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     As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room

will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your

bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own

a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.

     Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for.

Getting material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the

long-hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very

little time or energy for family. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

     Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is

Donald and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for

an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs, leaving

their two children with a nanny (保姆). Most evenings Donald wouldn't get home until eight or nine o'clock,

and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of

money but began to feel that life was passing them by.

     Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. "I always wanted to have a farm here," says

Donald,"and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It's taken some getting used to, but it's

been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any

holidays. However, I think it's made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier."

      Liz, however, is not quite sure."I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours.

I'm not really a country girl, but I suppose I'm gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I

do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same

is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all."

1. When Donald was a reporter he _____.

A. lived in central London

B. disliked his job

C.missed his children

D. was well paid

2. Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm _____.

A. was easy to organise

B. has improved family life

C. was extremely expensive

D. have been a total success

3. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph means _____.

A. Child-caring.

B. Liz's advice.

C. Downshifting.

D. Liz's job.

4. The underlined word"downshifting" in the second paragraph means _____.

A. repairing your car by yourself

B. spending money carefully

C. moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life

D. living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week