Yet the difference in tone and language must strike us, so soon as it is philosophy that speaks: that change should remind us that even if the function of religion and that of reason coincide, this function is performed in the two cases by very different organs. Religions are many, reason one. Religion consists of conscious ideas, hopes, enthusiasms, and objects of worship; it operates by grace and flourishes by prayer. Reason, on the other hand, is a mere principle or potential order, on which indeed we may come to reflect but which exists in us ideally only, without variation or stress of any kind. We conform or do not conform to it; it does not urge or chide us, nor call for any emotions on our part other than those naturally aroused by the various objects which it unfolds in their true nature and proportion. Religion brings some order into life by weighting it with new materials. Reason adds to the natural materials only the perfect order which it introduces into them. Rationality is nothing but a form, an ideal constitution which experience may more or less embody. Religion is a part of experience itself: a mass of sentiments and ideas. The one is an inviolate principle, the other a changing and struggling force. And yet this struggling and changing force of religion seems to direct man toward something eternal. It seems to make for an ultimate harmony within the soul and for an ultimate harmony between the soul and all that the soul depends upon. Religion, in its intent, is a more conscious and direct pursuit of the Life of Reason than is society, science, or art, for these approach and fill out the ideal life tentatively and piecemeal, hardly regarding the goal or caring for the ultimate justification of the instinctive aims. Religion also has an instinctive and blind side and bubbles up in all manner of chance practices and intuitions; soon, however, it feels its way toward the heart of things, and from whatever quarter it may come, veers in the direction of the ultimate.
Nevertheless, we must confess that this religious pursuit of the Life of Reason has been singularly abortive. Those within the pale of each religion may prevail upon themselves to express satisfaction with its results, thanks to a fond partiality in reading the past and generous draughts of hope for the future; but anyone regarding the various religions at once and comparing their achievements with what reason requires, must feel how terrible is the disappointment which they have one and all prepared for mankind. Their chief anxiety has been to offer imaginary remedies for mortal ills. Some of which are incurable essentially, while others might have been really cured by well-directed effort. The Greek oracles, for instance, pretended to heal our natural ignorance, which has its appropriate though difficult cure, while the Christian vision of heaven pretended to be an antidote to our natural death — the inevitable correlate of birth, and of a changing and conditioned existence. By methods of this sort little can be done for the real betterment of life. To confuse intelligence and dislocate sentiment by gratuitous fictions is a short-sighted way of pursuing happiness, Nature is soon avenged. An unhealthy exaltation and a one-sided morality have to be followed by regrettable reaction. When this come, the real rewards of life may seem vain to a relaxed vitality, and the very name of virtue may irritate young spirits untrained in any natural excellence, Thus, religion too often debauches the morality it comes to sanction and impedes the science it ought to fulfill.
What is the secret of this ineptitude? Why does religion, so near to rationality in its purpose, fall so short of it in its results? The answer is easy; religion pursues rationality through the imagination. When it explains events or assigns causes, it is an imaginative substitute for science. When it gives precepts, insinuates ideals, or remoulds aspiration, it is an imaginative substitute for wisdom—I mean for the deliberate and impartial pursuit of all good. The condition and the aims of life are both represented in religion poetically, but this poetry tends to arrogate to itself literal truth and moral authority, neither of which it possesses. Hence the depth and importance of religion becomes intelligible no less than its contradictions and practical disasters. Its object is the same as that of reason, but its method is to proceed by intuition and by unchecked poetical conceits.
1.As used in the passage, the author would define wisdom as ( ).
2.Which of the following statements is not true according to the author?
3.The author of this passage states that religion differs from rationality in that ( ).
4.All of the following terms may be used to describe the concept of reason as used by the author EXCEPT( ).
问题1选项
A.the pursuit of rationality through imagination
B.an unemotional search for the truth
C.a purposeful and unbiased quest for that which is best
D.a short-sighted way of pursuing happiness
问题2选项
A.Religion seeks the truth through imagination; reason, in its search, utilizes the emotions
B.Religion has proved an ineffective tool in solving man’s problems.
C.Science seeks a piecemeal solution to man’s questions.
D.The poetry of religion often assumes that it is the truth.
问题3选项
A.it relies on intuition rather than reasoning
B.it is not concerned with the ultimate justification of its instinctive aims
C.it debauches young minds
D.it has inspired mankind
问题4选项
A.unemotional
B.orderly
C.reconciled to the inevitable
D.imaginative
第1题:
【选项释义】
As used in the passage, the author would define wisdom as( ). 在文章中,作者将智慧定义为( )。
A. the pursuit of rationality through imagination A. 通过想象追求理性
B. an unemotional search for the truth B. 不带感情地寻求真相
C. a purposeful and unbiased quest for that which is best C. 对最好的东西的有目的和无偏见的追求
D. a short-sighted way of pursuing happiness D. 追求幸福的短视方式
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词wisdom定位文章最后一段有破折号处When it gives precepts, insinuates ideals, or remolds aspiration, it is an imaginative substitute for wisdom — I mean for the deliberate and impartial pursuit of all good.(当它给人训诫、暗示理想或重塑抱负时,它是一种富有想象力的智慧的替代品:我认为,它是对一切美好事物深思熟虑、不偏不倚的追求)可知C选项“对最好的东西的有目的和无偏见的追求”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“通过想象追求理性”,根据文章最后一段religion pursues rationality through the imagination(宗教通过想象追求理性),可知主语是宗教而非智慧,属于张冠李戴;
B选项“不带感情地寻求真相”指的是理性,而非智慧,属于张冠李戴;
D选项“追求幸福的短视方式”根据文章倒数第二段To confuse intelligence and dislocate sentiment by gratuitous fictions is a short-sighted way of pursuing happiness(用无端的虚构来混淆理智和扰乱感情,是一种追求幸福的短视方式)可知与题干无关,属于曲解原文。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following statements is not true according to the author? 根据作者的观点,下列哪项陈述是不正确的?
