首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Five Types of Books I. Introduction A. Reading for information, hoping to — improve our minds with the information acquired — g
Five Types of Books I. Introduction A. Reading for information, hoping to — improve our minds with the information acquired — g
admin
2014-08-13
5
问题
Five Types of Books
I. Introduction
A. Reading for information, hoping to
— improve our minds with the information acquired
— give us the means to improve our lives
B. Reading prodigiously & reading【B1】______: two different things【B1】______
— to read books that increase intelligence
— to read books that helps improve our chances of a happy living
II. The first choice: books about【B2】______【B2】______
A. Including not only scientific text books, but also
the books that increase our understanding of the natural world
B. The value of these books:
— the development of【B3】______【B3】______
— the methods of learning
— how to investigate our intuition and validate it with evidence
— inspiring wonder and respect for【B4】______【B4】______
III. The second choice: philosophy
A. Teaching us to understand【B5】______【B5】______
B. Including:
— the classic philosophical works
— the great texts of【B6】______【B6】______
IV. The third choice: serious fiction
A. Great works of fiction: containing more truth
B. Fiction:【B7】______ experiences【B7】______
C. Serious fiction: containing a lot of philosophy, psychology & history
D. Great fiction: being also great language
V. The fourth choice: history books
A. helping us to interpret our own times
B. recognizing modern prejudices and the nature of humanity
C. Increasing our self understanding
D. Teaching us that ideas and morality are【B8】______【B8】______
VI. The last type: poetry
A. Producing a feeling of【B9】______ for the power of words【B9】______
B. Appreciation of poetry: essential for reading
— sharpening language skills
— developing eloquence
VII. Resources
A. No formal set of【B10】______【B10】______
B. The Internet
【B7】
Five Types of Books
Good morning. This lecture is going to introduce 5 types of books that can increase intelligence. As you know, we read for information, with the hope that information we acquire will improve our minds, giving us the means to improve our lives. In the modern Age of Information, more reading material is available than ever, making it increasingly difficult to allocate our reading time efficiently. All books are not created equal, and it follows that all readers are not equal either. To read prodigiously and to read profitably are two very different things. A great amount of time is wasted reading books that are forgotten a short time after they’re completed. But time spent reading books that cultivate intelligence and wisdom is a labor that yields continuous benefit over a lifetime. Although it is certainly necessary, for the purposes of business and everyday life, to read about the latest news and trends, that type of reading is outside the scope of this article. My aim is to encourage the reading of books that permanently increase intelligence and, as a result, improve our chances of leading prosperous and fulfilling lives.
The first choice is books about science. Science is not restricted to scientific text books. It includes all books that increase our understanding of the natural world. This includes books on commerce and society, with the unifying theme being the use of evidence to explain events. The great value of these books comes, not from the theories they prove which will likely be disproved in the future, but from the development of curiosity and the methods of learning. Scientific books teach us how to investigate our intuition and validate it with evidence. They also inspire wonder and respect for the physical world and for our own intellect.
Then, philosophy comes as our second choice. In ancient times, science and philosophy grew from the seed of analytical thought. If science teaches us to understand the outside world, philosophy teaches us to understand ourselves. It could very well be called the science of human life. In addition to the classic philosophical works, this category also includes the great religious texts. The Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, etc. are not universally valuable because of religious dogma, but because of the wisdom and beauty that has inspired billions to live loving, pious lives. It is an unfortunate modern bias that philosophy is considered irrelevant. Although we worship at the shrine of modern technology, this is still a very human world. Philosophy will increase your understanding of human needs and desires, knowledge that is essential for spreading ideas and predicting human behavior.
The third one is serious fiction. I’d like to permanently discredit the belief that fictional works are inferior because they’re only "made up stories". Only a person totally devoid of imagination could believe that. Great works of fiction contain more truth than any other literary genre because they allow the reader to experience a new reality. Fiction creates experiences that elevate your level of consciousness. Serious fiction also contains a great deal of philosophy, psychology, and history. Truman Capote said that a good novel is worth more than any scientific study. For the purpose of increasing individual human intelligence, I’m inclined to agree. Great fiction is also great language. And as I’ve written before, reading great language is the only way to become a better writer. It will also make you a better thinker, speaker, and conversationalist.
