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EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 1
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 7
OnaweekdaynightthisJanuarythousandsofflag-wavingyouthspackedOlayaStreetRiyadh’smainshoppingstriptocheeramemorableSaudivictoryintheGCCCupfootballfinal.Onecarrockmusicblaringfromitsstereosquealedtoastopblockinganintersection.Thepassengersleaptoutclamberedontotheroofanddancedwildlyinfrontofthehonkingcrowd.Havingparalyzedthetrafficacrosshalfthecitytheyspedoffbeforethepolicecouldcatchthem. SuchpublicoccasionwasonceunthinkableintherigidconformistkingdombutnowyoungpeoplethereandinotherGulfstatesareincreasinglywillingtochallengeauthority.Thatdoesnotmakethemrebels:respectforeldersforreligiousdutyandformaintainingfamilybondsremainpre-eminentvaluesandpremaritalsexisgenerallyoutofthequestion.Yetdemographyisbeginningtoputpressureonultra-conservativenorms. Afterall60%oftheGulf’snativepopulationisundertheageof25.Withmanymoreofitscitizensinschoolthanintheworkforcetheregionfacesatleastagenerationofrocketingdemandforemployment.IneverysingleGCCcountrythenativeworkforcewilldoubleby2020.InSaudiArabiaitwillgrowfrom3.3mnowtoover8m.Thetaskofmanagingthissurgewouldbedauntingenoughforanysocietybutisparticularlyforbiddinginthisregionforseveralreasons. ThefirstisthattheGulfsuffersfromalopsidedlaborstructure.Thisgoesbacktothe1970swhenballooningoilincomesallowedgovernmentstoimportmillionsofforeignworkersandtodispensecozyjobstothelocals.Theresultisatwo-tierworkforcewithoutsidersworkingmostlyintheprivatesectorandnativesmonopolizingthestatebureaucracy.Privatefirmsareasproductiveasany.Butwithinthegovernmentclaimsonestudyworkersareworthonlyaquarterofwhattheygetpaid. Similarlyintheeducationsector30yearsspentkeepingpacewithsoaringstudentnumbershastakenaheavytollonstandards.TheSaudischoolsystemforinstancetodayhastocopewith5mstudentseighttimesmorethanin1970.AndmanyGulfcountriesadaptedtheircurriculafromEgyptianmodelsthatarenowthoroughlydiscredited.Theycontinuetofavorrotelearningof"facts"intendedtoinstillpatriotismorreligiousvalues. Evenworsethesystemasawholediscouragesintellectualcuriosity.Itchannelsstudentsintoacquiringprestigedegreesratherthangainingmarketableskills.Ofthe120000graduatesthatSaudiuniversitiesproducedbetween1995and1999only10000hadstudiedtechnicalsubjectssuchasarchitectureorengineering.Theyaccountedforonly2%ofthetotalnumberofSaudisenteringthejobmarket. ThewordlopsidedParagraph4mostprobablymeans
TheNewhouseshelterinKansasCityhashelpedthousandsofabusedwomenandtheirchildrenoverthepast37years.Butlastmonththewomenwereforcedtomoveoutandthestaffstartedlookingfornewjobs.Thereasonwassimple.Whiletheneedwastherethemoneywasnot.DwindlingcharitablecontributionstiedtoabroadU.S.economicslowdownmeanfewerresourcesandhardchoicesforcharitiesacrossthecountry. "Peopleareholdingtighttotheirmoney"saidNewhousePresidentLeslieCaplanwhoestimatedcharitablecontributionsweredown＄200000thisyearcomparedtolastyear.Thatcombinedwithcutsingovernmentgrantshasseverelysqueezedthecenter’s＄1.3millionbudget. AsAmericansstrugglingwithrisingunemploymentandhomeforeclosuresturntocharitiesforhelpcharitiesthemselvesarerunningintofinancialdifficultiesasdonationsdwindle.Theyarebeingforcedtoincreasetheiroutreachholdmorefund-raisingeventsandseekoutnewdonorstomakeendsmeet."Thepeoplewhousedtogiveussmallamounts$10or$15thatisgoingaway.Thepeoplewhohavealotofmoneystillareabletogivebuttheyaremoreselectiveintheirgiving"McIntyresaid."It’sgettingbadoutthere." PhilanthropicGivingIndexwhichmeasuresprospectsforcharitabledonationshasdroppedto83onascaleof100from88inDecember2007itslowestpointsince2003.Rev.CecilWilliamsnoticedthatdonationstoGlideMemorialUnitedMethodistChurchinSanFranciscobeganfallingoffearlierthisyearforcinghimtocutmealschildcareandhealthcaretothepoorbyupto15percent.Meanwhilethelinesforhelpgrowlonger. MelissaPerezofLaHabraCaliforniahostedaBrazilianstudentlastyearundertheauspicesoftheCenterforCulturalInterchangeaChicago-basednonprofitthatarrangesforfamiliestohouseandfeedforeignstudents."Everything’shard.We’reverymuchpinched"saidPerezwhocannotaffordtodoitagainthisyearbecauseherfamily’smanufacturingbusinessisintrouble.SuchexperiencesmeantheCenterforCulturalInterchangehasnotbeenabletofindenoughvolunteers. "Businessisnotasgoodandtheyfeelthepressureandthatleadstoadeclineingiving"saidBridgesboardmemberInayatMalik."Howmuchpeoplegivedependson’howsecuretheyfeel"Bermansaid."Ithinkwe’llseeanimpactonpersonalgivingthisfallandwinterwhichiswhenmostcharitableorganizationsdependongenerosity. Paragraph5isconcernedaboutthelackof
Internetisavastnetworkofcomputersthatconnectsmanyoftheworld’sbusinessesinstitutionsandindividuals.46TheInternetwhichmeansinterconnectednetworkofnetworkslinkstensofthousandsofsmallercomputernetworks.Thesenetworkstransmithugeamountsofinformationintheformofwordsimagesandsounds.TheInternethasinformationoneverytopic.47Networkuserscansearchthroughsourcesrangingfromvastdatabasestosmallelectronicbulletinboardswhereusersformdiscussiongroupsaroundcommoninterests.MuchoftheInternet’strafficconsistsofmessagessentfromonecomputerusertoanother.Thesemessagesarecalledelectronicmailore-mail.Internetusershaveelectronicaddressesthatallowthemtosendandreceivee-mail.Otherusesofthenetworkincludeobtainingnewsjoiningelectronicdebatesandplayingelectronicgames.48OnefeatureoftheInternetknownastheWorldWideWebprovidesgraphicsaudioandvideotoenhancetheinformationinitsdocuments.Thesedocumentscoveravastnumberoftopics.PeopleusuallyaccesstheInternetwithadevicecalledamodem.Modemsconnectcomputerstothenetworkthroughtelephonelines.MuchoftheInternetoperatesthroughworldwidetelephonenetworksoffiber-opticcables49Thesecablescontainhair-thinstrandsofglassthatcarrydataaspulsesoflight.Theycantransmitthousandsoftimesmoredatathanlocalphonelinesmostofwhichconsistofcopperwires.Inthefuturetheinternetwillprobablygrowmoresophisticatedascomputertechnologybecomesmorepowerful.50ManyexpertsbelievetheInternetmaybecomepartofalargernetworkcalledtheinformationsuperhighway.Thisnetworkstillunderdevelopmentwouldlinkcomputerswithtelephonecompaniescabletelevisionstationsandothercommunicationsystems.PeoplecouldbankshopwatchTVandperformmanyotheractivitiesthroughthenetwork.
