研口语考试材料道歉.docx
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研口语考试材料道歉
Passage1
ATimeforApologies
Throughouthistory,sayingsorryisnotsomethingpoliticalandreligiousleadershavefeltcomfortableabout.Someseeitasasignofweakness;forothersit’sanadmissionthattheyareliabletomakeerrors—somethingreligiousinstitutionsareparticularlycarefultoavoid.
Butaspoliticalsystemshavebecomemoresophisticated,theideathatgovernmentsorchurchesarefaultlesshasbecomeincreasinglydifficulttodefend.Theresponseofsomepeopleinpositionsofauthorityhasbeentostandupandapologizeforpastwrongs.
Thetrendbeganinearnestin1995,whentheQueenofEnglandadmittedthattheMaoripeopleofNewZealandhadbeenshamefullytreated,whenthecountrywasaBritishcolony.Sincethen,whatstartedastrickleofapologieshasturnedintosomethingofaflood.Lastyearalone,apologieswereissuedbythreeoftheworld’smostpowerfulnations.TheUSPresident,BillClinton,apologizedformedicalexperimentswhichhisgovernmentcarriedoutonblackAmericanmeninthe1930s;theBritishPrimeMinister,TonyBlair,apologizedforBritain’sfailuretohelpvictimsoftheIrishpotatofamine,whichkilledoveramillionpeoplelastcentury;andFrenchCatholicBishopsapologizedfortheroleoftheirpredecessorsduringWorldWarII.
Butwhydoheadsofstatefeeltheneedtoapologize,andwhynow?
oneanswerhastodowiththerecent50th-anniversaryoftheendofWorldWarII.Threeyearsago,governmentsaroundtheworldwantedtomarkthishistoriceventwithsomeacts.Butthosecountrieswhichhadbeenonthewinningsidefoundthatsimplecelebrationsofvictorywerenolongerappropriate.Manypoliticalleaders,likemostoftheircitizens,belongtopost-wargenerations,whonowlookontheconflictasmorethansimplythevictoryofgoodoverevil.Also,thepassingoftimehaserasedmuchofthepropagandaoftheperiod.Initsplace,recentlydeclassifieddocumentsrevealthatmanyofthevictorseitherprofited,orturnedablindeyetothesufferingsofthewar.
Intheevent,the50th-anniversarycelebrationsemphasizedtherecreationofharmonyandthedesirenevertorepeatthecrueltiesandsufferingofWorldWarII.Butamidthegeneralgoodwill,thefewremainingsurvivorsofcrueltiesliketheHolocaust,andmilitaryoccupation,calledfortheirpersonalsufferingtobeadmitted,andforcompensationtobepaid.
Twogroups—JewishsurvivorsoftheHolocaustandKoreanwomenwhowereforcedintoprostitutionbytheJapaneseArmy—havebothreceivedapologies.However,neithergroupisentirelysatisfiedwiththeresult.
ButtherenewedinvestigationofcrimescommittedduringWorldWarIIisonlyonereasonfortheapologyphenomenon.Othergovernments,notablytheUS,havealsorealizedthatiftheywanttodemandhighstandardsofmoralbehaviorfromothernations,theycanonlydosoiftheyadmittheirownpastwrongs.PresidentClintonhasrespondedbymakingpublicapologiestoUScitizens,who,asrecentlyasthe1950s,wereusedasguinea-piginsecretexperimentsinvolvingradiationandsexuallytransmitteddiseases.HeisalsoexpectedtomakeaformalapologytothedescendantsofslavesintheUS.
Butit’snotjustasenseofconscience,nordemandsfrompressuregroups,whichliesbehindtheseapologies.Awell-timedapologycandoalottopromoteaheadofstate’spublicimage—inthe90s,caringandsympatheticleadersarebettervotewinnersthanproudanddeterminedones.
However,playingthepublic-relationsgamewithapologiesisdangerous,assomepoliticianshavefoundtotheircost.TheSwissgovernmentisstilltryingtoputrightthepublic-relationsdisasterthatresultedfromtheirpartialapologyforSwitzerland’sdealingswiththeNazisinthe1930sand40s.
But,inBritain,TonyBlairhasgainedadifferentkindofpoliticaladvantagethroughhisapologyfortheIrishpotatofamine.HisstatementhashelpedimproverelationsbetweenthepartiesinvolvedinthedifficultpeacenegotiationsoverNorthernIreland.Heisnowthoughttobeconsideringanofficialapologyforthe1972killingofNorthernIrishCatholicsbytheBritishArmyonwhathasbecomeknownas“BloodSunday”.
Beforeheissuesanapology,however,TonyBlairwillhavetoconsiderthepossibilitythatvictim’sfamiliesmightissueclaimsforcompensation.Thecostoffulfillingorfightingsuchclaimscouldoutweighanypoliticaladvantages.Also,becausethiseventhappenedrelativelyrecently,relationsbetweenthedifferentsidesinNorthernIrelandcouldsuffer.
Thesepointsillustratesomeoftherisksthatleaderstakewhensayingsorryforpastwrongs.But,formostleaders,theseriskshavebeenpurelyacademic.Soacademic,infact,thatthereisaconcernthat“sorry”mightturnouttobetheeasiestwordafterall.
