Question

To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.

Common sense is not all that common.

Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

These three popular sentences are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature .To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do .The original quote about human nature went like this: “ To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的).”.This saying mirrors an ideal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.

Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine．Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?

1.According to the passage, which of following seems the most human?

A. To search for truth．

B. To achieve one’s ideal

C. To criticize others for one’s own error.

D. To make fun of others’ mistakes．

2.Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

A. A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.

B. A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.

C. A company’s next move follows a good plan．

D. A lawyer acts on fine judgments．

3.What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?

A. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.

B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.

C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.

D. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.

4.What would be the best title for his passage?

A. To Blame or to Forgive    B. A Mirror of Human Nature

C. A Mark of Maturity    D. Truth or Excuse

Answer

1. C

2. A

3. A

4. B

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文，讨论了三句能够反映人性的话：1. To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human. 2. Common sense is not all that common. 3. Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse? 文章对这三句话的内涵做了详细的解释。

1.细节理解题。根据第四段倒数第二句“This saying mirrors an ideal people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite –find someone else to pass the blame on to.”可知原谅他人是我们应该做的事情，但是很多人选择找到一个承担责任的人，而不是去原谅别人。所以很多人都会因为自己的错误而批评他人。故C项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第五段倒数第二句“Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything.”可知对于大型组织来说很多常识似乎并不常见，因为会发生很多事情一个人根本无法负责所有的事情。A项含义与之相符，这并不是常识。故A项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据文章最后一句“There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?”很多人认为即使借口不诚实，也不说实话。那么诚实应该在哪里呢？说明作者认为诚实更重要，所以A项“Bitter truth is better than a good excuse”与之相符。故A项正确。

4.主旨大意题。本文是一篇议论文，讨论了三句能够反映人性的话：

1. To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.

2. Common sense is not all that common.

3. Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

并对这三句话的内涵做了详细的解释。B项“A Mirror of Human Nature人性的反映”与文章主旨是相符的。故B项正确。