U2 Ethics and Morality倫理與道德

Text Let's Take Urgent Lessons in Pavement Etiquette

I'd grown up in the countryside, where walking was aimless and hearty and generally involved sheep and rain and dispiriting picnics aborted because of rain showers. In big cities, I realised, a different kind of perambulation was required. I learned to be brisk and purposeful. These days, I honestly believe urban walking is one of my core skills. If I were taking an A-Level in walking, I would get an A and not just because of grade inflation.

I keep up a steady, fairly rapid pace. I am able to spot potential hazards before they occur—the men who keep asking me about where I have my hair cut, the women who hand out free samples of moisturiser in packets—and I change my course accordingly. I've perfected a sort of Walking Bitch Face so that no one disturbs me as I stride with intent towards my destination.

I'm an efficient walking multitasker:when I'm approaching a tube station, I fish out my Oyster card from my bag while still moving so that my progress at the gates is smooth and unimpeded and causes minimal fuss for the people behind me. You see, the mark of a true urbanite:selfish and communal at the same time.

But of late, I've noticed a worrying trend. Until relatively recently, the pavements have mostly been populated by people like me hellbent on getting wherever they need to in as straight a line as possible. Of course, there was always the annual influx of tourists to cope with:those baffled looking types who stopped without warning to consult a map or enter an Angus Steakhouse.

This summer, however, there has been a distinct increase in the home-grown Selfish Walker. The prime offenders are those glued to their smartphones. These pedestrians are perpetually engrossed in their blinking white screens, with severely limited spatial awareness of the real world. They don't care about time or speed or where the rest of us need to get to because they believe that what they are doing, at that given moment in time, should take precedence. There is no sense of the pavement being a communal space, governed by an unspoken code of conduct that puts the needs of the many above the Tweets of a few.

It's not just smartphone users. It's the couples holding hands and blocking the thoroughfare, headily caught up in the glow of their own romance. It's the teenagers with a selfie stick. Hold hands, take photographs and read by all means. But not if you're getting in the way of everyone else.

We live in an age of entitlement, forged through our constant connectedness.Uploading photos on Facebook and curating our experiences so that we look like we are having the most fun possible at every conceivable moment has led to a sense that we are the central star vehicle in a dazzling story of our own projected life. The attention we pay to ourselves nudges out the willingness to care about other people. We treat the pavement as a private space in which to exercise our public selves. We lose sight of the fact that someone else might just need to catch a bus.

It's not an unsolvable problem. There has long been talk of a kind of swimming lane system for some of the busiest streets in London. The tunnels at Oxford Circus tube station have recently been divided into two lanes painted on to the floor as part of an advertising campaign for Lucozade. One lane is labelled“slow”, the other“flow”. It's a neat concept, but it hasn't quite worked:everyone is too busy on their phones to notice what's beneath their feet.

Reading Comprehension

1.The word“perambulation”（Para. 1）probably means ________.

[A]travel through a place on foot

[B]take precaution against hazards

[C]walk intently to a destination

[D]sharpen skills for A-Level tests

2.The author claims herself to be“communal”（Para. 3）because ________.

[A]she changes her course when people come her way

[B]she concentrates on her destination while walking

[C]she shares her travel card whenever others need it

[D]she tries not to pose hazards to other pedestrians

3.The author accuses smartphones users of ________.

[A]taking no notice of incoming tourists

[B]refusing to help tourists to find their ways

[C]violating the public code of conduct

[D]putting their own lives at serious risk

4.The author blames increased selfishness on ________.

[A]people's eagerness to be movie stars

[B]an epidemic of self-intoxication

[C]ruthless expansion of personal life

[D]increased sensitivity to private rights

5.The author concludes the discussion by ________.

[A]calling on people not to look at smartphones

[B]calling for an urgent solution to the problem

[C]proposing a new scheme for London streets

[D]urging people to use the subway more often

Notes

1.If I were taking...grade inflation.（第一段）

第一段的這個句子是一個虛擬式，因為作者已經成人，已經工作，不可能再參加中學生的A-level考試。另外，行走方面的考試根本不存在。這里介詞in表示“在……方面”, not just意為“不僅僅”, grade inflation意為“分數膨脹”，即老師給學生打分松，致使分數總體偏高。這個句子表達的意思很幽默，作者實際上是說，她的行走能力名副其實得很強——她得高分并不是因為老師打分松。

2.I am able to spot potential hazards...accordingly.（第二段）

第二段的這個句子是一個并列句，其主干結構是I am able to spot...and I change..．在前一個分句中，the men...cut和the women...packets都是potential hazards的同位語。這兩個同位語表述得很幽默，問她在哪里理的發，實際上是男人想跟她搭訕；而女的則是那些在街頭發小廣告的人。這些人都影響了別人正常行走，所以被作者稱作hazards。作者在下一句說，對于這些人，她都擺出一副Walking Bitch Face，即擺出一副對他們不屑一顧、跟他們沒什么好談的姿態。當一群人在人行道上行走時，其中的一個人故意落在后面，因為她覺得跟其他人沒什么好談的，這樣的人被稱作Walking Bitch。另外，spot此處意為“看出，認出”, course指“路程，行動方向”。

3.I'm an efficient walking...behind me.（第三段）

第三段中這個句子冒號后部分解釋multitasker這個詞，該詞這里指能“同時做多件事情的人”。詞組tube station指英國的地鐵站，Oyster card指乘坐公共交通工具的支付卡；progress這里指“行進”, fuss指“擾亂，忙亂”。

4.Until relatively recently...as possible.（第四段）

在第四段的這個句子中，hellbent是過去分詞，是hell與bent的合成詞，其中hell表示程度高，（be）bent on意為“決心（做某事），專注于”；詞組in as straight a line as possible修飾getting，即直線到達。

5.These pedestrians are perpetually engrossed...the real world.（第五段）

在第五段的這個句子中，be engrossed in意為“專注于”, blinking white screens指不斷出現新消息的手機屏幕，本句中的（be）perpetually engrossed in their blinking white screens實際上與上一句中的（be）glued to their smartphones意思差不多。過去分詞limited修飾awareness而不是spatial，這里指他們對外部世界的意識受到限制，即不太注意周邊發生的事情。

6.There is no sense...the Tweets of a few.（第五段）

在第五段的這個句子中，所謂There is no sense of the pavement being a communal space指那些走路看手機的人沒有認識到街道是一個公共空間，而不是像他們的Tweet一樣屬于私人空間。動詞govern意為“制約，管制”，詞組put...above指“把……置于……之上”, a few指走路看手機的人，Tweets指這些人用Tweet收發手機信息。

