单选题
Rewards and punishments are used in different ways by different communities to maintain social order and preserve cultural values. In all cultures, parents must teach their children to avoid danger and to observe the community's moral precepts. Adults also condition each other's observance of social norms, using methods ranging from mild forms of censure, such as looking away when someone makes an inappropriate remark, to imprisoning or executing individuals for behavior considered deviant or dangerous. The caning of American teenager Michael Fay in Singapore for vandalism in 1994 brought wide media attention to cultural differences in the application of punishment. Faced with increasing violence at home, many Americans endorsed Singapore's use of corporal punishment to maintain social order. Was Fay's punishment effective? Whether he subsequently avoids vandalism is unknown, but the punishment did apparently lead to his avoidance of Singapore—which he left promptly. The operant techniques societies use to maintain social control vary in part with the dangers and threats that confront them. The Gusii of Kenya, with a history of tribal warfare, face threats not only from outsiders but also from natural forces, including wild animals. Gusii parents tend to rely more on punishment and fear than on rewards in conditioning appropriate social behavior in their children. Caning, food deprivation, and withdrawing shelter and protection are common forms of punishment. In contrast, the Mixtecans of Juxtlahuaca, Mexico, are a highly cohesive community, with little internal conflict, and social norms that encourage cooperation. Their social patterns appear adaptive, for the Mixtecans are dominated by the nearby Spanish Mexicans, who control the official government and many economic resources in their region. The Mixtecans do not generally impose fines or jail sentences or use physical punishment to deter aggression in either adults or children. Rather, they tend to rely on soothing persuasion. Social ostracism is the most feared punishment, and social ties within the community are very strong, so responses that reinforce these ties are effective in maintaining social order. In the United States, fear of social ostracism or stigma was once a more powerful force in maintaining control over antisocial behavior, especially in small communities. Today, even imprisonment does not appear to be an adequate deterrent to many forms of crime, especially violent crime. Although one reason is the inconsistent application of punishment, another may be the fact that imprisonment no longer carries the intense stigma it once had, so that prison is no longer as an effective punishment.
单选题
The best title of this passage would be A. Crime and Punishment B. Reward and Punishment C. Social Order D. Two Case Studies: Gusii of Kenya and Mixtecans of Juxtlahuaca
单选题
According to the passage, what is a universal cultural norm in maintaining social order? A. Children must be obedient to their parents. B. People must publicly complain when someone misbehaves. C. People should do their parts to ensure that others comply with social rules. D. People should publicly humiliate the wrongdoers.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 推断题。根据题干关键词maintaining social order定位到第一段。该段第二句、第三句提到:在所有文化中,父母必须教会孩子躲避危险并遵守社会的道德准则。成人之间也用不同的方式相互监督彼此是否遵守社会准则。In all cultures对应题干的universal,social norms对应题于的cultural norm。因此C项“人们需要尽自己的职责以确保他人遵守社会准则”为正确答案。
单选题
What can be inferred from the Michael Fay case? A. Many Americans were opposed to the corporal punishment that Michael Fay received in Singapore. B. The American media did not pay any attention to cultural differences until 1994. C. The caning was effective because Michael Fay subsequently refrained from vandalism. D. Michael Fay left Singapore immediately after the caning punishment.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 推断题。根据关键词Michael Fay定位到第一段。此题宜用排除法。原文提到,美国人对新加坡实行体罚来维持社会秩序的做法是认可的,A项错误。B项说美国媒体直到1994年才开始关注文化差异,C项说费伊从此不再破坏公物,原文都没有提到。根据原文the punishment did apparently lead to his avoidance of Singapore—which he left promptly可知费伊受到鞭刑后马上离开了新加坡,因此D项正确。
单选题
What would a Gusii mother from Kenya most likely do to punish her children? A. To stop giving them pocket money. B. To persuade them in a gentle way. C. To verbally humiliate them. D. To threaten to expel them from the home.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 细节题。根据关键词Gusii族和Kenya定位到第二段。根据Gusii parents tend to rely more on punishment...Caning, food deprivation, and withdrawing shelter and protection are common forms of punishment. 可知Gusii族的人更倾向于使用惩罚,而不是奖励,让孩子守规矩。一般常用的惩罚措施有鞭打、禁食、逐出家门等。因此D项符合题意。
单选题
The word "stigma" (Para. 4) most probably means A. irony. B. verbal abuse. C. persuasion. D. bad reputation.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 含义题。由关键词定位到最后一段。该段讲的是美国社会的奖惩制度。该段两处提到stigma,第一处为...fear of social ostracism or stigma was once a more powerful force...,第二处为...the fact that imprisonment no longer carries the intense stigma it once had。由此推断stigma的意思应该与ostracism(排斥)相似,比imprisonment(监禁)在程度上要轻,结合选项可知,stigma是“坏名声”的意思,因此D项正确。