Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you'll have no trouble answering these questions.

　　　Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child's day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的）to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.

　　　The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they'd felt cold water at first.

　　　Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.

　　　The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what's around them. I asked them what they'd seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.

　　　Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.

　　　5．According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more ____________.

　　　A．anxious to do wonders

　　　B．sensitive to others' feelings

　　　C．likely to develop unpleasant habits

　　　D．eager to explore the world around them

　　　6．What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?

　　　A．To avoid jumping to conclusions.

　　　B．To stop complaining all the time.

　　　C．To follow the teacher's advice.

　　　D．To admit mistakes honestly.

　　　7．The bird watchers' behavior shows that they __________.

　　　A．are very patient in their observation

　　　B．are really fascinated by nature

　　　C．care only about the names of birds

　　　D．question the accuracy of the field guides

　　　8．Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?

　　　A．The natural beauty isn't attractive to them.

　　　B．They focus on arriving at the camp in time.

　　　C．The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.

　　　D．They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.

　　　I have learned something about myself since I moved from Long Island to Florida three years ago. Even though I own a home in Port St, Lucie just minutes from the ocean, an un- controllable urge wells up to return to Long Island even as others make their way south. I guess I am a snowbird stuck in reverse. Instead of enjoying Florida's mild winters, I willingly endure the severe weather on Long Island, the place I called home for 65 years.

　　　I'm like a migratory bird (候鸟) that has lost its sense of timing and direction, my wings flapping against season.

　　　So what makes me fly against the tide of snowbirds? The answer has a lot to do with my reluctance to give up the things that define who I am. Once I hear that the temperature on Long Island has dipped into the range of 40 to 50 degrees, I begin to long for the sight and crackling sound of a wood fire. I also long for the bright display of colors-first in the fall trees, and then in the lights around homes and at Rockefeller Center. Floridians decorate too, but can't create the special feel of a New England winter.

　　　I suppose the biggest reason why I return is to celebrate the holidays with people I haven't seen in months. What could be better than sitting with family and friends for a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, or watching neighbors children excitedly open gifts on Christmas? Even the first snowfall seems special. I especially enjoy seeing a bright red bird settling on a snow-covered branch. (My wife and I spend winters at a retirement community in Ridge, and I'm grateful that I don't have to shovel.)

　　　While these simple pleasures are not unique to Long Island, they are some of the reasons why I come back. Who says you can't go home?

9．What's the difference between Florida and Long Island?