(10·天津D篇)

To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.

Common sense is not all that common.

Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this:” To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”This saying mirrors an deal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.

Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company,”the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?

51. According to tile passage, which of following seems the most human?

A. To search for truth．          B. To achieve one’s ideal

C. To make fun of others’mistakes．D. To criticize others for one’s own error.

52．According to the author, what is a sign of a man’s maturity?

A．Doing things his own way.

B．Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.

C．Making as few mistakes as possible．

D．Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.

53．Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.

B．A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.

C．A company’s next move follows a good plan．

D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments．

54. What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?

A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.

B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.

C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.

D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.

55. What would be the best title for his passage?

A. A Mirror of Human Nature  B. To Blame or to Forgive

C. A Mark of Maturity   D. Truth or Excuse

When I was nine, my family and some friends took a trip. During the trip some members of the group felt  41 , so we stopped at a small stand (摊位). Everyone lined up to buy their food.

  42 , after I finished eating, I was still a little hungry and wanted some  43 . Soon I was sure my parents wouldn’t  44 me any candy. "I have to think of a plan," I thought. Then an old lady  45 to buy something she wanted, and would have to get back in line. I knew what I could do. So I rushed to her and volunteered my  46 . She   47 and gave me a $20 bill to get some chips.

When I reached the stand, I found  48 from our group was around. Then I spent the  49  $20 buying the candy. I thought  50 , "I have almost bought all the candy for the next century!" But then, I  51 I should explain to the old lady why I bought no chips and where the whole bill had gone.   52 , an idea occurred to me. So I shouted, "I was robbed!" Upon  53  this, the old lady rushed to me to see if I  54 any harm. However, my parents just stayed behind, without any  55 . With so much candy being found in my bag, they knew I was  56 ! When my daddy stared at me angrily, I knew I had to tell the  57 . As a result, I was blamed and had to apologize to the old lady for my  58 action. Later, I had to work during the whole summer holiday to  59 the old lady back that $20. From this  60  , I learned a lesson. I also promised that I would never do it again in the future.

The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ, when Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international   36 . American officials believed they should   37   the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with words in   38 . “The   39  may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA   40  were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After the World War Ⅱended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s   41  had to be changed, 42  the Soviet Union（苏联）became enemy of America. They wanted to   43  Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early days VOA began adding something new to its Broadcast that was   44     “Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959. VOA knew that many listeners did not know _ 45  English to completely understand its   46  English broadcast. So VOA   47  a simpler kind of English,   48  uses about 1,500 words and is spoken   49 . Of course, it is special English.
In the   50  of most VOA listeners, the most   51  program is the news report. News from around the world   52  into the VOA news room in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in   53  cities and also from other   54  like BBC. VOA writers and editors use these materials to   55  news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.

The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ, when Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international   36 . American officials believed they should   37   the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with words in   38 . “The   39  may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA   40  were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After the World War Ⅱended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s   41  had to be changed, 42  the Soviet Union（苏联）became enemy of America. They wanted to   43  Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early days VOA began adding something new to its Broadcast that was   44     “Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959. VOA knew that many listeners did not know _ 45  English to completely understand its   46  English broadcast. So VOA   47  a simpler kind of English,   48  uses about 1,500 words and is spoken   49 . Of course, it is special English.
In the   50  of most VOA listeners, the most   51  program is the news report. News from around the world   52  into the VOA news room in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in   53  cities and also from other   54  like BBC. VOA writers and editors use these materials to   55  news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.

The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ, when Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international   36 . American officials believed they should   37   the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with words in   38 . “The   39  may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA   40  were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.

After the World War Ⅱended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s   41  had to be changed, 42  the Soviet Union（苏联）became enemy of America. They wanted to   43  Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.

In the early days VOA began adding something new to its Broadcast that was   44     “Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959. VOA knew that many listeners did not know _ 45  English to completely understand its   46  English broadcast. So VOA   47  a simpler kind of English,   48  uses about 1,500 words and is spoken   49 . Of course, it is special English.

In the   50   of most VOA listeners, the most   51  program is the news report. News from around the world   52  into the VOA news room in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in   53  cities and also from other   54  like BBC. VOA writers and editors use these materials to   55  news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.