题目内容：

There has long been a notion (观念) that money buys happiness. However, although “we really, really tried that for a couple of generations, it didn’t work,” said Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life.

Thanks to a travel-inspired revelation (启发), Jay has been happily living a simpler life for 12 years. “I always packed as lightly as possible, and found it exciting to get by with just a small carry-on bag,” she told CNN. “I thought if it feels this great to travel lightly, how amazing would it be to live this way? I wanted to have that same feeling of freedom in my everyday life.”

Jay decided to get rid of all her excess (额外的) possessions and live with just the essentials (必需品). “I wanted to spend my time and energy on experiences, rather than things.”

Jay is a follower of a movement called “minimalism (极简主义)”. Growing numbers of people have been attracted to this lifestyle all over the world. They share the same feeling of disappointment with modern life and a desire to live more simply. Minimalists are typically progressive and concerned about the environment, Leah Watkins, a lead researcher at Otago University in New Zealand, told Stuff magazine in March.

But many simply experienced unhappiness caused by owning too many possessions. Depression with the materialism of our world isn’t new. English romantic poet William Wordsworth summed up how dispiriting (令人 消沉的) this was back in 1802, at the beginning of the industrial age, when he wrote: “Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers”. His preference was to go back to nature. Closer to our own times, the hippies (嬉皮士) of the 1960s also sought to ‘‘drop out” of modern life.

And for many minimalists, their key is to unload. Without objects, they “believe people are forced more and more into the present moment and that’s where life happens,” wrote Stuff.

But does simplicity ever feel like a sacrifice (牺牲)?

“It’s eliminating the excess—unused items, unnecessary purchases—from your life. Well, I may have fewer possessions, but I have more space … Minimalism is making room for what matters most,” said Jay.

And “the real questions”, according to Duane Elgin, US social scientist, are “what do you care about?” and “What do you value?”

He told CNN: “It’s important for people to realize minimalism isn’t simply the amount of stuff we consume. It’s about our families, our work, our connection with the larger world, our spiritual dimension. It’s about how we touch the whole world. It’s a way of life.”

1.What was the author’s main purpose in writing the text?

A. To explore the trend of minimalism.

B. To give tips on how to lead a happy life.

C. To argue whether money buys happiness.

D. To recommend one of Francine Jay’s books.

2.What inspired Francine Jay to live a simple life?

A. A book she came across.

B. Her desire to keep up with modern life.

C. The pleasure she enjoyed from traveling lightly.

D. A follower of minimalism she met on a trip.

3.According to Leah Watkins, a typical minimalist tends to       .

a. be fed up with materialism

b. like saving and visiting nature often

c. be angry about his or her current life

d. be environmentally friendly and live with fewer things

A. a, b    B. a, d

C. a, b, c    D. b, c, d

4.The underlined word “eliminating” in Paragraph 8 probably means       .

A. removing    B. distinguishing

C. accepting    D. improving

5.Which of the following would Duane Elgin probably agree with?

A. Minimalism is a healthy lifestyle that is in conflict with modem life.

B. Minimalism limits people’s freedom to enjoy their lives to the fullest.

C. Minimalism enables people to reflect on what truly counts in their lives.

D. Minimalism means people have to sacrifice some pleasure to live simply.