Ralph Emerson once said that the purpose of life is not to be happy, but to be useful, to be loving, to make some difference in he world. While we appreciate such words of wisdom, we rarely try to follow them in our lives.
Most people prefer to live a good life themselves, ignoring their responsibilities for the world. This narrow perception of a good life may provide short-term benefits, but is sure to lead to long-term harm and suffering. A good life based on comfort and luxury may eventually lead to more pain be-cause we spoil our health and even our character, principles, ideals, and relationships.
What then, is the secret of a good life? A good life is a process, not a state of being : a direction, not a destination. We have to earn a good life by first serving others without any expectation in return because their happiness is the very source of our own happiness. More importantly, we must know ourselves inside out. Only when we examine ourselves deeply can we discover our abilities and recognize our limitations, and then work accordingly to create a better world.
The first requirement for a good life is having a loving heart. When we do certain right things merely as a duty, we find our job so tiresome that we’ll soon burn out. However, when we do that same job out of love, we not only enjoy what we do, but also do it with an effortless feeling.
However, love alone is insufficient to lead a good life. Love sometimes blinds us to the reality. Consequently, our good intentions may not lead to good results. To achieve desired outcome, those who want to do good to others also need to equip themselves with accurate world knowledge. False knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance. If love is the engine of a car knowledge is the steering wheel(方向盘). If the engine lacks power, th car can’t move; if the driver loses control of the steering, a road accident probably occurs. Only with love in heart and the right knowledge in mind can we lead a good life.
With love and knowledge, we go all out to create a better world by doing good to others. When we see the impact of our good work on the world we give meaning to our life and earn lasting joy and happiness.
51. What effect does the narrow perception of a good life have on us?
A. Making us simple-minded B. Making us short-signted.
C. Leading us onto a busy road. D. Keeping us from comfort and luxury.
52. According to the author, how can one gain true happiness?
A. Through maintaining good health.
B. By going through pain and suffering.
C. By recognizing one’s abilities and limitations.
D. Through offering help much needed by others.
53. According to Paragraph 4, doing certain right things with a loving heart makes one________.
A. less selfish B. less annoying
C. more motivated D. more responsible
54. In what case may good intentions fail to lead to desired results?
A. When we have wrong knowledge of the world.
B. When our love for the world is insufficient.
C. When we are insensitive to dangers in life.
D. When we stay blind to the reality.
55. According to Paragraph 5, life can be made truly good when ________.
A. inspired by love and guided by knowledge
B. directed by love and pushed by knowledge
C. purified by love and enriched by knowledge
D. promoted by love and defined by knowledge
原文翻译
拉尔夫·爱默生曾经说过，生活的目的不是快乐，而是做个有用的人，做个有爱心的人，为世界带来改变。当我们欣赏这些智慧的话语时，我们很少在生活中遵循它们。
大多数人宁愿自己过好生活，而忽略了他们对世界的责任。这种对美好生活的狭隘看法可能会带来短期的好处，但肯定会导致长期的伤害和痛苦。建立在舒适和奢侈基础上的美好生活最终可能会带来更多的痛苦，因为我们破坏了自己的健康，甚至破坏了自己的性格、原则、理想和人际关系。
那么，美好生活的秘诀是什么呢?美好的生活是一个过程，而不是一种状态;是一个方向，而不是一个目的地。我们要获得美好的生活，首先要不求回报地服务他人，因为他们的幸福就是我们自己幸福的源泉。更重要的是，我们必须彻底了解自己。只有当我们深入审视自己时，我们才能发现自己的能力，认识到自己的局限性，然后相应地努力创造一个更美好的世界。
美好生活的首要条件是拥有一颗爱心。当我们仅仅把做正确的事情当作一种责任时，我们会觉得工作太无聊，很快就会精疲力竭。然而，当我们出于爱而做同样的工作时，我们不仅喜欢我们所做的，而且做起来毫不费力。
然而，只有爱是不足以过好生活的。爱情有时会让我们看不见现实。因此，我们的善意可能不会带来好的结果。为了达到预期的结果，那些想要为他人做好事的人也需要用准确的世界知识来装备自己。虚假的知识比无知更危险。如果爱情是汽车的发动机，知识就是方向盘(方向盘)。如果发动机缺乏动力，汽车就不能行驶;如果司机失去对方向盘的控制，就有可能发生交通事故。只有心中有爱，心中有正确的知识，我们才能过上美好的生活。
带着爱和知识，我们通过对他人做好事来创造一个更美好的世界。当我们看到我们的工作对世界的影响时，我们赋予我们的生活意义，并获得持久的快乐和幸福。
51. 对美好生活的狭隘看法对我们有什么影响?
A.使我们头脑简单
B.使我们目光短浅
C.把我们引到一条繁忙的路上。D.让我们远离舒适和奢侈。
52. 作者认为，一个人怎样才能获得真正的幸福?
A.通过保持身体健康。
B.通过经历痛苦和磨难。
C.认识到自己的能力和局限性。
D.通过提供别人急需的帮助。
53. 根据第四段，带着一颗爱心做正确的事情会使人________。
A.不那么自私;
B.不那么烦人
C.更有动力
D.更有责任54. 在什么情况下，良好的意图可能无法导致预期的结果?
A.当我们对世界有错误的认识时。
B.当我们对世界的爱不够时。
C.当我们对生活中的危险不敏感时。
D.当我们对现实视而不见时。
55. 根据第5段，当________生活可以变得真正美好。
A.为爱所激励，为知识所指导
B.由爱引导，由知识推动
C.因爱而净化，因知识而充实
D.由爱推动，由知识界定
【答案】 51 B 52. D 53. C 54. A 55. A
【解析】
【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要论述了美好生活的秘诀是什么。人生的目的不是生而快乐，而是生而有益。
【 51题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章第二段 「This narrow perception of a good life may provide short-term benefits, but is sure to lead to long-term harm and suffering.(这种对美好生活的狭隘看法可能会带来短期的好处，但肯定会导致长期的伤害和痛苦。)」可知，对美好生活的狭隘看法只能给我们带来短期的好处，所以时间长了会让我们目光短浅、短视。故选B项。
【 52题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章第三段 「We have to earn a good life by first serving others without any expectation in return because their happiness is the very source of our own happiness.(我们必须先为他人服务而不求回报，因为他人的幸福是我们自己幸福的源泉。)」可知，我们能够从帮助他人获得真正的幸福。故选D项。
【 53题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第四段 「However, when we do that same job out of love, we not only enjoy what we do, but also do it with an effortless feeling.(然而，当我们出于热爱做同样的工作时，我们不仅享受我们做的事情，而且也享受那种毫不费力的感觉。)」可知，带着热爱去做事会让人更加享受做这件事情；越享受做某件事，做事越有动力。故选C项。
【 54题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第五段 「False knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance.(虚假的知识比无知更危险。)」可以推测出，当我们对世界有错误的认识的时候，就算意图良好，也可能导致不好的、违背预期的结局。故选A项。
【 55题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章最后一段 「With love and knowledge, we go all out to create a better world by doing good to others.(带着爱和知识，我们全力以赴，通过对他人做好事来创造一个更美好的世界。)」可知，有爱和知识，生活就会变得更美好。故选A项。