7.But not if you're getting in the way of everyone else.（第六段）

第六段的這個句子是一個省略句，not后省略了hold hands, take photographs and read。另外，詞組get in the way of指“阻礙，影響”。

課文參考譯文

我們亟須學會人行道上的禮節

我在鄉間長大，在那里，走路可以是漫無目的、隨心所欲的，通常要躲避羊群和雨，會因為下雨不得不終止野炊，著實令人沮喪。我意識到，在大城市里需要一種不同的漫步方式。我學會了加快腳步，目的明確地行走。最近，我真的認為，在城市中行走是我的核心技能之一。假如我參加行走方面的A-Level考試，我肯定能得A，這不僅僅是因為分數膨脹造成的。

我保持平穩、相當迅速的步伐。我能在潛在的危險發生之前注意到它們，這包括那些問我在哪里理發的男人，也包括那些遞給我免費小袋潤膚霜樣品的女人，碰到他們時我相應地改變路程。我練就了一副“走路人的冷臉”，這樣，在我集中精力向著目的地大踏步行進時，就不會有人能阻斷我。

我能非常有效地邊走路邊做多件事情：當我走至地鐵站時，我能一邊走路一邊拿出自己的交通卡，這樣，我能平穩地走到入口，不受任何阻礙，不會對身后的人造成一丁點麻煩。你看，這就是真正的城里人的標志：既自私也有公心。

但是最近，我注意到一個令人擔憂的趨勢。直到相對近期，人行道上走的多數都是我這樣的人，我們精力集中，都想盡量走直線到達自己想去的地方。當然，我們總是需要應對每年流入的大量觀光客：這些人會不加警告地突然止步，臉上一副困惑的表情，查看著地圖，或者突然進入安古斯飯館。

然而，今年夏季，本地的自私行走人顯然增多了。主要是那些離不開智能手機的人。這些路人總是全神貫注地盯著他們閃亮的白色屏幕，對現實世界的空間意識受到嚴重限制。他們不在乎時間、速度，也不在乎其他人去哪里，因為他們相信，自己此時此刻所做的事情應該占據頭等地位。人行道是個公共場所，受著不言而喻的行為準則的制約，這些準則把多數人的需要置于使用Tweet的少數人之上，但這種意識對那些人來說沒有意義。

不僅是智能手機的使用者。還有手牽手的情侶，他們阻礙了道路，旁若無人地沉浸于自己的浪漫熱戀中。還有用自拍竿的青少年。手拉手，照相，不顧一切地看屏幕。但是如果你影響了別人走道，請別這樣做。

我們隨時隨處相聯，這使我們生活在一個講求權利的時代。在Facebook上傳照片，管理自己經歷的事情，看上去好像我們在能想到的每個時刻都在享樂，這造成了一種自我認識：我們自己就是核心造星工具，能把我們絢麗的人生故事投射出去。我們對自己的關注，退卻了關心別人的意愿。我們把人行道當作私人空間，來展示公共的自我。我們沒有看到，其他人也許要趕著去乘坐公交車。

這不是一個解決不了的問題。人們很久以來就談到在倫敦一些最繁忙的街道上設立一種泳道系統。牛津街地鐵站的地下通道最近被分成兩個道，用漆面作了標識，是Lucozade飲料廣告宣傳的一部分。一股道標識為“慢”，另一股標識為“流暢”。這是一個清晰的概念，但是它還沒有太起作用：每個人都忙于電話，他們注意不到腳下的東西。

答案與題解

1.[A] 意為：徒步走過某個地方。

第一段第二句中這個詞的意思很容易理解，因為第二句前的句子和第二句后的句子都是談walking，不同的是，第一句談的是鄉間的行走（walking in the countryside）方式，而第二句后談的是城市的行走（urban walking）方式。作者把二者做了對比，引出本文的主要話題——城市中的行走方式。

[B]意為：采取預防措施避免危險。

[C]意為：專心致志地走向目的地。

[D]意為：磨煉應試A-Level考試的技能。A-Level考試是英國普通中等教育證書考試中的高級水平考試。

2.[D] 意為：她盡量不給其他行人帶來威脅。

從第二段到第六段來看，本文所謂給別人帶來hazards指阻礙別人行進的道路，或在街上行走時與其他人發生碰撞。本文提到那些邊走路邊看手機的人，那些走路時手牽手的人，以及用手機自拍桿自拍的人。這些人就是作者在第五段提到的那些Selfish Walker。與selfish意思相反的詞是communal，在本文第三段和第五段都有使用，它的意思是“公共的，可以分享的，大公無私的”。在第三段中，作者說自己是communal，其主要意思是說她在街上行走時不給人帶來麻煩（causes minimal fuss for the people behind me）。

[A]意為：她看到有人沖著她走來時就改變方向。

[B]意為：她在走路時專心走向目的地。

[C]意為：當別人需要時她能分享自己的交通卡。文章提到的Oyster card是在倫敦使用的電子交通卡，是公共交通的支付卡。

3.[C] 意為：違反了公共的行為準則。

第五段提到那些Selfish Walker，這些人中最主要的是“粘”在手機上的人，他們邊走路邊盯著手機屏幕，根本不看周圍的人。他們不顧環境，好像手機上的事情是唯一重要的事情。在作者看來，他們主要的問題是把公共場所當成了自己的私人空間，因此不遵守公共場所下應該遵守的行為規范。這給其他行人帶來了麻煩和威脅。

[A]意為：不注意蜂擁而至的觀光客。

[B]意為：拒絕幫助觀光客找路。

[D]意為：使自己的生命面臨嚴重威脅。

4.[B] 意為：一種自我陶醉流行病。

作者在第七段談到人們越來越selfish的原因。其中提到，網絡的發展（constant connectedness）促使人們更熱衷在社交網站上顯擺自己，像管理博物館一樣管理那些反映自己經歷的照片（curate的名詞curator指博物館館長），把自己當成了造明星的人（star vehicle）。由于人們過于關注自己——過于自我陶醉，他們忘記了去關注別人——比如忘記了別人正在趕乘公交車，阻礙了別人的道路。在作者看來，這種行為是自私的行為。

