Valuing Childhood
The value of childhood is easily blurred (变得模糊不清) in today's world. Consider some recent developments: The child-murderers in the Jonesboro, Ark. schoolyard shooting case were convicted and sentenced. Two boys, 7 and 8, were charged in the murder of an 11-year-old girl in Chicago.
Children who commit horrible crimes appear to act of their own will. Yet, as legal proceedings in Jonesboro showed, the one boy who was able to address the court couldn't begin to explain his acts, though he tried to apologize. There may have been a motive m youthful jealousy (妒忌) and resentment. But a deeper question remains: Why did these boys and others in similar trouble apparently lack any inner, moral restraint?
That question echoes for the accused in Chicago, young as they are. They wanted the girl's bicycle, a selfish impulse common enough among kids.
Redemption (拯救) is a practical necessity. How can value be restored to young lives distorted by acts of violence? The boys in Jonesboro and in Chicago will be confined in institutions for a relatively short time. Despite horror at what was done, children are not—cannot be m dealt with as adults, not if a people wants to consider itself civilized. That's why politicians' cries for adult treatment of youthful criminals ultimately miss the point.
But the moral void (真空) that invites violence has many sources. Family instability contributes. So does economic stress. That void, however, can be filled. The work starts with parents, who have to ask themselves whether they're doing enough to give their children a firm sense of right and wrong. Are they really monitoring their activities and their developing processes of thought?
Schools, too, have a role in building character. So do youth organizations. So do law enforcement agencies, which can do more to inform. the young about laws, their meaning, and their observance (遵守).
The goal, ultimately, is to allow all children a normal passage from childhood to adulthood (成年), so that tragic gaps in moral judgement are less likely to occur. The relative few who fill such gaps with acts of violence hint at many others who don't go that far, but who lack the moral foundations childhood should provide—and which progressive human society relies on.
The two boys in Chicago were
A. shot.
B. murdered.
C. accused.
D. sentenced.
One of the reasons why business or government has not taken tough measures to stop hacking
A. it will cause fear among the public.
B. hacking has not caused much damage.
C. tough measures are illegal.
D. communication may be interrupted.
Mother Nature Shows Her Strength
Tornadoes (龙卷风) and heavy thunderstorms moved across the Great Lakes and into Trumbull County on Saturday evening. The storms were dramatic and dangerous.
George Snyder was driving the fire truck down Route 88 when he first noticed that a funnel (漏半状的) cloud was behind him. "I stopped the truck and watched the funnel cloud. It was about 100 feet off the ground and I saw it go up and down for a while. It was moving toward Bradley Road and then suddenly it disappeared," Snyder said.
Snyder only saw one of the funnel clouds that passed through northeastern Ohio on Saturday. In Trumbull County, a tornado turned trees onto their sides. Some trees fell onto houses and cars. Other trees fell into telephone and electrical wires as they went down.
Amanda Symcheck was having a party when the storm began. "I knew something was wrong," she said." I saw the sky go green and pink (粉红色). Then it sounded like a train rushing toward the house. I started crying and told everyone to go to the basement for protection."
The tornado caused a lot of damage to cars and houses in the area. It will take a long time and much money to repair everything. There was also serious water damage from the thunderstorms. The heavy rains and high wind caused the power to go out in many homes.
The storms caused serious flooding in areas near the river. More than four inches of rain fell in parts of Trumbull County. The river was so high that the water ran into streets and houses. Many streets had to be closed to cars and trucks because of-the high water. This made it difficult for fire trucks, police cars, and other rescue vehicles to help people who were in trouble.
Many people who live near the river had to leave their homes for their own safety. Some people reported five feet of water in their homes. Local and state officials opened emergency shelters for the people who were evacuated (撤走). The Red Cross served meals to them.
"This was a really intense storm," said Snyder, "People were afraid. Mother Nature can be fierce. We were lucky this time. No one was killed."
The weather was nice in Trumbull County on Saturday evening.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned