问答题

Directions: In this part, there is a short passage with five questions. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions. Write your answers on the answer sheet.

 In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come, work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.

On Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged “Operation Safe Travel” —raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification. In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captures were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers ’ illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.

Many immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.

Mayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. “ We ’ re saying we want you to work in these places, we ’re going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it’s convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sep. 11, then you ’re disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons, ” Anderson said.

If Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry’ s ice cream shop at the airport, had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation. Castro’ s case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben &Jerry’s.

Questions: 

问答题 According to the author, what kind of a nation does the United States claim to be?
【正确答案】US claims to be a country which is  founded on shared ideals.
【答案解析】由全文可知, 第一段a country指的是美国。 再由第一段首句In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood可知, 美国将自己定义为一个因理想而凝聚起来的国家, 而不是因其国民属于同一血统。
问答题 How did the immigrants in Salt Lake City feel about“Operation Safe Travel” ?
【正确答案】They felt angry/offended.
【答案解析】由第三段内容可知, 盐湖城的移民对“安全旅行行动” 感到十分愤怒, 他们感觉像是随意被丢弃的货物一般。
问答题 Why did the undocumented workers become the target of“Operation Safe Travel” ?
【正确答案】Terrorists might take advantage of their illegal status.
【答案解析】第二段最后一句Authorities said the undocumented workers’ illegal status made them open to blackmail (讹诈) by terrorists, 这一句解释了官方逮捕未入档工人的原因。Be open to blackmail, 是易受讹诈的意思。 易受讹诈的原因是illegal status, 非法地位, 联系起来可以明白大致的意思是: 因为他们是非法移民, 恐怖分子可能会利用这一点, 以告发其身份为威胁, 迫使他们与恐怖分子合作。
问答题 What does Mayor Anderson mean by saying “. . . we’ re going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are” ?
【正确答案】There are other ways of enforcing the law.
【答案解析】第四段Anderson市长说到we’ re going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are时继续说: when it’s convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security…then you’ re disposable. 可见法律可以因情势变更而作处不同的解释, 进而实施之。
问答题 What do you learn about Ana Castro’ s future from the last paragraph?
【正确答案】Her fate remains uncertain.
【答案解析】短文最后提到Ana Castro一案尚未结案, 全家面临被驱逐出境的威胁, 但结果出来之前, 仍允许她回到原单位工作, 所以她的命运仍是未知的。