True friends do not evaluate us according to worldly criteria, it is the core self they are interested in; like ideal parents, their love for us remains _______ our appearance or position in the social hierarchy, and so we have no qualms in dressing in old clothes and revealing that we have made little money this year. The desire for riches should perhaps not always be understood as a simple hunger for a luxurious life, a more important motive might be the wish to be appreciated and treated nicely. We may seek a fortune for no greater reason than to secure the respect and attention of people who would otherwise look straight through us. Epicurus, discerning our underlying need, recognized that a handful of true friends could deliver the love and respect that even a fortune may not.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
(1) The Mundane Standards for Choosing Friends
(2) How to Invite Love and Respect
(3) An Epicurean Acquisition of Friendship
(4) Hunger for a Luxurious Life
2. Which of the following is most appropriate for the blank?
(1) preoccupied with (2) unaffected by (3) devoid of (4) pious to
If you have ever made a list of pros and cons to help you make a decision, you have used the utilitarian method of moral reasoning. One of the main ethical theories, utilitarianism posits that the key to deciding what makes an act morally right or wrong is its consequences. Whether our intentions are good or bad is irrelevant; what matters is whether the result of our actions is good or bad. To utilitarians, happiness is the ultimate goal of human beings and the highest moral good. Thus, if there is great unhappiness because of an act, then that action can be said to be morally wrong. If, on the other hand, there is great happiness because of an action, then that act can be said to be morally right.
Utilitarians believe that we should carefully weigh the potential consequences of an action before we take it. Will the act lead to things that will make us, or others, happy? Will it make us, or others, unhappy? According to utilitarians, we should choose to do that which creates the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. This can be difficult to determine, though, because sometimes an act can create short-term happiness but misery in the long term. Another problematic aspect of utilitarianism is that it deems it acceptable―indeed, even necessary―to use another person as a means to an end and sacrifice the happiness of one or a few for the happiness of many.
3. According to the definition of utilitarianism in the passage, which of the following is true about “stealing bread to feed hungry children”?
(1) It is morally right because it has good intentions.
(2) It is morally wrong because it violates other's rights.
(3) It is morally right because it has positive consequences.
(4) It is morally wrong because stealing is illegal.
4. Which of the following best describes the utilitarian principles according to the passage?
(1) We should always think of others first.
(2) We should make our intentions clear to others.
(3) We should do what will make most people happy.
(4) We should do what will bring us the most happiness.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
(1) Sacrifice is necessary in life.
(2) Using utilitarianism to make a moral decision is not always easy.
(3) Long-term consequences are more important than short-term consequences.
(4) A pro/con list is the most effective technique for making an important decision.
1
2. (2) unaffected by
3. (3) It is morally right because it has positive consequences.
4. (3) We should do what will make most people happy.
5. (2) Using utilitarianism to make a moral decision is not always easy.
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