幫助有前科的人開始新生活
【內容提示】
對于犯錯誤的人或以前服過刑的罪犯應該採取什麽態度呢?是排斥還是幫助?有的人可能採取前一種態度，有的人則會採用後一種態度。試想，這兩種態度會帶來什麽結果呢?顯然會出現兩種結果。請結合你平時經歷過的一些事情對比說明上述兩種情況。
【作文示範】
Help Ex-cons①Start New Life
I once read a story about a person who was put into prison for his bad behavior. After serving his time in prison, he returned home.“How can you have the face to come home, go away!”his angry father shouted at him. Two months later, he was put into prison again for stealing.
I also read a story about a different person in the same situation, but when he returned to his village, no one looked down upon him, and people helped him find a job to make a living. Five years later, he became a millionaire②and contributed to the building of a school in his hometown.
Different attitudes produce different results.
Generally speaking, after reeducation③ most people have learnt their lessons and find a legal④ way to support themselves through honest labour. When returning to society, only a few returned to their old ways. But even though the number of the ex-felons⑤ who return to a life of crime is below 8 per cent, we should understand that these repeated offences are much worse than first offences.
The task of guiding these people is a job that belongs not only to the persons themselves and their families, but is a task the whole society should confront⑥.
(選自1999年1月27日《英文21世紀報》)
【詞語解釋】
①ex-con[eks "k&n] n.以前的罪犯;有前科者
②millionaire[?milj+"n#+] n.百萬富翁
③reeducation["ri:edju(:)"keiM+n] n.再教育
④legal["li:g+l] adj.法律(上)的
⑤ex-felon[eks-"fel+n] n.重罪人，重罪犯
⑥ confront[k+n"fr)nt] v.(使)面對，(使)面臨
【寫法指要】
本文是一篇對比型說明文，即對照兩個人或事物的不同點。文章採用綜合法(all-about pattern)開門見山地對所討論的問題作了對比：第一段寫對有前科者的不正確態度;第二段寫對這類人員的正確態度，經緯分明。第三、四段是作者做出的總結和結論。第五段寫作者的建議。