从托福听力而来的issue素材,针对No.8 and No.70历史与个人,精英与大众的问题

猴天平UID: 2143916

在托福听力段子题中有一道听力原文可以用来作为历史题的素材
特别是针对历史与个人,精英与大众的问题比如以下两道，非常贴切。;P
8.history places too much emphasis on individuals
70.all historians are storytellers

原文（节选）

The revolutionary period in the United States history when the colonies wanted to separate from England.
the very famous episode from that period. the story of Paul Revere's famous horseback ride to the Massachusetts countryside. In that version, he single-headily alerted the people that" the British were colony". We have this image of us solitary rider galloping along of the dark from one farm house to another. And of course the story emphasized the courage of one man, made him a hero in our history books. But that rather romantic version of the story is not what actually happened that night. In fact, that version misses the most important point entirely. Paul Revere was only one of the many riders hekping deliver the messages that night.Just one part of a pre-arrange plan, that was thought out well in advance in preparation for just such an emergency. Admittedly, Revere's role should not be diminished. He was actually an important organizer and promoter of this group effort for freedom. His midnight rider did not just go knocking on farm house doors. They also awaken the institution of New England. They went from town to town and engage the town leaders, the military commanders and volunteer groups, even church leaders, people who would then continue to spread the word.
Paul Revere and his political party understood, probably more clearly than later generation that will ever have, that political institutions are theirs a kind of medium for the will of people and also to both build on and support the individual action. They knew the success requires careful planning and organization. The way they went about the work that night made a big difference in the history and this country.

[ 本帖最后由 猴天平 于 2007-2-15 22:20 编辑 ]

猴天平UID: 2143916

from Amazon 的一篇书评。
Revere was a handy person to have in the saddle.
Unlike the impression given by popular legend, Revere did not ride the countryside random, but with purpose. Knowing the names and residences of the captains of local militias, he warned them of the British movements, allowing the captains to spread the alarm to their own militias. By the time the sun rose, militias throughout eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire were streaming toward Concord.

the book makes a shift from imagining heros as noble loners working in a social vaccum.reminds us that though Revere was personally courageous, persistent, intelligent, efficient and resourceful, his heroism required a matrix of other who were already well-prepared to mobilize against the oppressor.analysis of the societal context of heroism. Heros like Revere have no usefluness apart from a society primed to act, societies desiring change often need the elan of the individual to spur them forward.

yogurt4UID: 198389

谢谢~~
我滴水晶姐姐早上在你上个帖子给你加油了
严重嫉妒ING
T_T

猴天平UID: 2143916

呵呵，不客气，好资料不忍心浪费啊！