WhiletheripplesofAmerica’ssubprime-mortgagecrisishavespreadfarandwideLatinAmerica—aplacelongassociatedwithfinancialdisaster—hasremainedimprobablycalm.Bankshavereportednounpleasantsurprises.BrazilandPeruhavebeenblessedwithcovetedinvestment-graderatings.SurprisinglyperhapsthefleetestcountryofallhasbeenArgentina.Sinceitemergedfromthefinancialcrisisof2001-02ithasbeenoneoftheworld’sfastest-growingeconomies.Itisexpectedtoexpandfasterthanmostofitsneighborsagainthisyear. Quitesimplyitbarelyhasanycredit.Backwhenitseconomyvirtuallycollapsedthecountrysufferedarunonitsbanksfollowedbyafreezeonwithdrawalsandamassivecurrencydevaluation.Asaresultbanklendingtotheprivatesectorshrivelledfrom23.8%ofGDPin2000to10.8%in2003.Sincethenithasreboundedtoapiddling13%;bycontrasttheratioinBrazilwas36.5%in2006.AlmostalloftheseloansinArgentinaareaccessibleonlyonashort-termbasis. OnceitsrecoverybeganinJune2002Argentinabecameaparadiseforbusiness.Unemploymentofover20%keptwagesdownandthedevaluationgaveexportersanedgeonforeigncompetitors.Theampleproductivecapacityleftidlebythecrisismeantfirmscouldexpandwithoutmakingbiginvestments.Andthewindfallprofitsreapedbyagriculturalexportersthankstorecordcommoditiespricesenabledmanyofthemtofinancenewprojectsoutofearnings.Hencetheeconomycouldgrowatalmost9%ayearwithlittleneedforcredit. Butsuchaluckyconfluenceoffactorscouldnotlast.Startinginearly2005.inflationpickedupasignthattheinstalledcapacitywasstartingtolimitoutput.Salariesandpricesforrawmaterialsincreasedsharplycuttingintoprofits.Andfarmerswereparticularlyhardhitwhenthegovernmentnearlydoubledthetaxesinfarmexports.Nowjustascompaniesneedtoembarkonbiginvestmentsiftheyaretokeepgrowingtheirmarginsarenolongerbigenoughtopayfortheexpansionandtheyneedtoborrow. Sothetimeisripeforthecountry’sfinancialsystemtorecover.Butanumberofthingsareintheway.ForemostisArgentina’sbusinessrisk.Thoseintheinformaleconomywhichrepresentsover40%ofGDPcanneithersavenorborrowlegallylesttheybecomeknowntothetaxmen.Therestremaincowedbymemoriesofthecrisis.AlthoughArgentineshavepouredtheirsavingsintopropertyfuellingaconstructionboomtheystillholdaboutfour-fifthsoftheirdepositsabroad. Inflationfuelledbyapublic-spendingbingestate-mandatedwageincreasesandacheapcurrencyisnothelpingeither.Nooneknowshowhighitis.Theconsumer-priceindexisdoctoredtokeeptheofficialratebelow10%butprivateestimatessuggestitisnear25%.Withoutareliableindexofinflationlendingisalmostimpossibleevenforthemediumterm.Andthecentralbankhaskeptinterestratesstronglynegativeinrealtermsencouragingworkerstospendtheirwagesratherthantosave. Thereisnoreliableindexofinflationbecause
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 5
ForthefirsttimeGeorgeBushhasacknowledgedtheexistenceofsecretCIAprisonsaroundtheworldwherekeyterroristsuspects—100inallofficialssay—havebeeninterrogatedwith"analternativesetofprocedures".FourteenofthesuspectsincludingtheallegedmastermindoftheSeptember11thattacksweretransferredonMondaytotheAmericannavalbaseatGuantánamoBayinCubawheresomewillfacetrialforwarcrimesbeforespecialmilitarycommissions. Manyofthesemen—asMr.BushconfirmedinatelevisedspeechattheWhiteHouseonSeptember6th—areal-QaedaoperativesorTalibanfighterswhohadsoughttowithholdinformationthatcould"saveAmericanlives"."Inthesecasesithasbeennecessarytomovetheseindividualstoanenvironmentwheretheycanbeheldsecretlyandquestionedbyexperts"thepresidentsaid.HedeclinedtosaywheretheyhadbeenheldorwhytheyhadnotsimplybeensentstraighttoGuantánamoassome770othersuspectedterroristshavebeen. Mr.Bushalsorefusedtorevealwhatinterrogationmethodshadbeenusedsayingonlythatthough"tough"theyhadbeen"safeandlawfulandnecessary".ManybelievethatthemainpurposeoftheCIA’sprisonswastohidefrompryingeyesthetortureandothercruelordegradingtreatmentusedtoextractinformationfromprisoners.ButMr.BushinsistedthatAmericadidnottorture:"It’sagainstourlawsandit’sagainstourvalues.Ihavenotauthorisedit—andIwillnotauthoriseit." ThePentagonthisweekissueditslong-awaitednewArmyFieldManualforbiddingallformsoftortureanddegradingtreatmentofprisonersbyarmypersonnel—thoughnottheCIA.Forthefirsttimeitspecificallybansforcednakednesshoodingtheuseofdogssexualhumiliationand"waterboarding"simulateddrowning—allpracticesthathavebeenusedatGuantámamoandAbuGhraib. SowhydidthepresidentdecidenowtorevealtheCIA’ssecretprogrammePartlyheconfessedbecauseoftheSupremeCourt’srecentrulingthatminimumprotectionsundertheGenevaConventionsappliedtoallmilitaryprisonersnomatterwheretheywere.ThishasputAmericanagentsatriskofprosecutionforwarcrimes.Mr.BushhasnowaskedCongresstobansuspectedterroristsfromsuingAmericanpersonnelinfederalcourts. Mr.Bush’sattitudetowardthepublic’sremarksis
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 13
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 9
In1880SirJoshuaWaddiloveaVictorianphilanthropistfoundedProvidentFinancialtoprovideaffordableloanstoworking-classfamiliesinandaroundBradfordinnorthernEngland.ThismonthhiscompanynowoneofBritain’sleadingprovidersof"homecredit"—smallshort-termunsecuredloans—beganthenationwiderolloutofVanquisacreditcardaimedatpeoplethatmainstreamlendersshun.Thecardoffersupto￡200$380ofcreditataprice:fortheriskiestcustomerstheannualinterestratewillbe69%. Providentsaysthatthetypicalinterestrateiscloserto50%andthatitchargesnofeesforlatepaymentsorbreachingcreditlimits.Stillthatistripletherateonregularcreditcardsandfarabovethe30%chargedbystorecards.AndtheVanquiscardisbeinglaunchedjustwhenBritain’spoliticiansandmediaarefullofworryaboutsoaringconsumerdebt.Lastmonthamantookhisownlifeafterrunningupdebtsof￡130000on22differentcreditcards. Creditcardsfor"sub-prime"borrowersastheindustrydelicatelycallsthosewithpoorcreditrecordsarenewinBritainbuthavebeencommoninAmericaforawhile.Lendersbeganissuingthemwhentheprimemarketbecamesaturatedpromptingthemtolookfornewsourcesofprofit.EveninAmericathesub-primemarkethasplentyofroomforgrowth.DavidRobertsonoftheNilsonReportatrademagazinereckonsthatoutstandingsub-primecredit-carddebtaccountsforonly3%ofthe$597billionthatAmericansoweonplastic.Thesub-primesectorgrewby7.9%lastyearcomparedwithonly2.6%fortheindustryasawhole. Youmightwonderthoughhowcompaniescanmakemoneyfromlendingtocustomerstheyknowtobebadrisks—oratanyratehowtheycandoitlegitimately.Whereasdelinquenciesinthecredit-cardindustryasawholearearound4%-5%thoseinthesub-primemarketarealmosttwiceashighandcanreach15%inhardtimes. Obviouslyissuerschargehigherinterestratestocompensatethemforthehigherriskofnotbeingrepaid.Andallacrossthecredit-cardindustrytheassessmentandpricingofriskshasbeengettingmoreandmorerefinedthankslargelytoadvancesintechnologyanddataprocessing.Companiesalsousesophisticatedcomputerprogramstotrackslowerpaymentorothersignsofincreasedrisk.Sub-primeissuerspayasmuchattentiontocollectingdebtastomanagingrisk;theyimposeextrachargessuchasapplicationfees;andtheycaptheirpotentiallossesbylendingonlysmallamounts$500isatypicalcreditlimit. Allthisiseasiertodescribethantodoespeciallywhentheeconomyslows.Aftertheburstingofthetechnologybubblein2000severalsub-primecredit-cardprovidersfailed.Nowthereareonlyaround100ofwhichnineissuecreditcards.SurvivorssuchasMetrisandProvidiantwoofthebiggersub-primecardcompanieshavebecomechoosierabouttheircustomers’credithistories. Astheeconomyrecoveredsodidlenders’fortunes.Fitcharatingagencysaysthattheproportionofsub-primecredit-cardborrowerswhoaremorethan60daysinarrearsagoodpredictorofeventualdefaultisthelowestsinceNovember2001.ButwithAmericaninterestratesrisingagainsomeworryaboutanothersqueeze.AsFitch’sMichaelDeanpointsoutsub-primeborrowerstendtohavenotjusthigher-ratecreditcardsbutdearerautoloansandvariable-ratemortgagesaswell.Thatmakesariskybusinessevenriskier. Vanquisisdifferentfromregularcardsinthat
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 17
Internetisavastnetworkofcomputersthatconnectsmanyoftheworld’sbusinessesinstitutionsandindividuals.46TheInternetwhichmeansinterconnectednetworkofnetworkslinkstensofthousandsofsmallercomputernetworks.Thesenetworkstransmithugeamountsofinformationintheformofwordsimagesandsounds.TheInternethasinformationoneverytopic.47Networkuserscansearchthroughsourcesrangingfromvastdatabasestosmallelectronicbulletinboardswhereusersformdiscussiongroupsaroundcommoninterests.MuchoftheInternet’strafficconsistsofmessagessentfromonecomputerusertoanother.Thesemessagesarecalledelectronicmailore-mail.Internetusershaveelectronicaddressesthatallowthemtosendandreceivee-mail.Otherusesofthenetworkincludeobtainingnewsjoiningelectronicdebatesandplayingelectronicgames.48OnefeatureoftheInternetknownastheWorldWideWebprovidesgraphicsaudioandvideotoenhancetheinformationinitsdocuments.Thesedocumentscoveravastnumberoftopics.PeopleusuallyaccesstheInternetwithadevicecalledamodem.Modemsconnectcomputerstothenetworkthroughtelephonelines.MuchoftheInternetoperatesthroughworldwidetelephonenetworksoffiber-opticcables49Thesecablescontainhair-thinstrandsofglassthatcarrydataaspulsesoflight.Theycantransmitthousandsoftimesmoredatathanlocalphonelinesmostofwhichconsistofcopperwires.Inthefuturetheinternetwillprobablygrowmoresophisticatedascomputertechnologybecomesmorepowerful.50ManyexpertsbelievetheInternetmaybecomepartofalargernetworkcalledtheinformationsuperhighway.Thisnetworkstillunderdevelopmentwouldlinkcomputerswithtelephonecompaniescabletelevisionstationsandothercommunicationsystems.PeoplecouldbankshopwatchTVandperformmanyotheractivitiesthroughthenetwork.
41Conflicts:Ifyoudogetaplaceinthestudentdormitoryitislikelythatyouwillhavetoshareyourlivingspacewithoneotherstudent.WhilehavinganAmericanroommatewillhelpyoutolearnmoreaboutAmericanwaystherewillprobablybemanytimesthatdiscomfortorconflictwillariseduetoculturaldifferences.42Sex:WithregardtosexingeneralAmericanbehaviorisquitedifferentfromthenormsfoundinChina.43RelationshipBetweenTeachers&Students:OnthecampusparticularlywhereclassesaresmallIfoundastrangeinformalitythatcharacterizedtherelationshipbetweenstudentsandtheirprofessors.44Gifts:InmyinteractionwithAmericanfriendsInoticedthattheconceptofagiftisquitedifferenthere.ManythingswegivetoeachotherinChinaarenotcalledgiftsbutareconsideredtobeareflectionofordinarydutiesandmutualobligations.AccustomedaswearetousingthewordgifttorefertosomethingvaluablegivenonspecialoccasionsitcomesasasurprisetoseehowoftenthewordisusedinAmerica.IntheUnitedStatesgiftsgivenonmanydifferentoccasionsareonlyservices.45SocialIntercourse.WhenyoudoenterAmericanhomesyouwillhaveanopportunitytoobservedifferentwaysofgreetingpeople.OnthewholeAmericanstendtobefarmorephysicalthanweintheirgreetings.[A]Iwasastonishedforexamplewhenafriendtoldmethathewasofferingtocareforhisyoungerbrotherandsistersothathisfathercouldtakeavacationforhisbirthday--thiswasagifttohim.Forusthiswouldbeconsidereddutyratherthanagift.Evenbetweenfriendsgesturesofthissortmightbeconsideredgiftshere.[B]WhilemanystudentsdocalltheirprofessorsProfessorsoandsoorDr.soandsosomeprofessorsprefertobecalledfamiliarlybytheirfirstnames.Andinthespiritofinformalitymanyprofessorsmayinvitestudentstotheirhomesorcanbeseenchattingwithstudentsoveramealoracupofcoffeeintheschoolcafeteria.Agoodnumberofinstructorsevenrequestthatstudentsfilloutclassevaluationformswhichassessthecontentandpresentationofthecourse.[C]Myroommatewasverysociableandhadmanyboyfriendswhocametovisitoftenverylate.OnenightaftermidnightIhadtostayinthebathroomforanextra40minutesbecauseIhadheardaman’svoiceinmyroom.MyroommatedidnotrealizehowawkwardIwouldfeelmeetingamanwhileIwasinmynightgown.YouseeAmericanstudentstendtobemuchmorecasualaboutthesematters.[D]Onmanyoccasionsforinstanceclosefriendsorsometimesevencasualacquaintancesembraceorkisseachotheronthecheeksingreetingorbiddingfarewell.Itmayevenhappenthatwherecouplesareclosefriendsthetwohusbandswillkisstheotherman’swife![E]IntheUnitedStatesforexampleifastudentwantstoinvitehisteachertoadinnerpartytheinvitationshouldbesentaweekorsobeforethepartydate.Iftheinvitationisextendedonlythreeorfourdaysbeforethepartydatetheteacherwillfeelheisnothighlyregarded.[F]ForexamplemanyAmericanstudentsseemtoliketolistentopopularandsometimesloudmusicwhilestudyingintheirrooms.Sometimestheywillevenleavethemusiconwhentheyleavetheroom.ForsomereasonmanywilltellyoumusichelpsthemtorelaxandconcentrateanideawhichotherforeignstudentsandIfoundverystrangeanddisturbing.We’dliketostudyquietlywithoutanydisturbance.
