2016年英語六級考試閱讀理解技巧訓練：社會科學類
社會科學類
Passage 1
For most thinkers since the Greek philosophers, it was self-evident that there is something called human nature, something that constitutes the essence of man. There were various views about what constitutes it, but there was agreement that such an essence exists —— that is to say, that there is something by virtue of which man is man. Thus man was defined as a rational being, as a social animal, an animal that can make tools, or a symbol-making animal.
More recently, this traditional view has begun to be questioned. One reason for this change was the increasing emphasis given to the historical approach to man. An examination of the history of humanity suggested that man in our epoch is so different from man in previous times that it seemed unrealistic to assume that men in every age have had in common something that can be called "human nature." The historical approach was reinforced, particularly in the United States, by studies in the field of cultural anthropology (人類學). The study of primitive peoples has discovered such a diversity of customs, values, feelings, and thoughts that many anthropologists arrived at the concept that man is born as a blank sheet of paper on which each culture writes its text. Another factor contributing to the tendency to deny the assumption of a fixed human nature was that the concept has so often been abused as a shield behind which the most inhuman acts are committed. In the name of human nature, for example, Aristotle and most thinkers up to the eighteenth century defended slavery. Or in order to prove the rationality and necessity of the capitalist form of society, scholars have tried to make a case for acquisitiveness, competitiveness, and selfishness as innate (天生的) human traits. Popularly, one refers cynically to "human nature" in accepting the inevitability of such undesirable human behavior as greed, murder, cheating and lying.
Another reason for skepticism about the concept of human nature probably lies in the influence of evolutionary thinking. Once man came to be seen as developing in the process of evolution, the idea of a substance which is contained in his essence seemed untenable. Yet I believe it is precisely from an evolutionary standpoint that we can expect new insight into the problem of the nature of man.
1. The traditional view of "human nature" was strongly challenged by_____.
A) the emergence of the evolutionary theory
B) the historical approach to man
C) new insight into human behavior
D) the philosophical analysis of slavery
2. According to the passage, anthropologists believe that human beings_____.
A) have some traits in common
B) are born with diverse cultures
C) are born without a fixed nature
D) change their characters as they grow up
3. The author mentioned Aristotle, a great ancient thinker, in order to_____.
A) emphasize that he contributed a lot to defining the concept of "human nature"
B) show that the concept of "human nature" was used to justify social evils
C) prove that he had a profound influence on the concept of "human nature"
D) support the idea that some human traits are acquired
4. The word "untenable" (Line 3) in the last paragraph of the passage most probably means_____.
A) invaluable C) changeable
B) imaginable D) indefensible
5. Most philosophers believed that human nature_____.
A) is the quality distinguishing man from other animals
B) consists of competitiveness and selfishness
C) is something partly innate and partly acquired
D) consists of rationality and undesirable behavior
Passage 2
War may be a natural expression of biological instincts and drives toward aggression in the human species. Natural impulses of anger, hostility, and territoriality (守衛地盤的`天性) are expressed through acts of violence. These are all qualities that humans share with animals. Aggression is a kind of innate (天生的) survival mechanism, an instinct for self-preservation that allows animals to defend themselves from threats to their existence. But, on the other hand, human violence shows evidence of being a learned behavior. In the case of human aggression, violence cannot be simply reduced to an instance. The many expressions of human violence are always conditioned by social conventions that give shape to aggressive behavior. In human societies violence has a social function: It is a strategizing power of violence. We will look at the ritual and ethical (道德上的) patterns within which human violence has been directed .
The violence within a society is controlled through institutions of law. The more developed a legal system becomes, the more society takes responsibility for the discovery, control, and punishment of violent acts. In most tribal societies the only means to deal with an act of violence is revenge. Each family group may have the responsibility for personally carrying out judgment and punishment upon the person who committed the offense. But in legal systems, the responsibility for revenge becomes depersonalized and diffused. The society assumes the responsibility for protecting individuals from violence. In cases where they cannot be protected, the society is responsible for imposing punishment. In a state controlled legal system, individuals are removed from the cycle of revenge motivated by acts of violence, and the state assumes responsibility for their protection.
The other side of a state legal apparatus is a state military apparatus. While the one protects the individual from violence, the other sacrifices the individual to violence in the interests of the state. In war the state affirms its supreme power over the individuals within its own borders .War is not simply a trial by combat to settle disputes between states; it is the moment when the state makes its most powerful demands upon its people for their commitment, allegiance, and supreme sacrifice. Times of war test a community's deepest religious and ethical commitments.
1. Human violence shows evidence of being a learned behavior in that .
A) it threatens the existing social systems B) it is influenced by society
C) it has roots in religious conflicts D) it is directed against institutions of law
2. The function of legal systems, according to the passage, is .
A) to control violence within a society B) to protect the world from chaos
C) to free society from the idea of revenge D) to give the government absolute power
3. What does the author mean by saying "... in legal systems, the responsibility for revenge becomes depersonalized and diffused"( Para.2)?
A) Legal systems greatly reduce the possibilities of physical violence.
B) Offenses against individuals are no longer judged on a personal basis.
C) Victims of violence find it more difficult to take revenge.
D) Punishment is not carried out directly by the individuals involved.
4. The word "allegiance"(Para. 3) is closest in meaning to .
A) loyalty B) objective C) survival D) motive
5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A) Governments tend to abuse their supreme power in times of war.
B) In times of war governments may extend their power across national borders.
C) In times of war governments impose high religious and ethical standards on their people.
D) Governments may sacrifice individuals in the interests of the state in times of war.
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