What is freedom? It seems like such a simple question. Freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Allow me to explain it.
I’m tired of working for a living. I’d rather collect taxes. So that’s what I’m going to do: collect a kind of tax. You are ordered to estimate your income from the past 12 months, and write me a check for 1%. I have provided a mailing address for this purpose on my contact page …
What? You have a problem with my plan? Oh, I see. If you have to send me a check for the tax, then I have hurt your freedom to spend that money as you see fit. We have a conflict! And our basic problem is: we cannot enjoy freedom at the same time; we must settle for a limit. But what limit?
Libertarians (自由论者) believe freedom should be based on self-control. They describe freedom as being able to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t influence the equal right of others to do what they want to do. That is, freedom is being able to do what you like as long as you do not harm another person’s life, liberty or property.
You can build a set of legal and ethical (道德的) rules on the principle of self-control, and libertarians do. Their request for self-control often becomes more important than common sense, or even freedom itself.
The definition rules out the freedom to steal, murder, and so on. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want. There is no problem until you realize that taxation is theft, that war is murder, and that national service is a form of slavery. Since only the government has a legal right to use force, libertarians focus on making the government smaller, or even going without it. The libertarians’ definition of freedom is thus freedom from the government. Isn’t it ridiculous?

1. 1.

   According to the first three paragraphs, the author’s idea of collecting taxes is _________.

   1. A.
      reasonable
   2. B.
      responsible
   3. C.
      unacceptable
   4. D.
      understandable
2. 2.

   The author takes tax-collecting as an example in the passage to prove that freedom is _________.

   1. A.
      unreal
   2. B.
      unbelievable
   3. C.
      achievable
   4. D.
      limited
3. 3.

   In the opinion of libertarians, freedom is realized mainly by _________.

   1. A.
      the law
   2. B.
      self-control
   3. C.
      ethical rules
   4. D.
      common sense
4. 4.

   Which of the following statements is supported by libertarians according to the passage?

   1. A.
      National service should be canceled.
   2. B.
      People can do whatever they want.
   3. C.
      The government should have more power.
   4. D.
      They should be governed by the government.

What is freedom? It seems like such a simple question. Freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Allow me to explain it.

I’m tired of working for a living. I’d rather collect taxes. So that’s what I’m going to do: collect a kind of tax. You are ordered to estimate your income from the past 12 months, and write me a check for 1%. I have provided a mailing address for this purpose on my contact page …

What? You have a problem with my plan? Oh, I see. If you have to send me a check for the tax, then I have hurt your freedom to spend that money as you see fit. We have a conflict! And our basic problem is: we cannot enjoy freedom at the same time; we must settle for a limit. But what limit?

Libertarians (自由论者) believe freedom should be based on self-control. They describe freedom as being able to do what you want to do as long as it doesn’t influence the equal right of others to do what they want to do. That is, freedom is being able to do what you like as long as you do not harm another person’s life, liberty or property.

You can build a set of legal and ethical (道德的) rules on the principle of self-control, and libertarians do. Their request for self-control often becomes more important than common sense, or even freedom itself.

The definition rules out the freedom to steal, murder, and so on. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want. There is no problem until you realize that taxation is theft, that war is murder, and that national service is a form of slavery. Since only the government has a legal right to use force, libertarians focus on making the government smaller, or even going without it. The libertarians’ definition of freedom is thus freedom from the government. Isn’t it ridiculous?

According to the first three paragraphs, the author’s idea of collecting taxes is _________.

A. reasonable   B. responsible   C. unacceptable   D. understandable

The author takes tax-collecting as an example in the passage to prove that freedom is _________.

A. unreal     B. unbelievable   C. achievable    D. limited

In the opinion of libertarians, freedom is realized mainly by _________.

A. the law    B. self-control   C. ethical rules    D. common sense

Which of the following statements is supported by libertarians according to the passage?

A. National service should be canceled.

B. People can do whatever they want.

C. The government should have more power.

D. They should be governed by the government.

【2011·江苏金沙中学模拟】

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry. But it   36   lets you know, because you keep it   37   thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many   38   not-so-worthy things. So it silently begins to focus on your needs and never let   39   grow. When mind loses its   40   to grow, creativity gets a full stop.

Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied   41   plenty of reading. Now   42   reading and not watching TV?   43   reading has been the most educative tool   44   by us right from the childhood. Just like that, to   45   other aspects of our life, we have to take help of reading. You have countless books in this world which   46   answer all your questions. Once you read a book, not only do you   47   your eyes through the lines, but your mind decodes (译解) it and   48   it to you. The interesting part of the book is   49   in your mind as a seed. Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new   50  . The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things,   51   which you would have never thought in your wildest dreams! This is   52   but creativity. More the number of books you read, your mind will   53   like never before. Also this improves your speaking skills greatly and   54   your vocabulary largely. Within no   55  , you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.

36. A. always                B. never                C. not                 D. sometimes

37. A. easy                   B. noisy                C. busy                 D. ready

38. A. a                        B. these                C. those                D. such

39. A. it                        B. itself                C. you                   D. yourself

40. A. power                B. force                 C. right               D. freedom

41. A. with                   B. for                  C. through             D. at

42. A. why                   B. what               C. how                D. when

43. A. That                   B. Because            C. For                 D. As

44. A. produced            B. bought                     C. used                 D. learned

45. A. think                  B. develop             C. solve                 D. deal

46. A. need                   B. should              C. would              D. will

47. A. run                    B. fix                    C. place                 D. plant

48. A. gives                  B. reads               C. offers             D. explains

49. A. found                 B. stored             C. shown                   D. covered

50. A. inventions           B. discoveries      C. ideas                 D. dreams

51. A. of                      B. in                      C. over                  D. at

52. A. everything           B. nothing              C. something         D. anything

53. A. give up              B. set up              C. sit up              D. open up

54. A. adds to               B. adds up             C. adds up to         D. adds in

55. A. limit                    B. help                  C. distance            D. time