Question

D

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 Athenian’ s 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.Powerful states with higher civilization.

C.Splendid empires where people enjoy freedom.

D.Governments ruled with absolute power.

2.People believing in freedom are those who________ .

A.regard their life as their own business

B.seek gains as their primary object

C.behave within the laws and value systems

D.treat others with kindness and pity

3.What change in attitude took place in Athens?

A.The Athenians refused to take their responsibility.

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

C.The Athenians benefited spiritually from the government.

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 hopeful about freedom.

B.The author is cautious about self-government.

C.The author is skeptical of Greek civilization.

D.The author is proud of man’s capacity.

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

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

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

C.Freedom should have priority over responsibility.

D.Freedom needs to be guaranteed by responsibility.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.B

5.A

6.D

【解析】

这是一篇历史文化类说明文。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。根据第二段划线词所在句子后半句one very powerful man ruling over helpless masses可知，一个非常强大的人统治着无助的大众。所以通过上下文语境可以判断出，tyrannies是指拥有绝对统治权的专制政府。故选D项。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段“And Athenians willingly obeyed the written laws which they themselves passed, and the unwritten, which must be obeyed if free men live together.”可知，雅典人自愿遵守他们自己通过的成文法，和不成文法，如果要自由地生活在一起，这些法律必须遵守。所以相信自由的人是那些遵守法律和价值体系的人。故选C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。所以雅典人拒绝承担他们的责任。故选A项。

4.词句猜测题。根据倒数第二段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，如果人们坚持要摆脱自力更生和为共同利益承担负责，他们将不再享有自由。所以通过上下文的语境可以判断划线“There could be only one result”的意思是雅典人不再享有自由。故选B项。

5.推理判断题。根据最后一段Athens lost freedom forever, but freedom was not lost forever for the world. 雅典永远失去了自由，但世界并没有永远失去自由及“Athens was not in the farthest background of his mind, but once man has a great and good idea, it is never completely lost. 雅典并不在他思想的最深处，但是一旦人类有了伟大而美好的想法，它就永远不会完全消失The Digital Age cannot destroy it. 数字时代不能摧毁它”。由此判断出作者为什么提及了Aristotle and Madison是为了表明作者并没有因此而失去信心，相反对自由充满了希望。故选A项。

6.细节理解题。根据第四段Responsibility is the price every man must pay for freedom. 可知，责任是每个人为了自由必须付出的代价。所以作者对自由的理解是自由需要责任的保障。故选D项。