[A]意為：人們急于想成為電影明星。本文第七段中，star vehicle并非指“工具”或“車輛”，而是指使某個電影演員突然走紅的影視作品。

[C]意為：肆無忌憚地擴展個人生活。

[D]意為：對私人權利更加敏感。

5.[B] 意為：呼吁盡快解決問題。

最后一段第一句是本段的主題句，從這句話來看，作者在最后一段主要談的是如何解決目前的問題。另外，從本文的大標題來看，作者也提出要盡快解決問題。本文的基本結構是：提出問題——描述問題——提出解決方法。

[A]意為：號召人們不要看手機。

[C]意為：為倫敦的街道提出一個新方案。最后一段中提到的新方案并不是作者首先提出的。

[D]意為：敦促人們常用地鐵。

練習

◎ Ⅰ.Cloze

Public relations practitioners wanting to behave in an ethical manner frequently believe they are caught between the proverbial“rock and a hard place.”The 1 are many.How, for example, can the practitioner ethically 2 both management and the public interest? How should the practitioner respond when a journalist 3 him/her of not releasing complete information at the same time management believes that the very request goes well 4 that which the public/journalist has a 5 to know? How should the practitioner respond to employees during those times 6 management/employee interests appear to be 7 conflict？

Serving and responding to publics with conflicting interests, 8 , seems inherent to much of 9 it is that contemporary public relations people do.Ethicist Michael Bayles 10 that“conflicts between obligations to clients and to others are central to professional ethics.”He asserts that 11 a number of reasons discussions of problems 12 out of these conflicts often appear to 13 society's interests to those of individual clients.Many discussions are written by professionals who have been trained to put client interests first and 14 arguments tend to reflect that 15 .

Interestingly, the practitioner might find some assistance from an“old friend”of those 16 to make ethical choices—the Greek philosopher Aristotle.Aristotle would 17 against extreme positions which appear to suggest that the practitioner's role in 18 to serving client/management interests must be placedin an either/or 19 .For Aristotle, the ethical practitioner must serve 20 by striving to arrive at the mean between the extremes of excess and defect of action.

1.[A]dilemmas

[B]complexities

[C]ambiguities

[D]alternatives

2.[A]negotiate

[B]represent

[C]anticipate

[D]simulate

3.[A]charge

[B]criticize

[C]accuse

[D]reproach

4.[A]below

[B]before

[C]beneath

[D]beyond

5.[A]power

[B]liberty

[C]privilege

[D]right

6.[A]whether

[B]if

[C]when

[D]which

7.[A]of

[B]in

[C]on

[D]at

8.[A]in fact

[B]however

[C]for instance

[D]moreover

9.[A]what

[B]where

[C]when

[D]why

10.[A]initiates

[B]contends

[C]testifies

[D]manifests

11.[A]for

[B]by

[C]because

[D]with

12.[A]amounting

[B]arising

[C]originating

[D]elevating

13.[A]deteriorate

[B]attribute

[C]sacrifice

[D]undermine

14.[A]these

[B]those

[C]which

[D]whose

15.[A]overview

[B]inspiration

[C]perspective

[D]speculation

16.[A]managing

[B]fighting

[C]striking

[D]struggling

17.[A]protest

[B]caution

[C]object

[D]oppose

18.[A]regard

[B]order

[C]position

[D]view

19.[A]contrast

[B]content

[C]contest

[D]context

20.[A]all

[B]either

[C]both

[D]any

◎ Ⅱ.Reading Passages

Part A 閱讀理解

★Passage One

Many critics of the current welfare system argue that existing welfare regulations lead to family instability.They believe that those regulations, which exclude most poor husband-and-wife families from Aid to Families with Dependent Children（AFDC）assistance grants, contribute to the problem of family dissolution.1）Thus, they conclude that expanding the set of families that can eligibly get such grants would result in a marked strengthening of the low-income familystructure.

If all poor families could receive welfare, would the incidence of instability change markedly? The answer to this question depends on the relative importance of three types of potential welfare recipients.The first is the“cheater”—the husband who is reported to have abandoned his family, but in fact disappears only when the social worker is in the neighborhood.2）The second consists of a lovinghusband and devoted father who, sensing his own inadequacy as a family supporter, leaves so that his wife and children may enjoythe rel-ative benefit provided by public assistance.There is very little evidence that these two types are significant.

The third type is the unhappily married couple, who remain together out of a sense of economic responsibility for their children, because of the high costs of separation, or because of the consumption benefits of marriage.This group is large.3）The formation, maintenance, and dissolution of the family is in large part a function of the relative balance between the benefits and costs of marriage as seen bythe individual members of the marriage.Since the family performs certain functions society regards as vital, a complex network of social and legal process has evolved to reinforce marriage.Much of the variation in marital stability across income classes can be explained by the variation in costs of dissolution imposed by society, such as division of property, and child support.

4）Marital stability is related to the costs of achieving an acceptable agreement on family consumption and production and to the prevailing social price of instability in the marriage partners' social-economic group.Expected income exerts pressures on family instability by reducing the cost of dissolution.To the ex-tent that welfare is a form of government-subsidized AFDC payments, it reduces the costs of separation and guarantees a minimal standard of living for wife and children.So welfare opportunities are a significant determinant of family instability in poor neighborhoods, but this is not the result of AFDC regulations that exclude most intact families from coverage.Rather, welfare-related instability occurs because public assistance lowers both the benefits of marriage and the costs of its breach by providing a system of government-subsidized payments.

1.Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage？

[A]Welfare restrictions do not contribute to low-income family instability.

[B]The most significant kind of welfare recipients is not the“cheating”father.

[C]The divorce rate is bound to fall when welfare benefits are cut.

[D]Government welfare payments lead directly to growing divorce rate.

2.The tone of the passage can best be described as ________.

[A]confident and optimistic

[B]scientific and detached

[C]discouraged and alarmed

[D]polite and sensitive

3.All of the following are mentioned by the author as factors tending to sustain a marriage EXCEPT ________.

[A]the social class of the married couple

[B]the cost involved in divorce

[C]the loss of property upon divorce

[D]the greater consumption possibilities of married people

4.With which of the following statements about marriage would the author most likely agree？

[A]Marriage is largely shaped by powerful but impersonal economic and social forces.

[B]Marriage has a greater value to higher income groups.

[C]Society has no interest in encouraging people to remain married to one another.

[D]Marriage will gradually give way to other forms of social organization.

5.The passage would most likely be found in a ________.

