发展进步的利弊
24.(2005.12)
Progress is likely to slow down once science and technology have met our basic human needs. New developments in science and technology will not continue to produce more societal benefits. In fact, the promise that science and technology will continue to benefit us is increasingly doubtful when so many individuals find their lives changing in ways they cannot control and in directions they do not desire.
Adapted from Daniel Sarewitz,“Social Change and Science Poli cy”
assignment:Do the benefits of scientific and technological developments come at the cost of undesirable changes to people's lives?
是
37.(2006.6)
We measure our progress as a civilization by what we see as advances in technology, which seem more significant than such concerns as education and the condition of the natural world. Still, I would prefer to be a part of a community that judged itself on the happiness of its members rather than on the development of new technology.
Adapted from Thomas Moore,The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life
assignment:Does a strong commitment to technological progress cause a society to neglect other values, such as education and the protection of the environment?
是的。中国的现状。教育产业化。漠视污染。
87.(2008.5)
Technological advances have freed society from tiresome labor, such as washing clothes by hand, hauling heavy loads, and walking long distances, and have given people increased access to information and entertainment. Yet, when given a choice, many people still resist using modern conveniences. There must be something to be gained from not using technology. Assignment: Are there benefits to be gained from avoiding the use of modern technology, even when using it would make life easier?
可以同意。放弃开车上下班，减少污染。骑自行车，锻炼身体。不看电视，还有其他的娱乐活动。
(OFFICIAL GUIDE PRACTICE TEST 4) Technology promises to make our lives easier, freeing up time for leisure pursuits. But the rapid pace technological innovation and the split second processing capabilities computers that can work virtually nonstop have made all us feel rushed. We have adopted the relentless pace the very machine that were supposed to simplify our lives with the result that, whether at work or play, people do not feel like their lives have changed for the better. Adapted from Karen Finucan, “Life in the Fast Lane”
Assignment: Do changes that make our lives easier not necessarily make them better?
10. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below: (OFFICIAL GUIDE PRACTICE TEST 8) There is, course, no legitimate branch science that enables us to predict the future accurately. Yet the degree change in the world is so overwhelming and so promising that the future, I believe, is far brighter than anyone has contemplated since the end the Second World War.
Adapted form Allan E. Goodman, A brief History the Future: The United States in a Changing World Order
Assignment: Is the world changing for the better?
独立思考
1.(2005.3)
We must seriously question the idea of majority rule. The majority grinned and jeered when Columbus said the world was round. The majority threw him into a dungeon for his discoveries.
Where is the logic in the notion that the opinion held by a majority of people should have the powe r to influence our decisions?
Adapted from James A.Reed,“Majority Rule”
assignment:Is the opinion of the majority--in government or in any other circumstances--a poor guide?
可以单面写，也可以两面写(让步, 有时候确实是poor guide, 但是在有些时候，却不是的，比如革命时期广大人民的经济和政治诉求Economic and political appeal)。
伊拉克战争的起源--大规模杀伤性武器Weapons of mass destruction are biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons. 但是其实只不过是美国政府的一个用以发动战争go to war against的借口pretext而已。很多政策的实施也都是打着为国为民的借口excuse, 但是实际上真正的目的是不可告人的--比如经济适用房economically affordable housing.一开始大家都认为这是一个好
政策，很多所谓的专家学者也鼓吹，但是最终还是没有达到本来想达到的目的。比如三峡大坝Three Gorges Dam，一开始是想要发电，解决我国的电荒severe power shortage问题，但是没料到的是造成了很严重的环境后果--干旱，炎热scorching hot; burning hot; torridity;
baking-hot，湖波缺水。黄万里。
计划生育政策family planning policy 很多专家学者目前还在鼓吹计划生育好，但是显然枉顾我国人口比例失衡的事实。
左右皆曰贤，未可也；诸大夫皆曰贤，未可也；国人皆曰贤，然后察之，见贤焉，然后用之。左右皆曰不可，勿听；诸大夫皆曰不可，勿听；国人皆曰不可，然后察之，见不可焉，然后去之。左右皆曰可杀，勿听；诸大夫皆曰可杀，勿听；国人皆曰可杀，然后察之，见可杀焉，然后杀之，故曰国人杀之也。
废奴运动abolitionist movement 解放黑人奴隶宣言The Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The first one, issued September 22, 1862, declared the freedom of all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America that did not return to Union control by January 1, 1863. The second order, issued January 1, 1863, named ten specific states where it would apply. Lincoln issued the Executive Order by his authority as "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy" under Article II, section 2 of the United States Constitution.
Abolitionism was a movement in western Europe and the Americas to end the slave trade and emancipate slaves.
In eleven States constituting the American South, slavery was a social and powerful economic institution, integral to the agricultural economy. By the 1860 United States Census, the slave population in the United States had grown to four million.[1]. American abolitionism labored under the handicap that it was accused of threatening the harmony of North and South in the Union. The abolitionist movement in the North was led by social reformers such as William Lloyd Garrison, founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society; writers such as John Greenleaf Whittier and Harriet Beecher Stowe; former slaves such as Frederick Douglass; and free blacks such as brothers Charles Henry Langston and John Mercer Langston, who helped found the Ohio Anti-Slavery Society.[2]
The 1860 presidential victory of Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the spread of slavery to the Western United States, marked a turning point in the movement. Convinced that their way of life was threatened, the Southern states seceded from the Union, which led to the American Civil War. In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves held in the Confederate States; the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution(1865) prohibited slavery throughout the country. Slavery was abolished in most of Latin America during the Independence Wars (1810–1822), but slavery remained a practice in the region up to 1888 in Brazil, as well as having long life in the remaining Spanish colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico. In some parts of Africa and in much of the Islamic world, it persisted as a legal institution well into the 20th century. Abolitionism was preceded by the New Laws of the Indies in 1542, in which Emperor Charles V declared free all Native American slaves, abolishing slavery of these races, and declaring them citizens of the Empire with full rights. The move was inspired by writings of the Spanish monk Bartolome de las Casas and the School of Salamanca. Spanish settlers replaced the Native American slaves with enslaved laborers brought from Africa, so did not abolish slavery altogether.
伽利略Galileo
an Italian astronomer (=a scientist who studies the stars) , mathematician, and physicist whose many discoveries had a great influence on modern science. He discovered that the planets move around the Sun, and that if you drop objects of different weights in a vacuum, they fall at the same speed.
布鲁诺Italian philosopher who used Copernican principles in formulating his cosmic theory of an infinite universe. Condemned by the Inquisition for heresy, immoral conduct, and blasphemy, he was burned at the stake.
哥白尼Copernicus
a Polish astronomer (=person who studies the stars) , who first suggested the Copernican system, in which the earth and other planets are described as moving around the sun, which does not move 62.(2007.5)
We do not take the time to determine right from wrong.Reflecting on the difference between right and wrong is hard work.It is so much easier to follow the crowd,going along with what is popular rather than risking the disapproval of others by voicing an objection of any kind. Adapted from Stephen J.Carter,Integrity
assignment:Is it always best to determine one's own views of right and wrong, or can we benefit from following the crowd?
39.(2006.6)
I suspect that like many people who watch their diet, exercise regularly, and check the weather report before leaving the house, I am a little too concerned with controlling what can't be fully controlled. I know I am doing the sensible thing. But I sometimes think that the more reckless among us may have something to teach the rest of us about freedom. Perhaps there is something good about taking chances against our better judgments.
