2014考研英语:英文报刊文章阅读(三)_跨考网
The savage murder of a gay man stuns a state where hate-crime laws do not protect homosexuals
“This is not the type of place where this happens," city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13,000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.
According to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, "they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death." They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, "then they put the body on the fire." They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.
Gaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. "It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama," says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN: "Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this."
"The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens," says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Before Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its "Equality Begins at Home" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty: "These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message." The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid: "It's more than just a gay thing."
注(1):本文选自By Sylvester Monroe Time; 03/15/99, Vol. 153 Issue 10, p47, 2/3p, 3c, 1bw
注(2):本文习题命题模仿对象2003年真题 Text 4
1. What is implied in the first two paragraphs?
[A] there are many murders in the recent history of hatred
[B]the murder also happened in Jasper one year ago
[C] it is another case of the gay being tortured to death
[D]the city council president comes from Sylacauga
2. The author uses the example of Matthew Shepard to show that ________.
[A] it is difficult to extend the hate-crime legislation
[B]people want to extend the hate-crime law
[C]the gays are really in a terrible fix
[D] people are indifferent to the gay student
3. Alvin Holmes’ attitude toward the gay victims is _________.
[A]indifferent
[B]sympathetic
[C]outrageous
[D]considerate
4. Similar to Matthew Shepard, Gaither’s death ________.
[A]aroused people’s sympathy for the gay
[B] sharpened people’s awareness
[C]gave legislation some momentum
[D]failed to have any change in the legislation
5. The text intends to express the idea that __________.
[A] people should be concerned about their gay neighbors
[B]the gay people shouldn’t be regarded as second-class citizens
[C] the legislation for the gay still has a long way to go
[D]more pro-gay campaigns should be launched
答案:C A B D C
2022考研初复试已经接近尾声,考研学子全面进入2023届备考,跨考为23考研的考生准备了10大课包全程准备、全年复习备考计划、目标院校专业辅导、全真复试模拟练习和全程针对性指导;2023考研的小伙伴针也已经开始择校和复习了,跨考考研畅学5.0版本全新升级,无论你在校在家都可以更自如的完成你的考研复习,暑假集训营带来了院校专业初步选择,明确方向;考研备考全年规划,核心知识点入门;个性化制定备考方案,助你赢在起跑线,早出发一点离成功就更近一点!
考研院校专业选择和考研复习计划 | |||
2023备考学习 | 2023线上线下随时学习 | 34所自划线院校考研复试分数线汇总 | |
2022考研复试最全信息整理 | 全国各招生院校考研复试分数线汇总 | ||
2023全日制封闭训练 | 全国各招生院校考研调剂信息汇总 | ||
2023考研先知 | 考研考试科目有哪些? | 如何正确看待考研分数线? | |
不同院校相同专业如何选择更适合自己的 | 从就业说考研如何择专业? | ||
手把手教你如何选专业? | 高校研究生教育各学科门类排行榜 |
相关推荐
跨考考研课程
班型 | 定向班型 | 开班时间 | 高定班 | 标准班 | 课程介绍 | 咨询 |
秋季集训 | 冲刺班 | 9.10-12.20 | 168000 | 24800起 | 小班面授+专业课1对1+专业课定向辅导+协议加强课程(高定班)+专属规划答疑(高定班)+精细化答疑+复试资源(高定班)+复试课包(高定班)+复试指导(高定班)+复试班主任1v1服务(高定班)+复试面授密训(高定班)+复试1v1(高定班) | |
2023集训畅学 | 非定向(政英班/数政英班) | 每月20日 | 22800起(协议班) | 13800起 | 先行阶在线课程+基础阶在线课程+强化阶在线课程+真题阶在线课程+冲刺阶在线课程+专业课针对性一对一课程+班主任全程督学服务+全程规划体系+全程测试体系+全程精细化答疑+择校择专业能力定位体系+全年关键环节指导体系+初试加强课+初试专属服务+复试全科标准班服务 |