GRE之Issue提綱
7."The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records."
Our life has gone through great changes since the video camera came into being, which provides a totally new and different way of recording life to the traditional written methods.
Compared with written records, video documentation is much less influenced by the one who took record and the one who interprete it.
Another conspicuous advantage of video records is its integrity.
Yet it’s rash to say that video camera has already won over traditional written documents and become the new domination of documentation field since video record is limited in several aspects.
We cannot say whether video camera or the written document is more important than the other in that each one has its irreplaceable merits and values. Video camera offers the accurate and convincing method of recording which can revive life in before, while traditional written document can provide a more detailed and rational record in lower cost.
8."It is often necessary, even desirable, for political leaders to withhold information from the public."
Firstly, political leaders, in a democracy regime, will harm the proper right of people as they withhold information from the public.
Secondly, withholding information from the public will result in corruption in the government, and therefore bring detriment to society.
Admittedly, sometimes it is necessary for political leaders to keep the public from know something, such as country’s top secrete, which is indispensable and helpful for a country in defending aggression and keeping safety.
10"Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive, because it is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated."
It is always true that big cities of a country boom not only in economy but also in culture.
Actually, not all the major cities of a country are bound to the responsibility of preserving a nation’s culture traditions.
Indeed, in some major cities, where have less culture traditions, it creates a better environment for development than in those cities where long culture traditions are preserved. Nevertheless, admitted that, there are also some major cities that are characterized by their long culture traditions,
Similarly, either small cities, or villages and towns, in spite of not being major cities, are the places where culture traditions generated and handed down be generations.
11"All nations should help support the development of a global university designed to engage students in the process of solving the world's most persistent social problems."
Though each social problem appears to be different in different nations, as theft in affluent nations may be conducted more for psychological reasons rather than for the value of the issue with regard to its counterpart in poor nations, there is always a radical key lying beneath.
On the other hand, though nearly all the social problems are persisting in every nation, some may be disasters in one nation while slight flaw in another. Such a global university asks for the support from all nations of the world.
17"There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws."
Laws and regulations are set up along with the entrenchment of a government serving as a means to control the country.
Since laws are built up under the power of government, which represents the public interest whereas run by a few individuals, it is quite possible that laws are constituted in the name of representing the majority while on the contrary in a few individuals favor.
Facing unjust laws, every individual has the very responsibility to resist them.
No matter that whether every individual could reach an agreement on unjust or not, one point is important that we should put forward our opinions toward unjust laws.
26"Most people would agree that buildings represent a valuable record of any society's past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In such situations, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served."
i. Historic buildings are irrecoverable resources we should preserve not only for ourselves but for our decendants
ii. Historic buildings are valuable records of a society’s past, and they serve more as travel attractions, city emblems.
iii. Some old buildings which are of less value and in bad state can be removed for contemporary needs for ground. But modern planners should avoid destroying historic buildings for modern purposes. Better approachments should be work out for the dilemma.
30"The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time."
First of all, as we have witnessed, achievement in technology has immensely improved people’s efficiency, such as assembly-line, robots. Computer, etc.
Besides, when people enjoy relative more leisure time brought by improved efficiency, on the same time, society has encountered other problems, such as the problem of employment.
As a matter of fact, increasing efficiency is merely a byproduct of the advance of technology.
36"The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries."
The greatness of individuals cannot be appreciated by their contemporaries in large part is due to their outstanding talent and their transcendental intelligence which surpass the common cognition of general public and their peers.
Besides, to test the validity of theories, works and ideas of the great individuals need a long time even centuries.
In a democratic society, individuals have full free to express their ideas and show their unique talents and characters.
38"In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books."
Though each has its advantages, television and books are not capable to win over each other.
Reading books is an active process, where we can make choice of what, when and to which extent we want to learn.
With regard to the appealing traits and easygoing nature, television can help a lot in study.
