Like so many things of value, truth is not always easy to come by. What we regard as true shapes our beliefs, attitudes, and actions. Yet we can believe things that have no basis in fact. People are capable of embracing horrific precepts that seem incredible in retrospect. In Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler had millions of followers who accepted his delusions about racial superiority. As Voltaire put it long before Hitler’s time, "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. "
We are surrounded by illusions, some created deliberately. They may be subtle or may affect us profoundly. Some illusions, such as films and novels, we seek out and appreciate. Others can make us miserable and even kill us. We need to know if particular foods that taste perfectly fine can hurt us in the short term (as with Salmonella contamination) or in the long term (cholesterol), whether a prevalent virus is so dangerous that we should avoid public places,
A. Hitler was obsessed with violence
B. irrational ideas may be spread widely
C. irrational ideas may lead to violence
D. Hitler was misled by racism
London, like so many big cities, has traffic problems that seem to get worse and worse every year. Tom Jonkins, a London bus driver, was asked what he would do to improve the situation if he were put in charge of London Transport. This is what he said:
"If you put me in charge of London Transport, I’ d make a num ber of changes. I’d forbid private (私人的)cars to go through central between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. unless the owners actually live in the area. I’d build a lot of new, cheap car parks near the railway sta tions on the skirts (效区) of the city so that people could leave their cars there and travel to and from work by train. I’d fix a standard fare (统一车费) for all bus or tube (地铁) journeys in the centre, and I’d make it possible for people to buy ten or a dozen tickets at one time at a reduced price; then the buses and taxis would be able to move much more quickly and easily, and life would become more comfortable for everyone.
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