Personality is to large extent inherent. A-type parents usually bring A-type offspring. But the environment must also have a profound effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor in the lives of their children.
One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the “win at all costs” moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their type B fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying: “Rejoice, we conquer!”
By far the worst form of competition in schools is the disproportionate emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.
Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into B’s. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child’s personality to hide possible future employment. It is top management.
If the preoccupation of schools with academic work was lessened, more time might be spent teaching children surer values. Perhaps selection for the caring professions, especially medicine, could be made less by good grades in chemistry and more by such considerations as sensitivity and sympathy. It is surely a mistake to choose our doctors exclusively from A type stock. B’s are important and should be encouraged.
1.In Paragraph 2, Line 2, the word “institution” refers to ___.
A.establishment B.social custom C.law D.school
2.According to the passage, A-type individuals are in most cases ___.
3.The author strongly objects to the practice of examination at schools because ___.
A.the pressure is too great on the students. B.some students are bound to fail. C.failure rates are too high. D.the results of examinations are doubtful.
4.The selection of medical professionals is currently based on ___.
5.From the passage we can draw the conclusion that ___.
A.the personality of a child is well established at birth. B.family influence dominates the shaping of one’s characteristics. C.the development of one’s personality is due to multiple factors, D.B-type characteristics can find no place in a competitive society.
第47篇答案：DCBBC
第48篇：(Unit 12,Passage 4)
The word religion is derived from the Latin noun religio, which denotes both earnest observance of ritual obligations and an inward spirit of reverence. In modern usage, religion covers a wide spectrum of meaning that reflects the enormous variety of ways the term can be interpreted. At one extreme, many committed believers recognize only their own tradition as a religion, understanding expressions such as worship and prayer to refer exclusively to the practices of their tradition. Although many believers stop short of claiming an exclusive status for their tradition, they may nevertheless use vague or idealizing terms in defining religion for example, true love of God, or the path of enlightenment. At the other extreme, religion may be equated with ignorance, fanaticism, or wishful thinking.
By defining religion as a sacred engagement with what is taken to be a spiritual reality, it is possible to consider the importance of religion in human life without making claims about what it really is or ought to be. Religion is not an object with a single, fixed meaning, or even a zone with clear boundaries. It is an aspect of human experience that may intersect, incorporate, or transcend other aspects of life and society. Such a definition avoid the drawbacks of limiting the investigation of religion to Western or biblical categories such as monotheism (belief in one god only) or to church structure, which are not universal. For example, in tribal societies, religion unlike the Christian church usually is not a separate institution but pervades the whole of public and private life.
In Buddhism, gods are not as central as the idea of a Buddha. In many traditional cultures, the idea of a sacred cosmic order is the most prominent religious belief. Because of this variety, some scholars prefer to use a general term such as the sacred to designate the common foundation of religious life.
Religion in this understanding includes a complex of activities that cannot be reduced to any single aspect of human experience. It is a part of individual life but also of group dynamics. Religion includes patterns of behavior but also patterns of language and thought. It is sometimes a highly organized institution that sets itself apart from a culture, and it is sometimes an integral part of a culture. Religious experience may be expressed in visual symbols, dance and performance, elaborate philosophical systems, legendary and imaginative stories, formal ceremonies, and detailed rules of ethical conduct and law. Each of these elements assumes innumerable cultural forms. In some ways there are as many forms of religious expression as there are human cultural environments.
1.What is the passage mainly concerned about?
A.Religion has a variety of interpretation. B.Religion is a reflection of ignorance. C.Religion is not only confined to the Christian categories. D.Religion includes all kinds of activities.
2.What does the word “observance” probably convey in Para. 1?
A.notice B.watching C.conformity D.experience
3.According to the passage what people generally consider religion to be?
A.Fantastic observance B.Spiritual practice C.Individual observance of tradition D.A complex of activities
4.Which of the following is not true?
A.It is believed by some that religion should be what it ought to be. B.“The path of enlightenment” is a definition that the author doesn’t agree to. C.According to the author, the committed believers define religion improperly. D.The author doesn’t speak in favor of the definition of “the sacred”.
5.Which of the following is religion according to the passage?
A.Performance of human beings. B.Buddha, monotheism and some tribal tradition. C.Practice separated from culture. D.All the above.
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