单选题 "Opinion" is a word that is often used carelessly today, It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief, anti judgment. This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didn't attach too much importance to opinion. Unfortunately, most do attach great importance to it. "I have as much right to my opinion as you to yours," and "Everyone's entitled lo his opinion," are common expressions. In fact, anyone who would challenge another's opinion is likely to be branded intolerant.
Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge another's opinion? It depends on what definition of opinion you have in mind. For example, you may ask a friend "What do you think of the new Buicks? "And he may reply, "In my opinion, they're ugly. "In this case, it would not only be intolerant to challenge his statement, but foolish. For it's obvious that by opinion he means his personal preference a matter of taste. And as the old saying goes, "It's pointless to argue about matters of taste. "
But consider this very different use of the term. A newspaper reports that the Supreme Court has delivered its opinion in a controversial case. Obviously the justices did not stale their personal preferences, their mere likes and dislikes. They stated their considered judgment, painstakingly arrived at after thorough inquiry and deliberation.
Most of what is referred to as opinion falls somewhere between these two extremes. It is not an expression of taste. Nor is it careful judgment. Yet it may contain elements of both. It is a view or belief more or less casually arrived at, with or without examining the evidence.
Is everyone entitled to his opinion? Of course. In a free country this is not only permitted, but guaranteed. In Great Britain, for example, there is still a Flat Earth Society. As the name implies, the members of this organization believe that the earth is not spherical, but flat. In this country, too, each of us is free to take as creative a position as we please about any matter we choose. When the telephone operator announces That 11 be 95 ￠ for the first three minutes, you may respond "No, it won't—it'll be 28 ￠. "When the service station attendant notifies you "Your oil is down a quart, " you may reply " Wrong—it's up three.
Being free to hold an opinion anti express it does not, of course, guarantee you favorable consequences. The operator may hang up on you. The service station attendant may threaten you with violence.
Acting on our opinions carries even less assurance. Some time ago in California a couple took their eleven-year-old diabetic son to a faith healer. Secure in their opinion that the man had cured the boy, they threw away his insulin. Three days later the boy died. They remained unshaken in their belief, expressing the opinion that God would raise the boy from the dead. The police arrested them, charging them with manslaughter. The law in such matters is both clear and reasonable. We are free to act on our opinions only so long as, in doing so we do not harm others.

单选题 The first paragraph points out ______.
A. it would be considered intolerant if someone ignored anothers' opinion
B. People attach much importance to opinion by accepting other's opinion.
C. The misuse of the word "opinion" will cause much confusion whether you consider it important or not.
D. People consider opinion important when they say : "Everyone's entitled to his opinion.

单选题 According to paragraph 3, careful judgment is ______.
A. what "opinion" actually refers to ______.
B. another use of "opinion" after arguing a lot
C. likes and dislikes through enquiry and deliberation
D. a different expression of taste

单选题 Which of the following statements is true?
A. It does make sense to argue when "opinion" refers to personal preference.
B. Most of what is referred to as opinion contains both matters of taste and judgment.
C. You are free to express what you believe only after carefully examining.
D. The belief of a Flat Earth Society is permitted because of favorable consequences guaranteed.

单选题 The example the writer gives us in the last paragraph shows that ______.
A. eveyone is entitled to whatever opinion he has even if it is harmful to others
B. being free to hold an opinion and express it usually annoys others
C. we are not free to do anything by following our opinions
D. opinion referred to matters of taste is clearer and more reasonable than that of belief

单选题 The writer's main point in writing this article is ______.
A. to tell us careless uses of the word "opinion" today
B. to show us his understanding of the word "opinion"
C. to illustrate different layers of the meanings of the word "opinion"
D. to define the word "opinion/