Question

    In our culture, the ability to make one's own decisions is important. John F. Kennedy's quote(引语) “Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” shows an unpleasant truth.

Much of what we know and believe has been taught to us by others, and we often accept this information without spending much time thinking it over for ourselves.

In today's world, we are being presented with information, ideas and beliefs, but many of them are against each other. Psychology(心理学) tells us that if we hear an idea enough times, or if it comes from someone we respect, we will probably  believe that idea. In these cases, we base our opinions on the opinions of others. If each of us does not think about this information for ourselves and come to our own conclusions, we will become nothing more than parrots(鹦鹉) quoting the opinions of others.

Examples of spreading fake news without thought can be seen on the Internet. Some people believe whatever they read and then share the story without thinking about the facts. All it takes is one quick click(点击) of the “share” button, and the story travels on its way to influence even more unthinking readers. This can cause serious problems.

If we just stop for a moment to think about what we read and hear, and form our own opinions, we will be more thoughtful, more independent, and more creative people, but few take that time. Yet we need not lose heart over this bad habit. In fact, simply becoming aware(意识到) of it is the first step towards correcting it. Once we become aware that we tend(趋向) to hold opinions and beliefs without thinking them through, we can change that pattern of behavior. Hopefully, we can learn to experience and enjoy the “discomfort of thought” and form our own opinions.

1.People will probably believe an idea when_____.

A.it comes from someone they respect B.they hear it a few times

C.it is really a truth D.it is popular with most people

2.The underlined word “fake” in the passage probably means “________”.

A.untrue B.unhappy C.unfair D.unusual

3.How can we have our own opinions according to the passage?

A.By spreading the information we receive. B.By learning more about psychology.

C.By quoting others' opinions like parrots. D.By thinking about what we read and hear.

4.We can probably find this passage in a book about ________.

A.history B.education C.sports D.languages

5.What's the purpose of this passage?

A.To describe how Internet news spreads.

B.To explain why people don't have their own opinions.

C.To tell people that they should have their own thoughts.

D.To warn people not to believe other people's ideas.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.D

4.B

5.C

【解析】

【主旨大意】本文是一篇议论文。主要讲述了人们应该有自我判断的能力，而不是一味地听取和接受他人的想法，以及如何培养自己的想法。

2.词义猜测题。题干意为：文中画线单词“fake”的意思可能是________。根据画线单词所在句子“Examples of spreading fake news without thought can be seen on the Internet.”并联系生活实际可知此处是说在网上传播假新闻，故选A。