OnaweekdaynightthisJanuarythousandsofflag-wavingyouthspackedOlayaStreetRiyadh’smainshoppingstriptocheeramemorableSaudivictoryintheGCCCupfootballfinal.Onecarrockmusicblaringfromitsstereosquealedtoastopblockinganintersection.Thepassengersleaptoutclamberedontotheroofanddancedwildlyinfrontofthehonkingcrowd.Havingparalyzedthetrafficacrosshalfthecitytheyspedoffbeforethepolicecouldcatchthem. SuchpublicoccasionwasonceunthinkableintherigidconformistkingdombutnowyoungpeoplethereandinotherGulfstatesareincreasinglywillingtochallengeauthority.Thatdoesnotmakethemrebels:respectforeldersforreligiousdutyandformaintainingfamilybondsremainpre-eminentvaluesandpremaritalsexisgenerallyoutofthequestion.Yetdemographyisbeginningtoputpressureonultra-conservativenorms. Afterall60%oftheGulf’snativepopulationisundertheageof25.Withmanymoreofitscitizensinschoolthanintheworkforcetheregionfacesatleastagenerationofrocketingdemandforemployment.IneverysingleGCCcountrythenativeworkforcewilldoubleby2020.InSaudiArabiaitwillgrowfrom3.3mnowtoover8m.Thetaskofmanagingthissurgewouldbedauntingenoughforanysocietybutisparticularlyforbiddinginthisregionforseveralreasons. ThefirstisthattheGulfsuffersfromalopsidedlaborstructure.Thisgoesbacktothe1970swhenballooningoilincomesallowedgovernmentstoimportmillionsofforeignworkersandtodispensecozyjobstothelocals.Theresultisatwo-tierworkforcewithoutsidersworkingmostlyintheprivatesectorandnativesmonopolizingthestatebureaucracy.Privatefirmsareasproductiveasany.Butwithinthegovernmentclaimsonestudyworkersareworthonlyaquarterofwhattheygetpaid. Similarlyintheeducationsector30yearsspentkeepingpacewithsoaringstudentnumbershastakenaheavytollonstandards.TheSaudischoolsystemforinstancetodayhastocopewith5mstudentseighttimesmorethanin1970.AndmanyGulfcountriesadaptedtheircurriculafromEgyptianmodelsthatarenowthoroughlydiscredited.Theycontinuetofavorrotelearningof"facts"intendedtoinstillpatriotismorreligiousvalues. Evenworsethesystemasawholediscouragesintellectualcuriosity.Itchannelsstudentsintoacquiringprestigedegreesratherthangainingmarketableskills.Ofthe120000graduatesthatSaudiuniversitiesproducedbetween1995and1999only10000hadstudiedtechnicalsubjectssuchasarchitectureorengineering.Theyaccountedforonly2%ofthetotalnumberofSaudisenteringthejobmarket. Thewildbehaviorofyoungpeopledepictedinthefirstparagraphisintendedto
TheNewhouseshelterinKansasCityhashelpedthousandsofabusedwomenandtheirchildrenoverthepast37years.Butlastmonththewomenwereforcedtomoveoutandthestaffstartedlookingfornewjobs.Thereasonwassimple.Whiletheneedwastherethemoneywasnot.DwindlingcharitablecontributionstiedtoabroadU.S.economicslowdownmeanfewerresourcesandhardchoicesforcharitiesacrossthecountry. "Peopleareholdingtighttotheirmoney"saidNewhousePresidentLeslieCaplanwhoestimatedcharitablecontributionsweredown＄200000thisyearcomparedtolastyear.Thatcombinedwithcutsingovernmentgrantshasseverelysqueezedthecenter’s＄1.3millionbudget. AsAmericansstrugglingwithrisingunemploymentandhomeforeclosuresturntocharitiesforhelpcharitiesthemselvesarerunningintofinancialdifficultiesasdonationsdwindle.Theyarebeingforcedtoincreasetheiroutreachholdmorefund-raisingeventsandseekoutnewdonorstomakeendsmeet."Thepeoplewhousedtogiveussmallamounts$10or$15thatisgoingaway.Thepeoplewhohavealotofmoneystillareabletogivebuttheyaremoreselectiveintheirgiving"McIntyresaid."It’sgettingbadoutthere." PhilanthropicGivingIndexwhichmeasuresprospectsforcharitabledonationshasdroppedto83onascaleof100from88inDecember2007itslowestpointsince2003.Rev.CecilWilliamsnoticedthatdonationstoGlideMemorialUnitedMethodistChurchinSanFranciscobeganfallingoffearlierthisyearforcinghimtocutmealschildcareandhealthcaretothepoorbyupto15percent.Meanwhilethelinesforhelpgrowlonger. MelissaPerezofLaHabraCaliforniahostedaBrazilianstudentlastyearundertheauspicesoftheCenterforCulturalInterchangeaChicago-basednonprofitthatarrangesforfamiliestohouseandfeedforeignstudents."Everything’shard.We’reverymuchpinched"saidPerezwhocannotaffordtodoitagainthisyearbecauseherfamily’smanufacturingbusinessisintrouble.SuchexperiencesmeantheCenterforCulturalInterchangehasnotbeenabletofindenoughvolunteers. "Businessisnotasgoodandtheyfeelthepressureandthatleadstoadeclineingiving"saidBridgesboardmemberInayatMalik."Howmuchpeoplegivedependson’howsecuretheyfeel"Bermansaid."Ithinkwe’llseeanimpactonpersonalgivingthisfallandwinterwhichiswhenmostcharitableorganizationsdependongenerosity. Theworddwindlemostprobablymeans
Internetisavastnetworkofcomputersthatconnectsmanyoftheworld’sbusinessesinstitutionsandindividuals.46TheInternetwhichmeansinterconnectednetworkofnetworkslinkstensofthousandsofsmallercomputernetworks.Thesenetworkstransmithugeamountsofinformationintheformofwordsimagesandsounds.TheInternethasinformationoneverytopic.47Networkuserscansearchthroughsourcesrangingfromvastdatabasestosmallelectronicbulletinboardswhereusersformdiscussiongroupsaroundcommoninterests.MuchoftheInternet’strafficconsistsofmessagessentfromonecomputerusertoanother.Thesemessagesarecalledelectronicmailore-mail.Internetusershaveelectronicaddressesthatallowthemtosendandreceivee-mail.Otherusesofthenetworkincludeobtainingnewsjoiningelectronicdebatesandplayingelectronicgames.48OnefeatureoftheInternetknownastheWorldWideWebprovidesgraphicsaudioandvideotoenhancetheinformationinitsdocuments.Thesedocumentscoveravastnumberoftopics.PeopleusuallyaccesstheInternetwithadevicecalledamodem.Modemsconnectcomputerstothenetworkthroughtelephonelines.MuchoftheInternetoperatesthroughworldwidetelephonenetworksoffiber-opticcables49Thesecablescontainhair-thinstrandsofglassthatcarrydataaspulsesoflight.Theycantransmitthousandsoftimesmoredatathanlocalphonelinesmostofwhichconsistofcopperwires.Inthefuturetheinternetwillprobablygrowmoresophisticatedascomputertechnologybecomesmorepowerful.50ManyexpertsbelievetheInternetmaybecomepartofalargernetworkcalledtheinformationsuperhighway.Thisnetworkstillunderdevelopmentwouldlinkcomputerswithtelephonecompaniescabletelevisionstationsandothercommunicationsystems.PeoplecouldbankshopwatchTVandperformmanyotheractivitiesthroughthenetwork.