Adapted from Melvin Konner,“Why the R eckless Survive”
assignment:Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more reasonable course of action? 哥伦布发现新大陆；清教徒Puritan移民美洲大陆；乔治·华盛顿等人领导的北美独立战争(他们本身都是富商或者农场主，即使不反抗，他们也有优裕的生活)。孙中山Sun Yat-sen。
作为一个中国学生，参加高考是一个相对的reasonable course of action, 但是我选择了出国读书；毫无疑问这样将冒着很大的风险，包括语言，风俗，文化等等方面。
Mayflower Compact 五月花公约
40.(2006.6)
It is rare to find an objective and independent viewpoint on style, literature, politics, or any other matter. Many people's opinions are formed through their associations with others. It is our nature to conform; conformity is a force that few can successfully resist. We give in to the human instinct to go along with the crowd and to have its approval.
Adapted from Mark Twain,“Corn-pone Opinio ns”
assignment: Do we tend to accept the opinions of others instead of developing our own independent ideas?
在我们的知识水平和认知能力cognitive competence都还比较有限的时候，我们可能会受到别人意见的左右。但是当我们的知识和眼界都扩大了以后，我们就能够形成自己独立的判断。中国的一些政策，比如计划生育政策；一开始跟着政府的步调走，认为很好。但是当我们有了自己的判断以后，变。再比如新闻管制news blackout和审查censorship. 官方认为新闻审查有利于过滤对于我们国家敌对的信息，有利于和谐社会harmonious society的发展，但是实际上也压制了民间的理性的声音，不利于自由和民主的发展。
很多人认为穆斯林Muslim各个都是恐怖分子，但是跟他们的接触表明他们跟我们一样是普通人。
56.(2007.1)
If we are dissatisfied with our circumstances, we think about changing them. But the most important and effective changes--in our attitude--hardly occur to us. In other words, we should worry not about how to alter the world around us for the better but about how to change ourselves in order to fit into that world.
Adapted from Michael Hymers, “Wittgenstein,Pessimism and Politics”
assignment: Is it better to change one's attitude than to change one's circumstances?
有些环境是可改变的，有些环境在目前条件下是不可改变的，如果我们过于执着于改变环境这个我们不能改变的东西，那么我们可能会错失很多机会。比如中国的政治现状，很显然是一个不太民主的社会，但是我们仍然是可以做一些事情使得情况向好的方面发展的。如果我们一直采取强硬的对立立场，那么显然，我们会失败，因为国家机器会毫不犹豫的碾过你。但是坚持改变环境也意味着一个坚持的坚定的理想主义态度，会给我们带来持久的动力。
比如中国的就业现状。大学生毕业，很多找不到工作，失业。问题的根源当然很清楚，如果我们坐在那里说这种情况应该改变，怨天尤人，对我们本身的状况不会带来任何改变。相反的主动的提升自己的能力和水平，反而能够及早地找到工作。
但是一味的改变自己去适应环境也会使自己失去自我，没有独立的观点，失去朋友；相反的坚持自己的观点反而能够使得自己以及自己的社会关系保持一定的稳定性。
为了生活和钱财而不断频繁地改换职业，不停地适应新工作，导致多而不专，不利于自己才能的发挥。
57.(2007.3)
From the time people are very young, they are urged to get along with others,to try to"fit in." Indeed, people are often rewarded for being agreeable and obedient. But this approach is misguided because it promotes uniformity instead of encouraging people to be unique and different. Differences among people give each of us greater perspective and allow us to make better judgments.
assignment: Is it more valuable for people to fit in than to be unique and different?
Fit in更容易获得大家的认可，自己也能够有不同的体验和经历，学习新东西。
保持自我是很好，但是会降低一个人的亲和力，尤其是在集体活动的时候不利于集体利益。比如打篮球，大家都想进攻，没人防守，球队就输球。
83.(2008.1)
Since we live in a global society, surely we should view ourselves as citizens of the whole world. But instead, people choose to identify and associate with smaller and more familiar groups. People think of themselves as belonging to families, nations, cultures, and generations--or as belonging to smaller groups whose members share ideas,views,or common experiences. All of these kinds of groups may offer people a feeling of security but also prevent them from learning or experiencing anything new.
assignment: Is there any value for people to belong only to a group or groups with which they have something in common?
有好处也有坏处。共同的爱好和信仰，容易沟通，但同时也限制了人的视野。
92. (2008.6) A society composed of men and women who are not bound by convention--in other words, they do not act according to what others say or do--is far more lively than one in which all people behave alike. When each person's character is developed individually and differences opinion are acceptable, it is beneficial to interact with new people because they are not mere replicas those whom one has already met.
Adapted from Bertrand Russell, The Conquest Happiness
Assignment: Is it better for a society when people act as individuals rather than copying the ideas and opinions of others?
基本同意。文化和思想的多样性，有利于发挥一个社会和国家的创造力creativity和凝聚力cohesion，以及生命力vitality。
不同的观点相互碰撞，然后才能够得出真理，能够有更好的解决问题的办法产生。并且大家都有自己独立的观点也能够保证绝大多数人的利益，不会出现某人或者某个小集团主宰dominate的现象。
109. (2009.1) People are taught that they should not go back on their decisions. In fact, our society supports the notion that to change your mind is evidence of weakness and unreliability, leading many people to say, "Once I decide, I decide!" But why do people make such a statement? If factors, feelings, and ideas change, isn't the ability to make a new decision the evidence of flexibility, adaptability, and strength?
Adapted from Theodore I. Rubin, Compassion and Self-Hate
Assignment: Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it best for them to stick with their original decisions?
Perseverance是一种美德，是通向成功的一条必由之路。
Original decision是否需要坚持，则要看其是否有现实的可能性，以及随着环境的变化而发生的一些改变。
随着形势的变化而改变自己的决定某种程度上是成熟的标志。但是不应失去原则性，不能违法，出卖朋友等等。（去国外读书还是留在国内，就是一个随着年龄增长和信息的增多不断改变的过程。）
110. (2009.1) The history of human achievement is filled with stories people who persevere, refusing to give up in the struggle to meet their goals. Artists and scientists, for instance, may struggle for years without any apparent progress or reward before they finally succeed. However, it is important to recognize that perseverance does not always yield beneficial results.
Adapted from Robert H. Lauer and Jeanette C. Lauer, Watersheds
Assignment: Is striving to achieve a goal always the best course of action, or should people give up if they are not making progress?
Striving是一个好品质，但却并非总是最好的方式。要看自己努力的方向是否正确，方法和目标是否需要调整。
不应在无法取得进步的时候放弃。而是应该总结经验教训，坚持，继续努力。但如果所追求的目标超出自己的能力范围，则应该有选择性的放弃。
爱迪生Thomas Edison发明灯泡light bulb；
American inventor who patented more than a thousand inventions, among them the microphone (1877), the phonograph (1878), and an incandescent lamp (1879). In New York City he installed the world's first central electric power plant.
创造力进步
2.(2005.3)
Given the importance of human creativity, one would think it should have a high priority among our concerns. But if we look at the reality, we see a different picture. Basic scientific research is minimized in favor of immediate practical applications. The arts are increasingly seen as dispensable luxuries. Y et as competition heats up around the globe, exactly the opposite strategy is needed.
assignment:Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today?
