I had an experience some years ago which taught me something about the ways in which peoplemake a bad situation worse by blaming

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问题 I had an experience some years ago which taught me something about the ways in which peoplemake a bad situation worse by blaming themselves.One January,I had to officiate at two funerals onsuccessive days for two elderly women in my community.Both had died out“full of years,”as theBible would say;both yielded to the normal wearing out of the body after a long and full life.Theirhomes happened to be near each other,So  I paid condolence calls on the two families on the sameafternoon.
At the first home,the son of the deceased woman said to me.”If only I had sent my mother toFlorida and gotten her out of this cold and snow,she would be alive today:It’s my fault that shedie@D@“At the second home,the son of the other deceased woman sai@D@”If only I hadn’t insistedon my mother’S going to Florida,she would be alive today.That long airplane ride,the abruptchange of climate,was more than she could take.It’s my fault that she’s dea@D@”
When things don’t turn out as we would like them to,it is very tempting to assume that hadwe done things differently,the story would have had a happier ending.Priests know that any timethere is a death,the survivors will feel guilty.Because the course of action they took turned outbadly,they believe that the opposite course-keeping Mother at home,postponing the operation-would have turned out better.After all,how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our readiness to feel guilt.The first is our pressingneed to believe that the world makes sense.that there is a cause for every effect and a reason foreverything that happens.That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really existand where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the notion that we are the cause of what happens,especially the badthings that happen.
It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that everydisaster is our fault.The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhoo@D@Psychologists speak of theinfantile myth of omnipotence.A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs,andthat he makes everything happen in it.He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of theworld to its tasks.He cries,and someone comes to attend to him.When he is hungry,people feedhim,and when he is wet,people change him.Very often,we do not completely outgrow thatinfantile notion that our wishes cause things to happen.
What is said about the two deceased elderly women?______

选项 A、They lived out a natural life.
B、They died of exhaustion after the long plane ride.
C、They weren’t accustomed to the change in weather.
D、They died due to lack of care by family members.

答案A

解析 细节题。本题问有关这两个死者的说法哪个是正确的。根据第一段第三句“Both had died out‘。full of years’as the Bible,would say;both yielded to the normal wearing out of the body after-a long and full:life.”可知,这两位死者都是正常的死亡,所以答案为A。选项B:她因为长途旅行劳累过度而死亡;C她们不适应气候的变化;选项D:她们因为缺少家庭成员的关心而死亡。
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