Dear Textual Healing, I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, I am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life. I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. I have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends. I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me "get my groove back" and reengage with life. PC Dear PC, From the letter you've given us about your life, it's no wonder you're feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I'd recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit's non-fiction book,A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats. The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse "los", meaning the disbanding of an army. "This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know," Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they're forever someplace new. "Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark," Solnit advises. "That's where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go." For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (--) of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is... Who clarifies the idea in his/her work that people are socially related? A) Rebecca Solnit. B) Anne Tyler. C) Rachel Joyce. D) Ruth 0zeki.
D
Donna is 19 years old and loves animals, which is why I'm always happy to leave my dog with her when I go on holiday. Donna also helps to train hunting dogs, but recently, her boyfriend told me, she returned home from a farm in tears after being told to hit some dogs. "She wasn't being asked to hit them because they didn't behave well," he said. "She was told to _ these puppies with a closed fist simply to let them know who is the boss," Donna refused. Good for Donna. In my view, you hit an animal for only two reasons: as a way to teach it an important lesson to protect it from danger, such as not into the road; or because you like hurting animals. Last summer, I attended a horse race. I don't know much about horses, but I was alarmed when I saw a horse with a huge ulcer on its legs. "Surely this horse won't race?" I asked. I was very surprised that nobody in the crowd seemed concerned. The horse began the race, but later it fell heavily. It had broken its leg. The next thing I saw was its dead body in a bag, being driven past. No one seemed to care, except those who had bet on it. I know people care for horse racing, but do they really care for horses? I doubt it. Oh, but it's a tradition, I hear you say. Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we didn't occasionally hit, shoot and chase animals? Traditions are made by man and can be unmade. It was once acceptable to kill servants when their master died, to visit the mental hospitals to laugh at the patients or to watch public execution . Nor should it be forgotten that in our progress to a more civilized world, animals have played an important role: they have fed us, carried us, worked for us, rescued us, died for us and sometimes just saved us from loneliness. Surely by now they deserve our kindness. At the very least, they deserve our respect. Which of the following is NOT true? A) People no longer watch killing criminals in public. B) The author cannot accept anyone who hits the animals. C) It was a traditional practice to kill servants for their dead master. D) The author thinks it is possible to change the traditions made by man.
B
With many college graduates struggling to find jobs, one of the most important for you to understand is that you're in school all your life. In fact, your real education is just beginning. I'd like to pass on a few lessons that you didn't necessarily get in school. If you've been out of school for a few years or a lot of years, they could still teach you something. *Develop relationships and keep networking. If I had to name a single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture networks of contacts. Start strengthening your relationships now, so that they'll be in place when you really need them later. In the classroom it was mostly about individual performance. Success in real life requires relationships. *Set goals. Ask any winner what the key to his or her success was, and you'll hear four consistent messages: vision, determination, persistence, and setting goals. If you don't set goals and determine where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. *Sense of humor. I'm a firm believer in using humor, though not necessarily jokes. A good sense of humor helps one understand the unconventional( ), tolerate the unpleasant, and overcome the unexpected. There are plenty of times to be serious, but I believe that keeping things light and comfortable encourages better teamwork. *Volunteer. It might be hard to do a lot of volunteer work at first, but people who help others on a regular basis have a healthier outlook on life. By saying "your real education is just beginning", the author wants to _ A) explain why it's difficult for college graduates to find jobs B) show the importance of social experience, besides schooling, in education C) advise students to value their time at school, and to study hard D) advise college graduates to face bravely the problems they may encounter
B