题型:阅读理解 题类:常考题 难易度:普通
北京市朝阳区2020届高三上学期英语期末考试试卷
In the picture Landscape with Diogenes by the 17th century French artist Poussin, the ancient philosopher Diogenes is described casting away his last possession, a drinking bowl. He realizes he doesn't need it after seeing a youth cupping a hand to drink from a river. The significance for us is that Diogenes' spiritual descendants (后代) known as "new minimalists" are now everywhere, if not as completely possession-free as he was.
There are hundreds of websites praising the virtues of tidy living. Everyone is trying to cut down on things these days. People are trying to reduce their carbon footprints, their waistlines, and their monthly outgoings. What's more, there's a general fear that people are becoming choked by their possessions, and this is fueled by the knowledge that the leading hobby these days seems to be shopping. It's true, sales of e-readers and e-books go beyond those of paperbacks. As a result, the need for bookshelves is cut out.
However, today's new minimalists don't urge us to burn our books and destroy our CDs, but just make sure we have them as digital files. So, for example, I have digitised versions of some of my old vinyl LP (黑胶) records and haven't, as yet, stimulated myself to take the LPs to the nearest charity shop – and I admit I shall probably go on keeping them. Technology has gone beyond our dreams and there is always the doubt that our hard drives will crash and all will be lost. Far more important, however, is the fact that our memories are so inseparably tied to our possessions that we can't get rid of stuff. We are not exactly suffering withdrawal symptoms (症状) as we try to break our addiction to objects. We are just acquiring new stuff, which means we can bin or recycle our old stuff.
I'm happy to have found another website which seems to solve a whole lot of problems at once – a thriving online advice service offering storage solutions. The interior (室内的) designer responsible for this does not suggest getting rid of stuff, but rather recommends buying more stuff such as elegant flexible baskets or colourful lidded containers to hide the first lot of stuff from view. I love this philosophy – convince yourself you've got your desire for possessions under control, without having to lose a thing. After all, we aren't merciless enough to follow Diogenes and cast away all our possessions.
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