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 19
ForthefirsttimeGeorgeBushhasacknowledgedtheexistenceofsecretCIAprisonsaroundtheworldwherekeyterroristsuspects—100inallofficialssay—havebeeninterrogatedwith"analternativesetofprocedures".FourteenofthesuspectsincludingtheallegedmastermindoftheSeptember11thattacksweretransferredonMondaytotheAmericannavalbaseatGuantánamoBayinCubawheresomewillfacetrialforwarcrimesbeforespecialmilitarycommissions. Manyofthesemen—asMr.BushconfirmedinatelevisedspeechattheWhiteHouseonSeptember6th—areal-QaedaoperativesorTalibanfighterswhohadsoughttowithholdinformationthatcould"saveAmericanlives"."Inthesecasesithasbeennecessarytomovetheseindividualstoanenvironmentwheretheycanbeheldsecretlyandquestionedbyexperts"thepresidentsaid.HedeclinedtosaywheretheyhadbeenheldorwhytheyhadnotsimplybeensentstraighttoGuantánamoassome770othersuspectedterroristshavebeen. Mr.Bushalsorefusedtorevealwhatinterrogationmethodshadbeenusedsayingonlythatthough"tough"theyhadbeen"safeandlawfulandnecessary".ManybelievethatthemainpurposeoftheCIA’sprisonswastohidefrompryingeyesthetortureandothercruelordegradingtreatmentusedtoextractinformationfromprisoners.ButMr.BushinsistedthatAmericadidnottorture:"It’sagainstourlawsandit’sagainstourvalues.Ihavenotauthorisedit—andIwillnotauthoriseit." ThePentagonthisweekissueditslong-awaitednewArmyFieldManualforbiddingallformsoftortureanddegradingtreatmentofprisonersbyarmypersonnel—thoughnottheCIA.Forthefirsttimeitspecificallybansforcednakednesshoodingtheuseofdogssexualhumiliationand"waterboarding"simulateddrowning—allpracticesthathavebeenusedatGuantámamoandAbuGhraib. SowhydidthepresidentdecidenowtorevealtheCIA’ssecretprogrammePartlyheconfessedbecauseoftheSupremeCourt’srecentrulingthatminimumprotectionsundertheGenevaConventionsappliedtoallmilitaryprisonersnomatterwheretheywere.ThishasputAmericanagentsatriskofprosecutionforwarcrimes.Mr.BushhasnowaskedCongresstobansuspectedterroristsfromsuingAmericanpersonnelinfederalcourts. AccordingtothetexttheoldArmyFieldManuallacks
WashingtonDChastraditionallybeenanunbalancedcitywhenitcomestothelifeofthemind.IthasgreatnationalmonumentsfromtheSmithsonianmuseumstotheLibraryofCongress.Butday-to-dayculturallifecanbethin.Itattractssomeofthecountry’sbestbrains.Butfartoomuchofthecity’sintellectuallifeisdevotedtotheminutiaeofthepoliticalprocess.Dinnertableconversationcanalltooeasilyturntobudgetreconciliationorsocialsecurity. Thisischanging.OnOctober1sttheShakespeareTheatreCompanyopeneda775-seatnewtheatreintheheartofdowntown.SidneyHarmanhallnotonlyprovidesanewstageforatheatrecompanythathashithertohadtomakedowiththe450-seatLansburghTheatrearoundthecorner.Itwillalsoprovideaplatformformanysmallerartscompanies. ThefactthatsomanyoftheseoutfitsarequeuinguptoperformistestimonytoWashington’sculturalvitality.Therecently-expandedKennedyCentreisbysomemeasuresthebusiestperformingartscomplex.Butitstillhasagrowingnumberofartsgroupswhicharedesperateformid-sizedspacedown-town.MichaelKahnthetheatrecompany’sartisticdirectorjokesthatdespiteWashington’saversion厌恶tokeepingsecretsithasmadeaprettygoodjobofkeepingquietaboutitsartisticlife.TheHarmanCentreshouldactasawhistleblower. WashingtonstillbowsthekneetoNewYorkandChicagowhenitcomestoculture.ButithasagoodclaimtobeAmerica’sintellectualcapital.Ithasthegreatestcollectionofthink-tanksontheplanetanditregularlysucksinagiantshareofthecountry’sbestbrains.WashingtonissecondonlytoSanFranciscofortheproportionofresidentstwenty-fiveyearsandolderwithabachelor’sdegreeorhigher. Washington’sintellectuallifehasbeensuperchargedduringtheBushyearsdespitetheDecider’saversiontoideas.September11th2001putquestionsofglobalstrategyatthecenterofthenationaldebate.MostofAmerica’sintellectualcentersarefirmlyinthegripoftheleft-liberalestablishment.Foralltheirtalkof"diversity"Americanuniversitiesareallergictoadiversityofideas.Washingtonisoneofthefewcitieswhereconservativesregularlydobattlewithliberals.Itisalsothecenterofafiercedebateaboutthefuturedirectionofconservatism. ThedangerforWashingtonisthatthisintellectualandculturalrenaissancewillleavethemajorityofthecitizensuntouched.Thecapitalremainsacitydeeplydividedbetweenover-educatedwhiteitinerantsandunder-educatedblacklocals.StillthenewShakespearetheatreispartofjob-generatingdowntownrevival.Twentyyearsagodowntownwasadesertofdilapidated破旧的buildingsandbagpeople.Todayitisbustlingwithlife.IfWashingtonisstrugglingtofixtheworldatleastitismakingareasonablejoboffixingitself. TheunderlinedphrasewhistleblowerLastlineParagraph3probablymeans
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 15
TheNewhouseshelterinKansasCityhashelpedthousandsofabusedwomenandtheirchildrenoverthepast37years.Butlastmonththewomenwereforcedtomoveoutandthestaffstartedlookingfornewjobs.Thereasonwassimple.Whiletheneedwastherethemoneywasnot.DwindlingcharitablecontributionstiedtoabroadU.S.economicslowdownmeanfewerresourcesandhardchoicesforcharitiesacrossthecountry. "Peopleareholdingtighttotheirmoney"saidNewhousePresidentLeslieCaplanwhoestimatedcharitablecontributionsweredown＄200000thisyearcomparedtolastyear.Thatcombinedwithcutsingovernmentgrantshasseverelysqueezedthecenter’s＄1.3millionbudget. AsAmericansstrugglingwithrisingunemploymentandhomeforeclosuresturntocharitiesforhelpcharitiesthemselvesarerunningintofinancialdifficultiesasdonationsdwindle.Theyarebeingforcedtoincreasetheiroutreachholdmorefund-raisingeventsandseekoutnewdonorstomakeendsmeet."Thepeoplewhousedtogiveussmallamounts$10or$15thatisgoingaway.Thepeoplewhohavealotofmoneystillareabletogivebuttheyaremoreselectiveintheirgiving"McIntyresaid."It’sgettingbadoutthere." PhilanthropicGivingIndexwhichmeasuresprospectsforcharitabledonationshasdroppedto83onascaleof100from88inDecember2007itslowestpointsince2003.Rev.CecilWilliamsnoticedthatdonationstoGlideMemorialUnitedMethodistChurchinSanFranciscobeganfallingoffearlierthisyearforcinghimtocutmealschildcareandhealthcaretothepoorbyupto15percent.Meanwhilethelinesforhelpgrowlonger. MelissaPerezofLaHabraCaliforniahostedaBrazilianstudentlastyearundertheauspicesoftheCenterforCulturalInterchangeaChicago-basednonprofitthatarrangesforfamiliestohouseandfeedforeignstudents."Everything’shard.We’reverymuchpinched"saidPerezwhocannotaffordtodoitagainthisyearbecauseherfamily’smanufacturingbusinessisintrouble.SuchexperiencesmeantheCenterforCulturalInterchangehasnotbeenabletofindenoughvolunteers. "Businessisnotasgoodandtheyfeelthepressureandthatleadstoadeclineingiving"saidBridgesboardmemberInayatMalik."Howmuchpeoplegivedependson’howsecuretheyfeel"Bermansaid."Ithinkwe’llseeanimpactonpersonalgivingthisfallandwinterwhichiswhenmostcharitableorganizationsdependongenerosity. Wecaninferfromparagraph1thatthepassagewillfocuson