A. Religion seeks the truth through imagination; reason, in its search, utilizes the emotions. A. 宗教通过想象寻求真理;理性在探索的过程中利用了情感。
B. Religion has proved an ineffective tool in solving man’s problems. B. 宗教已被证明是解决人类问题的无效工具。
C. Science seeks a piecemeal solution to man’s questions. C. 科学寻求解决人类问题的零碎方法。
D. The poetry of religion often assumes that it is the truth. D. 宗教诗歌常常假定它是真理。
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据选项关键词reason定位文章第一段第三句Reason, on the other hand, is a mere principle or potential order, on which indeed we may come to reflect but which exists in us ideally only, without variation or stress of any kind.(另一方面,理性只是一种原则或潜在的秩序,我们确实可以根据它来反映,但它只存在于我们的理想中,没有任何变化或压力),结合该段第四句We conform or do not conform to it; it does not urge or chide us, nor call for any emotions on our part other than those naturally aroused by the various objects which it unfolds in their true nature and proportion.(我们遵从或不遵从它;它既不催促我们,也不责备我们,也不要求我们有任何情感,除了那些被各种物体自然唤起的情感,它以它们的真实本性和比例展现出来)可知理性是非情感的,因此“理性在探索的过程利用了情感”与原文不符,因此A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“宗教已被证明是解决人类问题的无效工具”,对应文章第二段 By methods of this sort little can be done for the real betterment of life.(用这种方法对生活的真正改善几乎是无能为力的),表述正确,属于反向干扰;
C选项“科学寻求解决人类问题的零碎方法”,对应文章第三段When it explains events or assigns causes, it is an imaginative substitute for science.(当它解释事件或分配原因时,它是科学的想象替代品),表述正确,属于反向干扰;
D选项“宗教诗歌常常假定它是真理”对应文章第三段The condition and the aims of life are both represented in religion poetically, but this poetry tends to arrogate to itself literal truth and moral authority, neither of which it possesses.(生活的目的和条件在宗教中都有诗意的体现,但这种诗意往往把宗教所不具备的字面上的真理和道德上的权威据为己有),表述正确,属于反向干扰。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The author of this passage states that religion differs from rationality in that( ). 作者认为宗教与理性的不同之处在于( )。
A. it relies on intuition rather than reasoning A. 它依靠直觉而不是推理
B. it is not concerned with the ultimate justification of its instinctive aims B. 它不关心其本能目标的最终正当性
C. it debauches young minds C. 它使年轻人堕落
D. it has inspired mankind D. 它鼓舞了人类
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词religion定位文章第一段倒数第三、四、五句Religion is a part of experience itself: a mass of sentiments and ideas. The one is an inviolate principle, the other a changing and struggling force. And yet this struggling and changing force of religion seems to direct man toward something eternal. It seems to make for an ultimate harmony within the soul and for an ultimate harmony between the soul and all that the soul depends upon.(宗教是经验本身的一部分:大量的情感和思想。一个是不可违背的原则,另一个是变化和奋斗的力量。然而,宗教的这种挣扎和变化的力量似乎把人引向某种永恒的东西。它似乎是为了灵魂内部的终极和谐,以及灵魂和灵魂所依赖的一切之间的终极和谐),可以推断出D选项“它鼓舞了人类”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项均未在文中体现,属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
All of the following terms may be used to describe the concept of reason as used by the author EXCEPT( ). 下列所有词语都可以用来描述作者所使用的理性概念,除了( )。
A. unemotional A. 非情感的
B. orderly B. 有秩序的
C. reconciled to the inevitable C. 接受不可避免的事实
D. imaginative D. 富于想象力的
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Reason定位文章第一段第三句Reason, on the other hand, is a mere principle or potential order, on which indeed we may come to reflect but which exists in us ideally only, without variation or stress of any kind. We conform or do not conform to it; it does not urge or chide us, nor call for any emotions on our part other than those naturally aroused by the various objects which it unfolds in their true nature and proportion.(另一方面,理性只是一种原则或潜在的秩序,我们确实可以根据它来思考,但它只存在于我们心中,没有任何变化或压力。我们遵循或不遵循它;它既不催促我们,也不责备我们,除了以事物的真实性质和比例展现出来而自然地激起我们的感情外,它不要求我们有任何感情),可知D选项“富于想象力的”正确。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、C选项均符合原文中作者所使用的理性概念的特征,属于反向干扰。