我们面临的问题更多，更严峻，因此需要更加有效地解决方法，对creativity的要求也提高了。环境问题，能源问题；竞争的加剧使得一个人或者一个公司要想脱颖而出就需要更好的创意和产品。Google公司的成功苹果公司Steve jobs ipad ipod
6.(2005.5)
There is no progress unless someone comes up with a new way of looking at things, of trying things that have never been done or thought of before. We cannot move forward by looking backward to old customs and past experience. There can be no advancement or improvement
unless there are people who look forward in pursuit of the new and untried.
assignment: Does progress depend on people with new ideas rather than on people whose ideas are based on the current way of doing things?
科技领域内的发展要依赖于新观点，比如Google和Apple；
而在社会学领域内则主要是对于一个传统价值的坚持。比如民主，民权，民生，公平，正义等。
69.(2007.10)
We value uniqueness and originality, but it seems that everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by ideas and things that are copies or even copies of copies. Writers, artists, and musicians seek new ideas for paintings, books, songs, and movies, but many sadly realize, "It's been done." The same is true for scientists, scholars, and businesspeople. Everyone wants to create something new, but at best we can hope only to repeat or imitate what has already been done.
assignment: Can people ever be truly original?
科学和科技领域内的例子较多。
Google, 爱因斯坦，获得诺贝尔奖的一些新的理论和发明。比如DNA双螺旋结构。Double helix structure of DNA;
73.(2007.11)
We are often urged to solve problems by ignoring traditional approaches and by finding solutions that are innovative or unconventional. W e are encouraged to be creative and to trust that a new way of thinking will yield new insights. But innovation may be impractical and unnecessary. The best ways of fixing problems are often the tried–and–true ways.
assignment:Is it always necessary to find new solutions to problems?
80.(2008.1)
It is better to try to be original than to merely imitate others. People should always try to say, write, think, or create something new. There is little value in merely repeating what has been done before. People who merely copy or use the ideas and inventions of others, no matter how successful they may be, have never achieved anything significant.
assignment:Is it always better to be original than to imitate or use the ideas of others?
Not always; 民主制度在全世界的推行。
模仿或者吸收他人的成功经验是自己走向成功的一条简单的道路。模仿秀imitation show。
牛顿的力学经典三定律是建立在开普勒定律的基础上的。
107. (2009.1) Planning lets people impose order on the chaotic processes making or doing something new. Too much planning, however, can lead people to follow the same predetermined course action, to do things the same way they were done before. Creative thinking is about breaking free from the way that things have always been. That is why it is vital for people to know the difference between good planning and too much planning.
Adapted from Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit
Assignment: Does planning interfere with creativity?
某种程度上会。计划经济和市场经济
17. (ONLINE COURSE 5) Many peop le believe that “closed door make us creative.” These people argue that obstacles and restrictions are necessary, for without them we would never be forced to come up with new solutions. But “closed doors,” either in the form specific obstacles or a lack of opportunities, often prevent people from reaching their full creative potential.
Assignment: Do closed doors make us creative?
科学研究领域，很多原创性的思想和成果，都是建立在借鉴前人成果的基础上。
正负转化
67.(2007.6)
It is not true that prosperity is better for people than adversity.When people are thriving and content,they seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their
situation.Hardship,on the other hand,forces people to closely examine—and possibly change—their own lives and even the lives of others.Misfortune rather than prosperity helps
people to gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them. assignment:Do people truly benefit from hardship and misfortune?
27.(2006.1)
An actor, when his cue came, was unable to move onto the stage. He said, “I can’t get in, the chair is in the way.” And the producer said, “use the difficulty. If it’s a drama, pick the chair up and smash it. If it’s a comedy fall over i t.” From this experience the actor concluded that in any situation in life that is negative, there is something positive you can do with it.
Adapted from Lawrence Eisenberg, “Caine crut iny”
assignment: Can any obstacle or disadvantage be turned into something good?
当幸福来敲门，the pursuit of happiness; will smith;
Beethoven; Ludwig van Beethoven is the most famous classical composer of the western world. Beethoven is remembered for his powerful and stormy compositions, and for continuing to compose and conduct even after he began to go deaf at age 28. His personal life was marked by a heroic struggle against encroaching deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life when he was quite unable to hear.
Widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludwig van Beethoven dominates a period of musical history as no one else before or since. Rooted in the Classical traditions of Joseph Haydn and Mozart, his art reaches out to encompass the new spirit of humanism and incipient nationalism expressed in the works of Goethe and Friedrich von Schiller, his elder contemporaries in the world of literature; the stringently redefined moral imperatives of Kant; and the ideals of the French Revolution, with its passionate concern for the freedom and dignity of the individual. He revealed more vividly than any of his predecessors the power of music to convey a philosophy of life without the aid of a spoken text; and in certain of his compositions is to be found the strongest assertion of the human will in all music, if not in all art. Though not himself a Romantic, he became the fountainhead of much that characterized the work of the Romantics who followed him, especially in his ideal of program or illustrative music, which he defined in
c onnection with his Sixth (Pastoral) Symphony as “more an expression of emotion than painting.” In musical form he was a considerable innovator, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto, an
d quartet; whil
e in the Ninth Symphony he combined the worlds o
f vocal and instrumental music in a manner never before attempted. His personal life was marked by a heroic struggle against encroachin
g deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life when he was quite unable to hear. In an age that saw the decline of court and churc
h patronage, he not only maintained himself from the sale and publication of his works but also was the first musician to receive a salary with no duties other than to compose how and when he felt inclined.
Helen Keller was, for a time, the most famous handicapped person in the world. A severe fever at age 19 months left Keller blind and deaf and barely able to communicate. At age six Keller met Anne Sullivan (later Anne Sullivan Macy), the tutor who taught Keller the alphabet and thereby opened up the world to her. Keller became an excellent student and eventually attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated with honors in 1904. While at Radcliffe she wrote an autobiography, The Story of My Life (1902), which made her famous. (Her many later books included The World I Live In (1908), Out of the Dark (1913), and 1938's Helen Keller's Journal.) In later life Keller became an activist and lecturer, sometimes in support of the blind and deaf, and sometimes for causes including Socialism and women's rights. She also founded and promoted the American Foundation for the Blind. During her lifetime Keller was regarded as one of America's most inspirational figures.
19.(2005.11)
Conflict is not necessarily bad, and it does not necessarily indicate a failed interaction. It is a signal, a message that says, "Things aren't working around here. We've got to do something different." Thus, conflict can be a catalyst-a motivating force-encouraging people to interact and communicate in ways that are more satisfying. Conflict can actually benefit people by pushing them to make necessary changes.
Adapted from Beverly Potter,From Conflict to Cooperation
assignment:Is conflict helpful?
冲突让人认识到彼此的不同，进而会增加彼此的了解。教育观念
媒体
12.(2005.6)
The media not only transmit information and culture, they also decide what information is important. In that way, they help to shape culture and values.
Adapted from Alison Bernstein, “A rtists Thrive on Freedom and Freedom Thrives on the A rts”assignment: Do newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, the Internet, and other media determine what is important to most people?
是的。媒体也是企业，为了自己的利益，毫无疑问他们要报道最具有新闻价值的的东西。而这些东西通常都是最能够吸引眼球的。但是这样并不意味着他们替大众决定什么东西是最重要的，因为大众是有自己的判断标准的。
78.(2007.12)
All around us appearances are mistaken for reality. Clever advertisements create favorable impressions but say little or nothing about the products they promote. In stores, colorful packages are often better than their contents. In the media, how certain entertainers, politicians, and other public figures appear is more important than their abilities. All too often, what we think we see becomes far more important than what really is.
assignment:Do images and impressions have too much of an effect on people?
