The only popular thought about beauty today, the one that has the widest currency in the world, is the idea that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. It seeks to make peace between people who have very different tastes.【G1】_____________________Yet the success of this generous approach keeps attention away from deeper, more important aspects.

In 1795, the German dramatist and poet Friedrich Schiller published a book On the Aesthetic Education of Man in a Series of Letters. It contains some of the most useful insights into the nature and value of beauty. Schiller’s starting point is an analysis of the human condition. He wants to understand our delight in what we find beautiful. Instead of asking which things are beautiful, Schiller is curious about what is going on in us when we respond with this distinctive, intimate thrill and enthusiasm that leads us to say “that’s beautiful”.

Schiller thinks of human nature as an arena in which two powerful psychological drives are at work. On the one hand, there is the “sense” drive which lives in the moment and seeks immediate gratification.【G2】_______________Schiller associated the sense drive with his friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who longed to see things with his own eyes.

The second drive identified by Schiller was the “form” drive: the inner demand for coherence over time, for abstract understanding and rational order.【G3】__________________When we think that a person is entitled to a fair trial, we are motivated, Schiller says, by the rational “form” drive. We are loyal to the abstract, general ideal of due process.

What he’s calling the sense drive and the form drive are powerful impulses in us. But they are often in conflict.【G4】_______________

Schiller’s point is that human nature is fired by two divergent kinds of longing: we can’t hope to see why beauty matters to us unless we pay attention to them both.

It might look as though Schiller is trying to resuscitate an old religious theme, the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. But there is a crucial difference. Thinkers ranging from St Paul to Immanuel Kant have all believed that one of these aspects of our nature—which they usually call the spiritual or rational—should triumph. But Schiller does not believe that one side is more important than the other. Rather, the two sides are in need of each other.【G5】____________

[A] It craves contact and possession and can be coarse, as when one yearns to swig great draughts of beer; but it can also be elevated.

[B] The demands of the short term are at odds with the hopes of the longer view; comfort and ease struggle against a sense of duty and responsibility; and the allure of freedom clashes with the longing to be steadfast and rooted in existing commitments.

[C] People are delighted by wildly variant things and that’s how it should be, the thinking goes—so don’t get worked up trying to figure out which things are beautiful.

[D] If the sense drive dominates, we become brutish and superficial. If the form drive is too dominant, we become dry and callous. We need the two to interact harmoniously in order to see the role that beauty can play in our lives.

[E] At the same time, the form drive is also at work in artistic creations, for example, the statue of Apollo. We respond to the artistic structure to it, its proportion and unity.

[F] This drive, thought Schiller, seeks to leave behind the peculiarities of one’s own experience and dis-cover universal principles. It is at the heart of justice—which is not about getting what you want for yourself—and is animated by principle.

[G] However, both drives do not work against one another. Instead, they co-operate, and Schiller’s point is that to experience artwork in a dual way with the two drives at work is to find it beautiful.

Accounts of debilitating fear after trauma date back to the Trojan wars. In the 19th century survivors of train crashes were diagnosed with “railway spine” because doctors thought their hysteria was caused by compression of the backbone. In the First World War it was known as shell shock, soldier’s heart or battle fatigue. Not until soldiers returned from the Vietnam war with the same symptoms of hyper-vigilance, flashbacks and nightmares was the disorder truly taken seriously. In 1980 an umbrella term was coined: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

PTSD is more common after repeated traumas than after a one-off; it is also more likely to emerge if the perpetrator is known to the victim.【G1】___________________Women are twice as likely as men to suffer, partly because domestic violence is a common cause of repeated trauma and because women are at much greater risk of sexual assault, which is particularly likely to cause PTSD.

Sufferers are at much higher risk of developing other health problems, including diabetes, heart ailments, depression and addiction. They are also much more likely to be out of work, have marital problems or become teenage parents.【G2】________________

Neural research is helping to reveal how people get stuck in a state of fear.【G3】_________________In someone with PTSD the filters struggle to distinguish between real threats and those that can safely be ignored.

