After the holiday season，our guess is that you are tired from visiting the store and buying gifts. It is easy to get stuck，both spiritually and physically by having too much. This is why minimalism and living simply should be your resolution for 2018.
Economic development results in a lot of consumerism(消 费 ):get a good job,get a nice car, and settle into a beautiful house. But some people say that our lives could use a little lightening these days:We work and work and work to only buy and buy and buy—but does all that material wealth really lead to our happiness?Are we filling our time with unnecessary things，when we should be filling our time with friends，value，and service?
An article from the website，Becoming Minimalist， points out the problem with this cycle(循 环 ) in the best way，“ Nobody really believes happiness is directly tied to the number of things we own. Yet almost all of us live like it. We get stuck in it. We work more hours than ever before， earn more income， but save less.”
Minimalism isn't all about ridding(摆 脱 )consumerism and products from your life. Minimalism is about finding your own sense of self and focusing on the things you love. It is about creating a lifestyle that is focused on only those people and things that enrich you.
These days，minimalistic living can come in many forms. We think the most practical form of minimalistic living for us is to follow our list:How You Can Live Lighter in 2018.
Purge Your Closet:Take a day and clear out all of your drawers and closets. If something doesn't have special meaning or adds no value to your life—give it away. Have only what you need and what you can see.
Test Those Limits:See how long you can go without shopping. Give yourself a limit，whether it be two weeks or six months，whether it be avoiding a certain mall or buying clothes. Then put your selfwill to the test. After your allowed time，chances are you will realize all those extra blouses weren't worth it and you will set yourself up for future spending control.
Cut the Cord:This sometimes means giving up your modern technology:TV,cell phone,computer,etc. Limit yourself to only a few hours of TV per week，or only 30 minutes of social media per day. You'll make more time for the things and people that you love and clear out some unnecessary noise from your life.
Live to Your Goals:Find out what your life goals and values are. Then，see what may help you or stop you from achieving this goal. Cut out that which doesn't lead to your happiness and success and add more of what does.
Remember，a pared down lifestyle doesn't mean less success or less happiness. It represents your freedom to focus on the things in life that really matter.
1.The cycle “ people work and work only to buy and buy” shows .
A. people get stuck physically and spiritually
B. people don't believe wealth leads to happiness
C. people don't want to save more
D. people fall in love with buying
2.To practise minimalistic living，you should .
A. give away your drawers and closets
B. go to the shopping mall every six months
C. have 30 minutes of social media per day
D. discover your life goals and values
3.The words “ pared down”in the last paragraph probably mean “ ” .
A. free B. light C. popular D. convenient
4.Which of the following best explains the writer's opinion?
A. It might take you a long time to wait for the “ right”thing.
B. Clear out the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.
C. Change yourself with the development of society.
D. Freedom is more important than success.
Parisian architect(建 筑 师 )Paul Andreu has designed so many landmark buildings in China.
Among his best known are the National Grand Theatre in Beijing，the Jinan Grand Theatre and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Andreu is nearly 80 and he continues to develop projects in China. The worldfamous architect，writer and painter held his first art show last summer in Beijing where he sat down for this interview.
How was it that you went from architecture to writing—and more recently to painting?
I have a desire to create，for continuous renewal. While I can't say that I know everything about architecture，I no longer have much to prove or discover. For me,painting is just as important,creatively,but it's something you do alone in your workshop，with a piece of paper and a pot of ink—it's totally refreshing.
Why did you wait so many years to start painting?
It was a kind of need. I was tired off in my field and wanted to try something new and I tried to improve this situation by writing. But writing is a very long process—it takes at least a year to write a book. Painting is faster. Being alone with yourself during the day，in the light，and then putting yourself in a situation where you produce something of which you know nothing and for which no one has asked—it's a kind of freedom you seldom have in life.
What is your project in China right now?
There's a project in the ZhuhaiMacao area. The Chinese engineering and building company Zhuhai Da Heng Qin asked French architect Thomas Coldefy to think about the project, suggesting that he work with an architect who's already known in China. He asked me if I'd be willing to do some of the work. We'll present the project some time before December;the planned completion date is in 2019.