39"The intellectual benefits of attending a university or college are vastly overrated: most people could learn more by studying and reading on their own for four years than by pursuing a university or college degree."
Bill Gates, who quitted from university and did not complete his degree while establish his business of Microsoft which ranks in the top of Fortune, may serve as a good example that people could learn more by studying and reading on their own rather than pursuing a university or college degree.
As for people who have strong ability of self-management and definite purpose of learning, they may obtain more knowledge from self-studying than attending university or college.
While, many people still would like to learning by attending university or college, because the formal education system not only provide students a perfect studying atmosphere but also instruct students study more efficiently and effectively.
In addition, studying in university or college other than studying on their own, conduce to shape a sound personality
41"Such non-mainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science."
We may find out that, people who resort to fortune-telling, astrology and such non-mainstream area of inquiry unusually are ill educated and underclass of the society.
Indeed, the main reason that why non-mainstream area of inquiry is favored by a few people is that it comforts people who worry about their destiny.
Besides, non-mainstream area of inquiry also plays an important role to satisfy peoples’ curiosity about the unknown world.
46"While some leaders in government, sports, industry, and other areas attribute their success to a well-developed sense of competition, a society can better prepare its young people for leadership by instilling in them a sense of cooperation."
Through competition, one makes himself/herself become eminent, so do the leaders entrench their successful position.
The sense of competition is indispensable for a leader no matter what areas he/her belongs to.
More specifically, cooperation is a kind of responsibility bestowed to one who wants to be a leader.
47"Society does not place enough emphasis on the intellect-that is, on reasoning and other cognitive skills”.
In a sense, intellectual skills and non-intellectual skills are somewhat like skeleton and flesh of a body.
A society cannot advance without cognitive skills, yet it cannot keep well-being without non-cognitive ones.
Both crucial to individual and society, intellectual and non-intellectural skills, however, receive unfair attention at present..
48"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."
In most historical documents, those significant figures were described as the only decision makers.
It is natural, however, for historians to do so, or from another aspect, they have to.
Lacking of sufficient materials is another problem.
50"In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and university level, all faculty should be required to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they teach."
1. to faculty members of some academic area, working outside the academic world will do little help to their academic ability while distracting them from the research and instruction work they should concentrate on
2. compulsory working in professions outside academic world may cause the college and university to lose their outstanding faculty member
3. to some academic area such as engineering, faculty members should be encouraged to work outside for some time in order to better orient instruction to students for future career
51"Education will be truly effective only when it is specifically designed to meet the individual needs and interests of each student."
1. the efficiency of education lies in its generalization ( teacher, student )
2. over-specified education will narrow down students’ ken and capability of acclimation to future career
3. in order to cater individual needs and to enhance interests of students, schools can offer some specifically designed programs to students
54"History teaches us only one thing: knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today."
History is a part of our development, and provides relevant information of present problems.
History also serves as a source of precedent and predication, which guide us to avoid or less making false decisions when in face of hard task in present.
Admittedly, there are entirely new problems that we have to cope with on our own without any precedents in history to refer to, but this does not prevent us from making right choices, since learning history has taught us to perceive and analyse the problems with historic perspective.
56"Governments should focus more on solving the immediate problems of today rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future."
Undoubtedly, immediate problems that agonize and afflict people mostly, such as crimes, wars, drag abuse, unemployment and so on, actually need to be addressed by government as soon as possible since their existence extremely danger the normal living of public.
However, it is misconception that governments can ignore the anticipated problems of the future in favor of the immediate ones, even though the latter may be more urgent.
Furthermore, narrowly concentrating on solving the immediate problems rather than trying to solve the anticipated problems of the future, is an expression of irresponsible for the future generations.
59"Too much emphasis is placed on role models. Instead of copying others, people should learn to think and act independently and thus make the choices that are best for them."
We have been brought up with the tales and legends of kinds of heroes and heroines, no matter whether these characters are real persons or fictional ones, these stories serve as our primary enlightened materials that instill us virtues and values the society cherishes commonly in which we are living.
