真题例析 Aproposaltochangelong standingfederalpolicyanddenycitizenshiptobabiesborntoillegalimmigrantsonU S soilranagroundthismonthinCongress butitissuretoresurface kindlingbitterdebateevenifitfailstobecomelaw Atissueis birthrightcitizenship providedforsincetheConstitution s14thAmendmentwasratifiedin1868 Section1ofthatamendment draftedwithfreedslavesinmind says AllpersonsbornornaturalizedintheUnitedStates andsubjecttothejurisdictionthereof arecitizensoftheUnitedStates 2020 4 4 1 SomeconservativesinCongress aswellasadvocacygroupsseekingtocrackdownonillegalimmigration saytheamendmenthasbeenmisappliedovertheyears thatitwasneverintendedtograntcitizenshipautomaticallythebabiesofillegalimmigrants Thustheycontendthatfederallegislation ratherthanadifficult to achieveconstitutionalamendment wouldbesufficienttoendbirthrightcitizenship MostAmericansfeelitdoesn tmakeanysenseforpeopletocomeintothecountryillegally givebirthandhaveanewU S citizen saidthespokesmanofthefederationofAmericanimmigrationreform Buttheadvocatesforillegalimmigrantswillmakeafuss they llclaimyou repunishingthechildren andIsuspecttheleadershipdoesn twanttodealwiththat 0609 2020 4 4 2 ForyearsIhavebeenmercilesslylampoonedbyfriendsandacquaintancesalikeformyunorthodoxlifestylechoiceofhavingnoTV Inanageofincreasinglylargeplasmaflat screensandsurroundsound digitalhomeentertainmentsystemswhichaccostyoutheminuteyouwalkintosomeone shouse peopleregularlylookatmelikeI meitherseverelyhandicappedorchronicallyharddonebywhenImentionthatIhavenotelevision Icanseethemixtureofgenuinepity rawpathosandsheerdisbeliefintheirfacesastheystareatmeopen mouthed Andno contrarytothejokesandinsinuationsfromtheequallyincredulousyoungpeopleImentor it snotbecauseIcan taffordtopaytheTVlicense 2020 4 4 3 Tobesure televisionisagreatinvention ifhandledinmoderation Thecompositeetymologicalderivation fromtheGreekandtheLatinwords literallymeaning toseefromafar tellsofatremendoustechnologicalfeatwhichcertainlydeservestobeapplauded What smore ifoneisdiscerning itcanbethesourceofsomequalityentertainment instructionandenjoyment SomeofthenaturedocumentariesandartsprogrammersonBBC2aretrulyfantasticandarewellworththelicensefeealone Butthesadrealityisthatyoungpeoplearerarelydiscerningand bydintofpoortimemanagementskills oftenendupwastinganinordinateamountofprecious never returningtimewatchingtrash theirbrainswallowinginatroughofmentallethargy 1209 2020 4 4 4 CharlesDickensobservedofrevolutionaryFrancethatitwasthebestoftimesandtheworstoftimes thespringofhopeandthewinterofdespair Morerecently theUSNationalIntelligenceCouncilborrowedfromATaleofTwoCitiesforthetitlepageinareportabouthowtheworldmaylookin2030 YoucanseewhytheauthorsalightedonDickens sobservation Thetumultuousupheavalsintheinternationalsystemcanstiroptimismandpessimisminequalmeasure Thegreatprosperitythatglobalizationhasbroughttotheeastandsouthsitsalongsidetherisksandinsecuritiesthataccompanythepassingofanolderorder 2020 4 4 5 Thefirstinstinctistocelebratethewayglobalizationliftshundredsofmillionsofpeopleoutofpoverty thesecondtofretwhethertherebalancingofglobalpowerwillusherinaneweraofmightisrightininternationalrelations EvenEuropeans whohavecometolookattheworldthroughnormativelenses arebeginningtothinkthatsoftpowermaysometimesneedahardcenter Thecoldwarhaditsdrawbacks notleastthethreatofnuclearincineration Thebigworriesnowflowfromuncertainty Theuncertaintymakesittemptingtoturnforadvicetothelookingglassofhistory Afterall history isAlexisdeTocqueville smetaphor isapicturegallerystockedwithahandfuloforiginalsandmanymorecopies 201409 2020 4 4 6 Inthecomingdecades Europe sinfluenceonaffairsbeyonditsborderswillbesharplylimited anditisinotherregions notEurope thatthe21stcenturywillbemostclearlyforgedanddefined Certainly onereasonforNATO sincreasingmarginalizationstemsfromthebehaviorofitsEuropeanmembers WithNATO criticaldecisionsarestillmadenationally muchofthetalkaboutacommondefensepolicyremainsjustthat talk Thereislittlespecializationorcoordination Missingaswellaremanyofthelogisticalandintelligenceassetsneededtoprojectmilitaryforceondistantbattlefields WiththeColdWarandtheSovietthreatadistantmemory thereislittlepoliticalwillingness onacountry by countrybasis toprovideadequatepublicfundstothemilitary 1109 2020 4 4 7 WhatanoblemediumtheEnglishlanguageis Itisnotpossibletowriteapagewithoutexperiencingpositivepleasureattherichnessandvariety theflexibilityandtheprofoundnessofourmother tongue IfanEnglishwritercannotsaywhathehasto sayinEnglish andinsimpleEnglish itisprobablynotworthsaying WhatapitythatEnglishisnotmoregenerallystudied Iamnotgoingtoattackclassicaleducation Noonewhohastheslightestpretensiontoliterarytastescanbeinsensibletoitsattraction 2020 4 4 8 ButIconfessourpresenteducationalsystemexcitesinmymindgravemisgivings whichIcannotbelieveisthebestorevenreasonable asystemthatthrustsuponreluctantanduncomprehendingmultitudestreasureswhichcanonlybeappreciatedbytheprivilegedandgiftedfew Tothevastmajorityofchildrenwhoattendourpublicschools classicaleducat