[A]basic economics text

[B]book on the history of welfare

[C]religious literature on the importance of marriage

[D]scholarly journal devoted to public policy questions

【疑難長句翻譯與注解】

1.They believe that..., which..., contribute to...dissolution.（第一段）

【譯文】這些規定將最貧困的夫妻家庭排斥在“救助有受撫養子女的家庭（簡稱AFDC）”的救濟金補助范圍之外，他們認為，這造成了家庭的破裂。

2.If all poor families..., would...markedly?（第二段）

【譯文】如果貧窮家庭都能享受福利救濟，家庭破裂的數量就會發生明顯變化嗎？

【注解】incidence意為“發生（率）”; instability這里顯然指家庭的不穩定，即上一段提到的family dissolution。

3.The third type..., who..., because of..., or...marriage.（第三段）

【譯文】第三類是婚姻不幸福的家庭，夫妻不離異只是由于對孩子經濟上的責任感，因為離異的代價很高，或者為了取得結婚家庭的消費補助。

【注解】out of意為“出于，由于”，表示原因。

4.Much of the variation...by society, such as..., and child support.（第三段）

【譯文】在不同收入的階層中，婚姻的穩定與否，在很大程度上取決于在某個社會中離異所導致的代價的高低，如財產的分配、子女的撫養問題。

【注解】across income classes實際上是指“不同的收入階層”。

5.To the extent..., it...children.（第四段）

【譯文】由于補助金是政府補助的一種“救助有受撫養子女的家庭”的津貼，它起到了降低離異代價、保障妻子和子女最低生活水平的作用。

6.So welfare opportunities..., but...coverage.（第四段）

【譯文】因此，獲得福利補貼的機會，在貧窮階層的人中是導致家庭破裂的一個重要決定因素，但是，這不是“救助有受撫養子女的家庭”政策所導致的，何況多數完好家庭也不屬于補助范圍。

【注解】in poor neighborhoods可直譯為“在貧窮的社區”; intact families指沒有離異的家庭，即“完好家庭”; coverage指補助范圍。

7.Rather, welfare-related...payments.（第四段）

【譯文】相反，由福利制度導致的家庭破裂之所以發生，是因為公共救助計劃提供了一種政府補助體制，它不僅減少了婚姻的利益，而且降低了破裂的代價。

★Passage Two

Moral naturalists believe that, to learn about morality, you don't rely upon revelation or metaphysics;you observe people as they live.For them the story of our morality begins back in the evolutionary past. It begins with the way insects, rats and monkeys learned to cooperate.By the time humans came around, evolution had forged a pretty firm foundation for a moral sense.Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia argues that this moral sense is like our sense of taste.We have natural receptors that help us pick up sweetness and saltiness.In the same way, we have natural receptors that help us recognize fairness and cruelty.

This doesn't make people naturally good.But it does mean that social norms fall upon prepared ground. We come equipped to learn fairness and other virtues.These moral faculties structure the way we perceive and respond to the world.5）If you ask for donations with the photo and name of one sick child, you are like-ly to get twice as much money than if you had asked for donations with a photo and the names of eight chil-dren.Our minds respond more powerfully to the plight of an individual than the plight of a group.

These moral faculties rely upon emotional, intuitive processes, for good and ill.If you are in a bad mood you will make harsher moral judgments than if you're in a good mood or have just seen a comedy.As Elizabeth Phelps of New York University points out, feelings of disgust will evoke a desire to expel things, even those things unrelated to your original mood.General fear makes people risk-averse.Anger makes them risk-seeking.

People who behave morally don't generally do it because they have greater knowledge; they do it because they have a greater sensitivity to other people's points of view.6）Hauser reported on research showingthat bullies are surprisingly sophisticated at reading other people's intentions, but they're not good at anticipating and feeling other people's pain.

The moral naturalists differ over what role reason plays in moral judgments.Some, like Haidt, believe that we make moral judgments intuitively and then construct justifications after the fact.Others, like Joshua Greene of Harvard, liken moral thinking to a camera.Most of the time we rely on the automatic point-andshoot process, but occasionally we use deliberation to override the quick and easy method.

For people wary of abstract theorizing, it's nice to see people investigating morality in ways that are concrete and empirical.But their approach does have certain implicit tendencies.They emphasize group cohesion over individual dissent.They emphasize the cooperative virtues, like empathy, over the competitive virtues, like the thirst for recognition and superiority.At this conference, they barely mentioned the yearning for transcendence and the sacred, which plays such a major role in every human society.

1.The moral naturalists believe that morality has its origin in ________.

[A]our ability to think philosophically

[B]the difference between cultures

[C]both fairness and cruelty

[D]our natural inclinations

2.When the author says“social norms fall upon prepared ground”, he means ________.

[A]social norms form the basis of our moral sense

[B]social norms could be easily destroyed by intuition

[C]people are largely unconscious of social norms

[D]our natural response to the world underlies social norms

3.It is implied that bullies are people who ________.

[A]have a poor sense of morality

[B]are often blinded by their emotions

[C]have greater knowledge

[D]are always in bad mood

4.Moral naturalists like Joshua Greene believe ________.

[A]reason does not play any role in moral judgments

[B]we often rush to moral conclusions about the world

[C]reason can have a role in moral judgments

[D]reason is a requisite to moral judgment making

5.The author's attitude to abstract theory forming is ________.

[A]disgusted

[B]favorable

[C]ironical

[D]impersonal

【疑難長句翻譯與注解】

1.By the time humans came...a moral sense.（第一段）

【譯文】到了人出現的時候，生物的進化過程已經為道德意識確立了非常牢固的基礎。

【注解】這種觀點顯然是認為，在人出現之前，道德意識已經存在于高級動物身上。

2.Most of the time we rely...easy method.（第五段）

【譯文】我們大部分時間依靠取景并拍攝的自動程序，但是我們偶爾也用審慎思考來代替快速而不費力的方法。

【注解】本句中，point-and-shoot process原本是照相術語，意思是用鏡頭對準某個拍攝對象后就拍照，這里比喻不用理性判斷，這種方式也就是本句所說的the quick and easy method，而deliberation則表示用理性審慎地做出判斷。

3.They emphasize the cooperative...and superiority.（第六段）

【譯文】他們強調合作的美德，比如同情，而不是競爭的美德，比如渴望獲得承認和擁有一種優越感。

【注解】emphasize...over意為“較之……更強調”。

4.At this conference, they barely...every human society.（第六段）

【譯文】在這次會議上，他們幾乎沒有表達對超越和神圣的向往，而這種向往在每個人類社會都起著非常重要的作用。

【注解】根據本段的意思，這里所謂“對超越和神圣的向往”，指與會者沒有把他們總結出的具體的、經驗式的道德律條上升到抽象的理論層面加以概述。

Part B 選擇搭配

Directions：

In the following article, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 1-5, choose the most suitable one from the list A-G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET.

