The work-life balance is dead. By this, I’m not advocating that you should give up your pursuit of having a fulfilling career and a thriving personal life, and I’m definitely not saying that you have to give up one to have the other. I also acknowledge that we have a work-life problem, but I’m arguing that the concept of balance has never been helpful, because it’s too limiting. You see, our language makes a difference, and how we refer to things matters because it affects our thinking and therefore our actions.
At the minimum, most of us work because we want to be able to support ourselves, our families, and the people around us. In the ideal world, we’re all doing work that we’re proud of and that provides meaning and purpose to us. But even if your job doesn’t give you shivers of joy each new day, working is a part of what each of us does and the contribution we make to society. When you separate work and life, it’s a little bit harder to make that connection. But when you think of work as part of a full life and a complete experience, it becomes easier to see that success in one aspect often supports another.
Losing your balance and falling isn’t pleasant. A goal to balance suggests that things could quickly get off the balance, and that causes terrible outcomes. It’s more constructive to think of solutions that continue to evolve over shifts in life and work. Rather than falling or failing, you may have good days or better days or not-so-good days. These variations are normal, and it’s more useful to think of life as something that is ever evolving and changing, rather than a high-risk enterprise where things could go wrong with one misstep.
How we talk to ourselves matters, and how we talk about issues makes a difference. Let’s bury “work-life balance” and think bigger and better about work-life fulfillment to do a little less balancing and a lot more living.
1. What does the author say about our use of language?| A．It changes with the passage of time. |
| B．It impacts how we think and behave. |
| C．It reflects how we communicate. |
| D．It differs from person to person. |
| A．We do work that betters the lives of our families and friends. |
| B．We do work that gives us bursts of joy each new day. |
| C．We do meaningful work that contributes to society. |
| D．We do demanding work that brings our capacity into full play. |
| A．It is cyclical. |
| B．It is dynamic. |
| C．It is balanced. |
| D．It is risky. |
| A．Make life as simple as possible. |
| B．Talk about balance in simpler terms. |
| C．Balance life and work in a new way. |
| D．Strive for a more fulfilling life. |
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【推荐1】“I didn’t like the ending,” I said to my favorite college professor. It was my junior year of undergraduate, and I was doing an independent study on Victorian literature. I had just finished reading The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, and I was heartbroken with the ending. Prof. Gracie, with all his patience, asked me to think about it beyond whether I liked it or not. He suggested I think about the difference between endings that I wanted for the characters and endings that were right for the characters, endings that satisfied the story even if they didn’t have a traditionally positive outcome. Of course, I would have preferred a different ending for Tom and Maggie Tulliver, but the ending they got did make the most sense for them.
This was an aha moment for me, and I never thought about endings the same way again. From then on, if I wanted to read an ending guaranteed to be happy, I’d pick up a love romance. If I wanted an ending I couldn’t guess, I’d pick up a mystery (悬疑小说). One where I kind of knew what was going to happen, historical fiction. Choosing what to read became easier.
But writing the end — that’s hard. It’s hard for writers because endings carry so much weight with readers. You have to balance creating an ending that's unpredictable, but doesn’t seem to come from nowhere, one that fits what’s right for the characters.
That’s why this issue (期) of Writer’s Digest aims to help you figure out how to write the best ending for whatever kind of writing you’re doing. If it’s short stories, Peter Mountford breaks down six techniques you can try to see which one helps you stick the landing. Elizabeth Sims analyzes the final chapters of five great novels to see what key points they include and how you can adapt them for your work.
This issue won’t tell you what your ending should be — that’s up to you and the story you’re telling — but it might provide what you need to get there.
1. Why did the author go to Prof. Gracie?| A．To discuss a novel. | B．To submit a book report. |
| C．To argue for a writer. | D．To ask for a reading list. |
| A．Writing is a matter of personal preferences. |
| B．Readers are often carried away by character. |
| C．Each type of literature has its unique end. |
| D．A story which begins well will end well. |
| A．It satisfies readers’ taste. | B．It fits with the story development. |
| C．It is usually positive. | D．It is open for imagination. |
| A．To give examples of great novelists. | B．To stress the theme of this issue. |
| C．To encourage writing for the magazine. | D．To recommend their new books. |
【推荐2】Five Secrets to Living a Sunshine Life
Don't avoid or ignore negativity.
In order to conquer and overcome the negativity, it must be acknowledged. You are in control of your environment and if these negative situations keep making an appearance, it's up to you to handle them.
Take care of yourself and your needs.
In order to live a powerful and meaningful life, you must love yourself.
Determine what is worth your time and effort and what is not. If situations are bad and beyond repair，it's time to let go. Are there relationships or friendships that remain damaged but you know are worth the time?
Give.
Give our time, energy, love and sometimes money to others.
Focus on things that make us smile, laugh and feel good.
This one is pretty simple.
| A．Just do MORE of it. |
| B．Fix them and find peace. |
| C．Always put yourself first. |
| D．Mend what's broken or get rid of it. |
| E．Determine what is important to you. |
| F．Mind your actions and how you live each day. |
| G．Everything we put out into the world comes back to us. |
【推荐3】Staying alone can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. It offers a unique opportunity for self-reflection, personal growth, and independence. When we are alone, we can connect with our inner selves and discover our strengths and weaknesses.
In the quietness of being alone, we can escape the noise and distractions of the outside world. It allows us to slow down, be present, and appreciate the simple moments in life.
Being alone also encourages independence and problem-solving skills.
