Passage Three
It’s hard to know who to trust these days. When we see people staging protests we think, Wow! These folks are passionate about their cause-otherwise, why would they stand in the rain for hours But sometimes it’s a show: You and even your Congressman may have been raised to power by manipulative marketers who pay serious money to hire protesters.
It’s a mean trick. Let’s say you want to stage a political rally, but you just can’t find enough people for a good turnout. What you need are folks with lots of time on their hands, who can be persuaded to make a fuss over almost anything. Solution: Head down to a homeless shelter and take out cash.
No joke-hiring the homeless is catching on. Last October, a Georgia activist pushing a state law to crack down on illegal immigrants paid 14 homeless men $10 each to hold signs and march around. It worked. People thought the rally was genuine-a local radio sta
A. those protesting in the cold rain are respectable
B. most Congressmen were elected by fake votes
C. in some cases protesters are hired
D. people staging protests are passionate
People who love music, who can lose themselves in a book, or who can spend hours painting a picture of a mountain, know the deep satisfaction that can be found in art. It is not easy to express this satisfaction in words. But, in some partly mysterious (神秘的) way, works of art are among the things of highest value in our lives.
A fine piece of music, a masterpiece of painting, or a first-class play has the power to hold our fullest attention. We are completely lost in it, and everything works out right. The music comes to the right close at the right time and in the right way. The play ends, not necessarily on a happy note, but in a way that seems enjoyable. As we get to know more about painting, its parts seem to belong together and to be made for one another. We see harmony(和谐) in the object and feel harmony within ourselves.
When the beautiful experience has ended, we often feel uplifted and refreshed. Our eyes and ears, or our understanding of
A. a ready sense of fun
B. an easy touch of pleasure
C. a quick feel of excitement
D. a real understanding of life
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