Human nature seems to regard perpetual scarcity as the law of life. Daily I am astonished at how
readily I believe that something I need is in short supply. If I__36__ possessions, it is because I
believe that there is not enough to go around. If I struggle with others over power, it is because I
believe power is limited. If I become jealous in relationships, it is because I believe that if you
get too much love I will be__37__. The irony, often tragic, is that by embracing the scarcity __38__ , we create the very scarcities we fear. If I hoard material goods, others will have too little
and I will never have enough. IfI fight my way up the ladder of __39__ , others will be defeated
and I will never feel secure. If I get jealous of someone I love, I am likely to drive that person
away. If I cling to the words I have written as if they were the last of their kind, the pool of new
possibilities will surely go dry. We create scarcity by fearfully accepting it as law, and by
competing with others for resources as if we were __40__ on the Sahara at the last oasis. 【題組】39. (A) years (B) life (C) power (D) knowledge