Translation of “Self-Reliance”
By: Henry David Thoreau

Directions: After reading, please answer the questions below using complete sentences.
There is a time in every man’s life when he realizes that the world has many good things in it. Nothing can come to man unless he works hard with what he is given in order to succeed. A man does not know what he is able to do until he tries.
Society as a whole does not do what is good for individual people. Society would rather have people celebrate, eat and take part in the same things. Society wants people to follow the rules that they set for everyone. Society does not want people to be independant and be able to take care of themselves. Society wants people to rely on each other.
To have a routine and do the same thing over and over again is what less intelligent (smart) people do. A person with a great soul will be bored with a routine. You must question everything, every day and search for the truth. Do not do the same things over and over again. People may not understand you if you do this, but many great people such as Jesus were not understood while they were alive.
Technology has helped man forget basic skills. A man can ride in a horse and buggy to go places, but riding a horse keeps him from exercising his feet. His feet would not be able walk long distances because he is so used to the horse taking him where he needs to go. A man can have a watch, but does not know how to tell time using the sun. Men do not know how to read the stars anymore.

What must man do in order to get the things he needs in life?

Ineed . read this textbook passage. select the five (5) statements which are most logically supported by the given information. what would you do if you won ten million dollars in a lottery? your first reaction might be, “i’d spend the rest of my life on the beach (or skiing or traveling).” but in all likelihood you, like most other people who receive financial windfalls, would seek some kind of work eventually. a variety of motives keeps people working, even when they don’t need a paycheck to survive. if you’ve ever worked as a volunteer, you know that someone can be more satisfying than receiving pay. work also provides a sense of identity. one man aged 81 said, “i’ve been in the fabric business since i was a kid, and i still get a kick out of it." studies suggest that rats, pigeons, and children sometimes work to gain rewards, even if they can get the same rewards without working. one researcher wrote the following on the subject: rats will run down an alley tripping over hundreds of food pellets to obtain a single, identical pellet in the goal box, . . and pigeons will peck a key . . to get exactly the same food that is freely available in a nearby cup. given the choice of receiving marbles merely by waiting a certain amount of time for their delivery, children tend to prefer to press a lever . . to get the same marbles. 1. serving a purpose is satisfying. 2. it is not so lucky to win a large amount of money in a lottery. 3. endless “vacationing” eventually becomes dissatisfying. 4. the pay we receive is unimportant. 5. most people try to work as little as possible. 6. people, rats, and pigeons enjoy the challenges and interaction that work offers. 7. it generally feels better to achieve something than to be given something. 8. people who don’t retire continue to work only because they need the money. 9. most people who work as volunteers resent the fact that they are not paid for their work. 10. work can be its own reward.