江苏高考英语百日训练之任务型阅读(74)含答案解析

江苏高考英语百日训练之任务型阅读（

74

）含 答案解析

【题文】

Every January for the past 20 years, I have taken a few moments to consider the answer to the big question, “What is

the

meaning

of

life?”.

The reason

I

ask

this

question

year

after

year

is

that

my

answer

changes over

time,

which

I

find

interesting and insightful. There is no objectively correct answer, I believe

—

only answers that are right for you at any given

time. This question is so important

—

philosophically and practically in terms of how we live our lives

—

yet we are unable

to really think about the answer.

Doing

this

simple

exercise

might

even

help

you

live

longer.

According

to

two

separate

studies

—

one

with

9,000

participants around age 65 and another with 6,000 people between 20 and 75

—

those who could explain the meaning and

purpose of their lives died later than those who saw their lives as aimless. It didn’t seem to matter what meaning participan

ts

ascribed

to

their

lives,

whether

it

was

personal

(such

as

happiness),

or

creative

(such

as

making

art).

It

was

having

an

answer to the question that mattered. The connection to longevity

（长寿）

could be causal

—

having purpose may help one

manage daily stress, as other research has shown. But it could also be that those who think about life’s meaning are more

likely to do other activities that promote good health.

Great thinkers have given the question thought. Leo Tolstoy wrote, “The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.”

Albert Einstein said: “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” My favorite answer, though, is “The purpose of life

is a life of purpose.”

Some have concluded that life’s meaning is subjective. “There is not one standard meaning for all,” author Ana?s Nin

once said. “There is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an in

dividual plot, like an individual

novel, a book for each person.” I agree, which is why I recommend formulating

（构想）

your own answer. Taking a few

moments

to

record

your

response

to

the

question

“What

is

the

meaning

of

life?”

is

the

kind

of

simple

exercise

t

hat

effectively adds meaning to your life.

And then I suggest answering it every year. Looking back at how your thinking has evolved and been influenced by

experience tells you something more about yourself. Then, it gets you closer to a deeper self-understanding.

If you do the annual “meaning” exercise, I suggest not looking at past answers before answering anew. I write them

down on the same now- yellowing piece of paper and keep it someplace safe.

The last suggestion is to turn your answer into action. If you conclude, as Tolstoy and Einstein did, that the meaning of

life is helping others, that should help motivate you to do more of it.

This is not a theoretical exercise. Whatever small step you take toward finding the meaning of life is a step toward a

m

ore meaningful, and longer life. Why not do this simple annual “meaning” exercise from now on?