The Americans - Marvel EDU

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Practice Listening: Highlight Correct Summary ID: #35273 Short The Americans

Instructions ›

You will hear a recording. Click on the paragraph that best relates to the recording.

Transcript:

In a chapter of Democracy in America entitled why the Americans are often so restless in the midst of their prosperity? De Tocqueville sketched an enduring analysis of the relationship between high expectations and dissatisfaction between political equality and envy. He wrote, when all the prerogatives of birth and fortune have been abolished, when every profession is open to everyone, an ambitious man may think it is easy to launch himself on a great career, and feel that he has been called to no common destiny. But this is a delusion which experience quickly corrects. When inequality is the general rule in society the greatest inequalities attract no attention. But when everything is more or less level, the slightest variation is noticed. That is the reason for the strange melancholy often haunting inhabitants of democracies in the midst of abundance, and of that disgust with life sometimes gripping them even in calm and easy circumstances.

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To launch oneself on a great career, a person needs to be very ambitious and insightful. Even in the calm and easy circumstance, he or she has to pay attention to even the slightest variation in the market, which changes fast in the modern era. What is haunting inhabitants of democracies is dissatisfaction of political inequality. The Americans will not feel melancholy until all the prerogatives of birth and fortune have been abolished. They will feel safer and happier when everything is more or less level. In the midst of their prosperity, every profession is open to every American. People do not have to envy each other, and they believe a completely equal society is no more a delusion. But people with higher expectations tend to feel more disappointed with life. By analyzing political equality and envy and expectations and dissatisfaction, De Tocqueville mentioned that when everyone is living in a basically equal environment, even the slightest inequality will be noticed. This is the reason that the Americans are often restless even in a cozy circumstance.

Result:

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Option 2: "What is haunting inhabitants of democracies is dissatisfaction of political inequality. The Americans will not feel melancholy until all the prerogatives of birth and fortune have been abolished. They will feel safer and happier when everything is more or less level."

Explanation: This option accurately summarizes the main idea of the text, which discusses the dissatisfaction that arises from political inequality and the impact of abolishing birth and fortune prerogatives. It reflects the author's analysis of how a more equal society leads to heightened awareness of inequalities, thus supporting the notion of melancholy among Americans despite their prosperity.

Option 1: "To launch oneself on a great career, a person needs to be very ambitious and insightful. Even in the calm and easy circumstance, he or she has to pay attention to even the slightest variation in the market, which changes fast in the modern era."

Explanation: This option misinterprets the text by focusing on the need for ambition and insight in launching a career, which is not the main point. The text emphasizes the relationship between political equality and dissatisfaction, rather than the qualities needed for career success. Additionally, it introduces the concept of market variations, which is not mentioned in the original text.

Option 3: "In the midst of their prosperity, every profession is open to every American. People do not have to envy each other, and they believe a completely equal society is no more a delusion. But people with higher expectations tend to feel more disappointed with life."

Explanation: This option incorrectly states that people do not have to envy each other, which contradicts the text's assertion that envy exists in the context of political equality. It also oversimplifies the relationship between expectations and disappointment, failing to capture the nuanced argument presented by De Tocqueville regarding dissatisfaction in a seemingly equal society.

Option 4: "By analyzing political equality and envy and expectations and dissatisfaction, De Tocqueville mentioned that when everyone is living in a basically equal environment, even the slightest inequality will be noticed. This is the reason that the Americans are often restless even in a cozy circumstance."

Explanation: While this option touches on the themes of political equality and the awareness of inequality, it does not accurately convey the central idea of dissatisfaction stemming from political inequality. The phrase 'restless even in a cozy circumstance' is vague and does not fully encapsulate the melancholy described in the text, leading to a misrepresentation of De Tocqueville's analysis.

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