Merely imitating role models may result in laziness and dependence since one does not suffer himself/herself of thinking and analyzing.
Learning to think and act independently does not naturally conflict with learning form role models.
61"High-profile awards such as the Nobel Prize are actually damaging to society because they suggest that only a few people deserve such recognition."
Most of these children farewell these dreams when they grow up for their capability, personal interests and other factors. The remained few, however, by persistently pursuing their original aim, attain it in the end.
Admittedly not every one has the opportunity to get any high-profile award. There are many realistical limitations such as capability, intellecture, aggression and, of course, opportunity.
Actually any adult is well aware that those few deserve the great awards they win since they have done great contribution in their area, which are often relatively not well profitable.
64"Many people know how to attain success, but few know how to make the best use of it."
許多人知道如何獲得成功，但很少人懂得充分利用成功;it指“success" 強(qiáng)調(diào)成功后如何利用
1. The conception of "success", relatively, is one of narrow sense, not wide-sense.
2. Limited personal ability result in failing to make best use of the success furtherly.
3. Further success is related to how to make the use of other concerning resource.
許多人知道如何獲得成功，但很少人懂得充分利用“如何獲得成功”it指how to attain success(成功過(guò)程方法)
1.Many people know how to attain success; But those who are successfuly should have learned to make the best use of all kinds of factors. Main factor result in success are listed as followed:
2. The ability of personal, first: intelligence,special knowlege in the concerning field; Second, emotion and other socail ability,how to make all the factors into a system group.
3. Dificiency of resource.
74"The most effective way to communicate an idea or value to large groups of people is through the use of images, not language."
1. it is much easier for people to understand an idea by vision than by abstract language ( deep impression, straight presentation, etc. )
2. when large groups of people are addressed, language cannot achieve relatively even effect to all, while images can be effective to average, or even those not quick at understanding
3. when it comes to some abstract ideological ideas or values, or to the necessity to attain further understanding, language is indispensible
80"All students should be required to take courses in the sciences, even if they have no interest in science."
1.Science as an important comment of modern education, all the student should be required to study it at some suitable level.
2. The skill of science would be a stepping-stone to other subject.
3. The interest of science need to be raised and inspired, different way would be encouraged to be used in the education.
83"Government should preserve publicly owned wilderness areas in their natural state, even though these areas are often extremely remote and thus accessible to only a few people."
1)to the environment's sake, it is necessary to do so . leaving some pristine not polluted surrounding to the posterity, and remain the last resident to the prosecuted and protected animals.
(2)for the economics’ sake, reserving the wildness can conserve some of the race that it may perhaps porfitive in the use beyond nowadays our research's ability for the future.
(3)in order to preserve the wilderness not to dig out to be a place of interest, there is no need to be convenient to access. On the other hand, the more remote and inaccessible it is, the more significance effect it can attain.
(4)so the government should keep an eye on the protection on the wildness
85"Government funding of the arts threatens the integrity of the arts."
1.artists, producers of the arts, are mundane beings who can only use objective things as brushes, canvas and museums to foster and propaganda their products. All of those things need money.
2.the integrity of the arts requires the populace’s understanding of them, without propaganda the proclaimed integrity merely a hollow husk. It also need money to achieve the aim.
3.another fundamental essence of the integrity of arts is its sustenance. If had deprived of a series of successive artists, how could, not only the integrity of the arts, but the existence of it, be possible?
87."In any field of inquiry, the beginner is more likely than the expert to make important discoveries."
A. Beginners have intense curiosity about the unknown and great courage to try new things, while experienced experts tend to be more conservative.
B. Furthermore, beginners are highly motivated and enthusiastic people who are eager to establish their career and fame.
88"Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics."
A. Technologies have radically changed the way we spend holidays.
B. The new way of communication brought about by electronic technology have transformed the way we associate with each other in our daily lives.
