Part IV (Para. 12-20) What is the part about? Paras. 12-13
1. What is the argument of the first design? 2. What is the essence of the first design?
3. What is the meaning of the first sentence in para. 12? Why do such things have to be done
by the government? Could any individual or group undertake the task?
4. Paraphrase the last sentence of para. 12.: “Being incompetent and ineffective, it must not be
asked to succor the poor; it will only louse things up or make things worse.”
5. In paragraph 12 and 13, the author, on three occasions, mentions the Pentagon or national
defense. Why does he make these references?
6. What are the words used in the statement (sentence 2, para. 13) that are worthy of notice?
Why?
7. “We have great corporate bureaucracies replete with corporate bureaucrats, but they are
good; only public bureaucracy and government servants are bad…(when these…in the Pentagon).”
a) What is the basic view of the author?
b) Why do people overpay for sth? What kind of phenomenon is this?
c) Why oddly enough? What is the tone of the statement (in the brackets)?
8. “We have nearly abolished poverty…opportunity.” What’s the author’s estimation of the
welfare system? What do you think of his estimation?
9. According to the author, what is the real purpose of the present condemnation of
government and government administration? Why does the author use the phrase “continuing design”? Could you tell what design it continues? Paras. 14-15
1. What is the second design?
2. Does the author agree to the argument? What sentences or words from the text can convey
the author’s viewpoint?
3. “Still, the case is made---and believed– that is something gravely damaging about the aid to
the unfortunate.”(para. 15) Does this statement sound familiar to you? 4. Paraphrase “This is perhaps our most highly influential piece of fiction.” Para. 16
1. What is the argument of the third design? 2. How does the author refute this argument?
3. In what way can the government take money from the poor and give it to the rich?
4. Paraphrase: Belief can be the servant of truth--- but even more (the servant ) of
convenience. Paras. 17-18
1. What is the fourth design?
2. According to those designers, how freedom is defined? 3. Where does money spending on national defense come?
4. Which expenditure is larger, expenditure on public assistance or that on national defense? 5. Which expenditure would have greater adverse effect on freedom, expenditure on national
defense or on public assistance?
6. Why does the author say this is the most transparent of all of the designs? In what way is it
most transparent? (para. 18)
7. How does the author refute this argument?
Paras. 19
1. What is the fifth design?
2. Paraphrase the following sentences:
1) This is a psychic tendency that in various manifestations is common to us all.
2) It causes a great many people to avoid thought of the arms race and the consequent
rush toward a highly probable extinction.
Paras. 20
1. What is the function of the sentence “These are the modern designs by which we escape
concern for the poor.”?
2. What does the second sentence mean? Does the author really think they are ‘great’ and
‘inventive’?
3. In what way are the first four designs inventive?
4. Is this tradition something great and worthy of attention? 5. What is George Gilder’s view?
6. Explain “Cut the knot, for there is no way to untie it.”
7. Translate “By a triage, the worthy would be selected to survive; the loss of the rest of the
penalty we should pay.
8. Translate “:… he is enjoying, as indicated, unparalleled popularity in high Washington circles.”
Part V (Para. 21)
1. How do you feel about the ending? Do you find it forceful?
2. Why does the author think it is the most truly conservative course? 3. Why does the author say “there is no paradox here”?