living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.

　　Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make. "You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is，" Ms. Robin says, "You tend not to use things up. You cook at home rather than eat out ..."

　　Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks. "It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids，" she says, "Simplicity is not just about saving money; it's about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music."

　　Mrs. Luhrs now edits a magazine, Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.

　　"It's not about poverty，" Mrs. Luhrs explains, "It's about conscious living and creating the life you want. The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn."

　　语篇解读：越来越多的人摆脱竞争激烈的环境，选择回归简单的生活。他们重新审视生活的价值，希望以一种自己喜欢的方式来生活。

　　1．Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to ________.

　　A．pay off the debt

　　B．buy living necessities

　　C．cut down expenses

　　D．start a private hotel

　　解析：选D　细节理解题。根据第二段第一句中的"sold their home to start a B & B hotel"可知，他们把房子卖掉是为了经营自己的旅馆。故选D项。

　　2．Simple living includes ________.

　　A．building a home library

　　B．sharing housing with others

　　C．enjoying a colorful night life

　　D．living in the countryside

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第四段中的"Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing ..."可知，B项中所描述的内容包含在simple living的内容中，故选B项。

　　3．It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs ________.

　　A．works as a reporter of a magazine

B．helps people buy recycled clothes