Our society places a high value on physical beauty. Americans spend an average of over 722 each year on their appearance. One in ten Americans has tried to look like a star.There's nothing wrong with trying to look our best, but excessive focus on physical appearance misses the soulful aspects of what it means to be beautiful. Trying to look like the magazine pictures can take us on a long ride away from what beauty is really about.Many of us spend far too much time, energy, and money trying to polish an image of what we think will bring attention, love, and connection. In the process, we may fail to attend to ourselves in a way that would move us toward deeper intimacy, fulfillment, and meaning.It may sound trite (老生常谈的), but beauty is only skin deep; it's not what brings love toward us. Just read about the latest Hollywood starlets whose seeming love turns into resentment and bitter court battles.Outer beauty can be as much of a curse as a blessing. We may develop a habit of being so focused on maintaining a perfect appearance that we never cultivate the inner qualities necessary to sustain and deepen intimacy and connection. As I describe in my book, The Authentic Heart, it is the courage to be authentic that connects us in a deeper way.While our initial attraction may be based, in part, on physical chemistry, it is the meeting of our inner worlds that creates the lasting intimacy and spiritual connection for which we long. If we redirect our attention toward cultivating inner qualities, we might find a magnetic attraction that moves us from something superficial to something that connects us to our depths.The path toward cultivating inner beauty is really simple. But what is simple is not always easy. Not everyone will see us and appreciate us as we take the courageous risk to allow ourselves to be seen as we really are. But if they don't, it is their loss, not ours. Eventually we'll find those compatible souls who appreciate us as we are.46. What do we learn about American society from the first paragraph?A) It sees lots of personal income wasted on beauty products.B) It considers one's physical appearance very important.C) It places a high value on the physical fitness of stars.D) It expects every individual to look their very best.
Our society places a high value on physical beauty. Americans spend an average of over $722 each year on their appearance. One in ten Americans has tried to look like a star. There's nothing wrong with trying to look our best, but excessive focus on physical appearance misses the soulful aspects of what it means to be beautiful. Trying to look like the magazine pictures can take us on a long ride away from what beauty is really about. Many of us spend far too much time, energy, and money trying to polish an image of what we think will bring attention, love, and connection. In the process, we may fail to attend to ourselves in a way that would move us toward deeper intimacy, fulfillment, and meaning. It may sound trite (老生常谈的), but beauty is only skin deep; it's not what brings love toward us. Just read about the latest Hollywood starlets whose seeming love turns into resentment and bitter court battles. Outer beauty can be as much of a curse as a blessing. We may develop a habit of being so focused on maintaining a perfect appearance that we never cultivate the inner qualities necessary to sustain and deepen intimacy and connection. As I describe in my book, The Authentic Heart, it is the courage to be authentic that connects us in a deeper way. While our initial attraction may be based, in part, on physical chemistry, it is the meeting of our inner worlds that creates the lasting intimacy and spiritual connection for which we long. If we redirect our attention toward cultivating inner qualities, we might find a magnetic attraction that moves us from something superficial to something that connects us to our depths. The path toward cultivating inner beauty is really simple. But what is simple is not always easy. Not everyone will see us and appreciate us as we take the courageous risk to allow ourselves to be seen as we really are. But if they don't, it is their loss, not ours. Eventually we'll find those compatible souls who appreciate us as we are. 46. What do we learn about American society from the first paragraph? A) It sees lots of personal income wasted on beauty products. B) It considers one's physical appearance very important. C) It places a high value on the physical fitness of stars. D) It expects every individual to look their very best.
题目解答
答案
解析
考查要点：本题考查对文章主旨的把握能力，需要根据第一段内容判断美国社会对“外在美”的态度。
解题思路：
- 核心定位：第一段通过数据（如“$722”“1 in 10 Americans”）和现象（模仿明星）说明美国社会对“外在美”的重视。
- 关键句分析：作者虽未直接批评，但指出过度关注外在会忽略内在美（如“soulful aspects”“deeper intimacy”）。
- 选项排除：需注意选项中是否存在原文未提及的绝对化表述（如“wasted”“every individual”）或无关概念（如“fitness”）。
选项分析：
- A) It sees lots of personal income wasted on beauty products
原文提到“Americans spend an average of over $722 each year”，但未说明这是“浪费”（wasted），因此错误。 - B) It considers one's physical appearance very important
正确。数据和现象（如模仿明星）均表明美国社会重视外在形象。 - C) It places a high value on the physical fitness of stars
原文未提及“fitness”（健身），且重点在普通人的外在追求，而非明星的健康，因此错误。 - D) It expects every individual to look their very best
原文用“trying to look our best”描述个人行为，而非社会强加的“expect”，且“every individual”过于绝对，因此错误。