Gangs' "Protection"
Although from an objective point of view, we can see joining a gang brings more danger than it saves you from, this is not always the way it is seen by kids. In slums such as the Bronx or the very worst case, Compton, children will no doubt be beaten and robbed if they do not join a gang. Of course they can probably get the same treatment from rivals when in a gang. The gang also provides some money for these children who quite often need to feed their families. The reason kids think that the gang will keep them safe is from propaganda from the gangs. Gang members will say that no one will get hurt and make a public show of revenge if a member is hurt or killed.
So, as you have seen gangs are a product of the environment we have created for ourselves. There are some factors that include oppression, the media, greed, violence and other gangs. There seems to be no way to end the problem of gangs without totally restructuring the modern economy and value system. Since the chance of this happening is minimal, we must learn to cope with gangs and try to keep their following to a minimum. Unfortunately there is no real organized force to help fight gangs. Of course the police are supposed to do this but this situation quite often deals with racial issues also and the police forces regularly display their increasing inability to deal fairly with these issues. What we need are more people to form. organizations like the "Guardian Angels" a gang-like group that makes life very tough for street gangs that are breaking laws.
What does the author of this passage believe is the real cause of gang enrollment'?
Altering political system.
B. Seeking fortune.
C. Avoiding discrimination.
D. Obtaining protection.
查看答案
Abortion Should Be Kept Out of the Criminal Code
Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life. When the expulsion from the womb occurs after the fetus becomes viable (capable of independent life), usually at the end of six months of pregnancy, it is technically a premature birth.
The practice of abortion was widespread in ancient times as a method of birth control. Later it was restricted or forbidden by most world religions, but it was not considered an offense in secular law until the 19th century. During that century, first the English Parliament and then American state legislatures prohibited induced abortion to protect women from surgical procedures that were at the time unsafe, commonly stipulating a threat to the woman's life as the sole therapeutic exception to the prohibition. Occasionally the exception was enlarged to include danger to the mother's health as well.
Legislative action in the 20th century has been aimed at permitting the termination of unwanted pregnancies for medical, social, or private reasons. Abortions at the woman's request were first allowed by tire Soviet Union in 1920, followed by Japan and several East European nations after World War II. In the late 1960s liberalized abortion regulations became widespread. The impetus for the change was threefold: (1) infanticide and the high maternal death rate associated with illegal abortions, (2) a rapidly expanding world population, (3) the growing feminist movement. Countries with moderately restrictive laws of abortions permitted to protect a woman's health, to end pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, to avoid genetic or congenital defects, or in response to social problems such as unmarried status or inadequate income. Abortions at the woman's request, usually with limits based on physical conditions such as duration of pregnancy, were allowed in countries with nearly 40 percent of the world's population.
Under the Criminal Code. R. S. C. 970, C-34, abortion constitutes a criminal offense. Section 159(2) (c) makes it an offense to offer or have for sale or disposal, to publish or advertise means, instructions or medicine intended or represented to cause abortion or miscarriage. Section 221 (1) makes the act of causing death to a child who has not become a human being, in the act of birth, equivalent to murder. Abortion constitutes an indictable offense under s. 251 of the Code whenever a person uses any means to carry out the intent to procure a miscarriage of female person, whether she is pregnant or not. Section 251 (2) makes any female attempting to procure a miscarriage by any means guilty of an indictable offense. Section 251 (4) allows permission for a therapeutic abortion to be obtained from a competent committee, fulfilling strict regulations, with the operation performed by a qualified physician.
Until 1988, under the Canadian Criminal Code, an attempt to induce an abortion by any means was a crime. The maximum penalty was life imprisonment, or two years if the woman herself was convicted. The law was liberalized in 1969 with an amendment to the Criminal Code allowing that abortions are legal if performed by a doctor in an accredited hospital after a committee certified that the continuation of the pregnancy would likely endanger the mother's life or heath. In 1989, 70,779 abortions were reported in Canada, or 18 abortions per 100 live births.
Abortion
A. is not allowed in most countries.
B. was left unnoticed in ancient times.
C. was first prohibited in England.
D. is a method of birth control.
Is Continuing Ed for You?
Continuing education is important for everyone now, in all fields. Almost as soon as you've completed a field of study and begun working--new ideas, approaches and techniques will be under discussion. To stay current in your discipline and to assure work success and career progression, it's imperative you stay on top of emerging techniques and technologies that affect your work area.
Even if you have worked in the same field for years and have accumulated a rich repertoire of experience, Continuing Ed is vital. Many occupations are now adopting "skill standards" that will formally define the knowledge desired or required for that field. In order to assure your ongoing career stability, you'll want to be sure to keep current and at least meet, if not exceed, defined "skill standards".
Certification, in a wide variety of fields, is becoming more and more common these days, too. Even if you're already in the occupation--if today's new hires are expected to be certified in particular areas, it will be to your advantage to certify yourself as well.
Ongoing education is one of the surest routes to promotion and it increases job security. It also enhances opportunity on the job market when you're seeking a new job. And, carefully planned, it can provide a good insurance policy against obsolescence. (If trends indicate that your career field or industry is in a downturn, with continuing education, it's possible to acquire new skills and successfully move into another occupation or industry.) Reality is: There's no way to rose with continuing education.
So, exactly what is "continuing education" ? It can take many forms. For those in certain career areas (i. e., legal/medical) there are certain prescribed courses one must take within a certain timeframe. in order to remain licensed. In other areas, like technology, there are new languages, new operating systems and the like released continually that may be important to learn about for your particular field or business niche. For some, achieving specific certifications is vital. But, sometimes, Continuing Ed is less specific. Sometimes it's up to you to decide what courses/new learning will benefit you in your current job or on the job market as a whole.
The reason for the necessity of Continuing Education is that
A. you have to stay current in your discipline.
B. new ideas and technologies are to be discussed.
C. you have just completed your studies.
D. you are just beginning to work.
听力原文:W: Smith has been talking away for over an hour.
M: Yeah. I wonder if he is going to give the other speakers a turn.
What do we know about Smith?
A. He is outtalking himself.
B. He is talking too many things.
C. He is talking longer than expected.
D. He is talking his own turn.
听力原文:W:The house is worth $81,500 in all, isn't it?
M: Yes, you can buy this house by paying 10% down and the rest over 25 years at interest.
How much does the woman have to pay immediately for the house?
A. $81,500.
B. $8,150.
C. $815.
D. $1,000.