Every time a car heads out onto the road, drivers are forced to make moral and ethical decisions that impact not only their safety, but also the safety of others. Does the driver go faster than the speed limit to stay with the flow of traffic? Will the driver take her eyes off the road for a split second to adjust the radio?Might the driver choose to speed up as he approaches a yellow light at an intersection, in order to avoid stopping short when the light turns red？

1）________ .

The driverless cars of the future are likely to be able to outperform most humans during routine driving tasks, since they will have greater perceptive abilities, better reaction times, and will not suffer from distractions（from eating or texting, drowsiness, or physical emergencies such as a driver having a heart attack or a stroke）.

“So 90% of crashes are caused, at least in part, by human error, ”says Bryant Walker Smith, assistant professor in the School of Law and chair of the Emerging Technology Law Committee of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. 2）________ .“The hope—though at this point it is a hope—is that automation can significantly reduce these kinds of crashes without introducing significant new sources of errors. ”

3）________. Lin says the vision technology used in driverless cars still has a long way to go before it will be morally acceptable for use.

“We take our sight and ability to distinguish between objects for granted, but it's still very difficult for a computer to recognize an object as that object, ”Lin says, noting that today's systems used on autonomous cars simply“see”numerical values related to the brightness of each pixel of the image being scanned, and then infer what the object might be. 4）________ .

“Many of the challenging scenarios that an autonomous car may confront could depend on these distinctions, but many others are problematic exactly because there's uncertainty about what an object is or how many people are involved in a possible crash scenario, ”Lin says. 5）________ . Assuming eventually these technical challenges will be overcome, it will be possible to encode and execute instructions to direct the car how to respond to a sudden or unexpected event. However, the most difficult part is deciding what that response should be, given that in the event of an impending or unavoidable accident, drivers are usually faced with a choice of at least two less-than-ideal outcomes.

[A]“As dangerous as driving is, the trillions of vehicle miles that we travel every year means that crashes are nonetheless a rare event for most drivers, ”Smith notes, listing speeding, driving drunk, driving aggressively, being drowsy, and being distracted as key contributors to accidents.

[B]He adds that with specific training, it eventually will be technically feasible to create a system that can recognize baby strollers, shopping carts, plastic bags, and actual boulders, though today's vision systems are only able to make very basic distinctions, such as distinguishing pedestrians from bicyclists.

[C]“When a robot car needs its human driver to quickly retake the wheel, we're going to see new problems in the time it takes that driver to regain enough situational awareness to operate the car safely. ”

[D]All of these decisions have both a practical and moral component to them, which is why the issue of allowing driverless cars—which use a combination of sensors and pre-programmed logic to assess and react to various situations—to share the road with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, has created considerable consternation among technologists and ethicists.

[E]“As sensors and computing technology improves, we can't point to a lack of capability as a way to avoid the responsibility of making an informed ethical decision. ”

[F]The answer is not yet clear, though the moral decisions are unlikely to reside with users, given their natural propensity to protect themselves against even minor injuries, often at the expense of others, Lin says.

[G]However, should an unavoidable crash situation arise, a driverless car's method of seeing and identifying potential objects or hazards is different and less precise than the human eye-brain connection, which likely will introduce moral dilemmas with respect to how an autonomous vehicle should react, according to Patrick Lin, director of the Ethics+ Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University.

【疑難長句翻譯與注解】

1.All of these decisions have...ethicists.（第二段）

【譯文】所有這些決定都有實際的和道德的成分在里面，這解釋了為什么讓無人駕駛汽車（無人駕駛汽車使用傳感器和預編程邏輯來判斷各種路況并做出反應）與其他車輛、行人和騎車人共享道路這一問題成為令技術人員和理論學家都極其頭疼的問題。

【注解】which引導的非限定性定語從句修飾主句表達的意思——每一項決定都涉及實際的和道德的考量，在這個定語從句中，主干結構是the issue...has created considerable consternation，其中consternation原意為“驚愕，驚恐”，這里根據上下文做了意譯。兩個破折號之間的which引導的定語從句只修飾driverless cars，其中pre-programmed logic指控制無人駕駛汽車的軟件程序。

2.“We take our sight and ability...might be.（第六段）

【譯文】林說：“我們認為我們的視力及區分物體的能力是理所當然的，但對于計算機來說，它仍很難辨別出一個物體就是那個物體。”他指出，今天的無人駕駛汽車上使用的系統只是簡單地“看到”與被掃描圖像中每個像素的亮度相關的數值，然后據其推斷出可能的物體是什么。

【注解】在直接引語部分，take...for granted意為“認為……是理所當然的”, recognize an object as that object實際上是說辨認出實物。在間接引語部分，autonomous cars即driverless cars，指無人駕駛汽車；related to the brightness of each pixel of the image being scanned作定語，修飾numerical values，其中being scanned也是定語，修飾image。

3.“Many of the challenging scenarios...Lin says.（第七段）

【譯文】Lin說：“無人駕駛汽車可能面臨的許多富有挑戰性的狀況取決于這些識別能力，但是許多其他挑戰也成問題，恰恰是因為它們無法確定物體是什么，或者在可能撞車的情況下有多少人卷入事故。”

【注解】本句是由but連接的并列句。在第一個分句中，challenging scenarios指無人駕駛汽車面臨或陷入的狀況（比如交通擁堵或事故）, these distinctions指上一段提到的區分物體的能力——人具備這種能力，而目前的無人駕駛汽車不具備這種能力，但是讓后者擁有這種能力非常重要。在后半句中，many others指many other challenging scenarios，說這些情況problematic，是說它們對無人駕駛汽車構成問題，而這些問題也是由于無人駕駛汽車不能區分物體的類別造成的。

4.Assuming eventually these technical...unexpected event.（第七段）

【譯文】假設這些技術上的挑戰最終將被克服，就有可能編碼并執行指令以指導汽車如何應對突發或意外的事件。

【注解】assuming引導一個條件狀語從句，意為“如果，假設”; how to...event是動詞direct的補語。

5.However, the most difficult part...outcomes.（第七段）

【譯文】然而，鑒于在即將發生或不可避免的事故中，司機通常面臨至少兩個不太理想的結果，因此最困難的部分是決定該如何應對。

【注解】given后接名詞或從句時意為“鑒于，考慮到……的情況”，詞組in the event of意為“萬一，如果……的話”, two less-than-ideal outcomes指兩個結果都不好。

◎ Ⅲ.Translation

Translate the underlined sentences in the Reading Passages of Part A into Chinese.

