18考研英語：閱讀理解模擬訓練之法學話題（四）

做題引導
①閱讀並完成題目只是第一步，做完之後一定要認真評讀解析，尤其要學會理解、分析錯誤選項錯誤的原因，思考今後如何避免在做錯的地方再犯錯。
②重點詞彙、難句譯註根據自己的實際情況去掌握。
③時間充足的話，還可拿原文來做翻譯和長難句的練習。

原文閱讀
There is a bitter battle over how to combat the nation‘s fastest-growing crime problem， juvenile offenders.While overall crime statistics in America’s largest cities has dropped there is one category where it has skyrocketed. That category is homicides committed by youths under the age of 17. Between 1984 and 1994， murders committed by youths under 17 tripled. Demographic studies show that there will be a surge in the teen population in the coming years and experts believe that 25 percent of all murders committed by the year 2005 will be committed by juveniles.

Violence (i.e. Aggravated assaults) committed with guns by youths has also increased at roughly the samepace as homicides. After years of statistical decline， drug use by teens is also on the rise. None of these statistics would appear to bode well for future. It now seems that everyday we are hearing about horrendous violent crimes being committed by juveniles.

The most famous of late was the 6-year-old in northern California who almost beat to death a small baby. The baby was just released from the hospital on Thursday and has suffered brain damage from the attack by the 6-year-old.

There is also the case of the 15-year-old pregnant girl who was shot to death by another student in St. Louis. In Miami， two 16-year-old males have been charged with the murder of a Dutch woman tourist who just happened to end up in the wrong neighborhood. A 15-year-old New York boy tried to steal a pair of earrings from a woman.

During the attack， the young woman fell to her death under a New York subway train. In Fort Meyers， Florida， a group of teenagers shot and killed a high school band teacher. This case will be the subject of an upcoming ENN report， but a police investigation into this group of teens turned up “would-be junior terrorists” that could have rivaled some of the worst terrorist organizations in the world.

There seems to be growing awareness now of this juvenile crime problem in the United States. Several experts， as well as this publication， have been trying very hard to get the word out. People who have become victims of these young felons are angry and are calling for changes to be made in the juvenile justice system.

It has been a long-standing belief in the United States that juveniles who kill， rape and rob be treated differently than adult offenders. But this may soon change. In 1899， juvenile courts were established to help protect “juvenile delinquents.” But it seems that today， the reasoning for the protection of the youths in the criminal justice system may be outdated and changes need to be made to accomodate these “14-year-old harden felons.” Many critics， today， say that in reality too many hard-core juvenile offenders are arrested held and released time-after-time in a process that is called a revolving door. It seems to only come to an end when a truly heinous crime is committed.

Because of the rise in juvenile crime and the experts predictions that the problem is going to get worse before it gets better， many cities， states and even congress are trying to wrestle with the problem. Tallahassee， Florida has been experimenting with a couple of different programs to deal with troubled youths. In one case， Tallahassee Police received a report of a teenager breaking into an auto. Immediately， officers knew their suspect. The suspect was a 16-year-old who even held a job at a near-by restaurant. This 16-year-old who was on parole， had been known to commit 32 similar offenses. Officers had kept the suspect tracked on a point scale. He was arrested after he barricaded himself inside an apartment building. Because of his extensive criminal record prosecutors immediately sent him to trial in an adult court. This can be called the “get-tough” approach.

1. As you read the first paragraph， which kind of crimes are increasing while the crime statistics in America‘s largest cities has dropped?
[A] Homicides committed by youths.
[B] Murders committed by adults.
[C] Drug abuse.
[D] Violation.

2. Read the third paragraph carefully and then answer the question： What happened to the “6-year-old”?
[A] The “6-year-old” had been killed.
[B] The “6-year-old” had almost killed another small baby.
[C] The “6-year-old” had been sent to prison.
[D] The “6-year-old” had suffered brain damage.

