So what is this minimalism thing? It’s quite simple: To be a minimalist you must live with less than 100 things, you can’t own a car or a home or a television, you can’t have a career, you must live in exotic hard-to-pronounce places all over the world, you must start a blog, you can’t have children, and you must be a young white male from a privileged background.OK, we’re joking – obviously. But people who dismiss minimalism as some sort of fad (时尚) usually mention any of the above “restrictions” as to why they could “never be a minimalist.” Minimalism isn’t about any of those things, but it can help you accomplish them. If you desire to live with fewer material possessions, or not own a car or a television, or travel all over the world, then minimalism can lend a hand. But that’s not the point.Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.That doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions. Today’s problem seems to be the meaning we assign to our stuff: We tend to give too much meaning to our things, often forsaking our health, our relationships, our passions, our personal growth, and our desire to contribute beyond ourselves. Want to own a car or a house? Great, have it! Want to raise a family and have a career? If these things are important to you, then that’s wonderful. Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.There are plenty of successful minimalists who lead quite different lives. Joshua Becker has a career he enjoys, a family he loves, a house and a car. Conversely, Colin Wright owns 51 things and travels all over the world, and Tammy Strobel and her husband live in a “tiny house” and are completely car-free. Even though these people are different, they all share two things in common: They are minimalists, and minimalism has allowed them to pursue purpose-driven lives.1. Why does the author mention so many dos and don’ts in Para. 1?A) To introduce what minimalists should or shouldn’t do.B) To arouse the reader’s curiosity about minimalism.C) To list people’s misunderstandings of minimalism. D) To show how difficult it is to be a real minimalist.2. Why could some people never be a minimalist?A) Because they think there are too many restrictions for minimalists. B) Because they have too many material possessions.C) Because they think they live in the consumer culture.D) Because they don’t like this fad.3. What does the word “forsaking” in Para. 4 probably mean?A) Valuing.B) Predicting.C) Abandoning. D) Improving.4. What do successful minimalists have in common?A) They all live with many material possessions.B) They all live with as few things as possible.C) They all have quite different lifestyles.D) They all have clear aims in their lives. 5. What is the best definition of minimalism according to this passage?A) Minimalism is a concept of life that encourages you to live a happy life different from others.B) Minimalism is a concept of life that encourages you to reduce the heavy burden of possessions.C) Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important. D) Minimalism is a tool to help you give up all material comforts and pursue spiritual freedom.

So what is this minimalism thing? It’s quite simple: To be a minimalist you must live with less than 100 things, you can’t own a car or a home or a television, you can’t have a career, you must live in exotic hard-to-pronounce places all over the world, you must start a blog, you can’t have children, and you must be a young white male from a privileged background. OK, we’re joking – obviously. But people who dismiss minimalism as some sort of fad (时尚) usually mention any of the above “restrictions” as to why they could “never be a minimalist.” Minimalism isn’t about any of those things, but it can help you accomplish them. If you desire to live with fewer material possessions, or not own a car or a television, or travel all over the world, then minimalism can lend a hand. But that’s not the point. Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom. That doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions. Today’s problem seems to be the meaning we assign to our stuff: We tend to give too much meaning to our things, often forsaking our health, our relationships, our passions, our personal growth, and our desire to contribute beyond ourselves. Want to own a car or a house? Great, have it! Want to raise a family and have a career? If these things are important to you, then that’s wonderful. Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately. There are plenty of successful minimalists who lead quite different lives. Joshua Becker has a career he enjoys, a family he loves, a house and a car. Conversely, Colin Wright owns 51 things and travels all over the world, and Tammy Strobel and her husband live in a “tiny house” and are completely car-free. Even though these people are different, they all share two things in common: They are minimalists, and minimalism has allowed them to pursue purpose-driven lives.1. Why does the author mention so many dos and don’ts in Para. 1?A)  To introduce what minimalists should or shouldn’t do.B)  To arouse the reader’s curiosity about minimalism.C)  To list people’s misunderstandings of minimalism. D)  To show how difficult it is to be a real minimalist.2. Why could some people never be a minimalist?A)  Because they think there are too many restrictions for minimalists. B)  Because they have too many material possessions.C)  Because they think they live in the consumer culture.D)  Because they don’t like this fad.3. What does the word “forsaking” in Para. 4 probably mean?A)  Valuing.B)  Predicting.C)  Abandoning. D)  Improving.4. What do successful minimalists have in common?A)  They all live with many material possessions.B)  They all live with as few things as possible.C)  They all have quite different lifestyles.D)  They all have clear aims in their lives. 5. What is the best definition of minimalism according to this passage?A)  Minimalism is a concept of life that encourages you to live a happy life different from others.B)  Minimalism is a concept of life that encourages you to reduce the heavy burden of possessions.C)  Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important. D)  Minimalism is a tool to help you give up all material comforts and pursue spiritual freedom.