116.(2009.5)
Thanks to great advancements in technology, we live today in a world in which knowledge is more readily available to greater numbers people than ever before in history. Having more and better technology, however, has not made people wiser or more understanding. Indeed, people are so overloaded with information today that they have become less, rather than more, able to make sense the world around them than our ancestors ever were.
Assignment: Has today's abundance of information only made it more difficult for us to understand the world around us?
错。毫无疑问，大量的信息会让我们
的如果我们有疑问的
挑战权威
38.(2006.6)
People are often told to obey the rules. In reality, these rules are not permanent: what is right at a given point in time may be declared wrong at another time and vice versa. The world changes so rapidly that rules are out-of-date almost as soon as they are created. People cannot rely on established guidelines to determine what they should and should not do.
Adapted from Gregory D. Foster, “Ethics: Time to Revisit the Basi cs”
assignment: Are established rules too limited to guide people in real-life situations?
某些道德准则moral values，比如忠诚于国家，孝敬父母，友爱兄弟等是任何时候都不过时的。as far as you yourself are concerned, this will be an expression of both loyalty and filial piety. 就吾弟个人而言,可谓忠孝两全。但是某些信仰也会束缚人的行为和思想，比如名将岳飞，仅仅抱着忠君的思想idea of loyalty to the monarch/sovereign/emperor，而置整个国家的利益于不顾，最终也落得个被害身亡的下场。
在日常生活当中，尤其是中国，孩子一般要听家长的，如果我们遵守这个规则，过多的听家长的，那么我们就会失去我们自己的个性。可以举自己同学的例子。
在科学或者艺术领域，拘泥于前人的理论是无论如何不会有所创建的。相反的敢于打破陈规才能有所成就。比如航海家navigator哥伦布columbus；达尔文Charles Robert Darwin 的进化论the theory of evolution (Darwin's)；物竞天择，适者生存survival of the fittest in natural selection; 人类是由上帝创造的；all creatures including human beings are created by God Darwin: a British scientist who developed the theory of evolution, which is the idea that plants
and animals develop gradually from simpler to more complicated forms by natural selection. This is the process by which only plants and animals that are naturally suitable for life in their environment will continue to live, while all others will die. He wrote about his ideas in his book On the Origin of Species.
Co·lum·bus, Chris·to·pher
(1451-1506) an Italian sailor and explorer who many people think of as the first European to discover America, in 1492. He arrived in America by accident when he was trying to find a new way to Asia by sailing west from Spain. Most people now think that the first discovery of America by Europeans was about 500 years earlier, by the Norwegian Leif Ericsson
Italian explorer in the service of Spain who determined that the earth was round and attempted to reach Asia by sailing west from Europe, thereby discovering America (1492). He made three subsequent voyages to the Caribbean in his quest for a sea route to China.
牛顿Sir Isaac Newton; a British physicist and mathematician who discovered gravity (=the force that causes things to fall towards the ground or to be pulled towards stars or planets in space). He made many other important scientific discoveries, and is one of the most important scientists who ever lived. Until the early 20th century, modern physics was based on Newton's work, and it is sometimes called Newtonian physics.
remembered for developing the calculus and for his law of gravitation and his three laws of motion.
English mathematician and scientist who invented differential calculus and formulated the theory of universal gravitation, a theory about the nature of light, and three laws of motion. His treatise on gravitation, presented in Principia Mathematica (1687), was supposedly inspired by the sight of a falling apple.
considered by many scholars and members of the general public to be one of the most influential men in human history. His 1687 publication of the Philosophi Naturalis Principia Mathematica (usually called the Principia) is considered to be among the most influential books in the history of science, laying the groundwork for most of classical mechanics. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion which dominated the scientific view of the physical universe for the next three centuries. Newton showed that the motions of objects on Earth and of celestial bodies are governed by the same set of natural laws by demonstrating the consistency between Kepler's laws of planetary motion and his theory of gravitation, thus removing the last doubts about heliocentrism and advancing the scientific revolution.
In the absence of a net force, the center of mass of a body either is at rest or moves at a constant velocity.
A body experiencing a force F experiences an acceleration a related to F by F = m a, where m is the mass of the body. Alternatively, force is equal to the time derivative of momentum.
Whenever a first body exerts a force F on a second body, the second body exerts a force ?F on the first body. F and ?F are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
First Law: An object at rest tends to stay at rest, or if it is in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by a sum of physical forces. Second Law: A body will accelerate with acceleration proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the mass.
Third Law: Every action has a reaction equal in magnitude and opposite in direction
Kepler: a German astronomer (=a scientist who studies the stars) who discovered how the planets move around the sun. These principles are known as Kepler's Laws, and they greatly influenced the work of Sir Isaac Newton.
German astronomer and mathematician. Considered the founder of modern astronomy, he formulated three laws to describe how the planets revolve around the sun.
a key figure in the scientific revolution, was a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer of famed brilliance. He is best known for his laws of planetary motion, expounded
in the two books Astronomia nova and Harmonice Mundi.
Kepler was a professor of mathematics at the University of Graz, court mathematician to Emperor Rudolf II, and court astrologer to General Wallenstein. Early in his career, Kepler was an assistant to Tycho Brahe. Kepler's career also coincided with that of Galileo Galilei. He is sometimes referred to as "the first theoretical astrophysicist", although Carl Sagan also referred to him as the last scientific astrologer.
Kepler's laws are:
The orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the Sun at a focus.
A line joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time.[1]
The square of the orbital period of a planet is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit.
量子理论
Max Planck: one of the most important German physicists of the late 19th and early 20th century; he is considered to be the inventor of quantum theory.
a theory concerning the behaviour of physical systems based on Planck's idea that they can only possess certain properties, such as energy and angular momentum, in discrete amounts (quanta). The theory later developed in several equivalent mathematical forms based on De Broglie's theory (see wave mechanics) and on the Heisenberg uncertainty principle测不准原理
a theory in physics based on the concept of the subdivision of radiant energy into finite quanta and applied to numerous processes involving transference or transformation of energy in an atomic or molecular scale
A theory in physics based on the principle that matter and energy have the properties of both particles and waves, created to explain the radiation of energy from a blackbody, the photoelectric effect, and the Bohr theory, and now used to account for a wide range of physical phenomena, including the existence of discrete packets of energy and matter, the uncertainty principle, and the exclusion principle.
光的波粒二相性wave-particle duality
The exhibition of both wavelike and particlelike properties by a single entity, as of both diffraction and linear propagation by light.
the property of matter and electromagnetic radiation that is characterized by the fact that some properties can be explained best by wave theory and others by particle theory;
In physics, wave-particle duality holds that light and matter can exhibit properties of both waves and of particles. It is a central concept of quantum mechanics. The idea is rooted in a debate over the nature of light and matter dating back to the 1600s, when competing theories of light were proposed by Christiaan Huygens and Isaac Newton. Through the work of Albert Einstein, Louis de Broglie and many others, it is now established that small objects, such as atoms, have both wave and particle nature, and that quantum mechanics provides the over-arching theory resolving this apparent paradox.
