There seems to be a lot of talk these days about what is fair, and what is not. Most people tend to believe life should be fair. Some of the 99% seem to believe life has somehow treated them unfairly, and some of the 1% feel life hasn’t treated them fairly enough. My questions are these: What is fairness? Is life fair? Should life be fair?
We clearly have no choice about how we come into this world. We have little choice early in life. But as we grow older, choices abound. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fairness is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind. Our state in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, or our society—it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.
Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged people born into war-torn areas, who could have complained about life being unfair, but who instead chose a different path. Regardless of the challenges they faced, they had the character to choose contribution over complaint.
I agree that challenges exist. I agree that many have an uphill battle due to the severity of the challenges they face. What I disagree with is the attempt to use fairness to solve all problems in the world. Rules and orders don’t create fairness, but people’s desire and determination can work around most life challenges.
It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. A friend of mine came to this country from Africa in his late teens, barely spoke the language, drove a cab while working his way through college, and is now the president of a technology services firm. Stories such as this are all around us-they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. They do, however, demonstrate blindness to the mindset of the fairness.
12. What does the underlined word “
abound” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Change fully. | B.Remain the same. |
C.Exist in numbers. | D.Disappear completely. |
13. What opinion does the writer agree with?
A.Most of us can influence the results we achieve. |
B.Our background determines our choices. |
C.People’s desire and determination create unfairness. |
D.We should depend on fairness to solve all problems. |
14. What is the primary purpose of the text?
A.To promote efforts over complaint. |
B.To stress the importance of fairness. |
C.To share an inspiring story of a friend. |
D.To prove that fairness is a state of mind. |
15. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Fairness Is Justice | B.Life Is Not Fair—Deal With It |
C.Fairness Comes First | D.Fairness Creates Chances |