◎ Ⅳ.Writing

Part A 應用文

Directions：

Suppose you find some students waste food in the canteens, dorms and other places in your university. Write a warning notice about this issue for all students. The notice should include the following points：

1）the phenomenon，

2）comments on this phenomenon, and

3）your suggestions.

You should write about 100 words on the ANSWER SHEET.

Part B 英語寫作

Directions：

Write an essay of 160-200 words based on the following pictures. In your essay, you should

1）describe the pictures briefly，

2）interpret the meaning, and

3）give your comments.

審題指導

左圖中，一個帶有“守信”標志的人在路口暢通無阻，而右圖中，一個夫信者所處的路口四面八方全部是限行標志，這兩幅圖凸顯了守信的重要性。守信意味著信守諾言、約定或合同等。守信不僅是公民的一種基本道德品質，也是企業和整個杜會正常運行的基礎。文章可以從這幾個層面分別論證守信的意義。

從個人角度來說，守信是人們之間彼此信任的基礎，也是人們的合作基礎。夫信者付出一些代價，要承擔相應后果。論證時可以舉例說明夫信的后果，比如“老賴”會被限制乘坐飛機和高鐵等。如果一個企業夫信，最終會夫去消費者的信任，人們會拒絕購買該企業的產品和服務。實際上，杜會方方面面都需要人們守信。文章最后可以建議人們在生活各個方面培養守信的品質。

Useful Expressions

練習答案與題解

◎ Ⅰ.Cloze

1.[A] dilemmas

從段首句“caught between”和“rock and a hard place”，以及下文所舉的例子，特別是全文的主題可以推斷出，做公共關系工作的人處于兩難的境地，故應選dilemmas（進退兩難的窘境，困境）。其余選項均不符合文意：complexities, “復雜，并發癥”; ambiguities, “模棱兩可”; alternatives, “選擇對象，替換物”。

2.[B] represent

公關工作者的任務是溝通企業與外部，從理論上講應代表企業和社會兩方面的利益，故應選represent。negotiate意為“談判”。其余選項不符合文意：anticipate, “預期，預感”; simulate“模仿，模擬”。

3.[C] accuse

本題考詞匯的用法。雖然四個選項都有指責的意思，但只有accuse可以用于“...somebody of（doing）something”這個結構。其余選項用法如下：to criticize somebody for something, charge somebody with something, reproach somebody for/with something。

4.[D] beyond

go beyond是常用表達法，意為“超過，超越”, go well beyond即“大大地超過了”，符合文意：“……管理層認為這一要求本身大大超過了公眾或記者有權知道的范疇。”其余選項均不適用。

5.[D] right

liberty意為“自由”，是不可數名詞；privilege意為“特權”，在此不符合文意。power有“力量，能力，權力”等含義，在此也不適用，故只有right（權利）是正確答案。

6.[C] when

本題四個選項只有when可以引導從句作“those times”的定語；其余連詞在此只能引導狀語從句，如選用，則those times無所指。

7.[B] in

in conflict是固定搭配，意為“有矛盾，意見沖突”；其余選項均不適用。

8.[A] in fact

本題考對上下文邏輯關系的理解。段首句中的過渡詞常起著連接兩段的作用，本句講公關人士要與利益沖突的公眾打交道似乎是公關工作本身固有的特點，與上段內容并不矛盾，故排除however（然而）；也不是舉例說明上文觀點，故排除for instance（例如）；亦非從另一個角度說明主題，故排除moreover（此外，再者）。in fact常表示強調，進一步說明上文觀點。

9.[A] what

本題四個選項中只有what可以同時作主句中介詞of與從句中動詞do的賓語。

10.[B] contends

contends在此意為“堅決主張”，是正確選擇。其余選項均不符合文意：initiates, “開始，發動”; testifies,“證實，說明”; manifests, “表明，證明，顯示”。

11.[A] for

for常與reason搭配使用，如：for some reason, for this reason, for an unknown reason等。其余選項均不適用。

12.[B] arising

“problems arising out of these conflicts”即“由于這些沖突而引起的問題”，符合文意，故選arising。其余選項均不適用：amounting, “合計，總共達”; originating, “起源于”; elevating, “升高”。

13.[C] sacrifice

sacrifice something to意為“為……犧牲某事”，符合文意和語法要求。attribute...to意為“把……歸于”，不符合文意。其余選項語法和意思均不正確：deteriorate, “（使）惡化”; undermine, “暗中破壞，削弱……的基礎”。

14.[D] whose

本句中professionals由and連接的兩個定語從句修飾，whose arguments在此即the arguments of the professionals，是正確答案。those/these arguments均無所指，which arguments在此亦不知所云。

15.[C] perspective

perspective意為“觀點，看法”，根據指示詞that推斷出，這里當指上文提到的已經學會把客戶的利益放在首位的專業人士的看法，而他們的論點（argument）則通常反映出客戶至上（put client interest first）的觀點。其余選項上文均未提及：overview, “概述，概論”; inspiration, “靈感，激勵”; speculation, “推測，投機”。

16.[D] struggling

struggle to make ethical choices即“努力做出合乎道德的選擇”，合乎文意。fighting有“作戰，打架”等意思，通常有對手；striking有“打擊，打動”等含義；managing通常指“（經過努力）做到了某事”，三個選項都不符合題意。

17.[B] caution

本段講古希臘哲學家亞里士多德的觀點可能對從事公關工作的人士有所幫助。to caution against是常用搭配，意為“對……予以警告”，從上下文看，“亞里士多德會告誡人們警惕極端做法（caution against extreme positions）”符合文意。object（反對）后面介詞要用to; oppose（反對）是及物動詞，通常用法是to oppose something或to oppose somebody against; protest意為“抗議”，不符合文意。

18.[A] regard

in regard to是固定詞組，意為“關于”，是正確選擇。in order to意為“為了”，引導目的狀語，后面要接動詞不定式；position（地位，姿勢，立場）和view（觀點，景色）都不能用于in...to doing的結構。