Albert Einstein: physicist born in Germany who formulated the special theory of relativity and the general theory of relativity; Einstein also proposed that light consists of discrete quantized bundles of energy (later called photons)
a Jewish German-born theoretical physicist of profound genius, who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. He proposed the theory of relativity and also made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and cosmology. He was awarded the 1921Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect in 1905 (his "miracle year") and "for his services to Theoretical Physics".
7.(2005.5)
We are afraid that our cause is unjust, or that it is unclear, or that it is too insignificant to justify the horrors of a confrontation with Authority. We will endure almost any inconvenience before undertaking head-on, I'm-here-to-tell-you complaint.
Adapted from William F. Buckley, Jr., “Why Don't We Complain?”
assignment: Are people afraid to speak out against authority, whether the authority is an individual,a group,or a government?
在中国是这样的，中国的文化强调尊重权威，强调秩序。因此在中国的教育环境下成长起来的大部分中国人有一种畏惧权威的心理。他们不敢去质疑权威观点的合理性和正确性。比如中国政府的某些经济政策以及关于国家发展的某些政策。但是这样的传统形成的前提是知识为少量的人占有，因此有知识的人显得非常宝贵。但是随着受教育的人越来越多，知识被越来越多的人所掌握。人们的理性意识在不断地增长。人们开始怀疑一些我们长期认为是理所当然的观点和传统是否是正确的。比如我们尊重权威的这个传统。在新时期尤其是改革开放后接受教育并成长起来的人们的批判意识越来越强。他们开始不断地质疑身边的一切东西。比如非典期间中国政府政策的合理性，中国的互联网屏蔽，中国的言论自由等。
国外，年轻人从小被灌输的理念是，要尊重权威，但是在科学领域当中，尊重他们的最好方式是找出他们理论当中的不足之处；在体育领域当中，向权威致敬的最好方式就是打败他们。无数刚刚进入NBA的愣头青在遇见科比或者乔丹的时候他们最想做的就是打败科比或者乔丹。
42.(2006.10)
Sometimes it is necessary to challenge what people in authority claim to be true.Although some respect for authority is,no doubt,necessary in order for any group or organization to
function,questioning the people in charge-even if they are experts or leaders in their fields-makes us better thinkers.It forces all concerned to defend old ideas and decisions and to consider new ones.Sometimes it can even correct old errors in thought and put an end to wrong actions. assignment:Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority? 是的。真理并不掌握在权威手中。真理是经过大家的辩论后才产生的。挑战权威有利于新的观念和理论的产生。
哥白尼提出日心说，挑战教会的权威，这才有了现代天文学的产生，否则，我们还是处在愚昧当中。达尔文提出了进化的自然选择学说，开创了近代生物学。
在科技领域，就计算机的操作系统来所，目前是微软一家独大。但是无数的其他操作系统开发商都没有放弃挑战微软的野心，这才有了其他的一些易用的系统的不断完善，比如Ubuntu。同时挑战权威会使得处于权威地位的人有危机感，不断地修正和提高自己。比如微软的win7系统的产生就是因为Vista受到了广泛的质疑。
114.(2009.5) There are good reasons to pay attention to people who are older or more experienced than we are, even if their opinions on important issues are very different from ours. Of course, not every person older than us is worth learning from, while many young people are. But if the only people we listen to are our age and are likely to see things the same way we do, we will miss out on something important.
Assignment: Should we pay more attention to people who are older and more experienced than we are? 我们可以听从他们的意见，因为这样会是我们少走一些弯路，李开复就一直致力于为广大的中国大学生提供精神以及实际的指导。但是最终我们发现成功的人成功的秘诀各部相同，他们走过的道路是不一样的，很多是无法复制的。因此上，过多的听他们的意见会使我们丧失自己的判断，变得困惑和犹豫不决，最终失去自己的独立性。
120. (2009.6) So-called common sense determines what people should wear, whom they should respect, which rules they should follow, and what kind life they should lead. Common sense is considered obvious and natural, too sensible to question. But people's common sense decisions may turn out to be wrong, even if they are thought to be correct according to the judgment vast majorities people.
Adapted from Alain de Botton, The Consolations Philosophy
Assignment: Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
质疑权威我们会不断地进步。皇帝的权威受到质疑，导致了民主社会的产生。
地心说是过去的所谓常识，但是被科学证明是错误的。过去人们认为是上帝创造了世间万物，但是现代科学的发现证明这是错误的。牛顿经典力学被认为是普遍真理，但是后来的科学实践证明，这只是物质在低速运动时候的规律，无法适用于物质处于高速运动的环境。时间被认为是一直向前的，但是爱因斯坦的相对论证明时间是相对的。
合作竞争团队compromise
41.(2006.10)
While some people promote competition as the only way to achieve success, others emphasize the power of cooperation.Intense rivalry at work or play or engaging in competition involving ideas or skills may indeed drive people either to avoid failure or to achieve important victories. In a complex world, however, cooperation is much more likely to produce significant,lasting accomplishments.
assignment: Do people achieve more success by cooperation than by competition?
不能一概而论。二者实际上是一个统一体。比如打篮球，我们在一个团队内部当然要鼓励合作，因为只有合作才能赢得比赛。但是，在打球的时候，我们就要提倡竞争精神，这是对我们的对手而言的。在一个团队内部，适度的竞争也会使每个人都有压力，这样也会促使他们释放出更多的能量。
95.(2008.10) We are frequently told that compromise is the best way for people to work out their differences. When people compromise, with each side losing a little in order to reach a satisfactory agreement, both sides can continue to live in harmony. However, compromise can work only when the issues at stake are not that important. Compromise does not work when there is a genuine difference opinion about strongly held principles or ideas.
Assignment: Is compromise always the best way to resolve a conflict?
No. 在不涉及根本利益的时候，妥协会有助于解决纠纷和问题。比如生意场上讨价还价。但是当涉及到根本利益的时候，妥协意味着灭亡。比如，历史上，当法西斯入侵各国的时候，妥协就意味着国破家亡，这时候只有斗争才能够为自己赢得生存的机会。再比如巴勒斯坦Palestine和以色列Israel的领土争端territorial disputes.
现在世界各国面临的资源有限问题，大家都想获得更多的资源，结果走向了战争，比如伊拉克战争。但是战争本身也为人类带来了巨大的灾难，比如死亡，比如伊拉克的很多地方由于美国施放了贫铀弹depleted uranium bomb，变成了无人区。只有大家相互谅解，通过协商和合作才能够解决问题。
101. (2008.11) Independent people—those who rely on themselves rather than on others—get what they want through their own efforts. Interdependent people combine their efforts with the efforts others to achieve their goals. To be most effective, people need to be interdependent. People who do not think and act interdependently may achieve individual success, but they will not be good leaders or team players.
Adapted from Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits Highly Effective People
Assignment: Is it necessary for people to combine their efforts with those others in order to be most effective?
有必要。篮球。一个公司的发展。比如google, 有决策层decision-making，有技术研发团队research and development team，也要有销售团队sales team。缺一不可。
领导
21.(2005.12)
We like to think that if someone has"the right stuff,"he or she will naturally rise to the top.But it isn't true. In that same way that acting talent doesn't guarantee stardom,the capacity for leadership doesn't guarantee that one will run a corporation or a government.In fact,at least in our time,genuine achievement is not highly valued,and those who are skilled at achieving greatness are not necessarily those who are ready to lead.
Adapted from Warren Bennis,On Becoming a Leader
assignment:Are leaders necessarily people who are most capable of leadership?
自由
23.(2005.12)
The free expression of thoughts and opinions is one of humanity's most precious rights.Every citizen must be able to speak,write,and publish freely,provided that he or she is held accountable for the abuse of this liberty in cases determined by the law.
Adapted from Thomas Paine,Rights of Man
assignment:Is it necessary to limit or put restrictions on freedom of thought and expression? No. 自由的思考是最基本的人权。The Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
限制人们的思维会导致独裁，真理和事实不被尊重，不利于国家和社会的发展。
会使人们失去创造力，进而伤害到整个社会的创造力和活力。
限制本身也是一个十分不经济的行为，要花费大量的人力物力。是对纳税人钱财的浪费。这个过程当中也会产生腐败，漠视人权的状况。
102.(2008.11) On the surface, censorship seems objectionable because it limits our freedom. But all societies need to suppress or restrict information that is offensive or potentially harmful. People depend on the establishment some limits, some way making distinctions between what is right and what is wrong. Censorship is actually beneficial to a society because it helps to establish ideals what is proper in such areas as art, music, and literature.
Assignment: Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds information or forms of expression?
犯错误
26.(2006.1)
I do not feel terrible about my mistakes, though I grieve the pain they have sometimes caused others. Our lives are“experiments with truth,” and in an experiment negative results are at least as important as successes. I have no idea how I would have learned the truth about myself and my calling without the mistakes I have made.
Adapted from Parker Palmer,Let Y our Life Speak
assignment:Is it necessary to make mistakes, even when doing so has negative consequences for other people?
历史，回忆，现在
9.(2005.6)
Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement,they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present.
Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot,I've Known Rivers:Lives of Loss and Liberation assignment:Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?
22.(2005.12)
How valuable is history for our generation? On the surface this question is not as easy as it once might have been, for there is a widespread belief that history may no longer be relevant to modern life. We live, after all, in an age that appears very different from the world that came before us.
Adapted from Stephen Vaughn,“H istory:Is It Relevant?”
assignment:Is knowledge of the past no longer useful for us today?
59.(2007.3)
Every event has consequences that are potentially beneficial. We may not always be happy about an experience, but we should at least gain in some way from it. For example,the worldwide gasoline shortage in the early 1970's created many hardships but inspired efforts to conserve energy. Whether the gains are large or small,there is something positive or useful for us in
everything that happens to us.
assignment:Do we really benefit from every event or experience in some way?
82.(2008.1)
Newness has become our obsession. Novelty is more interesting to us than continuing with whatever is"tried and true." We discard the old so we can acquire the most recent model,the latest version, the newest and most improved formula.Often, we replace what is useful just because it is no longer new. Not only with material goods but also with cultural values,we prefer whatever is the latest trend.
assignment:Should people always prefer new things, ideas, or values to those of the past? 90.(2008.5) Common sense suggests an obvious division between the past and present, between history and current events. In many cases, however, this boundary is not clear cut because earlier events are not locked away in the past. Events from history remain alive through people's memories and through books, films, and other media. For both individuals and groups, incidents from the past continue to influence the present—sometimes positively and sometimes negatively.
Assignment: Do incidents from the past continue to influence the present?
99. (2008.11) If an old tradition is still around today, we can assume that it deserves to remain in existence. Well-established customs, styles that are still popular, and ideas that people still find sensible survive because these traditions are strong enough to survive. Continuity guarantees quality. Old-fashioned hospitality, old-fashioned politeness, old-fashioned honor in business—all these traditions have qualities of survival. Fortunately, these will always be with us.
Adapted from Jacob Braude, Jacob Braude’s Second Encyclopedia of Stories, Quotations, and Anecdotes
assignment: Do all established traditions deserve to remain in existence?
教育学习知识实用技术理论价值观
10.(2005.6)
I cannot comprehend those who emphasize or recognize only what is useful.I am concerned that learning for learning's sake is no longer considered desirable,that everything we do and think must be directed toward the solution of a practical problem.More and more we seem to try to teach how to make a good living and not how to live a good life.
Adapted from Philip D.Jordan,“The Usefulness of Useless Knowledg e”
assignment:Do people put too much emphasis on learning practical skills?
11.(2005.6)
Most of our schools are not facing up to their responsibilities.W e must begin to ask ourselves whether educators should help students address the critical moral choices and social issues of our time.Schools have responsibilities beyond training people for jobs and getting students into college.
Adapted from Svi Shapiro
assignment:Should schools help students understand moral choices and social issues?
32.(2006.4)
Young people should have the right to control and direct their own learning—that is, to decide what they want to learn, when, and where. If we take from someone his or her right to decide what to be curious about, we destroy that person's freedom of thought. We say, in effect, "you must think about what interests and concerns us, not you."
Adapted from John Holt,“The Right to Control One's Learning”
assignment: Should each individual decide what and how to learn?
43.(2006.10)
We don't really learn anything properly until there is a problem, until we make a mistake, until something fails to go as we had hoped. When everything is working well, with no problems or
failures, what incentive do we have to try something new? W e are only motivated to learn when we experience difficulties.
Adapted from Alain de Botton,How Proust Can Change Y our Life:Not a Novel
assignment:Does true learning only occur when we experience difficulties?
55.(2007.1)
The education people receive does not occur primarily in school. Y oung people are formed by their experiences with parents, teachers, peers, and even strangers on the street, and by the sports teams they play for, the shopping malls they frequent, the songs they hear, and the shows they watch. Schools, while certainly important, constitute only a relatively small part of education. Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,“Education for the Twenty-First Century”
assignment:Is education primarily the result of influences other than school?
61.(2007.5)
Knowledge is power. In agriculture, medicine, and industry, for example, knowledge has liberated us from hunger, disease, and tedious labor. T oday, however, our knowledge has become so powerful that it is beyond our control. We know how to do many things, but we do not know where, when, or even whether this know-how should be used.
assignment:Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?
79.(2007.12)
Until fairly recently,technological innovations and inventions were intended to serve basic human needs or desires.T oday,however,the most important and urgent problem confronting us is no longer the satisfaction of basic needs.The primary purpose of modern technology is to solve the unintended problems caused by the technology of years past.
Adapted from Dennis Gabor,Innovations:Scientific,T echnological,and Social
assignment:Is the most important purpose of technology today different from what it was in the past?
86.(2008.3)
Winning feels forever fabulous.But you can learn more from losing than from winning.Losing prepares you for setback and tragedy more than winning ever can.Moreover,loss invites reflection and a change of strategies.In the process of recovering from your losses,you learn how to avoid them the next time.
Adapted from Pat Conroy,My Losing Season
assignment:Do people learn more form losing than from winning?
46.(2006.11)
Many people deny that stories about characters and events that are not real can teach us about ourselves or about the world around us.They claim that literature does not offer us worthwhile information about the real world. These people argue that the feelings and ideas we gain from books and stories obstruct, rather than contribute to, clear thought.
Adapted from Jennifer L.McMahon,“The Function of Fiction”
assignment:Can books and stories about characters and events that are not real teach us anything useful?
当然。终结者TheTerminator，施瓦辛格Arnold Schwarzenegger。实际上讲述的是人类对工业文明前途的不明朗，及其发展前途的担忧和恐惧，不知道工业文明最后会将我们带到哪里去。类似的还有人工智能artificial intelligence。最后机器人掉泪了，促使人们思考，除了人类以外，机器人这些我们人类制造出来的东西是否真的能够具有感情。
动画片，狮子王The Lion King。让人思考人类内心的弱点。
2012，实际上也是对于未来的恐惧。
英雄
65.(2007.6)
Heroes may seem old-fashioned today. Many people are cynical and seem to enjoy discrediting role models more than creating new ones or cherishing those they already have. Some people, moreover, object to the very idea of heroes, arguing that we should not exalt individuals who,
after all, are only flesh and blood, just like the rest of us.But we desperately need heroes—to teach us,to captivate us through their words and deeds,to inspire us to greatness.
Adapted from Psychology Today,“How To Be Great!What Does It Take To Be A Hero?”assignment: Is there a value in celebrating certain individuals as heroes?
71.(2007.10)
Having many admirers is one way to become a celebrity, but it is not the way to become a hero.Heroes are self-made. Yet in our daily lives we see no difference between"celebrities"and"heroes." For this reason,we deprive ourselves of real role models. We should admire heroes—people who are famous because they are great—but not celebrities—people who simply seem great because they are famous.
Adapted from Daniel Boorstin,The Image:A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America
assignment: Should we admire heroes but not celebrities?
12. (OFFICIAL GUIDE PRACTICE TEST 10) Traditionally th e term “heroism” has been applies to those who have braved physical danger to defend a cause or protect others. But one the most feared dangers people face is that disapproval by their family, peers, or community. Sometimes acting courageously requires someone to speak out at the risk such rejection. We should consider those who do so true heroes.
Assignment: Should heroes be defined as people who say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it?
艺术的价值
74.(2007.11)
Many people consider the arts -literature, music, painting, and other creative activities -unnecessary because they provide us with nothing more than entertainment. Y et the arts are extremely valuable because they have much to teach us about the world around us and also because they help people find meaning in life.
assignment:Is the main value of the arts to teach us about the world around us?
Wuthering Heights / Jane Eyre
判断
85.(2008.3)
Being loyal—faithful or dedicated to someone or something—is not always easy. People often have conflicting loyalties, and there are no guidelines that help them decide to what or whom they should be loyal. Moreover, people are often loyal to something bad. Still, loyalty is one of the essential attributes a person must have and must demand of others.
Adapted from James Carville,Stickin':The Case for Loyalty
assignment:Should people always be loyal?
market economy /invisible hands / planed economy / government intervention/ regulation Keynesianism
98.(2008.10)
Governments, businesses, groups, or people reveal themselves by how they act, not by what they say. A company many claim to value its customers, or a politician may claim to be committed to a cause, but what do their actions say? People or groups may state what they wish were true or what they think others want to hear, but it is their actions that reveal their true values. assignment: Do actions, not words, reveal a person or group’s true attitudes and intentions? Hemingway 马丁路德金Martin Luther King 比尔盖茨基金会The Bill and Melinda Foundation
104.(2008.12)
Whether it is a child pouting to get ice cream or a politician using emotionally charged language to influence potential supporters, all people use some form of acting to achieve whatever ends they seek. Public figures all kinds would have short, unsuccessful careers without the aid acting.
Acting—consciously assuming a role in order to achieve some purpose—is a tool people use to protect their interests and gain advantages in every aspect life.
Adapted from Marlon Brando, Foreword to The Technique Acting by Stella Adler
Assignment: Is acting an essential part of everyday life?
13. (ONLINE COURSE 1) We often hear that we can learn much about someone or something just by casual observation. We are not required to look beneath the surface or to question how something seems. In fact, we are urged to trust our impressions, often our first impressions, how a person or a situation seems to be. Yet appearances can be misleading. What “seems” isn’t always what is.
Assignment: Is the way something seems to be not always the same as it actually is?
19.(CB-1) When people form opinions about someone or something, what affects them most is not substance but style. In other words, the way something appears or is presented is more important than what it actually is. This principle affects how people look at their leaders and their lives, the books they read, the products they buy, and even the subjects they take at school. Assignment: Is style more important than substance?
顺境逆境好坏
11.(OFFICIAL GUIDE PRACTICE TEST 9)
“Tough challenges reveal our strengths and weaknesses.” This statement is certainly true; adversity helps us discover who we are. Hard ships can often lead us to examine who we are and to question what is important in life. In fact, people have experienced seriously adverse events frequently report that they were positively changed by their negative experiences.
Assignment: Do you think that ease does not challenge us that we need adversity to help us discover who we are?
14. (ONLINE COURSE 2) For a variety reasons, people often make choices that have negative results. Later, they regret these choices, finding out too late that bad choices can be costly. On the other hand, decisions that seem completely reasonable when they are made may also be the cause later disappointment and suffering. What looks like a wonderful idea at one time can later seem like the worst decision that could have been made. Good choices, too, can be costly. Assignment: Are bad choices and good choices equally likely to have negative consequences?
认知
15. (ONLINE COURSE 3) The people we call heroes do not usually start out as unusual. Often they are ordinary people subject to ordinary human weakness—fear, doubt, and self-interest. In fact, they live ordinary lives until they distinguish themselves by having to deal with an injustice or a difficult situation. Only then, when they must respond in thought and in action to an extraordinary challenge, do people begin to know their strengths and weaknesses.
Assignment: Do people learn who they are only when they are forced into action?
22. (CB-4) We need to remember that wisdom is not just about what we think or know, but more importantly, how we act. Simply being smart is not enough. I define wisdom as the application intelligence and experience toward the attainment a common good. In other words, the wisest people are those who look out not just for themselves but also for others.
Adapted from Robert J. Sternberg, “Teaching for Wisdom in Our Schools”
Assignment: What makes a person wise?
作出合理的中立的判断--主观客观价值判断
Even scientists know that absolute objectivity has yet to be attained. It's the same for absolute truth. But, as many news reporters have observed, the idea of objectivity as a guiding principle is too valuable to be abandoned. Without it, the pursuit of knowledge is hopelessly lost.
Adapted from“Focusing Our V alu es,”Nieman Reports
assignment:Are people better at making observations, discoveries, and decisions if they remain neutral and impartial?
选择专业/职业，爱好还是就业？
8.(2005.5)
Alone we can afford to be wholly whatever we are and to feel whatever we feel absolutely. With others we are busy wondering what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think
of it? The original impact of our feelings gets lost or reduced.
Adapted from May Sarton,The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life
assignment: Does worrying too much about other people’s opinions prevent us from seeing things clearly?
15.(2005.10)
This is a time for shallowness. Seriousness is so rare these days that we tend to make all kinds of allowances for those who only seem to possess it. In this way, shallow ideas are not recognized for what they are, and they are increasingly mistaken for deep thoughts.
Adapted from Margaret Talbot,“The Perfectionis t”
assignment:Do we live in a time when people do not engage in serious thinking?
人们只是在追求眼前的可见的物质利益，别人有的我也要有，比如房子，车子等等。但是却从来不肯停下来仔细的思考一些人生的意义所在the true meaning of life.
即使在处理具体问题上，人们也只是要在限定的时间内得出一个答案，而不管答案是否经过了仔细的思考。
17.(2005.11)
Beauty is not a quality in people or in objects themselves. It exists in the mind that perceives those objects, and each mind perceives beauty differently. To seek real beauty, in some absolute sense, is pointless. Where one person sees beauty, another may even see the opposite. For this reason, we all ought to accept our own perceptions of who or what is beautiful, and not be influenced by the perceptions of others.
