Question

【题目】Comfort is comforting, but it might narrow our experience at work — and beyond.

In our modern world, discomfort is considered a terrible thing. If not terrible, at least a thing of the past. Dishwashers, washing machines, computers, remote controls—yes, they add convenience, but also a level of comfort our forefathers did not enjoy.

As pain of any kind discourages happiness, we tend to reason, anything that compromises our ability to feel good must be bad. And that’s also particularly true for our careers. Success makes us feel great, not terrible. Such a view, however, is a matter of personal opinion. And it may blind us to hidden opportunities.

Artists throughout history have tried to experience suffering, instinctively if not consciously, to produce works that explore the darker hidden sides of the human condition. This was done, in part, because pain is a reality of life for everybody in some form at some time. Pain is something everybody can relate to. And pain makes a person very present. For such artists, to relieve or to deny pain would be to block the creative thinking, which drives them to explore and express. In fact, Germans have a term for this melancholia, “Weltschmerz”, which means “suffering from the world.” Writers, from Lord Byron to Kurt Vonnegut, have used the term to describe the psychological pain encountered along life’s roller-coaster journey. It was not to be avoided; it was to be understood, investigated and employed.

So I propose that discomfort is good for us. Or, put another way, it tells us that something needs to be addressed. It stretches us by forcing us to view our circumstances through a wholly different lens. Because we’re drawn to safety and security, we do our best to create pleasant comfort zones for ourselves and our loved ones through the cars we drive, the homes we live in, and the places we work. But by resisting discomfort, we deny ourselves an important opportunity: the chance to shake ourselves out of our predictable perspectives and allow ourselves to make knowledgeable observations we could not possibly have made before. Discomfort gives us fresh eyes.

【1】Which of the following is NOT a reason why artists throughout history have been exploring sufferings?

A. Pain is a mirror that can reflect the life of everybody.

B. Pain is something that no one can escape from.

C. Pain can help them to avoid the creative thinking.

D. Pain can strengthen the feeling of existence of a person.

【2】The term “Weltschmerz” couldn’t be used to describe something like __________.

A. social inequality B. mass killings

C. racial discrimination D. great achievements

【3】The author believes that by challenging discomfort, one may _________.

A. lose an important chance to make a big fortune

B. feel upset and fail to think calmly

C. judge and think about the world in a new particular way

D. control the situation properly when things go unsteady

【4】By writing this passage, the author tries to __________.

A. criticize a world full of comfort

B. explain why discomfort is good for us

C. persuade people to lead a life full of discomfort

D. blame those who enjoy an easy life

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】

试题分析：这是一篇议论文，讨论了“痛苦（discomfort）”的一些积极作用，呼吁人们去把“痛苦”看成一个潜在的机会。

【1】细节理解题。根据文章第四段所述“历史上的艺术家们为了创作那些探索人类社会阴暗面的作品，一直在寻求苦难。即便他们是无意而为之，那也是直觉使然。他们之所以这么做，一部分原因是因为痛苦是每个人生活中都要面对的现实，它会在某些时刻以某些形式呈现，无人能够规避。痛苦还能大大增强一个人的存在感。对于这些个艺术家们来说，缓解或是躲避痛苦只会阻滞他们去探索和表达的创作灵感。”可知。故选C。

【2】词义理解题。文章第四段对“Weltschmerz”进行了解释：在德国，有个词专门用来形容这种忧郁症，叫“悲世”，意思是遭受人间疾苦的悲痛之情。作家们，从拜伦到冯古内特，常常用这个词来描述人们在跌宕起伏的人生历程中所遭受的精神痛苦。人们无法规避这种痛苦，只能去理解、研究、合理利用它。在四个选项中A表示“社会不平等”，B表示“大屠杀”，C表示“种族歧视”，这些都是人间疾苦的表现形式，只有D项“伟大成就”不符合这个范畴。故选D。

【3】细节理解题。根据文章最后一段尾句“在抗拒痛苦的同时，我们也正将一次摒弃陈见、擦亮双眼看世界的重要机会推离自己。“痛苦”开拓了我们的视野。”可知。注意原文中的deny表示“拒绝给予”的意思。故选C。

【4】推理判断题。结合全文，尤其是文章首段文意“虽然闲逸的生活总是能够抚慰人心，但时间长了，它就可能成为我们工作、生活中的绊脚石。”和文章最后一段的“我并不是说人要“自讨苦吃”才能激发创造性思维和解决问题的能力。但我确实觉得如果我们不急着给“痛苦”安上一个我们认为“糟糕”的定义，生活将会更幸福。我们要把痛苦看成一个潜在的机会，是它教会了我们一些东西。”故选B。