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 3
FitatAnySizeNikkiBlonskyisexactlytherolemodelmostparentsdreamoffortheirkids.She’shappyshe’ssuccessfulshe’sovercomeobstacles—nowonderheryoungfansadoreher.She’salsooverweight—bysomemeasuresveryoverweight—inaculturethatfetishizesthin.41Blonskyissuchaluckydogbecauseshewouldn’thavebeenapopularfigureshehadbeenbornadecadeearlier.42Happinessmightbethemostdifficultwordtodefinebutatleastpeopleareincreasinglyawareofthefactthatthebodyshapedoesnotdeterminehappiness.43Nobodylikestobeover-weightedyetit’snotourrighttomakethedecision.44Beforeyouletyourkidstoloseweightyoushouldmakesurewhattheyarelosingweightorhealth.45Iyouonlyfeelhungrythenyoucanfreelyenjoythejoyofeatinganddrinking;howeverifyoubearthewordweightinyourmindyoucan’tdothat.Amidallthisback-and-forthhoweverthereisonepointthateveryoneagreeson:exercisedefinitelyimprovesachild’soverallsenseofwell-being.Cooperwhoinventedaerobicsagenerationagohasbeentestingthephysicalfitnessofschoolchildrenoverthepastdecadeandhasconsistentlyfoundthatactivekidsdobetteracademicallyhavefewerdisciplinaryissuesandmaintainbettermedicalhistories.Achilddoesn’tneedtobeastarathleteoratong-distancerunnerCoopersays.Eventakingthestairsinsteadofanelevatorhaspositiveeffects.[A]There’slittledoubtthatbeingobeseputsinactiveyoungstersatahigherriskforseveralhealthconditionsincludingType2diabeteshighbloodpressureandheartdisease.Butalmostnostudieshavebeendoneevaluatingtheprosandconsofkidsbeingfatyetactive.Plusreportsonadultsinsimilarsituationshaveconflicted.Sincethe1970sdoctorsatthenonprofitCooperInstituteinDallashavegathereddatafrommorethan100000patientswhohavebeenweighedmeasuredandmadetorunontreadmillswhiletheirvitalsignsaremonitored.We’velongconcludedthatpeoplewhoareoverweightandactivecanbehealthierthanthosewhoarethinbutsedentarysaysDr.KennethCoopertheinstitute’sdirector.There’snoreasontobelievethatconclusiondoesn’tapplytoourchildrentoo.[B]Behindthepushtogetkidsfitisthegrowingrecognitionthatinmanycasesthere’sjustnofightingthenaturalrhythmsorshapeofachild’sbody.Throughoutchildhoodandadolescencehormonesmaycauseweighttofluctuatedramatically.Plusnaturedetermineswhetherwe’reallgoingtobestockyabeanpoleorsomethinginbetweenbeforewe’reevenborn.MostbodyweightsandtypesforchildrenandadultsaregeneticallydeterminedsaysGlennGaesseraprofessorofexercisephysiologyattheUniversityofVirginia.Therearealotofkidswhoarejustnaturallyheavierthantheirpeersbutmaybeevenhealthier.[C]Difficultasitistohearthatyourchildisoverweightplacingachildonanenforceddietmaydomorelong-termharmthangood.Doctorshaveyettofindaweight-lossprogramthathasproveduniversallyeffectiveandsafeespeciallyforchildren.Moreoftendieterswillloseweightintheshortrunonlytoregainit.Researchsuggeststhattherepeatedlosing-regainingcyclecanleadtolossinbonedensityandleanmusclemassorgansandbonesjeopardizingoverallhealth.Infactatleast15majorstudieshaveshownhigherdeathratesforadultsafterrepeatedlosingregainingweightcycling.[D]Plus-sizecelebritieslikeBlonsky—orforthatmatterherHairsprayco-starsJohnTravoltaalbeitinalatexfatsuitandQueenLatifah—areincreasinglyspreadingthemessagethatslimisnotthelastwordinhappy.Fitmeanshappytoo;sodoesstayingactive;sodoeslovingyourbodynomatteritsshape.Thekeyistogetthatbodyhealthyandkeepitthatway.Thenumbersonthescale—pediatriciansnutritionistsandpsychologistsnowargue—shouldstarttocomesecondtophysicalfitnessasagaugeforhealth.[E]Asmanyas10millionwomenand1millionmenintheU.S.sufferfromaneatingdisorderaccordingtotheNationalEatingDisorderAssociationNEDA.Nearly90%ofthoseafflictedareundertheageof20andfemalesbetweentheagesof15and24are12timesaslikelytodiefromanorexiaasanyoneothercauseofdeath.A2005studypublishedinthejournalPediatricsdeterminedthatof10000teenssurveyedlessthanhalfofthemalesandaboutathirdofthefemaleswerehappywiththeirbodies.ParentsfaceacomplicatedsituationTimBrownellanexpertfromNEDAsays.Theyhavetopromotehealthyweightbuttheyalsodon’twanttochangechildrenintodiet-crazedfanatics.[F]TherewasatimewhenthatalonewouldhavebeenenoughtokeepBlonskythe19-year-oldstarofthemovieHairsprayoutofthefanmagazinesandoffthepostersdecoratinggrade-schoolers’bedroomwalls.Butthattimemayatlastbeending.Thenationalobesityepidemicdidnothappeninavacuum.Itoccurredinanerainwhichfashionmodelshavegotthinnerandthinnerthetoleranceforevenalittleflabhasgrownlowerandlowerandtheratesofeatingdisorderslikeanorexiahaveclimbedhigherandhigher.Inthatenvironmentchildrenandadolescentstryingtodevelopahealthybodyimagehavealmostnochanceatall.
EuthanasiahasbeenatopicofcontroversyinEuropesinceatleast1936.OnanaverageofsixtimesadayadoctorinHollandpractices"active"euthanasia:1administeringalethaldrugtoa2illpatientwhohasaskedtoberelieved3suffering.Twentytimesadaylifeprolongingtreatmentiswithheldorwithdrawn4thereisnohopethatitcan5anultimatecure."Active"euthanasiaremainsacrimeontheDutchstatutebookspunishable612yearsinprison.Butaseriesofcourtcasesoverthepast15yearshasmadeitclearthatacompetentphysicianwho7itoutwillnotbeprosecuted. Euthanasiaoftencalled"mercykilling"isacrimeeverywhereinWesternEurope.8moreandmoredoctorsandnursesinBritainGermanyHollandandelsewherereadily9topracticingitmostofteninthe"passive"formofwithholdingorwithdrawing10Thelongsimmeringeuthanasiaissuehaslately11intoasometimesfiercepublicdebate12bothsidesclaimingthemantleofultimaterighteousness.Those13tothepracticeseethemselves14sacredprinciplesofrespectforlife15thoseinfavorraisethebannerofhumanetreatment.Afteryears16thedefensivetheadvocatesnowseemtobe17ground.RecentpollsinBritainshowthat72percentofBritish18favoreuthanasiainsomecircumstances.Anastonishing76percentof19toapolltakenlatelastyearinFrancesaidtheywouldlikethelawchangedto20mercykillings.Obviouslypressuregroupsfavoringeuthanasiaand"assistedsuicide"havegrownsteadilyinEuropeovertheyears. 11
