 | | |
|
| 1. | What is the "truth" about heroes that Ripley says is "both complicated and sad"? |
| A. | Heroism is probably just a construct of the human mind, so we tend to exaggerate a few people's good features to comfort ourselves. |
| B. | Even though many heroes deserve to be called such, the word hero is also used to support a fiction that bravery and courage are enough to get us through life. |
| C. | Very few people whom we celebrate as heroes really deserve it. |
| D. | Heroes are incredibly important in society, but unfortunately we are seeing fewer and fewer these days. |
|
| 2. | According to Ripley, Xavier Emmanuelli of Doctors Without Borders said that he never finds heroes in the obvious spots. What does he mean by that? |
| A. | The heroes he encounters are ordinary people whose heroic deeds mostly go unnoticed. |
| B. | People become heroes not because they're better people, but because they're in odd situations. |
| C. | Heroes are hard to find. |
| D. | Heroes are the kinds of people who prefer to avoid recognition. |
|
| 3. | What does Ripley say is the difference between American and European views about heroes? |
| A. | Europeans expect their heroes to be low profile people, while Americans tend to look to leaders as heroes. |
| B. | Europeans don't care as much about their heroes. |
| C. | Americans have a strong sense of individualism and a romantic sense of heroes who operate alone; Europeans are less likely to celebrate the actions of a single person. |
| D. | Europeans are more likely to celebrate a hero who is not very well known. |
|
| 4. | Despite what Ripley says is the European attitude about heroes, what does she also say the 2003 survey shows? |
| A. | The survey shows that it is not true that most people have many heroes. |
| B. | The survey found Europeans tend to admire their current leaders most, which suggests that Europeans want to believe in these "heroes" of sorts. |
| C. | Although Europeans say they want heroes, really it seems they are more interested in the practicalities of everyday life. |
| D. | Although we tend to celebrate our celebrities, an everyday hero has more appeal to most people, European or American alike. |
|
| 5. | Ripley says that a hero has to be both a dreamer and a realist. Explain what she means by that. |
| A. | Anyone who is not both a dreamer and a realist will not appeal to enough people to be a true hero. |
| B. | A true hero must listen to both dreamers and realists, so a true hero must be both. |
| C. | Only a dreamer can escape from the realities of life and become a hero. |
| D. | A hero has to believe against overwhelming odds that something can change, but needs the right circumstances to perform the acts that make a hero. |
Literature