The brain of a healthy person given cause to panic will tell the body to activate various reactions, including releasing adrenalin. A person’s heart rate will increase and they will have a strong urge to fight or flee. Once back to safety, symptoms subside and all that remains is a bad memory.【G4】_______

The more often people receive such reminders without suffering a disaster, the more likely the fear is to dissipate—which is why it is important not to hide away after a trauma. When this mechanism fails, the result is PTSD.

Treatments mostly aim to retrain the brain’s fear response. Many patients are given cognitive therapy, which teaches them to think differently about what happened and trains them to cope with triggers. Debra Kaysen of the University of Washington says severe symptoms recede in about four out of five patients following a dozen or so sessions. Other patients are given exposure therapy, in which they are confronted with the feared stimuli.【G5】_________________

[A] These new treatments for PTSD will take longer to develop than hoped, but acceptance of PTSD’s inherently physical nature could encourage sufferers to seek help earlier.

[B] Trauma in early childhood, when the brain is still learning about the world and what should be feared, makes people more vulnerable in later life. So children abused by family members are at high risk of developing PTSD.

[C] Adults may be asked to describe a traumatic event in excruciating detail until it loses its potency; young children might play out what happened with toys. Virtual-reality simulations have been used on soldiers.

[D] The amygdalae, a pair of almond-sized regions deep in the brain, are the main orchestrators of fear, reading incoming signals such as smells and sounds and sending messages to other bits of the brain, which filter the signals before reacting.

[E] A woman assaulted in a noisy bar may react fearfully to the sound of clinking glasses for a few weeks, but over time, in what is called “fear extinction”, the positive association of celebrating with friends will outweigh negative ones.

[F] A soldier returning from war may continue to freeze and have debilitating flashbacks when anything reminds him of combat. One ex-soldier tells of “freaking out” every time his wife baked: it turned out that the smell of almonds evoked Semtex, an explosive.

[G] As with other mental illnesses, they often have to bear the additional grief of their condition being dismissed as a character failing or at least less real than a physical illness.

The public is kinder to its veterans today than it was during the Vietnam War, when soldiers risked their lives overseas only to face scorn from antiwar activists when they got home. Yet veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan may be having a harder time readjusting to civilian life than previous generations.

Recognition and treatment of combat-related mental health problems have greatly improved over the years, so it’s impossible to compare historical rates of, say, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

【G1】________________

A Rand Corp. study last year found that almost 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report PTSD or depression. It doesn’t help that the soldiers are coming home better treated by their fellow countrymen.

【G2】_____________________

In order to fight two Middle Eastern wars, troops have been forced to serve multiple deployments, and reservists who thought their combat days were over have found themselves on the front lines.

As Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pointed out that the war in Afghanistan has surpassed the Revolutionary War as the longest conflict ever fought by this country with an all-volunteer force. The resulting strains have been cited as a factor in the shooting incident at Ft. Hood, Texas, though it’s too early to tell whether institutional stresses, cultural conflicts or personal devils caused the suspected killer to snap.【G3】______________Treating their invisible wounds—mental disorders, substance abuse and traumatic brain injuries—will take many decades.

To their credit, the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are increasingly recognizing this. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki recently laid out an ambitious plan to end homelessness among veterans, mostly by improving medical services, including mental health care.【G4】_________________

And yet so much more needs to be done. A report released earlier this year by the VA estimated that more than 130,000 veterans were homeless in the previous year. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the VA’s figures mean that veterans were more than twice as likely to be left homeless as the typical American. By far the largest number of homeless vets was in California, with an estimated 20,000 in Los Angeles alone.【G5】_________________

[A] What’s clear is that neither the men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, nor the American people as a whole, will be finished paying the cost of these wars even after the last U.S. soldier has left.

[B] Therefore, homelessness, family strains and psychological problems among returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will persist in the United States for generations to come.

[C] But advocates say California, like many other states, has no strategy for dealing with this problem, which is worsened by the region’s elevated unemployment rate and high cost of housing.

[D] High rents and a lack of job prospects can send those already struggling to cope with war-related stress over the edge. But the likeliest explanation for these troublesome trends is that the military is stretched too thin.

