C. know what his life would be like in the future

　　D. leave something special to his three daughters

　　8. How did the author feel when he opened the first box filled with his journals?

　　A. Curious.

　　B. Worried.

　　C. Surprised.

　　D. Disappointed.

　　9. We can learn from the passage that the author _____.

　　A. rarely wrote journals at school

　　B. keeps a daily journal of his life

　　C. even wrote journals when traveling

　　D. had kept writing journals for five decades

　　10. What would be the best title for the passage?

　　A. How to develop a habit of writing journals.

　　B. The importance of reflecting on life.

　　C. The highlights in my life.

　　D. A gift to my future self.

Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or hobbies. Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting is one of them.

　　Six percent of the workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted are Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she worked for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs, leaving their two children with a nanny. Nearly twice a month Daniel had to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.

　　Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. "I always wanted to have one here," says Daniel, "and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. it's taken some time getting used to, but it's been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it's made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier."

Liz, however, is not quite sure. "I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I'm not really a country girl, but I suppose I'm gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.