Adapted from David Hum e,“Of the Standard of Taste”
assignment:Should our perceptions of beauty be influenced by the perceptions of beauty of other people? 虽然大家的审美观念有所差别，但是基本上每个人的审美观念都是从无到有慢慢的(随着我们的人生观价值观的完善)积累起来的，在这个过程当中，我们不断地吸收别人的观点。因此在严格意义上不受别人的影响是不可能的。但是当我们的价值观和审美观定型以后，一般就不太会改变了。这个时候我们有自己的判断，就基本不再受别人的影响了。
对于女人的美，现代的观点是以瘦为美，但我自己的观点是适度的丰腴会让人看起来更漂亮和健康。
毕加索/ 潮流。文化审美，风俗；
29.(2006.4)
Inconsistency is commonly thought to be an undesirable personality trait, and inconsistent people are viewed as indecisive and weak willed. On the other hand, firm commitment to an idea or plan of action is associated with personal and intellectual strength, stability, and honesty. Thus, once we have made a choice or taken a stand, it is best not to change.
Adapted from Robert B.Cialdini,Influence:How and Why People Agree to Things
assignment:Is it best not to change our ideas, opinions, or behaviors? 否
个人发展，中国的国家发展；
30.(2006.4)
A teenager challenges everything and,by forming habits of intellectual and emotional independence, makes himself or herself into an adult. In a similar way,all people can learn the behaviors that they need to become the people they want to be. We can all change ourselves--our behaviors, our goals, our relationships--because our potential for change is
Adapted from Richard Stiller,Habits
assignment:Is our ability to change ourselves unlimited,or are there limits on our ability to make important changes in our lives? 有限制人生的选择，个人，学习方面；
33.(2006.5)
Some people claim that each individual is solely responsible for what happens to him or her. But the claim that we ought to take absolute responsibility for the kinds of people we are and the kinds of lives we lead suggests that we have complete control over our lives. We do not. The circumstances of our lives can make it more or less impossible to make certain kinds of choices. Adapted form Gordon D. Marino,“I think Y ou Should Be Responsible; Me, I’m not so Sure”assignment: Are we free to make our own decisions or are we limited in the choices we can make?
有限的自由。
75.(2007.11)
All people judge or criticize the ideas and actions of others.At times,these criticisms hurt or embarrass the people receiving them.Other criticisms seem to be intended to make the critics appear superior.And yet criticism is essential to our success as individuals and as a society. Adapted from Ken Petress,“Constructive Criticism:A T ool for Improvem ent”
assignment:Is criticism—judging or finding fault with the ideas and actions of others—essential for personal well-being and social progress?
76.(2007.12)
The first problem for all of us is not to learn but to unlearn. We hold on to ideas that were accepted in the past, and we are afraid to give them up. Preconceptions about what is right or wrong, true or false, good or bad are embedded so deeply in our thinking that we honestly may not know that they are there. Whether it's women's role in society or the role of our country in the world, the old assumptions just don't work anymore.
Adapted from Gloria Steinem,“A New Egalitarian Life style”
assignment: Do people need to"unlearn,"or reject, many of their assumptions and ideas?
是的，女性工作这个问题，现在已经得到了公认。但是随之而来的是一系列的问题，孩子没人管教，即使是送到托儿所，但孩子应该从父母那里得到的教育和关注少了，而学校对孩子的管束和教育还远达不到需求。问题少年层出不穷。
文化，东西方文化的交流。对彼此的认识加深。
77.(2007.12)
Our determination to pursue truth by setting up a fight between two sides leads us to believe that every issue has two sides—no more, no less. If we know both sides of an issue, all of the relevant information will emerge, and the best case will be made for each side. But this process does not always lead to the truth. Often the truth is somewhere in the complex middle, not the oversimplified extremes.
Adapted from Deborah T annen,The Argument Culture
assignment: Should people choose one of two opposing sides of an issue, or is the truth usually found"in the middle"?
光的波粒二象性有时候真相是一方，有时候是平均；
It depends on different situation. 大城市还是小城镇。
93.(2008.6) When someone has the same ideas or views as most people do, we tend to believe that the person is reasonable and correct. Often, however, views that are considered reasonable or commonsensical are anything but sensible. Many widely held views regarding current events, science, education, arts and literature, and many other topics ultimately prove to be wrong. The fact that an idea or view is widespread—held by many people—does not make it right. Assignment: Are widely held views often wrong, or are such views more likely to be correct?
观点的正确与否与持这种观点的人的多少之间并无必然联系。很难说他们更正确或者更错误，只是随着实践和人们对世界的认识不断加深，他们会被逐步的肯定或者否定。
96. (2008.10) People usually assume that the quality a decision is directly related to the time and
effort that went into making it. We believe that we are always better off gathering as much information as possible and then spending as much time as possible analyzing that information. But there are times when making a quick judgment is the best thing to do. Decisions made quickly can be as good as decisions made slowly and cautiously.
Adapted from Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power Thinking Without Thinking
Assignment: Are decisions made quickly just as good as decisions made slowly and carefully?
做决定的快慢跟决定的好坏是没有必然联系的。
105.(2008.12) When people are very enthusiastic—always willing and eager to meet new challenges or give undivided support to ideas or projects—they are likely to be rewarded. They often work harder and enjoy their work more than do those who are more restrained. But there are limits to how enthusiastic people should be. People should always question and doubt, since too much enthusiasm can prevent people from considering better ideas, goals, or courses action. Assignment: Can people have too much enthusiasm?
115. (2009.5) Good decision making generally requires people to think carefully and logically and to pay attention to practical details. However, people who depend on their feelings and emotions to make important decisions are not likely to spend hours gathering information, making lists, considering all possible outcomes, and so forth. When comparing the advantages or disadvantages one course action to another, these people ask themselves, "What do my feelings tell me?" Assignment: Should people let their feelings guide them when they make important decisions?
理智和感情都很重要。李开复。Follow you heart.
2.(OFFICIAL GUIDE) Some people believe that there is only one foolproplan, perfect solution, or correct interpretation. But nothing is ever that simple. For better or worse, for every so-called final answer there is another way seeing things. There is always a “however”
Assignment: Is there always another explanation or another point view?
基本同意。但是某些客观真理，比如人都是会死的是不容置疑的。可以举科学界的一些例子。以及审美观念方面的差异。
16. (ONLINE COURSE 4) People’s lives are the result the choices they make—or fail to make. The path one takes in life is not arbitrary. Choices and their consequences determine the course every person’s life. All people, w hatever their circumstances, make the choices on which their lives depend.
Assignment: Are people’s lives the result the choices they make?
是。
20. (CB-2) If we valued honesty, we would be willing to risk our jobs to become whistleblowers and tell truths that our employers did not want revealed. If we valued success, we would give up our free time in order to excel in a subject or sport. In other words, the sacrifices we are willing to make reveal what we care about the most.
Assignment: Can what we value be determined only by what we sacrifice?
不一定。大多数情况下我们牺牲的不是我们的主要利益或者核心利益，我们努力维护不想失去的才是我们的核心利益。
21. (CB-3) Something flawed is far more interesting than something perfect. Perfection is a trifle dull. It is not the least life’s ironies that this, wh ich we all aim at, is better not quite achieved. Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up
Assignment: Is perfection something to be admired or sought after?
应该追求完美。这样可以完善我们自身，取得更大的进步。
50.(2006.12)
In many circumstances,optimism—the expectation that one's ideas and plans will always turn out for the best—is unwarranted. In these situations what is needed is not an upbeat view but a