研口语考试材料道歉.docx

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