Itisdoingsomethingbetterthanotherpeoplethatmakesusunique.Yetasurprisingnumberofpeoplestillseeindividualityasasurfacething.Theywearbrightclothes,dyetheirhairstrangecolorsanddecoratetheirskinwithtattoos（纹身）tomakesomekindofsocialstatement.
Thewholepurposeofindividualityisexcellence.Thepeoplewhocomprehendthesimpleprincipleofbeinguniquethroughperformancemakeourentirepoliticalandeconomicsystemwork.Thosewhoinvent,whoimprove,whoknowmoreaboutasubjectthanotherpeopledo,andwhotakesomethingthatdoesn'tworkandmakeitwork—thesepeoplearetheverysoulofcapitalism.
CharlesKetteringdidn'tliketheideaofcrankingacartomakeitstart,soheinventedtheelectricstarter.HenryFordfiguredouttheassembly-linetechniqueandmadeitpossibletomass-produceautomobiles.LewisWatermansawnoneedtogoondippingapenintoaninkwell,soheputtheinkintothepen.GeorgeWestinghousetoldtheworldhowtostopatrain,andElishaOtis,inventoroftheelevator,indirectlycreatedthecityskyline.Thesepeopleunderstoodthatindividualismmeansworkingatthetopofone'scapacity.
Fortunately,enoughAmericanshavebeeninspiredtodosomethingwiththeiruniquenessthatwehavedevelopedinlessthanthreecenturiesfromafrontieroutpostintonotonlyacountryoffreedombutacountrystrongenoughtoprotectthatfreedom.Thesepeopleprizedthenotionsofindividualityandexcellenceaboveallthingsandthuskeptthegreatmachinefunctioning.Theoneswiththepurplehairandthehorrorablejewelryarejustalongfortheride,tryingtobe"different"andnotknowinghowtogoaboutit.
1.ThestudentwhoearnsA'sonhisreportcardhasgraspedtheideaandhasfoundtherealmeaningofindividuality.Sohastheyoungsterwhohasdesignedhisownspaceship,whopaintspicturesoftheworldaroundhim,orwhocannameallthestatesandtheircapitals.Accordingtotheauthoruniqueindividualsarepersonswho______.
A.dosomethingbetterthanotherpeople
B.knowmoreaboutasubjectthanotherpeople
2.PeoplewhoregardindividualityasasurfacethingalwaysdothefollowingEXCEPT______.
A.wearingbrightclothesB.coloringtheirhair
C.doingbetterthanothersD.decoratingtheirskinwithtattoos
3.WhichisNOTTRUEaccordingtothepassage?
A.HenryFordinventedassembly-linetechnique.
B.ElishaOtiswastheinventorofthelift
C.GeorgeWestinghousecreatedcranks.
D.LewisWatermanputtheinkintothepen.
4.Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethat______.
A.therealsecrettobeinguniqueliesinourexcellentwork
B.ifwewanttobedifferentwe'dgainmoreprofit
CthestudentwhoearnsA'sonthereportcardhasnotgraspedtherealmeaningofindividuality
D.allAmericansworkmiraclesInthewriter'sopinion.
5.Whohasunderstoodthesenseofindividuality?
A.Theyoungsterwhodesignedhisownspaceship.
B.Theyoungsterwhopaintedworthypictures.
C.Theyoungsterwhowasinterestedinwearingstrangeclothes.
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