41Conflicts:Ifyoudogetaplaceinthestudentdormitoryitislikelythatyouwillhavetoshareyourlivingspacewithoneotherstudent.WhilehavinganAmericanroommatewillhelpyoutolearnmoreaboutAmericanwaystherewillprobablybemanytimesthatdiscomfortorconflictwillariseduetoculturaldifferences.42Sex:WithregardtosexingeneralAmericanbehaviorisquitedifferentfromthenormsfoundinChina.43RelationshipBetweenTeachers&Students:OnthecampusparticularlywhereclassesaresmallIfoundastrangeinformalitythatcharacterizedtherelationshipbetweenstudentsandtheirprofessors.44Gifts:InmyinteractionwithAmericanfriendsInoticedthattheconceptofagiftisquitedifferenthere.ManythingswegivetoeachotherinChinaarenotcalledgiftsbutareconsideredtobeareflectionofordinarydutiesandmutualobligations.AccustomedaswearetousingthewordgifttorefertosomethingvaluablegivenonspecialoccasionsitcomesasasurprisetoseehowoftenthewordisusedinAmerica.IntheUnitedStatesgiftsgivenonmanydifferentoccasionsareonlyservices.45SocialIntercourse.WhenyoudoenterAmericanhomesyouwillhaveanopportunitytoobservedifferentwaysofgreetingpeople.OnthewholeAmericanstendtobefarmorephysicalthanweintheirgreetings.[A]Iwasastonishedforexamplewhenafriendtoldmethathewasofferingtocareforhisyoungerbrotherandsistersothathisfathercouldtakeavacationforhisbirthday--thiswasagifttohim.Forusthiswouldbeconsidereddutyratherthanagift.Evenbetweenfriendsgesturesofthissortmightbeconsideredgiftshere.[B]WhilemanystudentsdocalltheirprofessorsProfessorsoandsoorDr.soandsosomeprofessorsprefertobecalledfamiliarlybytheirfirstnames.Andinthespiritofinformalitymanyprofessorsmayinvitestudentstotheirhomesorcanbeseenchattingwithstudentsoveramealoracupofcoffeeintheschoolcafeteria.Agoodnumberofinstructorsevenrequestthatstudentsfilloutclassevaluationformswhichassessthecontentandpresentationofthecourse.[C]Myroommatewasverysociableandhadmanyboyfriendswhocametovisitoftenverylate.OnenightaftermidnightIhadtostayinthebathroomforanextra40minutesbecauseIhadheardaman’svoiceinmyroom.MyroommatedidnotrealizehowawkwardIwouldfeelmeetingamanwhileIwasinmynightgown.YouseeAmericanstudentstendtobemuchmorecasualaboutthesematters.[D]Onmanyoccasionsforinstanceclosefriendsorsometimesevencasualacquaintancesembraceorkisseachotheronthecheeksingreetingorbiddingfarewell.Itmayevenhappenthatwherecouplesareclosefriendsthetwohusbandswillkisstheotherman’swife![E]IntheUnitedStatesforexampleifastudentwantstoinvitehisteachertoadinnerpartytheinvitationshouldbesentaweekorsobeforethepartydate.Iftheinvitationisextendedonlythreeorfourdaysbeforethepartydatetheteacherwillfeelheisnothighlyregarded.[F]ForexamplemanyAmericanstudentsseemtoliketolistentopopularandsometimesloudmusicwhilestudyingintheirrooms.Sometimestheywillevenleavethemusiconwhentheyleavetheroom.ForsomereasonmanywilltellyoumusichelpsthemtorelaxandconcentrateanideawhichotherforeignstudentsandIfoundverystrangeanddisturbing.We’dliketostudyquietlywithoutanydisturbance.
OnaweekdaynightthisJanuarythousandsofflag-wavingyouthspackedOlayaStreetRiyadh’smainshoppingstriptocheeramemorableSaudivictoryintheGCCCupfootballfinal.Onecarrockmusicblaringfromitsstereosquealedtoastopblockinganintersection.Thepassengersleaptoutclamberedontotheroofanddancedwildlyinfrontofthehonkingcrowd.Havingparalyzedthetrafficacrosshalfthecitytheyspedoffbeforethepolicecouldcatchthem. SuchpublicoccasionwasonceunthinkableintherigidconformistkingdombutnowyoungpeoplethereandinotherGulfstatesareincreasinglywillingtochallengeauthority.Thatdoesnotmakethemrebels:respectforeldersforreligiousdutyandformaintainingfamilybondsremainpre-eminentvaluesandpremaritalsexisgenerallyoutofthequestion.Yetdemographyisbeginningtoputpressureonultra-conservativenorms. Afterall60%oftheGulf’snativepopulationisundertheageof25.Withmanymoreofitscitizensinschoolthanintheworkforcetheregionfacesatleastagenerationofrocketingdemandforemployment.IneverysingleGCCcountrythenativeworkforcewilldoubleby2020.InSaudiArabiaitwillgrowfrom3.3mnowtoover8m.Thetaskofmanagingthissurgewouldbedauntingenoughforanysocietybutisparticularlyforbiddinginthisregionforseveralreasons. ThefirstisthattheGulfsuffersfromalopsidedlaborstructure.Thisgoesbacktothe1970swhenballooningoilincomesallowedgovernmentstoimportmillionsofforeignworkersandtodispensecozyjobstothelocals.Theresultisatwo-tierworkforcewithoutsidersworkingmostlyintheprivatesectorandnativesmonopolizingthestatebureaucracy.Privatefirmsareasproductiveasany.Butwithinthegovernmentclaimsonestudyworkersareworthonlyaquarterofwhattheygetpaid. Similarlyintheeducationsector30yearsspentkeepingpacewithsoaringstudentnumbershastakenaheavytollonstandards.TheSaudischoolsystemforinstancetodayhastocopewith5mstudentseighttimesmorethanin1970.AndmanyGulfcountriesadaptedtheircurriculafromEgyptianmodelsthatarenowthoroughlydiscredited.Theycontinuetofavorrotelearningof"facts"intendedtoinstillpatriotismorreligiousvalues. Evenworsethesystemasawholediscouragesintellectualcuriosity.Itchannelsstudentsintoacquiringprestigedegreesratherthangainingmarketableskills.Ofthe120000graduatesthatSaudiuniversitiesproducedbetween1995and1999only10000hadstudiedtechnicalsubjectssuchasarchitectureorengineering.Theyaccountedforonly2%ofthetotalnumberofSaudisenteringthejobmarket. Whatisthesectionfollowingthistextmostlikelytodealwith
In1880SirJoshuaWaddiloveaVictorianphilanthropistfoundedProvidentFinancialtoprovideaffordableloanstoworking-classfamiliesinandaroundBradfordinnorthernEngland.ThismonthhiscompanynowoneofBritain’sleadingprovidersof"homecredit"—smallshort-termunsecuredloans—beganthenationwiderolloutofVanquisacreditcardaimedatpeoplethatmainstreamlendersshun.Thecardoffersupto￡200$380ofcreditataprice:fortheriskiestcustomerstheannualinterestratewillbe69%. Providentsaysthatthetypicalinterestrateiscloserto50%andthatitchargesnofeesforlatepaymentsorbreachingcreditlimits.Stillthatistripletherateonregularcreditcardsandfarabovethe30%chargedbystorecards.AndtheVanquiscardisbeinglaunchedjustwhenBritain’spoliticiansandmediaarefullofworryaboutsoaringconsumerdebt.Lastmonthamantookhisownlifeafterrunningupdebtsof￡130000on22differentcreditcards. Creditcardsfor"sub-prime"borrowersastheindustrydelicatelycallsthosewithpoorcreditrecordsarenewinBritainbuthavebeencommoninAmericaforawhile.Lendersbeganissuingthemwhentheprimemarketbecamesaturatedpromptingthemtolookfornewsourcesofprofit.EveninAmericathesub-primemarkethasplentyofroomforgrowth.DavidRobertsonoftheNilsonReportatrademagazinereckonsthatoutstandingsub-primecredit-carddebtaccountsforonly3%ofthe$597billionthatAmericansoweonplastic.Thesub-primesectorgrewby7.9%lastyearcomparedwithonly2.6%fortheindustryasawhole. Youmightwonderthoughhowcompaniescanmakemoneyfromlendingtocustomerstheyknowtobebadrisks—oratanyratehowtheycandoitlegitimately.Whereasdelinquenciesinthecredit-cardindustryasawholearearound4%-5%thoseinthesub-primemarketarealmosttwiceashighandcanreach15%inhardtimes. Obviouslyissuerschargehigherinterestratestocompensatethemforthehigherriskofnotbeingrepaid.Andallacrossthecredit-cardindustrytheassessmentandpricingofriskshasbeengettingmoreandmorerefinedthankslargelytoadvancesintechnologyanddataprocessing.Companiesalsousesophisticatedcomputerprogramstotrackslowerpaymentorothersignsofincreasedrisk.Sub-primeissuerspayasmuchattentiontocollectingdebtastomanagingrisk;theyimposeextrachargessuchasapplicationfees;andtheycaptheirpotentiallossesbylendingonlysmallamounts$500isatypicalcreditlimit. Allthisiseasiertodescribethantodoespeciallywhentheeconomyslows.Aftertheburstingofthetechnologybubblein2000severalsub-primecredit-cardprovidersfailed.Nowthereareonlyaround100ofwhichnineissuecreditcards.SurvivorssuchasMetrisandProvidiantwoofthebiggersub-primecardcompanieshavebecomechoosierabouttheircustomers’credithistories. Astheeconomyrecoveredsodidlenders’fortunes.Fitcharatingagencysaysthattheproportionofsub-primecredit-cardborrowerswhoaremorethan60daysinarrearsagoodpredictorofeventualdefaultisthelowestsinceNovember2001.ButwithAmericaninterestratesrisingagainsomeworryaboutanothersqueeze.AsFitch’sMichaelDeanpointsoutsub-primeborrowerstendtohavenotjusthigher-ratecreditcardsbutdearerautoloansandvariable-ratemortgagesaswell.Thatmakesariskybusinessevenriskier. Whichofthefollowingisnotmentionedasawaytoreducerisksofcreditcardindustry
WashingtonDChastraditionallybeenanunbalancedcitywhenitcomestothelifeofthemind.IthasgreatnationalmonumentsfromtheSmithsonianmuseumstotheLibraryofCongress.Butday-to-dayculturallifecanbethin.Itattractssomeofthecountry’sbestbrains.Butfartoomuchofthecity’sintellectuallifeisdevotedtotheminutiaeofthepoliticalprocess.Dinnertableconversationcanalltooeasilyturntobudgetreconciliationorsocialsecurity. Thisischanging.OnOctober1sttheShakespeareTheatreCompanyopeneda775-seatnewtheatreintheheartofdowntown.SidneyHarmanhallnotonlyprovidesanewstageforatheatrecompanythathashithertohadtomakedowiththe450-seatLansburghTheatrearoundthecorner.Itwillalsoprovideaplatformformanysmallerartscompanies. ThefactthatsomanyoftheseoutfitsarequeuinguptoperformistestimonytoWashington’sculturalvitality.Therecently-expandedKennedyCentreisbysomemeasuresthebusiestperformingartscomplex.Butitstillhasagrowingnumberofartsgroupswhicharedesperateformid-sizedspacedown-town.MichaelKahnthetheatrecompany’sartisticdirectorjokesthatdespiteWashington’saversion厌恶tokeepingsecretsithasmadeaprettygoodjobofkeepingquietaboutitsartisticlife.TheHarmanCentreshouldactasawhistleblower. WashingtonstillbowsthekneetoNewYorkandChicagowhenitcomestoculture.ButithasagoodclaimtobeAmerica’sintellectualcapital.Ithasthegreatestcollectionofthink-tanksontheplanetanditregularlysucksinagiantshareofthecountry’sbestbrains.WashingtonissecondonlytoSanFranciscofortheproportionofresidentstwenty-fiveyearsandolderwithabachelor’sdegreeorhigher. Washington’sintellectuallifehasbeensuperchargedduringtheBushyearsdespitetheDecider’saversiontoideas.September11th2001putquestionsofglobalstrategyatthecenterofthenationaldebate.MostofAmerica’sintellectualcentersarefirmlyinthegripoftheleft-liberalestablishment.Foralltheirtalkof"diversity"Americanuniversitiesareallergictoadiversityofideas.Washingtonisoneofthefewcitieswhereconservativesregularlydobattlewithliberals.Itisalsothecenterofafiercedebateaboutthefuturedirectionofconservatism. ThedangerforWashingtonisthatthisintellectualandculturalrenaissancewillleavethemajorityofthecitizensuntouched.Thecapitalremainsacitydeeplydividedbetweenover-educatedwhiteitinerantsandunder-educatedblacklocals.StillthenewShakespearetheatreispartofjob-generatingdowntownrevival.Twentyyearsagodowntownwasadesertofdilapidated破旧的buildingsandbagpeople.Todayitisbustlingwithlife.IfWashingtonisstrugglingtofixtheworldatleastitismakingareasonablejoboffixingitself. Whichofthefollowingistrueofthetext
WashingtonDChastraditionallybeenanunbalancedcitywhenitcomestothelifeofthemind.IthasgreatnationalmonumentsfromtheSmithsonianmuseumstotheLibraryofCongress.Butday-to-dayculturallifecanbethin.Itattractssomeofthecountry’sbestbrains.Butfartoomuchofthecity’sintellectuallifeisdevotedtotheminutiaeofthepoliticalprocess.Dinnertableconversationcanalltooeasilyturntobudgetreconciliationorsocialsecurity. Thisischanging.OnOctober1sttheShakespeareTheatreCompanyopeneda775-seatnewtheatreintheheartofdowntown.SidneyHarmanhallnotonlyprovidesanewstageforatheatrecompanythathashithertohadtomakedowiththe450-seatLansburghTheatrearoundthecorner.Itwillalsoprovideaplatformformanysmallerartscompanies. ThefactthatsomanyoftheseoutfitsarequeuinguptoperformistestimonytoWashington’sculturalvitality.Therecently-expandedKennedyCentreisbysomemeasuresthebusiestperformingartscomplex.Butitstillhasagrowingnumberofartsgroupswhicharedesperateformid-sizedspacedown-town.MichaelKahnthetheatrecompany’sartisticdirectorjokesthatdespiteWashington’saversion厌恶tokeepingsecretsithasmadeaprettygoodjobofkeepingquietaboutitsartisticlife.TheHarmanCentreshouldactasawhistleblower. WashingtonstillbowsthekneetoNewYorkandChicagowhenitcomestoculture.ButithasagoodclaimtobeAmerica’sintellectualcapital.Ithasthegreatestcollectionofthink-tanksontheplanetanditregularlysucksinagiantshareofthecountry’sbestbrains.WashingtonissecondonlytoSanFranciscofortheproportionofresidentstwenty-fiveyearsandolderwithabachelor’sdegreeorhigher. Washington’sintellectuallifehasbeensuperchargedduringtheBushyearsdespitetheDecider’saversiontoideas.September11th2001putquestionsofglobalstrategyatthecenterofthenationaldebate.MostofAmerica’sintellectualcentersarefirmlyinthegripoftheleft-liberalestablishment.Foralltheirtalkof"diversity"Americanuniversitiesareallergictoadiversityofideas.Washingtonisoneofthefewcitieswhereconservativesregularlydobattlewithliberals.Itisalsothecenterofafiercedebateaboutthefuturedirectionofconservatism. ThedangerforWashingtonisthatthisintellectualandculturalrenaissancewillleavethemajorityofthecitizensuntouched.Thecapitalremainsacitydeeplydividedbetweenover-educatedwhiteitinerantsandunder-educatedblacklocals.StillthenewShakespearetheatreispartofjob-generatingdowntownrevival.Twentyyearsagodowntownwasadesertofdilapidated破旧的buildingsandbagpeople.Todayitisbustlingwithlife.IfWashingtonisstrugglingtofixtheworldatleastitismakingareasonablejoboffixingitself. Bymentioningthe9·11terroristattackinParagraph5theauthorintendsto
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