19.[D] context

context意為“上下文”, be placed in an either/or context即“置于非此即彼的背景中”，是正確選擇。其余選項均不符合文意：contrast, “對照，對比；差異”; contest, “比賽，競賽”; content, “內容”。

20.[C] both

作者的觀點很明確：只有兼顧公眾和客戶雙方的利益才符合亞里士多德的教導，故選both。

◎ Ⅱ.Reading Passages

Part A 閱讀理解

Passage One

1.[A]

文章第一段先引出對現行福利政策持批評態度的人的觀點，他們認為現行政策引起了家庭的分裂。第二、三段對這一問題進行了具體分析。第四段是全文的結論，全文旨在說明的觀點最清楚地闡述在本段最后兩句。

2.[B] 意為：科學與客觀的。

作者對福利政策與家庭的穩定性的關系做了具體的分析，認為福利政策不是造成低收入家庭關系破裂的直接原因。分析有理有據，有說服力。

3.[A]

第三段提到第三類人，這些人雖然婚姻生活不幸福，但因為考慮到對孩子的經濟責任而不離婚，因為離婚代價太高（選擇項[B]表達的內容），而生活在一起消費上可以有很多好處（選擇項[D]表達的內容）。本段最后一句提到了（離婚時）分財產的問題。

4.[A]

參閱第三段第三、四、五句，尤其是第四段第一句。第四段第一句提到決定婚姻穩定與否的兩個方面：經濟和社會因素。

[D]中give way to意為：讓位于。

5.[D] 意為：用于探討政府政策問題的學術雜志。

本文探討了政府的福利政策對婚姻穩定性的影響，分析有理有據，文章的措辭富有學術味道。

Passage Two

1.[D] 意為：我們的自然傾向。

第一段提到，道德自然主義論者認為，我們的道德情感產生于長期的歷史進化過程中。在他們看來，人的道德意識是人長期進化的結果，人類的道德意識就像味覺一樣，人也是通過一些自然感受器來感受公平與殘忍這樣的道德概念。可見，在這些人看來，人的道德意識源自人們對自然的感受，也就是說，人天生有判斷好壞的自然天性，而人的道德意識起源于這些天性。

[A]意為：我們能進行哲學思考的能力。

[B]意為：文化的差別。

[C]意為：公平與殘忍。

2.[D] 意為：我們對世界做出的自然反應構成了社會規范的基礎。

第二段提到social norms fall upon prepared ground，根據下文，這句話的意思是：我們天生就能學會判斷什么是公平和其他美德，這些天生的能力決定我們看待世界的方式，也決定我們對世界作出反應的方式。作者這里的邏輯是：天生的道德判斷能力決定我們看待世界的方式和與世界互動的方式，形成我們的生活習慣或社會規范，告訴我們做哪些事情是好的或對的，做哪些事情是不對的。

[A]意為：社會規范形成我們道德意識的基礎。

[B]意為：社會規范可能很容易地被直覺毀掉。

[C]意為：人們在很大程度上對社會規范缺乏意識。

3.[A] 意為：道德意識差。

第四段提到，愛欺負別人的人（bully）特別善于理解別人的意圖，但是他們不善于預測和感受別人的痛苦。本段上文提到，那些行為符合道德規范的人，并不是因為更明白這些道德規范才去遵守它們；他們之所以遵守道德規范，是因為他們對別人的觀點更敏感。愛欺負人的人就不是這種人：雖然他們很善于理解別人的意圖，但是卻不善于預測或感受別人的痛苦（即不能站在別人的立場上去看待問題）。

[B]意為：經常被自己的感情弄得盲目。

[C]意為：知識更多。

[D]意為：總是心情不好。

4.[C] 意為：理性在道德判斷中起一定作用。

第五段提到理性（reason）在道德判斷中的作用。從他們各自的觀點來看，以Haidt為代表的人認為理性在道德判斷中不起作用，直覺的作用更大；而以Greene為代表的人既承認直覺或自然感受的作用，也承認理性思考的作用，認為我們有時需要deliberation（慎重考慮），來代替快速而簡易的方法（指靠直覺來做出道德判斷）。

[A]意為：理性在道德判斷中不起作用。

[B]意為：我們經常匆忙得出有關世界的一些道德結論。

[D]意為：理性是做道德判斷的必要條件。雖然Greene等承認理性的作用，但也承認它是偶然（occa-sionally）會有作用。

5.[B] 意為：贊同的。

自然主義者肯定重視具體和經驗性的東西，而不喜歡抽象的理論概括。從最后一段來看，在作者看來，這種做法是非常值得贊賞的，但是他們同時又沒有上升到更高的抽象層次來總結自己的觀點。可見，作者對形成抽象理論是贊同的。

[A]意為：厭惡的。

[C]意為：諷刺的。

[D]意為：客觀的。

Part B 選擇搭配

1.[D]

此題為第二段一整段，要看前后段，須承上啟下。文章開頭講到駕駛員開車在路上要做各種涉及自己及他人人身安全的道德和倫理判斷。隨后作者提出幾個問題加以示例，說明駕駛員在這些情況下都要做出相應的決定。再看下段，開頭一句中開始講driverless cars，由此可判斷所空缺一段中應從人類駕駛員過渡到driverless cars。瀏覽選項可見，[D]開頭的All of these decisions承接上一段提到的幾種情況下駕駛員面臨的道德決定，指出這些決定都涉及實際與道德兩個層面。本段接著引出無人駕駛汽車，并指出其設計者和技術人員也應該考慮這些問題——包括無人駕駛汽車如何同其他類型的汽車、行人和騎車人有序地共享道路。引出driverless cars這一主題后，文章過渡至下段內容。

2.[A]

此題在段落中間，應考慮段落的一致性及與上下文銜接的連貫。上句引用Bryant Walker Smith的話，指出90%的交通事故至少在一定程度上是由人為錯誤造成的。空格后面的一句話仍是他的引語，指出自動駕駛將有可能大幅度降低這類事故并且不會引發新的錯誤源。由此可見，這段主要是講引發交通事故的原因，并且引用Smith的話。瀏覽選項可見，[A]中也引用了Smith，他指出，雖然駕駛看起來很危險（As...as這里引導一個讓步從句），但是考慮到我們每年旅行億萬英里，大部分駕駛員其實很少出事故。他還列舉了導致事故的主要原因，比如超速、酒后駕駛、開車太猛、困倦、分心等。[A]在段落一致性和銜接連貫性上都符合要求。

3.[G]

