题目内容
Cultural conflicts, such as those that trouble American society today, may sometimes appear to be less than serious squabbles between intellectuals who have nothing better to do. It is regrettably true, of course, that intellectuals have the tendency to think of themselves and their interests in grandiose terms; control of the English department, say, looks more important than control of the world's energy supplies. Yet culture is not a peripheral matter; culture is the way in which a society understands itself. A society that no longer understands itself will be unable to act coherently on and problems facing it, including those that may superficially seem remote from cultural issues.
Every human society must achieve a measure of consensus concerning two fundamental questions; "Who are we？" and "How are we to live together？" Culture embodies the consensus as to how these questions are to be answered. This consensus will never be unanimous, but when it breaks-down in a massive way, the survival of the society is threatened. Both social philosophers and social scientists have long agreed that there can be no order in human affairs without such a consensus. Some analysts have argued that a modern society no longer needs this, that it can dispense with a common morality and can function on the basis of rational self-interest expressed in various contractual arrangements. Morality is then replaced by procedure. Such a society would resemble a gigantic traffic system. In modern urban traffic most people stop at red and go at green, not because they have deep moral convictions about this behavior, also not because they are afraid of the traffic police; rather, they do so because it is in their common interest. This very image suggests the weakness of a traffic-system notion of society: The average driver will obey the traffic laws in the normality course of events; he will break them in an emergency (say, he must get to a hospital quickly). By analogy, a "normal" society can function to some extent like a traffic system—and "normal" means a state of affairs when no grave external or internal perils exist. When such perils appear, however, the contractual regulation of the many interests is not enough; some moral claim to solidarity and sacrifice will become necessary. Otherwise the contractual procedures will break down: In an emergency everyone drives through a red light.
The word "squabbles" in Paragraph 1 probably refers to______.
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When you speak, write a letter or make a telephone call, your words carry a message. People communicate with words. But do you think you can communicate without words？ A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad. When you put up your hand in class, the teacher knows you want to say something or ask a question. You shake your head, and people know you are saying "no". You nod and people know you are saying "yea". Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the door tells you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you get messages from them all the time？
People can communicate in many other ways. An artist can use his drawings to tell about beautiful mountains, about the blue sea and many other things. Books are written to tell about all the things in the world and also about people and their ideas.
Books, newspapers, TV, radio and films can all help us to communicate with others. They all help us to know what is going on in the world, and what other people are thinking about.
People can communicate ______.
There was once a man who spent all his time in his glasshouse. Flowers was his name, and flowers were his main joy in life. He grew flowers of every color under the sun. He grew these flowers in order to enter them for competition. His greatest hope in life was to grow a rose of an entirely new color that would win him the silver cup for the Rose of the Year.
Mr. Flowers' glasshouse was close to a public path, which was always used by children walking to and from school. Boys were often attracted to throw a stone or two at his glasshouse. So Mr. Flowers did his best to be in or close by his glasshouse at the beginning and end of the school day.
However, it was not convenient or possible to be on guard all the time. Mr. Flowers had tried in many ways to prevent harm to his glass; but nothing that he had done had been successful.
Then, just as he was giving up hope of ever winning the battle, and of growing the Rose of the Year, he had a truly wonderful idea. He put up a large notice made of good, strong wood, some metres away from the glasshouse, where it could be' clearly seen from the path. He had painted on the board the words: DO NOT THROW STONES AT THIS NOTICE. After this, Mr. Flowers had no further trouble. The boys were much more attracted to throw stones at the notice than at the glasshouse.
Mr. Flowers' great hope is ______.
A．wayB．senseC．directionD．position
A．goodB．badC．deadlyD．healthy
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