[E] But the statistics that do exist are troubling. Military suicides are soaring—last year, the Army reported a record 133, and the suicide rate among soldiers in Iraq is 11% higher than in Vietnam.

[F] Meanwhile, state and local officials need to open their eyes to the problems faced by returning veterans and start working with the VA and other agencies to solve them.

[G] The government has nearly doubled its budget for psychological and brain-injury treatments over the past year and created a new program, Real Warriors, aimed at reducing the stigma many soldiers feel in seeking treatment for PTSD.

[A] Take a walk

[B] Look at current trends

[C] Brainstorm with friends

[D] Share your opinions on the Internet

[E] Look at old articles you have written

[F] Do something out of the ordinary

[G] Review your old books

How to Break Through Writer’s Block

As a writer, there will always be times that writer’s block hits hard and it seems like nothing can be done to pull you out and that surrender is the only option. Every writer has been there, even some of the greatest writers ever. However, the difference between a second-rate writer and a great writer is how they manage and overcome difficult articles and writer’s block. This article will discuss several key ways to create compelling content even when you have no idea how to write a paper or article.

【G1】_______________________________________________

Sometimes the people in your life that seem quite ordinary can actually be a wealth of extraordinary information and knowledge. Whether they are fellow writers, students, or someone who is not an author at all, they are often great people to bounce ideas from and generate ideas from. They can also help educate you about topics that you know very little about and when you need a new take on opinions floating around on the Internet.

【G2】_______________________________________________

Sometimes you just need to slow down and take a break from writing when you get a particularly difficult assignment or when you have hit the wall from writer’s block. Taking a stroll around the block or to a nearby park can take your mind off the stress of the article and re-energize you. When you come back to start writing again, new ideas will emerge and the writing will become easy again. After all, you wouldn’t be a writer if writing was always hard for you. De-stressing can enable you to remember why you enjoy writing so much in the first place.

【G3】__________________

Having a new experience whether trying a new restaurant or going to a concert of a band you’ve never heard of can spark new ideas, even if the article you are working on has nothing to do with food, music, or cultural experiences. Allowing yourself to think outside of the box even if just for a bit can help you think outside of the box in other areas of your life as well—including your writing. Trying something daring like skydiving or white water rafting can also get your creative juices flowing again.

【G4】_______________________________________________

If you are writing an article or blog on a topic that you have written about often in the past, consider making a list of the “best of your tips or your articles. For example, an article that combines little pieces and tips of past articles and posts titled “Best Advice for…” is much more interesting than an article that boringly repeats an older post in a different way. Combining your articles together will also attract new readers who enjoy looking through one article to find the information they are looking for, and not browsing your entire documents for scattered information.

【G5】_______________________________________________

[A] Have enough information

[B] Listen to your Gremlin

[C] Test them against your values

[D] Respect your doubts

[E] Trust your gut

[F] Weigh up the pro’s and con’s

[G] It just doesn’t matter

Some years ago I remember standing in my kitchen, staring silently at my boxes of cereal, trying to decide which to have for breakfast. I stood there for 5 minutes, until—utterly frustrated—I marched out of the house and went without. Fortunately I’ve learned to make decisions more quickly and more easily now, and when I notice that second-guessing and doubting starting to kick in, I kick it right back. So here are 5 ways to make confident decisions.

【G1】_______________________________________________

So many times we have to make decisions without a framework and no way to judge between two choices. When faced with a tricky decision it’s often a good idea to line up your choices and ask “Which one of these most honors the things that mean the most to me?” The decision that’s most in line with the things that mean the most to you—your core values—will be the best decision for you. That might not be the simplest or most practical, but because it fits with who you are and what’s most important to you it will always be the best decision for you.

【G2】_______________________________________________

When I was growing up I used to love rainy Sunday afternoons watching Columbo (an American crime fiction TV series). What Columbo had bundles of was a great trust in his intuition. In every episode, from the very moment he first meets the bad guy, he knows “whodunit”—and he always trusts that. So look at what your intuition tells you is the ’right’ decision for you. Forget about all the “What if ’s” and the myriad, tiny details—what is your gut telling you? Listen to your intuition, it knows what it’s talking about.

