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Freedom and Responsibility Freedom’s cha...

Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom’s challenge in the Digital Age is a serious topic. We are facing today a strange new world and we are all wondering what we are going to do with it.

Some 2,500 years ago Greece discovered freedom. Before that there was no freedom. There were great civilizations, splendid empires, but no freedom anywhere. Egypt and Babylon were both tyrannies, one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses.

In Greece, in Athens (雅典), a little city in a little country, there were no helpless masses. And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together. They must show each other kindness and pity and the many qualities without which life would be very painful unless one chose to live alone in the desert.The Athenians never thought that a man was free if he could do what he wanted. A man was free if he was self-controlled. To make yourself obey what you approved was freedom. They were saved from looking at their lives as their own private affair. Each one felt responsible for the welfare of Athens, not because it was forced on him from the outside, but because the city was his pride and his safety. The essential belief of the first free government in the world was liberty for all men who could control themselves and would take responsibility for the state.

But discovering freedom is not like discovering computers. It cannot be discovered once for all. If people do not prize it, and work for it, it will go. Constant watch is its price. Athens changed. It was a change that took place without being noticed though it was of the extreme importance, a spiritual change which affected the whole state. It had been the Athenians pride and joy to give to their city. That they could get material benefits from her never entered their minds. There had to be a complete change of attitude before they could look at the city as an employer who paid her citizens for doing her work. Now instead of men giving to the state, the state was to give to them.What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing. Athens was more and more looked on as a cooperative business possessed of great wealth in which all citizens had a right to share.

Athens reached the point when the freedom she really wanted was freedom from responsibility.There could be only one result. If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free. Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. It is to be had on no other terms. Athens, the Athens of Ancient Greece, refused responsibility; she reached the end of freedom and was never to have it again.

But, “the excellent becomes the permanent”, Aristotle said. Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. A great American, James Madison, referred to: “The capacity (能力) of mankind for self-government.” No doubt he had not an idea that he was speaking Greek. Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it. Somehow in this or that man’s thought such an idea lives though unconsidered by the world of action. One can never be sure that it is not on the point of breaking out into action only sure that it will do so sometime.

1.What does the underlined word “tyrannies” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Countries where their people need help.    B. Governments ruled with absolute power.

C. Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.    D. Powerful states with higher civilization

2.People believing in freedom are those who __________.

A. behave within the laws and value systems    B. seek gains as their primary object

C. regard their life as their own business    D. treat others with kindness and pity

3.What change in attitude took place in Athens?

A. The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government.

B. The Athenians no longer took pride in the city.

C. The Athenians refused to take their responsibility.

D. The Athenians looked on the government as a business.

4.What does the sentence “There could be only one result.” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Athens would continue to be free.

B. Athens would cease to have freedom.

C. Freedom would come from responsibility.

D. Freedom would stop Athens from self-dependence.

5.Why does the author refer to Aristotle and Madison?

A. The author is proud of man’s capacity.    B. The author is cautious about self-government.

C. The author is skeptical of Greek civilization.    D. The author is hopeful about freedom.

6.What is the author’s understanding of freedom?

A. Freedom can be more popular in the digital age.

B. Freedom needs to be guaranteed by responsibility.

C. Freedom should have priority over responsibility.

D. Freedom may come to an end in the digital age.

 

1. B 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D 6. B 【解析】 这是一篇说明文。属于历史文化类短文,文章讲述了自由的起源、演变和它在古代文化下的形态和缺陷,以及数字化世界给自由带来的挑战。 1.词义猜测题。根据划线词句子后半句“one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses”可知tyrannies是指拥有绝对统治权的政府。故选B项。 2.细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together.”以及本段内容可知,雅典人之所以能自由地生活在一起,是因为他们能够自愿在法律规定和价值体系下从事一起活动。故选A项。 3.细节理解题。根据第四段“What the people wanted was a government which would provide a comfortable life for them; and with this as the primary object, ideas of freedom and self-reliance and responsibility were neglected to the point of disappearing.”可知,雅典人后来态度发生了改变,因为他们开始认为政府应该为他们的劳动付费,给他们提供舒适的生活,而个人的自律和责任意识变得淡薄。故选C项。 4.句意理解题。根据第五段第三句“If men insisted on being free from the burden of self-dependence and responsibility for the common good, they would cease to be free”可知唯一的结果就是雅典人不再享有自由。故选B项。 5.细节理解题。根据最后一段第二句“Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world.”及“Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. The Digital Age cannot destroy it.”可知作者并没有因此而失去信心,相反对自由充满了渴望。故选D项。 6.推理判断题。自由起源于2500年前的希腊,雅典人自由地生活在一起,因为他们能够自愿在法律规定和价值体系下一起从事活动。后来雅典人态度发生了改变,因为他们开始认为政府应该为他们的劳动付费,给他们提供舒适的生活,而个人的自律和责任意识变得淡薄,造成的唯一结果就是雅典人不再享有自由。作者通过雅典人对自由态度变化的对比,认为自由需要责任的保证。故选B项。
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