What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among peting interests. Your roommate’s need to study for an exam may take priority（优先）over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade. And the object of your romantic interest may have other choices.
In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our point of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always prevail— other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situation, and the merits of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.
Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwele interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable — to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical（合乎道义的）or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrading. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or catch our vulnerability(弱点). Ethical persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, the most basic part of education is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.
Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution（美国宪法）.
【小题1】According to the passage, persuasion means .A．changing others’ point of viewB．exercising power over other peopleC．getting other people to consider your point of viewD．getting people to agree with you and do what you want【小题2】The underlined word in the second paragraph “prevail” means“ ”.A．winB．failC．speakD．listen【小题3】The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is .A．a danger to societyB．difficult to do wellC．unwele behaviorD．never successful【小题4】The passage mainly discusses .A．people’s different opinions towards persuasionB．the reasons why people persuade C．that persuasion is both good and badD．that persuasion is important and it is all around usC
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(答案→)C
解析：说明建议(劝说)的重要性。
【小题1】C 细节题。将第二段中persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our points of view与各选项进行比较可知。
【小题1】A 词义题。由破折号后面的句子other points of view may be more persuasive可知，我们不一定占上风，故选A。
【小题1】D 主旨题。根据第一段对we live in a world of persuasion的理解，第三段中we believe that persuasion is unavoidable-to live is to persuade 及最后一段中persuasion is necessary to society与各选项进行比较可确定选D。