To err is human. To blame（責備） the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes（戲謔的引語）are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this: “To err is human, to forgive, divine（神圣的）.” This saying mirrors an ideal: People should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite – find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity（成熟）.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large companies, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary（直接推論）to that: if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

To err is human. To blame（責備） the other guy is even more human.

Common sense is not all that common.

Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

These three popular misquotes（戲謔的引語）are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this: “To err is human, to forgive, divine（神圣的）.” This saying mirrors an ideal: People should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite – find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity（成熟）.

Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large companies, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary（直接推論）to that: if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?

1.Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

2.What can we infer from the last paragraph according to the writer?

3.What would be the best title for this passage?

To err is human. To blame（責備） the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes（戲謔的引語）are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this: “To err is human, to forgive, divine（神圣的）.” This saying mirrors an ideal: People should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite – find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity（成熟）.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large companies, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary（直接推論）to that: if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?

1. 1.

   Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

   1. A.
      A secretary works to a timetable.
   2. B.
      A company’s next move follows a good plan.
   3. C.
      A girl goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.
   4. D.
      A man tries to manage everything in a large company.
2. 2.

   What can we infer from the last paragraph according to the writer?

   1. A.
      A good excuse is the same as honesty.
   2. B.
      Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.
   3. C.
      Unpleasant truth is better than a good excuse.
   4. D.
      Making a good excuse is sometimes a better idea.
3. 3.

   What would be the best title for this passage?

   1. A.
      A Mirror of Human Nature
   2. B.
      To Blame or to Forgive
   3. C.
      A Mark of Maturity
   4. D.
      Truth or Excuse

What are they doing for holiday?

They are happy because they are on holiday.

Mary is visiting her aunt in Paris. (8)She is very excited to be in Paris. It is a very famous city. And it is a good place to go shopping!

Tom is fishing in the lake. Because the water is very clean, there are so many fish in the lake. Tom is having a good harvest (收獲).

Simon and Bill are good friends.(9) They are usually very busy with their study every day. (10) So they want to do something different. They are going bike riding together in the beautiful countryside (農村，鄉下). It’s relaxing.

Jesse is taking some photos in the park. The park is very beautiful in autumn, and it’s a good place to take photos.

Everyone gets tired sometimes. It’s important to have a rest. And it’s good for your health. It can help you work or study better, too. I hope everyone is having a good time.

信息歸納：閱讀短文，根據短文內容，完成下面表格。 

(61) Why does the writer think a rest is very important for everyone?

_____________________________________

(62) Do you know where Paris is ?______________________________

英譯漢 ：(63) ______________________________________________

(64) ______________________________________________________

(65)______________________________________________________