资料题：The words“in solitude" in the first paragraph are closest in meaning to（  ）。

Marriage both illustrates and reinforces the importance of thinking of others.For as long as there has been human society, man and women have recognized their need to mate to establish a lifelong bond that provides the essence of the support that each human being needs as he struggles to face the challenges of life.Throughout history, it has been this union in which above all other forces has made it possible for men and women to experience their greatest joy.It is this built-in support system that enables them to be the best that they can be.It is this sharing of life's best and worst times that exponentially(指数地、指数曲线地) increases our ability to find meaning in life.A sunset watched in solitude on a foreign shore only increases your loneliness;the same sight shared with a loved are is a special moment.When we think back on our sorrows and our joys, we realize that in both cases the first hing we do is reach out for the person we are closest to.As happy as we feel when the baby is born or the promotion arrives, our true joy comes from watching that person's face when we share the news.Then our twins were born, my husband was in Vietnam.He didn't see them or hold them until they were seven months old.It wasn't easy to care for them and their three year-old sister by myself during those long months.Until his return, my experience of childbirth was never quite complete.Those who fear the commitment of marriage, who avoid the trouble and the responsibility in the name of more time, more money, or more pleasure, cheat only themselves.Those who wait until they reach all their other goals before presenting themselves to a deserving mate often find their success empty.How much better to struggle with someone to reach a common goal, to be able to say" we did it together" than to strive for one's own good.