Passage2
Tigercommentsoncurrentevents
ByTigerWoods
IhaveletmyfamilydownandIregretthosetransgressionswithallofmyheart.Ihavenotbeentruetomyvaluesandthebehaviormyfamilydeserves.IamnotwithoutfaultsandIamfarshortofperfect.Iamdealingwithmybehaviorandpersonalfailingsbehindcloseddoorswithmyfamily.Thosefeelingsshouldbesharedbyusalone.
AlthoughIamawell-knownpersonandhavemademycareerasaprofessionalathlete,Ihavebeendismayedtorealizethefullextentofwhattabloidscrutinyreallymeans.Forthelastweek,myfamilyandIhavebeenhoundedtoexposeintimatedetailsofourpersonallives.Thestoriesinparticularthatphysicalviolenceplayedanyroleinthecaraccidentwereutterlyfalseandmalicious.Elinhasalwaysdonemoretosupportourfamilyandshownmoregracethananyonecouldpossiblyexpect.
Butnomatterhowintensecuriosityaboutpublicfigurescanbe,thereisanimportantanddeepprincipleatstakewhichistherighttosomesimple,humanmeasureofprivacy.Irealizetherearesomewhodon'tsharemyviewonthat.Butforme,thevirtueofprivacyisonethatmustbeprotectedinmattersthatareintimateandwithinone'sownfamily.Personalsinsshouldnotrequirepressreleasesandproblemswithinafamilyshouldn'thavetomeanpublicconfessions.
WhateverregretsIhaveaboutlettingmyfamilydownhavebeensharedwithandfeltbyusalone.IhavegiventhisalotofreflectionandthoughtandIbelievethatthereisapointatwhichImuststicktothatprincipleeventhoughit'sdifficult.
Iwillstrivetobeabetterpersonandthehusbandandfatherthatmyfamilydeserves.Forallofthosewhohavesupportedmeovertheyears,Ioffermyprofoundapology
Passage3
RCMPapologizestoDziekanski'smother
'Ithankyou,andIacceptyourapology,'ZofiaCisowskiresponds
ZofiaCisowskisaidThursdaythatsheacceptstheRCMP'sapologyfortheirroleinherson'sdeath.Thepoliceforcestoppedshortofacceptingresponsibilityforthedeathbutsaiditwasamongthe'many'peoplewhoplayedaroleinthesequenceofeventsleadinguptoit.(CBC)
ThemotherofPolishvisitorRobertDziekanski,whodiedinOctober2007afterRCMPsubduedhimwithaTaser,saysnowthatthepoliceforcehasapologized,shemightfinallybeabletosleepatnight.
ZofiaCisowskimadethestatementaftertheRCMPdeputycommissionerforthePacificregion,GaryBass,formallyapologizedtoherduringanewsconferenceThursdaymorningatVancouverInternationalAirport,whereDziekanskidied.
"Iwanttoapologizeforourroleinthistragicdeathofyourson,RobertDziekanski,"saidBass."TheRCMPhaslearnedmuchfromthistragicincident."
Cisowskiconfirmedshehadacceptedafinancialsettlementascompensationforherson'sdeathandthatshewilldropthelawsuitshefiledlastyearagainstthefederalandprovincialgovernments,theairportandthefourRCMPofficerswhofiredthestungunatDziekanski.
TheofficerssaidtheyusedtheTaseronDziekanskibecausetheyfeltthreatenedbyhim.ThePolishimmigrant,whodidnotspeakEnglish,hadarrivedinCanadaonalongflightfromEuropeandbecameagitatedafterspendingseveralmorehourswanderingaroundtheimmigrationandbaggageareaslookingforhismother,whohadcometomeethimbutwasstrandedinanotherpartoftheairport.
BasssaidnumerouschangeshadbeenmadetotheRCMPguidelinesfortheuseofTasers,andthathehopedtheapologywouldbeginthehealingprocessforDziekanski'smother,theRCMPandthepublic.
'Ithankyou,andIacceptyourapology.'—ZofiaCisowski
SittingbesideBass,atearfulCisowskialsoreadastatement,saying"Ithankyou,andIacceptyourapology."
"Ithasbeen2½yearssincemysondied,"saidCisowski."TherewasnotasingledaythatIdidnotcryandanalyzewhatcouldhavebeendonetoavoidthistragedy.
"Ibelievethesettlementandtheapologiesgivenbythefederalandprovincialauthoritieswillhelpbeginthehealingprocessandclearthepathtowardmyfuture."
"Itisgoodtoseesomechangesinpolicesandproceduresadoptedbythegovernment,"shesaid,addingthatshewaslookingforwardtothefinalreportfromtheBraidwoodCommission,whichisinvestigatingtheincidentandthegeneraluseofconductedenergyweaponsbypolice.
Settlementnotrevealed
Thedetailsofthefinancialsettlementarebeingkeptconfidential,butCisowskisaidshewasnotangryaboutthefinaloutcomeorthetimeittooktoreachtheagreement.
"Ihavetoclosethischapter,"shesaid,"Iunderstandthatthesethingstaketime."
Herlawyer,WalterKostecky,saidbothsidesagreeditwasinCisowski'sbestinterestsifthedetailsofthesettlementwerenotmadepublic.
TheRCMPhasalsodonated$20,000tosetupastudentscholarshipinKamloops,B.C.,shesaid.
CisowskialsothankedthemediaforbringingtheincidenttolightandthePolishcommunityinKamloops