C. However, we should not let technology to determine our ethics.
93. "The concept of 'individual responsibility' is a necessary fiction. Although societies must hold individuals accountable for their own actions, people's behavior is largely determined by forces not of their own making."
A. Organizational management rests on the basic resumption that individuals should and can take their respective responsibility in accordance with their specific roles in the organizational structure.
B. Many political, social as well as family problems result from the lack of a sense of individual responsibility.
C. Admittedly, the fact that individuals, as social animals, are molded by the social environment in which they grow up, should draw our attention to the government’s responsibility in construction and maintaining a social environment contributive to the healthy growing of individuals.
99. "In any realm of life-whether academic, social, business, or political-the only way to succeed is to take a practical, rather than an idealistic, point of view. Pragmatic behavior guarantees survival, whereas idealistic views tend to be superceded by simpler, more immediate options."
A. From a philosophical point of view, living is experiencing, which is an everlasting interaction between man? and reality.
B. Any human undertaking irrespective of the hard facts and laws of reality is destined to failure.
C. However, ideals give us hope and enthusiasm, lifting us to new heights and helping us to overcome self-imposed limitations.
103."The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives."
First of all, to study history is to look at a road map of human behavior that has led us to where we are today in the world. For example, the lessons learned during all of the past wars can make for more effective wartime leadership by avoiding mistakes made by past commanders. From the ancient Chinese author Sun Tzu's book "The Art of War", today's military commanders and even business leaders gather valuable information that allows them to operate more efficiently and effectively.
Another example is that by studying history, parents can help to improve the lives of their children in the future.
Additionally, the study of medical advances made throughout history can be the foundation to build upon to make the medical advances of today and tomorrow to make people live longer and healthier lives.
A further example of the value of the study of history beyond its effect on daily life is the treatment of the environment and the earth as a whole
108."In many countries it is now possible to turn on the television and view government at work. Watching these proceedings can help people understand the issues that affect their lives. The more kinds of government proceedings - trials, debates, meetings, etc. - that are televised, the more society will benefit."
One example of the possible negative effects of televising all governmental proceedings was the trial in the United States of accused murderer and former National Football League superstar O.J. Simpson.
On the other hand, television of the day-to-day workings of government in action provides direct insight into how a government actually works.
One of the problems with stating that the more governmental proceedings that are televised, the better of a society is, is that people might come to believe that they are seeing everything when in fact, a television camera can only see part of what is happening no matter how many cameras there are.
Another problem with the statement that the more televised governmental proceedings, the better, is that it assumes that people actually watch the proceedings when they are broadcast.
110."When we concern ourselves with the study of history, we become storytellers. Because we can never know the past directly but must construct it by interpreting evidence, exploring history is more of a creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit. All historians are storytellers."
From the perspective of the historian, most historians do not have the benefit of having lived through the period of history that they are writing about.
Historians that are documenting events as they happen today have much less of an opportunity to fall into the "storyteller" category as they are present as witnesses to these events as they are happening.
Another example showcasing the idea that all historians are storytellers is that of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Particularly when it concerns ancient history, all historians must be storytellers to a certain degree. "Connecting the dots" of surviving evidence from the time period or event being examined requires a certain amount of personal intuition and supposition.
120."So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present."
A. Understanding the pag,t can show us inspirational examples of success.
B. Studying history can also help us avoid repeating mistakes
C. The study of past is important because the relevant historical antecedents can help us fully appreciate our present challenges.
127."Facts are stubborn things. They cannot be altered by our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions."
A. On an individual level, we all engage in futile attempts to alter facts-by pretending that certain things are not the way they are because they are inconsistent with our wishes or personal interests.
B. Nor can we alter facts by virtue of our inclinations or passions when it comes to history.
C. Similarly, when it comes to science our wishes and desires ultimately yield to the stubbornness of facts-by which I mean empirical scientific evidence and the laws and principles of the physical world.
130."How children are socialized today determines the destiny of society. Unfortunately, we have not yet learned how to raise children who can help bring about a better society."
A. Consider first the speaker's assertion that society's destiny depends on how children are socialized. Socialization is only one factor influencing the extent to which an individual will ultimately contribute to a better society. And it is not the most important one.
B. Consider next the speaker's claim that we have not yet learned how to raise children who can better society.
131."The arts (painting, music, literature, etc.) reveal me otherwise hidden ideas and impulses of a society."
A. The art aim at depicting the feelings and attitudes of individuals in a society.
B. Paintings and music mist vividly embody the spirits and character of a society.
C. By reading literature, we get to know not only the experience of a society, but also the hidden ideas and impulses of the society.
136."The absence of choice is a circumstance that is very, very rare."
A. Our life experience is that we make choices and decisions every day -on a continual basis. Common sense tells us that humans have free will, and therefore the true absence of choice is very rare. The only possible exceptions -solitary imprisonment or a severe mental or physical deficiency.
B. Besides, the reverse claim-that we do not have free choice-serves to undermine the notions of moral accountability and human equality, which prerequisite the survival of any democratic society.
C. People often claim that life's circumstances leave them with "no choice." One might feel trapped in a job or marriage. However, in reality they may have a lot of choices, it is just because they are only considering those choices that are not viable or attractive.
D. People may take the unappealing, even self-defeating as no choice.
138"Only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress."
A. Mistakes help us find out what is unworkable and hence we can approach the right solution.
B. Fearing making mistakes prevents us from trying new things and taking risks.
C. The right attitude toward mistakes is not to avoid them, but to learn from them.
144."It is the artist, not the critic,* who gives society something of lasting value."a person who evaluates works of art, such as novels, films, music, paintings, etc.
A. critics can help us understand and interpret art; a critic who is familiar with a particular artist and his or her works might have certain insights about those works that the layperson would not.
B. A critic's evaluation of an artwork serves as a filter, which helps us determine which art is worth our time and attention.
C. A critic can provide feedback for artists; and constructive criticism, if taken to heart, can result in better work.
147."Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them."
A. Tradition refers to the beliefs, values, customs, way of life, crafts, etc., that are handed down from generation to generation in a society.
B. Modernization refers to the process of urbanization, industrialization and democratization, or in a large sense, westernization.
C. Many traditional wisdoms are still relevant and can inspire us to search for solutions to present problems.
D. The correct way to modernize a culture is to transform or reform its tradition rather than to uproot its tradition.
150."Because of television and worldwide computer connections, people can now become familiar with a great many places that they have never visited. As a result, tourism will soon become obsolete."
A. As for the claim that television will render tourism obsolete, we already have sufficient empirical evidence that this will simply not happen.
B. On the contrary television may have actually served to spark people's interest in visiting other places.
C. The speaker unfairly assumes that the purpose of tourism is simply to obtain information about other people or places and the scenes on the internet can replace traveling to the real places.
D. Moreover, in my view tourism will continue to thrive for the same reason that people still go out for dinner or to the movies: we all need to get away from our routines and surroundings from time to time. Computer cannot alter this basic human needs.
E. Admittedly, travel for purposes other than tourism might eventually decline, as the business world becomes increasingly dependent on the Internet.
152 "The only responsibility of corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, is to make as much money as possible for their companies."
A. Admittedly, corporate executives should make every effort to increase the profits of their companies.
B. Besides making as much money as possible, corporate executives should be aware of businesses’ social responsibilities.
C. Taking some social responsibilities will benefit companies in the long run.
153."Students should bring a certain skepticism to whatever they study. They should question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively."
A. Skepticism, or critical thinking, helps us uncover bias and prejudice and distinguish between opinion and fact.
B. Skepticism is the starting point for creation.
C. College campus is a place where teachers and students get involved in a common pursuit for knowledge and truth.
154."Both parents and communities must be involved in the local schools. Education is too important to leave solely to a group of professional educators."
A. parents hold the ultimately legal authority to make key decisions about what and how their own children learn-including choice of curriculum and text books, pace and schedule for learning, and the extent to which their child should learn alongside other children.
B. Only a parent can truly know the unique needs of a child-including what educational choices are best suited for the child.
C. Parents are more motivated-by pride and ego-than any other person to take whatever measures are needed to ensure their children receive the best possible education.
D. With the communities' participation, local schools wilt do better in instructing the children, especially in the respect of moral instruction. SX-h I disagree with the speaker's assertion. A compelling argument can be made that, except for major decisions such as choice of school, a child's education is best left to professional educators.
157."There is no such thing as purely objective observation. All observation is subjective; it is always guided by the observer's expectations or desires."
A. Everyday experience inform us that different people have different opinion when they observe the same object.
B. However, these sorts of subjective "observations " are actually subjective "interpretations" of what we observe.
C. As the speaker's assertion, there is no such thing as truth and we cannot truly know anything. It runs against the grain of all scientific discovery and knowledge gained in the human history.
D. According to the psychological discipline, given the same spatial perspective and sensory acuity and awareness, just as the video camera does, our observations would all be essentially in accord-that is, observation can be objective.
159."The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds."
A. In terms of memory and computing as well as other technical operations, computers can do much better than human beings.
B. In terms of creation, machines can never surpass human intelligence, for it is illogical that ‘stupid’ human minds can create ‘clever’ artificial intelligence.
C. However, human beings should guard against the abuse of advanced technology and see to it that machines are created to serve human welfare.
160."The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little."
A. In the business realm, effective leadership is generally defined as that which achieves the goal of profit maximization in the long term by taking reasonable steps to minimize the social and environmental harm their businesses caused. Thus the two definitions merge, and the statement at issue is ultimately correct.
B. In the political realm the issue is no less complex, (strong but keep pace with the social development)
161."'In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished."
A. Media viewers, readers and listeners find information about the misfortunes and misdeeds of others, especially heroic public figures, far more compelling than information about their virtues and accomplishments.
B. Mass media generally consist of profit-seeking entities, whose chief objective is to maximize profits. Catering to the audience's needs, media tend to focus on the sensational issue.
C. Intense media scrutiny raises a presumption, at least in the public's collective mind, that their hero is guilty of some sort of character flaw or misdeed.
D. Demographic studies show that the vast majority of people relying on mainstream media for their information, lack the sort of critical thinking skills and objectivity to see beyond what the media feeds them and to make a fair and informed judgment about a public figure-heroic or not.
E. Even the media made a mistake and the victims can have any chance to vindicate themselves and even get damage awards, a damage award is no indication that the public has expunged from its collective memory a perception that the fallen hero is guilty of the alleged flaws.
167."It is impossible for an effective political leader to tell the truth all the time. Complete honesty is not a useful virtue for a politician."
A. It will be impossible for an effective political leader to maintain his or her good figure while be complete honest to the public. Public scrutiny always has a tendency to diminish one’s reputation..
B. However, as to some cardinal politics, the political leader should always be complete honest to the public even doing so may cause detriment to himself.
173."Originality does not mean thinking something that was never thought before; it means putting old ideas together in new ways."
A. Originality is especially expressed in the ability to make connections, to make associations, to turn things around and express them in new ways.
B. Originality also emerges out of personal commitment to raise new questions, explore new possibilities and be willing to implement ideas that may not in tune with the conventional way of doing things.
Originality is a very important factor affecting the success of science, art, technology, and education. Interpretation of this attribute varies for different people. In my opinion, originality means both (1) thinking something that was never thought before, and (2) putting old ideas together in new ways.
175."It is always an individual who is the impetus for innovation; the details may ' be worked out by a team, but true innovation results from the enterprise and unique perception of an individual."
A. With respect to business innovation, I agree that it is the vision and commitment of key individuals-such as a firm's founder or chief executive-from which businesses burgeon and innovative products, services, and marketing and management strategies emerge.
B. Teamwork and individual enterprise can operate synergistically to bring about innovation. Teamwork and individual enterprise are not necessary inconsistent, as the speaker assumes. If directed toward the firm's goals, the traits can motivate other team members, thereby facilitating innovation.
C. In today's world, scientific innovation requires not only individuals of intense enterprise and unique perception but also extensive teams of researchers.
177."The study of an academic discipline alters the way we perceive the world. After studying the discipline, we see the same world as before, but with different eyes."
A. Academic discipline provides us with various new methodologies to interpret our world, which reshapes our understanding of the reality.
B. With the change in our perception of the world, the way we interact with our world will also be changed correspondingly.
83."As we acquire more knowledge, things do not become more comprehensible, but more complex and more mysterious."
A. The world in the eyes of primitive tribes was much simpler and thus more ‘comprehensible’ in a sense and certainly more backward.
B. If we compare the known part of the world to the space within a circle, the unknown part of the world around the circle grows as the circle of our knowledge expands.
C. There is no need to feel frustrated about the increasingly more complex and more mysterious world that confront because our knowledge in total keeps growing and correspondingly we are becoming better equipped to cope with the problems that emerge.
184."It is a grave mistake to theorize before one has data."
A. A theory conjured up without the benefit of data amounts to little more than the theorist's hope surmise and desire-what he or she want to be true or suppose to be true.
B. The theorist will tend to seek out evidence that supports the theory, and overlook or ignore the evidence that refute it-C. By theorizing before collecting data the theorist also runs the risk of interpreting that data in a manner which makes it appear to lend more credence to the theory than it actually does.
185."Scandals-whether in politics, academia, or other areas-can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that DO speaker or reformer ever could."
A. On the one hand, scandals can sometimes serve to call our attention to pervasive social or political problems that we would otherwise neglect. The paradigmatic modem example is the Watergate scandal. No public speaker or reformer could have called the nation's attention to the problem of presidential misconduct unless the scandal had surfaced.
B. On the other hand, scandals can sometimes serve chiefly to distract us from more pressing community or societal problems.
186."Practicality is now our great idol, which all powers and talents must serve. Anything that is not obviously practical has little value in today's world."
A. In this practical age, practicality has indeed become a great idol in every field of our life.
B. After the Cold War, world countries have lost enthusiasm in great ideals, which is not necessarily a negative effect.
C. Meanwhile, there has been a puzzling growth of interest among many people in unpractical things such as religion, adventure, traveling, arts, etc., which implies a growing concern about the spiritual life in a technological civilization.
195"The goal of politics should not be the pursuit of an ideal, but rather the search for common ground and reasonable consensus."
A. Reasonable consensus and a political ideal need not be mutually exclusive.
Example: peace among nations. In order to gain the opportunity to pursue their ideals politicians must build some measure of consensus along the way.
B. The assertion flies in face of the history.
C. Idealists are better able to steer clear of short-term thinking, near-sighted goals, and self-serving maneuverings. Lacking idealism a political leader will tend to seek compromise and unprincipled consensus for its own sake. Most politicians seem driven today by their interest in being elected and reelected-that is, in short-term survival-rather than by any sense of mission, or even obligation to their people and country.
197. "The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all other countries."
A. the economic pursuits of any nation today are not only connected to but actually interwoven with those of other nations.
B. Nations have also become interconnected in the pursuit of scientific and technological progress. It may be either detrimental or beneficial effects: global computer connectivity has served to heighten national-security concerns of all connected nations. Nuclear weapon etc.
C. The world's nations have become especially interconnected in terms of their public health. The environmental problem links the world together. Greenhouse effect, Depletion of ozone, sandstorm etc. It is evident that so-called industrial "progress' has carried deleterious environmental consequences worldwide. The depletion of atmospheric ozone, which has warmed the earth to the point that it threatens the very survival of the human beings. The deforestation caused the more frequent sandstorms have more and more endanger the people.
