It has long been widely believed that people in a crowd lose their individual judgment and behave in ways they never would when alone. Early thinkers described crowds as dangerous and deeply irrational, claiming that a kind of primitive group mind took over and swept ordinary individuals helplessly along. According to this once-popular view, even an ordinary, sensible person could suddenly become wild and destructive simply by （ 1 ） part of a large and excited group.
Modern research, however, paints a considerably more complicated picture. Careful studies of how real crowds actually behave suggest that people do not simply lose their minds when surrounded by others. Even in tense and frightening situations, individuals very often continue to make reasonable decisions and to act in line with their own personal values. （ 2 ）, in many emergencies, people in crowds calmly help one another, sharing information and assisting complete strangers rather than panicking blindly and selfishly.
Understanding how crowds really behave has genuine practical importance, especially when it comes to public safety. When the authorities in charge wrongly assume that crowds are naturally dangerous and out of control, they may respond with unnecessary force, which can easily make a difficult situation far worse. （ 3 ）, experts now increasingly argue that treating the people in a crowd as reasonable individuals, and giving them clear and honest information, is usually the best way to keep everyone safe.
（1） 正解 1. becoming
「ただ大集団の一員に〜だけで、乱暴になりうる」。集団の一部になる、という意味で becoming（〜になる）が正解。
（2） 正解 1. In fact
前文「人は理性的な判断を続ける」を、空所の後で「非常時に助け合う」と具体的に強める。In fact（実際）が正解。
（3） 正解 1. Instead
前文「力で対応すると事態が悪化しうる」を受け、空所文で逆の対応を勧める。Instead（そうではなく）が正解。
irrational：非理性的な
not based on clear or sensible thinking（明確で分別ある考えに基づかない）
panic：うろたえる・パニック
sudden uncontrollable fear（突然の抑えられない恐怖）
drawback：欠点
a disadvantage of something（ある物事の不利な点）
overcome：克服する
to deal successfully with a problem（問題にうまく対処する）
bargain：交渉する
to discuss terms in order to reach an agreement（合意に達するため条件を話し合う）
strike：ストライキ
a refusal to work as a protest（抗議として働くことを拒むこと）
bias：偏り・偏見
an unfair preference or dislike（不公平な好みや嫌悪）
consistent：一貫した
always behaving in the same way（常に同じように振る舞う）