此題在段首，既應與下文內容一致，也應與上一段相銜接。下文第一句講到一位叫Lin的人士所說的話，即無人駕駛汽車使用的視覺技術在道德上被接受之前還有很長的路要走。由此可推斷出，所空缺的部分應該涉及無人駕駛汽車在技術上仍存在的缺陷或不足，并且會引出Lin這個人。這些在[G]中恰好有所體現，而且[G]開頭的However也與上段形成轉折銜接，引出本段的內容，即根據Patrick Lin的觀點，萬一（should置于句首引導條件狀語從句，表示萬一的情況）發生不可避免的撞車事故，無人駕駛汽車觀察和識別潛在物體或危險的方法與人類的眼腦連接是不同的，也不那么精確，因此自動駕駛汽車應該如何反應可能會引發道德困境。

4.[B]

此題在段尾，應該保持與上文內容的一致性和連貫性，并且與下一段相銜接。上文是在引用Lin的觀點，指出如今自動駕駛汽車上使用的系統只是簡單地“看到”與被掃描圖像中每個像素的亮度有關的數值，然后推斷出目標可能是什么。下一段開頭仍是在引用Lin的話，而且關鍵的線索詞“these distinctions”提示正確選項中所講的內容。[B]中的He adds即說明這仍是在引用Lin的觀點，而最后的distinguishing pedestrians from bicyclists即是下文“these distinctions”的所指。

5.[E]

此題在段落中間，應考慮段落的一致性及與上下文的銜接連貫程度。上文是在引用Lin的觀點，指出自動駕駛汽車面臨的各種問題和挑戰是因為它們不能確定在某種情境中的對象是什么或涉及多少人，而從下文第一句中的指代詞語“these technical challenges”可判斷出，空缺的部分所講的內容與“技術難題”相關。瀏覽剩下的三個選項可見，只有[E]中提到“傳感器和計算技術”，還有“缺乏能力”這樣的同義詞，并且是引語的形式，即Lin的觀點，因此可判斷出其從內容上與上下文是連貫一致的。

◎ Ⅲ.Translation

1.這是一個簡單主從復合句。句架是．..they conclude that expanding...would result in...strengthening of...。主句是they conclude，第一個that引導名詞從句，作conclude的賓語；第二個that引導定語從句，修飾the set of families；句中marked是形容詞，修飾strengthening，作“顯著的”講。請注意在英譯漢時，英漢詞類的轉換是常用的技巧，如句中conclude是動詞，譯成漢語時譯成名詞，result in是動詞，但翻譯時卻譯成名詞。本句可譯成：因此他們得出結論，如果擴大有資格獲得這種補助金的家庭的范圍，其結果將是低收入家庭結構得到明顯鞏固。

2.這是一個簡單主從復合句。句架是The second consists of a...husband and...father who...leaves so that his wife and children may enjoy...provided by...。句中who引導定語從句，修飾husband and father，在定語從句中，so that引導結果狀語從句。本句可譯成：第二類由一個有愛心的丈夫和具有獻身精神的父親組成，這位丈夫和父親意識到他一個人作為家庭的撫養者是不夠的，于是他離開了，這樣一來他的妻子和孩子才可能享受到公共援助帶來的相對好處。

3.這是一個簡單句。句架是The formation...and...is...a function of the relative because...as seen by...。句中as seen by是整句的狀語，as seen by也可理解為as（it is）seen by...。it指句中三位一體的主語，因而謂語動詞用is。請注意句中function一詞的翻譯需按上下文靈活處理，function一般作“功能”講。本句可譯成：家庭的組成、維持和解散在婚姻的各個成員看來，在很大程度上是在婚姻帶來的好處和付出的代價之間保持相對平衡。

4.這是一個簡單句。句架是Martial stability is related to the costs of...and to the prevailing social price of...。句中be related to作“和……有關”講。本句應譯成：婚姻穩定關系到在家庭消費和生產問題上達成可以接受的協議所要付出的代價，也關系到婚姻伙伴的社會經濟群體的不穩定所普遍付出的社會代價。

5.這是一個主從復合句，其中包括條件從句，也包括比較級從句，是兩種條件下所產生的狀況之間的比較，因為被比較的狀況是一種假設，故謂語使用虛擬式（if you had asked）。另外，在a photo and the names of eight children中，of eight children既修飾a photo，也修飾the names。本句可譯成：如果你帶著一個病孩子的照片和名字尋求捐贈，你所得到的錢將比你帶一張八個孩子的照片及其名字多一倍。

6.這是一個主從復合句，其中that...pain是賓語從句；showing...pain作定語，修飾research。形容詞sophisticated意為“老于世故的”，指在某個方面很在行。本句可譯成：豪澤報告了一項研究，該研究表明，愛欺負人的人令人吃驚地很擅長于辨識別人的意圖，但是他們不善于預測和感觸別人的痛苦。

◎ Ⅳ.Writing

Sample for reference:

Part A 應用文

Notice

Recently, we have noticed a serious problem on our campus:the waste of food. In the canteens, for instance, some students may leave food on the table when they go way. Leftovers can also be found in the dustbins down the teaching or dormitory buildings.

Waste of food is not just a waste of money and resources. It also indicates the loss of our traditional virtue“thriftiness”. Therefore we earnestly appeal to all students on campus to act now and treasure our food. We are advised to buy food just enough for one meal. If there is still something left, we can save it for the next meal by heating it in the microwave oven.

We believe, with our joint efforts, the waste of food will disappear from our campus.

Part B 英語寫作

In the left picture, a man labeled“credibility kept”is walking through a crossroad that leads to roads in all directions, while in the right one, a man labeled“credibility lost”stands in the crossroad with stop signs that block his access to all roads. The two pictures obviously have revealed the significance of credibility in modern society.

In the first place, keeping credibility is the fundamental moral code of modern society, which is the basis on which people communicate and interact with each other. Loss of credibility will definitely lead to undesirable outcomes. Just as the roads are blocked in the picture, some people who refuse to pay their debt may be forbidden to travel by air or high-speed train. In the second place, credibility is a quality much desired for an organization. A company with this quality as part of its corporate culture, for instance, will be more likely to win out in the fierce competition. Otherwise, consumers will not buy products or services from a company without credibility. Actually, it is much needed in almost every aspect of our social life, without which there may not be trust among people, let alone cooperation.

Based on the above analysis, we may conclude that credibility is essential for individuals, organizations and the society as a whole. It is strongly recommended that we cultivate and promote this quality in all respects of our life.