Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that men and animals possess, if they are properly used. If fire did not hurt when burnt, children would play it until their hands were burnt away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear did not, a child would burn itself again and again, because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier— and some do exist — is not a good soldier because he is soon killed ; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which men and animals might soon die out.

In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used.If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. Even in your house you are not completely safe: an airplane may crash on your house, or ants may eat away some of the beams in your roof so that the lat­ter falls on you, or you may get cancer!

The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.

In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the dan­ger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you: fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.

In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing onto your house. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of this particular danger is no lon­ger of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.

1.Children would play with fire until their hands were burnt away if ________.

    A.they were given no warning beforehand

    B.they had never burnt themselves

    C.they had no sense of pain

    D.they were fearful of the fire      

2.A really fearless soldier_________.

    A.is of little use to the army                  B.is without equal

    C.is nothing but a dead soldier                D.easily gets killed in a battle

3.Fear should be used properly because_________.

    A.an airplane may crash on your house                                    

    B.you may get cancer

    C.fear can only be used as a servant and guide

    D.men are now letting fear rule them too much

4.Which of the following is implied but not stated in the passage?

    A.Fear is always something helpful.

    B.Too much fear is harmful.

    C.Fear ought to be used as a servant and guide.

       D.Fear is something unbeneficial.

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网