研究所、轉學考(插大)、學士後-英文題庫下載題庫

     In a planet occupied by over 7 billion inhabitants, I am amazed by the difference one human being can make. Think of classical music with Mozart or Stravinsky； of painting without Caravaggio, Picasso or Pollock； of drama with Shakespeare or Beckett. Think of the incredible contributions of Michelangelo or Leonardo, or, in recent times, the outpouring of deep feeling at the death of Steve Jobs (or, for that matter, Michael Jackson or Princess Diana). Think of human values in the absence of Moses or Christ.

      Alas, not all singular individuals make a positive difference. The history of the 20th century would be far happier had it not been for Hitler, Stalin, or Mao (or the 21st century without Bin Laden). But in reaction to these individuals, there sometimes arise more praiseworthy figures: Konrad Adenauer in Germany, Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union, Deng Xiaoping in China. These successors also make a signal difference.

     I consider Mahatma Gandhi to be the most important human being o

ennium. His achievements in India speak for themselves. But even if Gan

ributed vital energy and leadership in his own country, he had enormous influence

peaceful resisters across the globe: Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Martin Luther King Jr.

United States, and the solitary figures in Tiananmen Square in 1989

Square in 2011.

      Despite the laudatory efforts of scientists to ferret out patterns in human

tinue to be struck by the impact of single individuals, or of small group

nst the odds. As scholars, we cannot and should not sweep these instances under

investigative rug. We should bear in mind anthropologist Margaret Mead's famous

injunction: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change

the world, indeed, it is the only that ever has."

                                                                       ~~Howard Gardner