3. What thing will be report by ENN?
[A] A high school teacher had been killed by a group of teenagers.
[B] Junior terrorists.
[C] The case of the 15-year-old pregnant girl who was shot to death by another student in St. Louis.
[D] Both A and B.

4. Who called for changes to be made in the juvenile justice system?
[A] Journalists came from Florida.
[B] The parents came from the juvenile‘s families.
[C] Teachers came from the juvenile‘s school.
[D] The victims of these young felons.

5. As the author use the example of the case of Tallahassee， what did he mean?
[A] To illustrate the importance of changes that should be made in the juvenile justice system……
[B] To state that teenagers who committed crimes should be sent to trial in an adult court.
[C] To express that the old law was not fit for the new phenomenon.
[D] To express that the author hated the juvenile crimes.

答案解析
1.[A] 細節題。本題只要讀懂文章就不難排除干擾。我們細看原文可以發現，第一段裏只講了青少年殺人犯罪問題，所以，後面幾個選項都不符合要求。

2.[B] 理解題。這道題考查對原文的理解。重點在於區分“6-year-old”和“the baby”。只要將這兩者區分清楚就不會選錯。

3.[A] 本題是細節題。細讀文章第五段可以發現，文中說將要被 ENN 報道的是 A 中提到的佛羅里達州高中教師被青少年殺害事件。B 項的少年恐怖分子雖在文中有提及，但不是 ENN 要報道的內容，所以排除。

4.[D] 細節題。本文較爲側重考查考生捕捉細節的能力。在文中第六段段末可以看到， 受害者們最爲關注針對青少年犯罪司法體系的修改。而選項中提到的 C 項雖然有老師是受害者，但顯然過於片面，故排除。

5.[A] 主旨題。作者在文中舉了這個案例目的在於表明舊有的法律已經不適用了。對於現在的一些青少年惡性案件來說，有必要加大懲處力度。所以，作者引用了這個案例來說明如果不對青少年犯罪加以扼制，這批問題少年成年後還會對社會造成危害。解這道題主要需要把握原文主旨。作者在文中對青少年犯罪持否定態度，多處細節表明作者本身贊同對問題少年加以限制，所以這裏的選擇就可以根據本文的主要精神加以把握。

難句點津
1. Demographic studies show that…the year 2005 will be committed by juveniles.

[譯文]統計學的研究表明，在即將到來的一年裏，青年人口將有迅猛的增長。據專家估計，在 2005 年，25%的謀殺事件是由青少年犯罪導致的。

[註解] 其中，a surge of something 意思是 a sudden increase in amount of number.demographic 是形容詞，意爲人口統計學的。surge 即可作名詞也可爲動詞，這裏作動詞用，意爲迅猛增長。

2. After years of statistical decline， drug use by teens is also on the rise.

[譯文]儘管多年來的數據呈下降趨勢，但青少年吸毒問題依然嚴重。

[註解]這句話不長，關鍵在於對詞組“on the rise”意思的理解，在文中，該詞組的意思爲依然在上升。

3. Several experts， as well as this…made in the juvenile justice system.

[譯文]一些專家以及這本刊物都在努力試圖尋求法律的支持，深受這些少年重犯之害的人們都異常憤怒並呼籲政府對青少年司法制度進行更改。

[註解]“felons”原型是“felon”，意思是重罪犯。這裏“calling”是呼籲的意思。

4. Because of the rise in juvenile…congress are trying to wrestle with the problem.

[譯文]由於青少年犯罪的增長加上專家們預測這個問題在得到改善之前將日趨嚴重，很多城市、州，甚至國會都開始試着同這種問題做鬥爭了。

[註解]在原文中出現的連詞“and”在翻譯時，不一定譯成“和”字，爲了照顧漢語的流暢，這個“和”可以譯成“加上”。

5. The suspect was a 16-year-old who even held a job at a near-by restaurant.

[譯文]這個嫌疑犯十六歲，甚至在附近的餐館還擁有一份工作。

[註解]“suspect”作嫌疑犯講。在這裏的定語從句沒有翻譯成定語而是譯成了動賓結構。