Why Do We Stop at Red Lights When No One’s There?
8/31/2022 10:15:19 AM
Do you know?
- Legitimacy is a crucial aspect of all power relations. Without legitimacy, power is exerted through force.
- Legitimacy itself is public acceptance and recognition of the moral rights of leaders to govern, create and implement political decisions
Let's explore more about this issue!
Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:
Listen and complete the passage.
| divine | respected | obvious |
| claim | rule | legitimate |
Have you ever wondered why your parents stop at red lights? During the day, the answer is . If your parent runs a red light, there’s a good chance you’ll get into an accident. However, even at night, when there are no other cars, drivers stop at red lights. Why is this? It's because drivers know that running a red light is against the law. Why do we follow the law at all? It’s because we accept that the United States government is . That means we accept their right to rule over us. We know they will protect us. We know they will serve us.
It's not easy to become legitimate like the U.S. government. For example, kings used to that they had relationships with God. These relationships gave them the right to rule over people. This idea is called right. Many people disagreed with it. When enough people disagreed, they usually got rid of the king.
People could also claim that they have special powers. Also, a person could become a ruler because of his or her appearance. This happens in "Legend of the Peanut King." Snail King did not because he was the wisest, or because people liked and him. He only ruled because his shell was big and beautiful.
This becomes a problem when another shell comes around that’s bigger and better than the Snail King’s. That's when his people get rid of him. This teaches us an important lesson. For a government to last, it must be legitimate. The people must believe in those who run the country. One strong government is America's!
Read and answer the following questions.
Why Do We Stop at Red Lights When No One’s There?
Have you ever wondered why your parents stop at red lights? During the day, the answer is obvious. If your parent runs a red light, there’s a good chance you’ll get into an accident. However, even at night, when there are no other cars, drivers stop at red lights. Why is this? It's because drivers know that running a red light is against the law. Why do we follow the law at all? It’s because we accept that the United States government is legitimate. That means we accept their right to rule over us. We know they will protect us. We know they will serve us.
It's not easy to become legitimate like the U.S. government. For example, kings used to claim that they had relationships with God. These relationships gave them the right to rule over people. This idea is called divine right. Many people disagreed with it. When enough people disagreed, they usually got rid of the king.
People could also claim that they have special powers. Also, a person could become a ruler because of his or her appearance. This happens in "Legend of the Peanut King. " Snail King did not rule because he was the wisest, or because people liked and respected him. He only ruled because his shell was big and beautiful.
This becomes a problem when another shell comes around that’s bigger and better than the Snail King’s. That's when his people get rid of him. This teaches us an important lesson. For a government to last, it must be legitimate. The people must believe in those who run the country. One strong government is America's!
Source: Mobymax Reading Stories G3.7-3.9
Snail King became the ruler thanks to his _____.
- wisdom
- richness
- appearance
- personality
The word "run" in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.
- melt
- race
- lead
- happen
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
- Legitimacy plays an important role in the lifetime of a government.
- The U.S. government is considered a strong government.
- An accident is likely to happen if people run a red light.
- In the United States, people do not voluntarily follow the law.
According to the passage, a king _____.
- could rule the country better than his father
- could be removed from power by his people
- could change a law whenever he wants
- could teach his people an important lesson
The author wrote this passage to _____.
- explain why people stop at red lights during the day
- compare how different kings rule their countries
- clarify how a government can exist in the long run
- prove which government is the strongest in the world
Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between TWO and FIVE words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
Schools can find it difficult to discard unqualified teachers. (GET)
=> It can be difficult for schools to .
Rearrange the words in a correct order to make a complete sentence (kéo từng từ/cụm từ về vị trí đúng để tạo thành câu hoàn chỉnh).
Choose the underlined part that needs correction.
Their marriage was over, but they wanted to keep up appearance for the children.
- Their marriage
- over
- wanted to
- appearance
Jill: I'd really like to get back at Fred after he made fun of me in front of everyone.
Jane: Don’t be stupid! _____, you know.
- Speak of the devil
- Your guess is as good as mine
- Two wrongs don't make a right
- Haste makes waste