五、科技类
1. The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time.
2. Money spent on research is almost always a good investment, even when the results of that research are controversial.
3. Humanity has made little real progress over the past century or so. Technological innovations have taken place, but the overall condition of humanity is no better. War, violence, and poverty are still with us. Technology cannot change the condition of humanity.
4. When research priorities are being set for science, education, or any other area, the most important question to consider is : How many people's lives will be improved if the results are successful.
5. The function of science is to reassure; the purpose of arts is to upset. Therein lies the value of each.
6. Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or damage the quality of life.
7. Most important discoveries or creations are accidental: it is usually while seeking the answer to one question that we come across the answer to another.
六、传媒类
1. In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books.
2. The purpose of many advertisements is to make consumers want to buy a product so that they will 'be like' the person in the ad. This practice is effective because it not only sells products but also helps people feel better about themselves.
3. Because of television and worldwide computer connections, people can now become familiar with a great many places that they have never visited. As a result, tourism will soon become obsolete.
4. High-speed electronic communications media, such as electronic mail and television, tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication.
5. In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjectied to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished.
七、社会类
1. Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science.
2. Society does not place enough emphasis on the intellect-that is, on reasoning and other cognitive skills.
3. It is through the use of logic and of precise, careful measurement that we become aware of our progress. Without such tools, we have no reference points to indicate how far we have advanced or retreated.
4. At various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species.
5. The absence of choices is a circumstance that is very, very rake.
6. What society has thought to be it greatest social, political, and individual achievements have often resulted in the greatest discontent.
7. The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority.
8. Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them.
9. The only responsibility of corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, is to make as much money as possible for their companies.
10. Many problems of modern society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system because moral behavior cannot be legislated.
11. Scandals—whether in politics, academia, or other areas—can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could.
12. Practicality is now our great ideal, which all powers and talents must serve. Anything that is not obviously practical has little value in today's world.
13. It is easy to welcome innovation and accept new ideas. What most people find difficult, however, is accepting the way these new ideas are put into practice.
14. The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the cha