207."Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are."
A. I agree with the speaker insofar as one purpose of ritual and ceremony in today's world is to preserve cultural identity.
B. Preserving cultural identity cannot be the mere purpose of ritual and ceremony. In fact, isolated cultures that do not need to distinguish themselves to preserve their identity nevertheless engage in their own distinct rituals and ceremonies. The initial purpose of ritual and ceremony is rooted not in cultural identity but rather superstition and spiritual belief.
C. Ritual and ceremony are not the only means of preserving cultural identity.
208."The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people."
A. People of different countries dress differently: the French dress romantically; the Americans dress colorfully; the Japanese dress formally.
B. Changing in people’s dressing styles coincide with value changes and of a society.
C. The phenomenon that blue jeans or some other fashions have become international indicates the trend towards world culture homogeneity.
210."Most people choose a career on the basis of such pragmatic considerations as the needs of the economy, the relative ease of finding a job, and the salary they can expect to make. Hardly anyone is free to choose a career based on his or her natural talents or interest in a particular kind of work."
A. In an over-populated world, the job market is always the buyer’s market, which makes it almost impossible for job seekers to choose their career at will.
B. However, to be successful means to know what you are doing, to like what you are doing and to believe what you are doing.
212. "If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it is justifiable."
B. However, in order to restore peace and social order, individual states or the international community has repeatedly used force in history.
C. We should be alert to the possibility that individuals, organizations or governments tend to plead a worthy goal in excuse of their contemptible means and private interests.
214."Society should identify those children who have special talents and abilities and begin training them at an early age so that they can eventually excel in their areas of ability. Otherwise. these talents arc likely to remain undeveloped."
A. Unless certain innate talents are nurtured and cultivated in the right period of development, that is during early childhood the potential talent can be no longer meaningful. Theory of Developmental psychology. After all, how can a child who is musically gifted ever see those gifts come to fruition without access to a musical instrument?
B. If offered no chance for the talent to show, gifted children with special talents may live and learn in the same situation as the other common children, the special talent can be unnoticed and become dormant forever. That is great loss for the children and for the society.
C. Regarding to educational effectiveness, it is more fair and effective for all the children when they some children with special talents are identified .selected and received distinctive education.
218."In order for any work of art- whether film, literature, sculpture, or a song-to have merit, it must be understandable to most people."
A. In a society where most people are poorly educated or even uneducated, art is a luxury that most people either have no access to or simply cannot appreciate.
B. Popular arts that have the largest audience do not necessarily have the highest artistic value.
C. Both popular arts and high-brow arts should have the right to develop and thrive.
226. "People are mistaken when they assume that the problems they confront arc more complex and challenging than the problems faced by their predecessors. This illusion is eventually dispelled with increased knowledge and experience."
A. On the one hand, the speaker overlooks certain societal problems unique to today's world, which are complex and challenging in ways unlike any problems that earlier societies ever faced. The increasing interdependence-political, military, economic and environmental makes problems far more complex than analogous problems for individual nations.
B. On the other hand, human face certain universal and timeless problems, which are neither more nor less complex and challenging for any generation than for preceding ones. Most of these problems are the ones that spring from the tailings of human nature.
235. "Most people are taught that loyalty is a virtue. But loyalty-whether to one's friends, to one's school or place of employment, or to any institution-is all too often a destructive rather than a positive force."
A. Relationship between spouses and other exclusive pairs require some degree of trust in order to endure. Loyalty is part-and-parcel of that trust.
B. Employment relationships depend on some measure of mutual loyalty, without which job attrition would run so rampant that society's economic productivity would virtually come to a halt.
C. With some mutual loyalty between a sovereign state and its citizenry there can be no security or safety from either revolt or invasion. The society would quickly devolve into anarchy or into a despotic state ordered by brute force.
D. Admittedly, misguided or overextended loyalty can amount to a divisive and even
destructive force.
