单选题
Pragmatism is a philosophical movement that has had a major impact on American culture from the late 19th century to the present. Pragmatism calls
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ideas and theories to be tested in practice, by
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whether acting upon the idea or theory produces desirable or undesirable results.
The ideas of the pragmatists were considered
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when they first appeared. To some critics, pragmatism"s
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to affirm any absolute standards carried negative implications for society.
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, pragmatists do not believe that a single absolute idea of goodness or justice exists, but
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that these concepts are changeable and depend on the
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in which they are being discussed. The
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of these absolutes, critics feared, could result in a (n)
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in moral standards. The pragmatists" denial of absolutes,
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, challenged the foundations of religion, government, and schools of thought.
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, pragmatism influenced developments in psychology, sociology, and many other schools and movements.
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political groups have also drawn
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the assumptions of pragmatism, from the progressive movements of the early 20th century to later experiments in social reform.
Pragmatism is best
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in its historical and cultural context. It arose during the late 19th century, a period of rapid scientific advancement
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by the theories of British biologist Charles Darwin, whose theories
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to many thinkers that humanity and society are in a
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state of progress. During this same period, a decline in
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religious beliefs and values accompanied the industrialization and material progress of the time. In
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, it became necessary to rethink
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ideas about values, religion, science, community, and individuality.
【答案解析】[解析] reasonable合理的；credible可靠的；revolutionary革命性的；attractive具有吸引力的。由后文提到的批评者的观点可知，人们对于实用主义的理念提出了质疑。并且由后文“The pragmatists" denial...challenged the foundations of religion, government, and schools of thought.”可知，实用主义对于传统观念提出了挑战，由此可推知，它是一股具有革命性的思潮，故选C。
【答案解析】[解析] subject物体，主语；defect缺陷；existence存在；absence不存在，缺席。由前文“pragmatists do not believe that a single absolute idea of goodness or justice exists”可知，实用主义者认为，不存在一个绝对的善良或正义的标准。由此可推知，批评者担心的是有可能导致道德标准下降的原因正是实用主义者对绝对的善良或正义标准存在的否定，即不存在这些绝对，故选D。
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] change改变；decline下降；correction改正；interest兴趣，利益。由前文“To some critics, ...carried negative implications for society.”可知，批评者认为实用主义思潮会对社会产生负面影响。此处进一步解释批评者的观点，他们认为实用主义对绝对标准的否认会造成道德标准的下降，故选B。
【答案解析】[解析] as a rule通常；on the contrary相反；as a result结果；on average平均来说，一般来说。由前文可知，实用主义者对绝对标准的否认对宗教、政府、思想流派的基础提出了质疑，后文又进而提到实用主义对心理学、社会学和许多其他流派和思潮产生了影响。由此可知，此处需要填上一个表示因果关系的短语，故选C。
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] particular特殊的；various各种各样的；significant重要的；few极少的。由后文的“from the progressive...to later experiments in social reform”可知，实用主义思潮对很多政治团体都有借鉴意义，故选B。