1.Paul Andreu has gone from architecture to painting because .
A. he likes paper and ink B. he thinks painting is faster
C. he has a desire to create D. he has to prove that he is great
2.Where is Paul Andreu's project in China now?
A. In Beijing. B. In Jinan.
C. In Shanghai Pudong. D. In the ZhuhaiMacao area.
3.What do you know about Paul Andreu from the passage?
A. His achievements. B. His challenges. C. His worries. D. His habits.
Thinking outside the Box
If you think young people can't have an influence on the world，think again. Over the years，teens have invented excellent things that solve problems and have changed the ways people do things.
Take fourteen-year-old Eliott Sarrey for example. He invented Bot2Karot，a gardening robot that can take care of a small vegetable garden. The robot is controlled by an app on a smartphone. It helps people grow and take care of vegetables. It also saves water and energy，and makes gardening easy for people who are very busy or have difficulty getting around. Brooke Martin is an animal lover who missed her dog when she was away. So she invented iCPooch when she was just twelve years old. The iCPooch lets pet owners check on their pets from anywhere in the world using a smartphone. It also allows owners to use their smartphone cameras to video chat with their pets.
Fourteen-year-old inventor Robert Saunt was tired of buying or borrowing different video-game controllers for each game console(操 控 器 ) . So he invented a controller called Game Blox. It can be used with four of the most popular game consoles. His invention will save players a lot of money and space，and it will save 330 million kg of materials every year.
Kids all over the world find ways to solve problems every day. Who knows?Maybe the next time you have a problem，you'll come up with the next amazing idea!
1.If you have no time to take care of your vegetable garden，_______ can help you.
A. Bot2Karot B. iCPooch C. Game Blox D. Smartphone Cameras
2.Brooke Martin invented iCPooch when she was _______.
A. 4 B. 10 C. 12 D. 14
3.According to the passage，Robert Saunt ________.
A. is an animal lover B. was tired of playing games
C. invented a controller D. helps with gardening
Throughout history，people have used jewelry(珠 宝 ) to make their clothes look more special. Jewelry was，and still is，in fashion all over the world. Through the years，people have worn jewelry for different _______:to make themselves look beautiful，to protect them from bad things,and to _______ how much money they have.
In South Africa，men in the Ndebele tribe(部 落 )often gave their_______ jewelry made of silver or gold rings. Ndebele women wore necklaces around their necks and bracelets around their arms. Rings were _______worn on their legs. The rings showed wealth. Awoman with many rings had a( n)_______ husband. In the past，women only took the rings off when their husbands died. Today Ndebele women still wear the rings，but not all of the time.
People in India have been wearing jewelry for more than 5,000 years. In the past，both men and women wore a lot of jewelry. Women wore as many as 50 bracelets at a time!Over time，men _______ wearing so much jewelry，but for women jewelry continues to be very important. In India，jewelry means safety. If a family has trouble with money，they can always _______ their jewelry. And，as with the Ndebele tribe，jewelry means wealth. Indian women can expect to receive jewelry as gifts for each important life event，such as birth，marriage，and becoming a mother.
In ancient China，people wore jewelry not just to show wealth but also for _______. They believed that the jade(玉 石 )used in their jewelry was alive and that it could keep bad things away. Many Chinese people today still believe this， and some people only wear the bracelets on their left arms.
1.A. reasons B. clothes C. places D. problems
2.A. ask B. show C. guess D. explain
3.A. daughters B. mothers C. wives D. friends
4.A. still B. never C. just D. even
5.A. older B. richer C. smarter D. stronger
6.A. kept B. hated C. stopped D. suggested
7.A. sell B. wear C. hide D. design
8.A. fun B. beauty C. friendship D. protection
—Dad，could you tell me next Sunday?
—Nothing special.
A. what you did B. what are you going to do
C. what did you do D. what you are going to do
—Do you know that 1,000,000,000 people are using WeChat?
—Yes. It by more and more people around the world.
A. accept B. accepted C. is accepted D. was accepted
