmetandpiledoneabovetheotherinthewestfacing

herwindow.

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