What’s the truth of joy? I was obsessed with this question when I was young. However,ever since I started my own family, this quest has been buried under my workloads and daily chores.
In 2008, Memorial Day weekend promised to deliver beautiful weather—not always the case at that time of year, so I decided to spend that Saturday shopping and do one big cleaning, starting with the garage. Our two-car garage, as always, was full of stuff. Boxes piled one on top of another, bikes crossed together. A garden hose (软水管) sat in a corner. We had to turn sideways when getting in and out. I planned to pull everything out on the driveway, hose down the entire garage, and after it was dry, put everything back more organized.
With the morning moving along, the possibility to finish the cleaning within the day began to look less and less likely. I recalled how I had been feeling discontented lately while taking care of our stuff. Here was yet another time!Then my neighbor June, who was working in her yard, heard my sigh and said jokingly, “The joy of home ownership, huh? That’s why my daughter keeps telling me I don’t need to own all this stuff.”
I don’t need to own all this stuff.
As I turned to look at the fruits of my morning labor, I began to recognize the source of my feelings for the first time. It was piled up in my driveway. As I surveyed the pile I made, the answer to the obsolete (被遗忘的) question came to light: There is more joy to be found in possessing less than we can ever find possessing more.
I ran inside the house and found my wife upstairs cleaning the bathtub. Still trying to catch my breath, tI said, “Kim, you’ll never guess what just happened. June said we don’t need to own all this stuff!”
And in that moment, a minimalist family was born.
4. Which of the following best describes the to-be-cleaned garage?
A.Spacious and well-lit. | B.Neatly labeled and sorted. |
C.Disordered and jam-packed. | D.Narrow and weather-beaten. |
5. What can we infer about the author’s recent experience with stuff cleaning?
A.He went through unaccountable frustration. | B.He figured out his disinterest in cleaning. |
C.He initiated it and enjoyed the process. | D.He lost patience and rushed to the end. |
6. What did June imply by saying “The joy of home ownership, huh”?
A.The pleasure of possessing a home. | B.The significance of owning a family. |
C.The convenience of having a garage. | D.The demands of maintaining a house. |
7. Why did the author start a minimalist family?
A.He favored living with a handful of people. | B.He wanted to quit being a slave of stuff. |
C.He considered cleaning a waste of time. | D.He figured out the joy of ownership. |