第46 題至第 50 題為題組

    In 1945, leaders from 51 countries met in San Francisco, California, where the United Nations (UN) was organized. At that time, World War II had just ended. People hoped they could build a future of world peace through this new organization. Today almost every country in the world is a member of the UN. Each country has signed an agreement that says:

1. All members are equal.

2. All members promise to solve international problems in a peaceful way.

3. No member will use force against another member.

4. All members will help the UN in its actions.

5. The UN will not try to solve problems within countries except to enforce international peace.

    Obviously, the United Nations has not been completely successful in its actions. There have been several wars since 1945. However, the organization has helped bring peace to some countries that were at war. Besides, it has helped people who left their countries because of wars. It has also helped bring independence to colonies.

    The main UN organization is in New York City, but the UN has a “family” of other related organizations all over the world. These organizations try to provide a better life for everyone. One example is UNICEF, an organization that provides poor children with food, medical care, and many other services. Another example is the World Health Organization, which develops medical programs all over the world. There are thousands of UN workers in developing countries. They work as planners to increase production in farming and industry. They provide medical services, improve education programs, and spread scientific information. They develop programs that provide jobs and better living conditions. They help countries control their population growth. The UN also holds large international conferences, where people meet to discuss important world issues. One conference was about the uses and ownership of oceans. Another was about women. There are also International Years for people to work together to improve situations and solve problems.

請依下文回答第 46 題至第 50 題

    Lagom is a new lifestyle that comes out of Sweden into our homes and our lives in the hope of helping us become healthy and live a sustainable life. The Swedish word is defined as “not too much, and not too little—just right.” This ethos of moderation has a great impact on Swedish people, who believe there should be a balance in everything they do, from working hours to how many slices of cake they eat, from how much sugar to take in one coffee to the portion sizes of dinner. Now people all over the world are interested in this living philosophy. Over the past six months, the BBC reports that search engine Google has seen a steady increase in the number of searches for the term Lagom and in the last three months, the word has been tweeted over 13,500 times.

    My Swedish friend told me “asking a Swede about lagom is like asking a fish what water is. It’s part of our way of life. There’s an inner voice saying, ‘Don’t be too talkative, but don’t be too quiet or shy. Don’t build the biggest house in town and buy luxurious stuff, but don’t be poor.’”

    Lagom has inspired several companies to manufacture skin collections, clothing, and furniture based on this notion of making life easier, more enjoyable and inexpensive. Swedish furniture store IKEA, for example, has created a project called “Live Lagom” to teach people how to reduce waste, save water, and live a healthier life. The famous H&M also sells Lagom around the world. Everybody can afford to buy their products, which are functional, stylish, and nice, but not too nice. Sam and Elliott Stocks, from England, published the lifestyle magazine Lagom. “Although neither of us are Swedes, we admire Swedish culture,” says Elliott. “The philosophy of Lagom is beautifully simple; it encourages everything in moderation.”