Moreover, history books are also included. History feels boring because as children it meant dull text books, memorizing dates, and tedious lectures. And who can blame us? The public schools have done their best to take the humanity out of history. But at its best, history is fascinating anecdotes, remarkable characters, and the evolution of ideas that have shaped civilization. By learning about the past we are able to interpret our own times. We are able to recognize modern prejudices and the nature of humanity. Although history may not help us predict the future, it increases self understanding and awareness. It teaches us the timelessness of ideas and morality.
The last type is poetry. I saved poetry for last because convincing you to take it seriously provides the greatest challenge. Poetry arouses images of Shakespearian actors reciting flowery rhymes. It’s no wonder most people think it lacks substance and applicability. But to maintain this opinion is to ignore one of the great joys of human intelligence and underestimate the mysterious power of words. It’s no coincidence that many languages use the same word for poet and prophet. The reading of great poetry produces a feeling that cannot be adequately described, a feeling of awe and reverence for the power of words. Great poetry is the fusion of music and meaning. It is the medium of humanity’s most ancient masterpieces. Poetry sharpens language skills and develops eloquence. Meaning is only half of the great language. The best authors write with a style that is both pleasurable and instructive. An appreciation of poetry is essential for reaching this degree of excellence.
As to resources, I can’t make a formal set of recommendations. There are just too many great books and my experience is too limited. How could I presume to know your tastes or area of interest? What I can do is point out a couple of places where you’ll be sure to find something of interest. Anyone who follows this site knows that I’m a whore for the old stuff. Strangely, the Internet is the best thing that’s happened to old books since the printing press. Bartleby contains an extensive collection of materials that are well formatted for online reading. You should read for self improvement, not to feel educated and superior. Reading, even the most rigorous intellectual type, should be a labor of love. It might be easier to read lighter books, but the moments of discovery created by challenging books are more pleasurable and exhilarating than any suspense novel. If you make an effort to read more profitably, you’ll be rewarded with wisdom, beauty, and many hours of productive leisure.
选项
答案
creating//building
解析
此题具体谈到第三种类型的书,即“小说能提供提升意识水平的经验”,根据考题空格前后内容可知B、C并列,空白处应填入和containing形式相同的词。原文中的关键词为creates,需变为动词-ing形式,故答案为creating或building。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/OM0YFFFM
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
DealingwithLifeAbroadI.Cultureshockoflifeabroad1)Moreandmorepeopletendtogoabroad—Goabroadtowork,studyort
DealingwithLifeAbroadI.Cultureshockoflifeabroad1)Moreandmorepeopletendtogoabroad—Goabroadtowork,studyort
DealingwithLifeAbroadI.Cultureshockoflifeabroad1)Moreandmorepeopletendtogoabroad—Goabroadtowork,studyort
DealingwithLifeAbroadI.Cultureshockoflifeabroad1)Moreandmorepeopletendtogoabroad—Goabroadtowork,studyort
Allofthefollowingpairsofsoundsexcept______aredistinguishedfromeachotherbythefeature"+voiced".
AccordingtoChomsky,slipsofthetongueofanativespeakerareexamplesof______.
ThefollowingwerethefoundingfathersoftheAmericanRepublicEXCEPT______.
A、thedecisionscanbetakenmoreeasily.B、EU’srelationshiptothememberstatesisdearlyregulatedC、thevotingproceduresi
HowtoGettheMostfromYourCollegeProfessorI.Dailyroutineincollege—Getupinthemorning—Gotoattend(1)_____—Goan
EconomicDeathSpiralJustrecentlythetrusteesofSocialSecurityandMedicareissuedtheirannualreportsontheprograms
随机试题
诊断霍奇金病最重要的形态学特征是
甲公司向乙银行贷款100万元,由A公司和B公司作为共同保证人,并以甲公司的厂房作抵押担保。其后,甲公司因严重资不抵债而向法院申请破产。法院裁定受理破产申请,并指定了破产管理人。下列选项错误的是()。
(2010年)下列各点中为二元函数z=x3一y3一3x2+3y一9x的极值点的是()。
县级以上地方各级人民政府预算的调整方案必须提请()审查和批准。
计算2008年企业所得税前准予扣除的财务费用为()万元。计算2008年企业购买环境保护设备企业所得税的抵税限额为()万元。
在意外伤害保险中,特约可保意外伤害在基本保险条款中一般列为()。
提出“民为贵,社稷次之,君为轻”思想的是()。
北洋政府时期的第一部宪法草案是()
Ittooktwotripsto______allHelen’sfurnituretohernewapartment.
Electroniccommunication,duetoitsspeedandbroadcastingability,isfundamentallydifferentfromPaper-basedcommunications
最新回复
(
0
)