【G3】__________________________________________

My decision between breakfast cereals wasn’t a big deal. Whichever one I chose, there were never going to be any huge consequences and the ripples from that decision wouldn’t have been felt much further than the end of my spoon. Sometimes it just doesn’t matter which way you go. It’s easy to get wrapped up in second-guessing yourself, going round in circles and over-complicating things, when—if you get right down to it—it just doesn’t matter. Going round in circles is only going to make you dizzy, so stop it. Ask yourself this question—if your future happiness wasn’t dependent on your decision, which way would you go?

【G4】______________________________________________

Go and get the facts before you make a complex decision. By all means weigh up the pro’s and con’s so that you can get an understanding of what’s behind a choice. But be careful—there’s a huge difference between knowing enough to make a choice, and knowing everything to make a choice. When you feel yourself pursuing every fact or every piece of information before you make a decision, stop yourself. Ask “What do I really need to know to make this decision?” and focus your efforts on getting the best information relatively quickly.

【G5】______________________________________________

We all naturally shy away from change, and we’ve developed a whole bunch of tricks that make it easy for us to avoid making decisions and stay exactly where we are. That part of you is often called the “Gremlin”, and it’s the part of you that would rather avoid making decisions altogether rather than run the risk of making a bad one or screwing up. Your Gremlin is not the same thing as having doubts, which are valid concerns about a possible course of action, or reasonable concerns about what might be in store. Your doubts can help you prepare for change and get ready for what could happen. Your Gremlin is adept at feeding on your doubts and using them to get you to stay put, so knowing the difference between your Gremlin and your valid doubts helps you clarify what’s real and what’s imagined, what’s relevant and what’s irrelevant.

[A] The researchers calculated the different water footprints of three different diets for each region: 1. the current diet in the region (based on national food consumption statistics for 1996-2005); 2. a healthy diet, based on regional guidelines; and 3. a vegetarian diet, which was based on the healthy diet, but with the meat substituted with other sources of protein, such as pulses and nuts, etc.

[B] Different European regions have very different diets and environmental conditions, meaning their water consumption varies widely. Despite this, switching to vegetarian diets in keeping with regional variation would substantially reduce water consumption in all areas, a new study concludes. Where people choose to eat meat, adopting a healthy diet low in oils and sugar will also reduce water consumption, although to a lesser degree.

[C] There is increasing pressure on global water resources, with demand rising and the effects of climate change causing concern. Water use efficiency is therefore a key issue. In the EU, the consumption of agricultural products represents 89% of the water “footprint”, accounting for 42651cd (litres per person per day) out of a total of 48151cd. Diet is, therefore, thought to have a substantial influence on water consumption.

[D] In the south, the current water footprint was largest, as expected for hotter countries where, for example, irrigation may be required for crop production. However, consumption of meat was also high, with the current consumption of 58.9kg per person per year almost three times the regional recommendation of 20.8kg. The southern total of 58751cd dropped by 30% under the healthy diet and 41% under the vegetarian diet. Countries in the east eat the least meat and current water consumption of 40531cd dropped by 11% for the healthy diet and by 27% for the vegetarian diet.

[E] This study shows that reducing the amount of meat, sugar and oils in a diet can have a significant effect on the water footprint, even when regional differences are taken into consideration. The researchers do note one important limitation: water footprint estimates for fish are not available and could not be included; however, they note that this will in fact result in underestimation of current water footprint.

[F] The results demonstrate that vegetarian diets achieve the greatest reduction in water consumption across all four regions. The two lowest footprints of the current diets were in the north and west. In the north, the current water footprint is calculated as 31971cd and this dropped by 3% to 3091lcd under the healthy diet and by 32% to 21661cd under the vegetarian diet. In the west, the total of 3761 lcd was reduced by 26% as a result of the healthy diet and 41% for the vegetarian.

[G] In this study, researchers examine the effects of diet on water footprint, taking into account the differences in regional diets. The four regions were those geographical regions defined by the UN for the compilation of statistics. They included the north (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and the UK); the east (the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia); the west (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands); and the south (Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain).

【G1】→C→【G2】→【G3】→【G4】→【G5】→E