新視野大學英語視聽說教程第四冊 Unit 1 Task1: Reason and Emotion

Emotion is sometimes regarded as the opposite of reason; s is suggested by phrase such as” appeal to emotions rather than reason” and “don’t let your emotions take over”. Emotional reactions sometimes produce consequences or thoughts which people may later regret or disagree with; but during an emotional state, they could not control their actions. Thus, it is generally believed that one of the most distinctive facts about human beings is a contradiction between emotion and reason.

However, recent empirical studies do not suggest there is a clear distinction between reason and emotion. Indeed, anger or fear can often be thought of as an instinctive response to observed fact. The human mind possesses many possible reactions to the external world. Those reactions can lie on a continuum, with some of them involving the extreme of pure intellectuallogic, which is often called “cold”, and others involving the extremes of pure emotion not related to logical agreement, which is called “the heat of passion”. The relation logic and emotion merits careful study. Passion, emotion, or feeling can reinforce an argument, event one based primarily on reason. This is especially true in religion or ideology, which frequently demands an all-or-nothing rejection or acceptance. In such areas of thought, human beings have to adopt a comprehensive view partly backed by empirical argument and partly by feeling and passion. Moreover, several researchers have suggested that typically there is no “pure” decision or thought; that is, no thought is based “purely”” on intellectual logic or “purely” on emotion—most decisions are founded on a mixture of both.

1. What results does the speaker may some from emotional reactions?

2. What is the popular belief about reason and emotion?

3. What does the speaker mean by “cold “?

4. According to the passage, what should people do in religious matters?

5. What is the speaker’s conclusion?

Keys: 1.A 2.B 3.C 4.C 5.D