高中英语阅读选文

高中英语阅读选文

Whenalovedonepassesaway,weoftenusephotographsasawayofkeepingthatperson`smemoryalive.OneOhiofamilytooktheprocessastepfurther,creatingauniquesetofphotosthatservesasbothatouchstoneofthepastandareminderofhowlifemovesforward.In2011,31-year-oldschoolteacherAliNunerypassedawayfromarareformoflungcancer,leavingbehindherhusbandBenanda1-year-olddaughternamedOlivia.ThisNovember,aftertwoyearson"arollercoasterofemotions,"asBendescribedit,heandOliviawerereadytomoveoutoftheCincinnatihomethey`dsharedwithAli.Butbeforetheyleft,Benwantedawaytorememberthehappytimesthey`dsharedinthehouse.Soheaskedhissister-in-lawMelaniePace,aprofessionalphotographer,totakephotosofhimandhisnow3-year-olddaughterintheirhome."Iwasjustreallylookingforawaytosayfarewelltothehouse,andhavesomethingsthatOliviaandIcanhaveto...rememberthehouse,"Bensaid.Pace,whoshotBenandAli`soriginalweddingphotosin2009,wasabletorecreatetheimageswithBenandOlivia,includingoneofthefatheranddaughterinadoorwaytomimicthephotoBenhadoncetakenwithhermother."Itimmediatelybroughtupmemoriesofbeingtherethefirsttime,"hesaid."Inalotofways,itfeltlikeAliwasthere,anddoingthatwithOliviaIfeltaclosenesswithbothofthem."Paceandherhusband,whoisalsoaphotographerandhelpedoutwiththeshoot,postedthephotostotheirblog,andthebeautifulandpoignantimagessoonattractedattention,aseventhoseunfamiliarwiththeNunerysandtheirstoryweremovedbythephotosandstory."IhopethatpeoplecanseeitasevidenceofalovethatAliandIsharedthatisstillverydeep,[and]thatlovecarrieson,anditdoesn`tdie,"hesaid."Peoplewhodon`tknowuspersonallybutmayhaveexperiencewithlosingalovedonecanseethatasanexampleofhealingandlifemovingon."\nLiuEncheng’sexperienceoftravelingtoNewZealandonaworkingholidayvisawasalifechanger:“It’sabouthavingachancetounderstandyourselfbetter,tofindoutwhatyoureallywant.”AssoonasNewZealand’sgovernmentannounceditsplantooffer1,000workingholidayvisastoChineseresidentsayearin2010,Liu,then27,applied.Backthen,LiuhadworkedasareporterfortheKunmingDailyforfiveyears,aftergraduatingfromatourismmanagementmajoratCentralSouthUniversityofForestryandTechnology.RuraltasteLiuarrivedinNewZealandinDecemberandwasimpressedbythesummerChristmas.“Manyfruitsarereadytoharvest,soit’seasytofindajobintheorchardsbeforegettingthere.SinceNewZealandisanagriculturalcountry,workinginruralareashelpsyouunderstandthecountrybetter,”saysLiu.Themostimportantthing,accordingtoLiu,istoliveindependently.Heneededtobalanceworkandtravel,becauseonaworkingholidayvisayou’reonlyallowedtostayinajobforamaximumofthreemonths.SowhenLiuhadnearlyfinishedajob,itwastimetothinkaboutwhattodonext.VarietyofexperienceDifferenttoLiu’sexperience,WuFeitriedmanydifferentjobs.Wuwasoneofthefirstpeopletogetaworkingholidayvisain2010.AftergraduatingfromaphysicsmajoratFudanUniversity,hetraveledtoNewZealandinMay.Heworkedasanassistantforahunter,achefinarestaurant,acleanerinauniversity,evenasanactorinaprison.“There’sahauntedhouseperformanceinadisusedprisoninNapiereveryweek.Myjobwastowearwhiteclothesandscarepeopleinaprisoncell.Ihidunderabedandcameoutjustwhentouriststurnedtoleaveandpattedthelastpersonontheshoulder,”saysWu.Whatimpressedhimmostwasthelifestyleofthelocalpeople.“Theydon’tpursuehappinessbyshoppingorgoingtoparties.Instead,theylikegoingoutdoorswiththeirfamilies.Thissimplehappinesshelpsthemfindinnerpeace,butit’shardtodothatinametropolisinChina,”saysWu.EmbracelocalcultureButitwashardforLiutocommunicatewiththelocalsatthebeginning,astheyspokewithstrongaccentsandtherewerebigculturaldifferences.“Itriedmybesttoovercometheseproblems.Whenyoudecidetogoabroad,youmustimmerseyourselfinanunfamiliarenvironmentandsolveproblemsonyourown.Ithinkthat’swhatmakessuchatripspecial,”saysLiu.\nWeChinesearenotbighuggers.Ahandshakeorapatontheshoulderisenoughtoconveyourfriendshiporaffectiontooneanother.Sowhenournewly-acquaintedWesternfriendsreachoutinpreparationforahug,someofusfeelawkward.Manyquestionsgothroughourhead.WhereshouldIputmyarms?Undertheirarmpitsoraroundtheirneck?WhatdistanceshouldImaintain?Shouldourcheststouch?It’sevenmoredifficultwithfriendsfromsomeEuropeancountries.ShouldIkissthemonthecheekwhilehugging?Whichside?Orisitbothcheeks?WhichsideshouldIstarton?Butitisn’tjustpeoplefromculturesthatemphasizeareservednessinexpressingphysicalintimacywhofindhuggingconfusing.Hugscancausediscomfortorevendistressinpeoplewhovaluetheirpersonalspace.InarecentarticleforTheWallStreetJournal,USpsychologistPeggyDrexlersaidthatalthoughtheUSremainsa“mediumtouch”culture—“morephysicallydemonstrativethanJapan,whereabowistheall-purposehelloandgoodbye,butlessdemonstrativethanLatinorEasternEuropeancultures,wherehugsarerobustandcanincludeakissonbothcheeks”,Americansdoseemtobehuggingmore.Frompoliticianstocelebrities,hugsaregivenwilly-nillytofriends,strangersandenemiesalike;andthepublichasbeenquicktopickupthepractice.Publicfiguresknowthatnothingprojectslikeabilitylikeagoodhug.USFirstLadyMichelleObamahasputherarmsaroundicyforeignleaderslikeRussianPrimeMinisterDmitryMedvedevandtheQueenofEngland,onthelatteroccasionbreachingroyalprotocol.PopsuperstarLadyGagaisalsoahugenthusiast,tellingherfansthat“Iwillalways,always,trymyverybesttowrapmyarmsaroundyouwhenImeetyou.”Butnotallaregratefultobeembraced,evenbythemostinfluentialandfamous.Tothem,anyhugisoffensiveifit’snotsincere.AmandaHess,writingforUSmagazineSlate,sayspublicfiguresshouldstopimposinghugsoneveryonetheymeet.Forthem,ahugisrarelyagestureofsincerefellowship,compassionoraffection.It’sallpartofashow.Hugsarefalselyintimatepowerplaysusedbypublicfigurestoestablishtheirsocialdominanceoverthoseintheirgrasp.CeciliaWalden,aBritishjournalistwritingforTheTelegraphwholivesinNewYork,holdsthesameopinion.“Power-hugging”,asshecallsit,is“anassaultdressedupaskindness”.IthasbecomeafadintheUSwhere“bossesarealreadycuddlingtheirstaff(eithershortlybeforeorafterfiringthem),[and]menandwomentheirfrenemies,inathousandfraudulentdisplaysofsolidarity”.