1 . Live with roommates? Have friends and family around you? Chances are that if you’re looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle, not everyone around you will be ready to jump on that bandwagon.
I experienced this when I started switching to a zero waste lifestyle five years ago, as I was living with my parents, and I continue to experience this with my husband, as he is not completely zero waste like me. I’ve learned a few things along the way though, which I hope you’ll find encouraging if you’re doing your best to figure out how you can make the change in a not-always-supportive household.
Zero waste was a radical lifestyle movement a few years back. I remember showing my parents a video of Bea Johnson, sharing how cool I thought it would be to buy groceries with jars, and have so little trash! A few days later, I came back with my first jars of zero waste groceries, and my dad commented on how silly it was for me to carry jars everywhere. It came off as a bit discouraging.
Yet as the months of reducing waste continued, I did what I could that was within my own reach. I had my own bedroom, so I worked on removing things I didn’t need. Since I had my own toiletries (洗漱用品), I was able to start personalising my routine to be more sustainable. I also offered to cook every so often, so I portioned out a bit of the cupboard for my own zero waste groceries. Perhaps your household won’t entirely make the switch, but you may have some control over your own personal spaces to make the changes you desire.
As you make your lifestyle changes, you may find yourself wanting to speak up for yourself if others comment on what you’re doing, which can turn itself into a whole household debate. If you have individuals who are not on board, your words probably won’t do much and can often leave you feeling more discouraged.
So here is my advice: Lead by action.
1. What do the underlined words “jump on that bandwagon” mean in the first paragraph?A.Share an apartment with you. | B.Join you in what you’re doing. |
C.Transform your way of living. | D.Help you to make the decision. |
A.He disapproved of it. | B.He was favorable to it. |
C.He was tolerant of it. | D.He didn’t care about it. |
A.She is quite good at cooking. | B.She respects others’ privacy. |
C.She enjoys being a housewife. | D.She is a determined person. |
A.How to get on well with other family members. |
B.How to have one’s own personal space at home. |
C.How to live a zero waste lifestyle in a household. |
D.How to control the budget when buying groceries. |
2 . My mother is 92. Unless I have to be out of town, each week I take my mother to do her
Last week she walked up to the store, but when she went to pay for her groceries, she was
At this store, people
My mother was so
So, whoever you are, thank you for the random act of
A.exercise | B.housework | C.cooking | D.shopping |
A.reward | B.medicine | C.company | D.shelter |
A.return | B.collet | C.order | D.buy |
A.short | B.cautious | C.wrong | D.concerned |
A.aim | B.way | C.advice | D.reason |
A.weight | B.things | C.mask | D.glasses |
A.raise | B.add | C.bring | D.switch |
A.show up | B.call in | C.check out | D.sit down |
A.store | B.select | C.deliver | D.bag |
A.stranger | B.cashier | C.friend | D.doctor |
A.looked for | B.talked about | C.threw away | D.put back |
A.receipt | B.soap | C.cash | D.bottle |
A.asked | B.waited | C.cared | D.searched |
A.repay | B.trust | C.recognize | D.help |
A.luck | B.chance | C.gift | D.turn |
A.surprised | B.amused | C.touched | D.convinced |
A.in case | B.even if | C.as though | D.so that |
A.energy | B.money | C.space | D.time |
A.faith | B.courage | C.kindness | D.honor |
A.made her day | B.changed her mind | C.caught her eye | D.met her demand |
A.has been replacing | B.is being replaced |
C.have been replacing | D.are being replaced |
4 . When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.
Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.
As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.
Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.
What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.
1. What motivated the author to start her writing career?A.Her strong wish to share. |
B.Her keen interest in writing. |
C.Her urgent need to make a living. |
D.Her passionate desire for fame. |
A.She was too exhausted to write after a busy day. |
B.She had trouble in deciding on her writing style. |
C.She had to take time to discipline her daughter. |
D.She was unsure about her writing skills. |
A.In case the clock in her room broke down. |
B.In case she failed to hear the ringing. |
C.To force herself out of bed. |
D.To wake up her family. |
A.By sticking to writing every morning. |
B.By writing when her mind was most active. |
C.By drawing inspirations from classic novels. |
D.By reducing her teaching hours at school. |
A.It is never too late to change your job. |
B.Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time. |
C.A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action. |
D.Daily life provides ideas for creative writing. |
A.bring forth | B.go over | C.put away | D.wipe out |
A.has lost | B.have lost | C.lost | D.is losing |
A.slip | B.to slip | C.slipping | D.slipped |
A.motivating | B.motivated | C.being motivated | D.to be motivated |
A.discount | B.bargain | C.budget | D.reward |
A.vivid | B.straight | C.typical | D.flexible |