Questions

1. True or false? Violent crime is on the increase in the UK.

2. What does Gordon Brown want to do to reduce knife crime?

3. What will the police receive to help them do their job?

4. Why do young people carry knives, according to critics of the plan?

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Background: 在英国近几个月来很多青少年成为了一些青少年持刀行凶犯罪的牺牲品。2008年6月英国首相戈登. 布朗号召起诉方对发现携有凶器的青少年给予更严厉的处罚。

Almost every week it seems another British teenager ends up dead as a result of a knife attack 持刀攻击.

While official figures 官方数据 suggest violent crime overall 总体暴力行凶数量 is falling, more offences 犯罪 are being committed by youngsters, and injuries are getting more severe.

The government has already begun an advertising campaign 广告宣传攻势 to try to stop people carrying knives.

Now the prime minister, Gordon Brown, has said under 18s caught in possession should be prosecuted 被起诉 for a first offence 初犯 instead of just let off with a warning 给予警告就放了.

The police are also being given extra funding 特别的资金 to increase weapons' searches and education.

Critics 批评家 say a zero tolerance approach 零容忍方法 will not solve the underlying problems 更深层的问题, with young people often carrying knives to protect themselves.

But everyone agrees something has to be done to end what a senior judge 高级法官 has called an "epidemic" 流行病 of knife crime .

Answers

1. True or false? Violent crime is on the increase in the UK.

False. Crime is decreasing but younger people are getting involved.

2. What does Gordon Brown want to do to reduce knife crime?He wants children who carry knives to be prosecuted.

3. What will the police receive to help them do their job?

The police will receive more money to search for weapons and teach children of the dangers.

4. Why do young people carry knives, according to critics of the plan?

Critics of the plan say children carry knives because they are afraid of attack.