In conclusion, staying alone can be a trans formative experience.
| A．Being alone can increase your sense of connection to other people. |
| B．In fact, there are many disadvantages to being alone. |
| C．We can take the time to engage in activities that bring us joy. |
| D．When there is no one else around to rely on, we learn to make decisions independently. |
| E．It enables self-entertainment, independence, and refreshment in our own company. |
| F．However, it is essential to strike a balance between staying alone and social connection. |
| G．Moreover, staying alone allows us to recharge and refresh. |
Using mobile phone applications to do homework is no different from copying from someone else's work. This is the opinion of a vast majority of teachers. Students who seek cell phone apps help to do their homework will pay dearly during major exams when they cannot seek the help of such applications, the teachers say.
The heavy load of homework Chinese students are burdened with, said to be the heaviest in the world,has led to the popularity of these applications.
Senior high school students in China rarely go to bed before 11 pm. A report in Shanghai published in2013 showed that students in the city on average spend 28.2 hours in class every week, the 9th highest among 65 countries and regions surveyed. Also, they spend an average of 13.8 hours a week doing homework, most in the world.
There is no association between the amount of homework one does and the amount of knowledge one gathers. In fact, a research by Australian experts shows that the result is exactly the opposite: the more hours students spend doing homework, the less effective they will be in gaining knowledge.
The United States is one of the countries where students do little homework, but that has not damaged the country's academic status in the world.
So, it's time Chinese schools understood this fact and freed students of the unnecessary burden of homework.
1. What’s the writer’s attitude toward the students’ using mobile phone applications to do their homework?
| A．Supporting | B．Understanding |
| C．Scolding | D．Praising |
| A．the heavy burden of homework |
| B．the advance of modern technology |
| C．the pressure of the students’ parents |
| D．the influence of other countries |
| A．be rewarded | B．be dismissed |
| C．provide much money | D．suffer a lot |
| A．Free kids of the burden of homework. |
| B．Stop using mobile phones to do homework. |
| C．Spend less time to gain much knowledge. |
| D．Improve China’s academic status in the world. |
【推荐2】It's tough to see or hear of a friend in crisis. One idea to keep in mind is that it is healthy for the distressed person to feel what he or she feels in the moment. When a person in crisis feels understood, he or she feels less alone and connected to the person who understands.
A person who experiences empathy(同理心)from a friend who can “go there”for a few minutes in order to authentically understand while still maintaining a strong and supportive attitude may be relieving and healing. While a friend is telling you about the circumstance, the first and most important step is to listen for feelings, not ways to solve the problem.
For example, a friend is terribly upset because her husband is threatening to leave her. After fully honoring the feelings, it is important to ask the friend what would help. Maybe it is a good cry and some ice cream. Perhaps it's a glass of wine and a walk. Everyone has different ways of dealing. Be respectful and ask the friend what she needs or wants, not what you prescribe.
Take a second example, say a close friend is being misrepresented by other friends. The friends are gossiping about her. During a conversation with her, listen for feelings. Honor her hurt and shock. The same equation is useful with a partner.
Helping a friend or partner in crisis not only helps the person, but creates closeness and trust in the relationship, making opening up in the probable future. In addition, the person who is empathizing feels positive because he or she was able to help. When a person is truly able to comfort and reassure a loved one, he or she feels vital and useful, strengthening the relationship.
1. What should we do first when we know a friend is in crisis？| A．Keep away from him/her. |
| B．Buy him/her a glass of wine. |
| C．Understand how he/she feels. |
| D．Show him/her ways to solve the problem. |
| A．A way to solve the crisis. | B．A way to relieve a bad mood. |
| C．A way to listen for feelings. | D．A way to honor the feelings. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By quoting sayings. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By conducting surveys. |
| A．How to keep a loved one. | B．How to make new friends. |
| C．How to work with your partner. | D．How to help a friend in trouble. |
【推荐3】First impressions are important, but are first impressions correct? Personally, I’m not so sure, and according to new research, neither is science.
You really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I certainly have, and I’m willing to bet you’ve done it, too. Consider this, though: If I’d let my opinion on, say, the boring cover of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath stop me from reading this great novel, I would have missed out on one of my favorite books to date. First impressions are important because they can influence you one way or another, but they shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of your opinion on someone.
According to Jonathan Freeman, a professor at New York University, first impressions are collected within only a few hundred milliseconds and are often based on the person’s facial appearance.
“First impressions of faces can influence how we make decisions about people,” Freeman explained in a statement. Therefore, in order to put an end to such first impressions, you have to understand where your first assumptions come from. In order to do this, a team of researchers in Switzerland performed two experiments: The first required participants (参与者) to judge the personalities of dozens of people only based on photos they were shown online. For example, in this part of the study, researchers took note of how participants related personality features like friendliness with various appearances. The second experiment explored what kind of facial features were connected with exact personality features. For example, someone who has a round face with “babyish features” might be considered as friendlier or more harmless than someone who isn’t smiley in their photo.
The results showed that first impressions often aren’t all right. Look, it’s really unfortunate that first impressions aren’t always right. Still, these first impressions happen regardless of whether or not they’re right, so the best thing you can do is try to put your best foot forward without, of course, giving up your authenticity (真实性); you are exactly who you were meant to be, and all you can do is be the best person you can.
1. What were the participants asked to do in the first experiment?| A．Choose photos they like. | B．Relate personalities with photos. |
| C．Show their opinions of smiley faces. | D．Talk about their impressions of other participants. |
| A．People find it hard to make a good impression. |
| B．Faces show personality features correctly. |
| C．First impressions are not always reliable. |
| D．One’s facial appearance is really important. |
| A．Don’t be too realistic. | B．Try to be your best self. |
| C．Don’t be judgmental. | D．Disregard others’ suggestions. |
