新视野大学英语视听说教程第四册 Unit 10 Task 3: Do you know what “Freeze!” means?
There is one word which you must learn before you visit the U.S.A. That is “Freeze!” It means, “Stand still and don’t move.” Police officers use it when they are ready to use their guns. If the person does not obey the command and moves, they shoot.
One evening in Los Angeles, someone rang the bell doorbell of a house. It was a dangerous area at night, so the owner of the house took his gun with him when he answered the door. He opened the door and saw a person, who turned round and started walking away from the house. The owner cried “Freeze!”, but the man went on walking. The owner thought he tried to escape, so he shot him dead.
Later, a sad story was uncovered. The dead man was Yoshiro Hattori, a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student. He went to visit a friend for a Halloween party, but he could not remember the number of the house. When he realized that he had gone to the wrong house, he turned round to leave. He did not know much English and so did not understand the command “Freeze!”.
The tragedy arose from cultural misunderstanding. Those who have lived in the United States for a long time understand the possibility of being shot when one trespasses upon an individual’s property. It is a well-known fact in America that a person’s home is his castle. Although Rodney Pears, the owner of the house, gave a verbal warning “Freeze!” to Hattori, Hattori did not know it meant “Stand still and don’t move”, and therefore did not obey it. This misunderstanding became the trigger of Hattori’s disaster. The concept of owning guns is hard for Japanese people to understand, but in America you are permitted to own a gun under the U.S. Constitution.
1.What does the word “Freeze!” mean in the passage?
2.What did the owner of the house take with him when he answered the door?
3. Why did the Japanese student turn around and leave?
4. What is mentioned as a possible result of trespassing?
5. Why is the phrase “a person’s home is his castle” quoted in the passage?
Keys: 1.C 2.A 3.D 4.B 5.C
